The Moonstone

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

No, the "Moonstone" isn't a celestial relic, it's a gigantic yellow diamond of unearthly beauty that was given to Rachel Verinder as a present on her 18th birthday - and stolen that very night! Betteredge, one of the most beloved butlers in English literature, is the focus of this seminal detective novel, which examines how one family's life is turned upside-down by the theft. And find out why the answers to all of life's problems can be found in the pages of Robinson Crusoe.

Public Domain (P)1989 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"The first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels." (T.S. Eliot)

"This finely crafted tale is riveting in the audio medium." ( Library Journal)

Best ever

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The narrators are wonderful and of course the story is classic.

Which character ??? as performed by Patrick Tull ??? was your favorite?

I loved all of them. He is a wonderful actor.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes I laughed. I have read the book twice but never realized how funny it was until Iistened to it.

Stunning Narration plus Wilkie Collins = magic

I guess we all have our personal preferences for narrators, but Tull (as do both Patton and Barrett in their work) breathes amazingly real life into his characters. It seems to me that Patrick Tull had a unique ability to enter the persona of the Victorian characters he narrated. His work on Patrick O'Briens naval fiction is similarly stellar.

The Moonstone

Let me start by saying this was my first audio book and I only hope that I will find more as entertaining and well done as this one. When I downloaded it I realized just how long it was however when I got to the end all I wanted was another segment.

There is no instant gratification here, no detective sitting down all the suspects and telling us who done it. Instead Collins reveals the pieces to the mystery slowly and in such a way that even when we know where the end is leading, there are new twists for us, and his characters, and we wonder how he is going to get us there. At the same time, he reveals aspects of the characters and pulls us into their lives.

While the situations may be somewhat foreign by an ocean and a hundred and fifty some-odd years, the human story is constant and as relevant today as it was then.

As for the reading I enjoyed that as much as the story. Having different readers do the various narratives really brought the characters to life and they all did very well.

Don't let the length scare you off. This book is well worth you time and just in case you couldn?t tell, I enjoyed it immensely.

Worth a listen, just for the WONDERFUL narration!

Wilkie Collins' writing and the late, beloved Patrick Tull's narration are an unbeatable combination, not to be missed! I read The Moonstone years ago, but had forgotten what a wonderful window into the origins of the genre of mysteries it is. Arguably the first, or among the first, of mysteries to incorporate many elements we now take for granted in mysteries (the country house, the use of a detective, suspicion falling in various places, etc) it is still a great read a century and a half after it was written.

Briefly, Rachel Verinder is given a huge and priceless diamond for her 18th birthday. She is unaware that the diamond, referred to as "the moonstone" was obtained in India under reprehensible circumstances by her uncle during the wars. Throughout the story there are three Indian men who lurk about, hoping to get it back, but the inhabitants of the house don't exactly understand that that is who they are. The story is played out in marvelous fashion, as the diamond is quickly stolen, and suspicion falls everywhere among the various characters as they try to discover who took it. They even call in Sgt. Cuff, of Scotland Yard, who attempts to solve the mystery.

There are a couple of narrators, the precious butler Betteridge, with his priceless self-serving asides, and Drusilla Clack, a religious relative. But without question, an already excellent book is thoroughly brought to life by the incomparable narration of the extraordinarily talented Patrick Tull. He had the ability to breathe more life and personality into each separate character then many other narrators are ever able to do. This book would be worth the listen just to get to hear him perform. I very highly recommend this book for every reason. It was just such a wonderful listening experience!

Moonstone

What fun! And the readers make this delightful book a real treat. Suspenseful, funny, utterly charming.

Good Performance of Charming Story

The different narrators did a great job of telling their story from the character's point of view. The story was engaging.

Loved it☺

Found the performance excellent and the story entertaining.b. It was difficult to put aside once started.

Pure Fun in Many Ways

Where does The Moonstone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

The various perspectives and eccentricities of the several narrators.

What does Patrick Tull bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I listened to this book some time ago, and what I recalled most was Patrick Tull's wonderful narration of the section narrated by the butler. I just tired to look up the names of the other actors and actresses who read the other parts. There don't seem to be any: Patrick Tull read it all. But I remember the very different people who told different parts of the story. That tells you how powerful Tull's reading is.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Someone took it. Who?

Any additional comments?

Patrick Tull is a narrator who can bring any book to life—and this is a good book to begin with.

The Moonstone, Diamond classic of Crime Fiction

The Moonstone is a very long epistolary mystery novel, i.e. the story is told through letters, journals, reports and the like rendered by a long list of involved characters. In spite of its length, I was constantly engaged and anxious to learn the next clue to who took the moonstone diamond, why they did, and how was it taken. This mystery was written in 1861 by Colin Wilkie. Despite its age, the novel is timeless and will still engage readers/listeners in the distant future.

Victorian Slog Fest

Well this was a long listen. Imagine adding a longer Sherlock Holmes story and Pride and Prejudice together, and you have this book. Good if you’re into that sort of thing.