The Moonstone
In 1868, Wilkie Collins penned The Moonstone, a detective novel told chronologically over the course of a year by different narrators who relate what they know about the theft of a rare, cursed, yellow diamond.
The story is written in the narrative style of that era, so the narrators “tell” the story, and there isn’t a great deal of “showing”. But some of the standout aspects of this story are Collins’ mastery of point of view (POV), and his use of clues and cliffhangers.
POV in The Moonstone
Each narrator is a unique character with a distinct voice in the story. Collins created a quirky manservant who thinks Robinson Crusoe holds all of life’s answers as vividly as an overbearing evangelist who’s so focused on eternity, she typifies a Christian nobody wants to be or encounter. Some narrators are trustworthy. But others prove unreliable, simply because they draw conclusions without all the facts.
Clues and Hooks in The Moonstone
Numerous twists and turns reveal clues (and much to the delight of mystery buffs, offer a slew of suspects to ponder). Along with that, Collins leaves the reader hanging at the end of each section or chapter. And those cliffhangers hook the reader to keep turning pages to find out what happens next.
Lessons from The Moonstone
The best of fiction teaches truth. Not only did I enjoy this mystery, it reminded me:
— Each person sees the world based on his/her life experiences.
— Issues important to me may or may not be important to others.
— To make healthy decisions, I may need other perspectives, but I ultimately need to get as many facts as I can gather, and then ask God what He thinks.
— Life is full of twists and turns. I may understand some “clues” that help me deal with certain situations. But I might also get off track if I don’t interpret what’s happening correctly.
— It’s okay if I don’t understand something, or decide I need to move in a different direction.
— I just need to keep moving to see what happens next.
What novel taught you a valuable truth? What was that truth?
What The Moonstone Taught Me – What novel taught you truth, and what truth? Share on XJoni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.
May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.
The Hunger Games series has taught me that we must fight for our own life and the life of others. That we might think the battle (spiritual) has ended and we have won, but then when we least expect it, we are attacked again. It taught me that, as Phyllis said, “things are not always as they appear.” And in the end… good (GOD) will win.
Thanks for sharing, Jane. I appreciate your thoughts.
Keep moving! What an important message–thank you, Joni. You’ve not only shared important truths gleaned from your interpretation of what you read, you’ve also given us strategies we writers can apply to our work.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Katherine. I’m grateful my post was helpful.
Numerous mystery novels have taught me things are not always as they appear.
I totally agree, Phyllis. I guess I love mystery so much because I am constantly trying to figure things out. ha ha
I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but I enjoyed your review. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for reading, Tim. I think your book definitely has truths!