The Moonstone - Collins, Wilkie

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Résumé :
Rachel's eighteenth birthday is celebrated with a large party. She wears the Moonstone on her dress that evening for all to see, including some Indian jugglers who have come to entertain. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for many years to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. Later that night, the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom, and a period of turmoil, unhappiness, misunderstandings and ill-luck ensues. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientist-each speculate on the mystery, but in mid-Victorian England no one is what they seem, and nothing can be taken for granted....

Biographie:
Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English author and playwright widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the mystery and detective genres. Known for his intricate plots, suspenseful narratives, and complex characters, Collins captivated Victorian readers with his thrilling tales. His most famous work, 'The Woman in White', is considered a masterpiece of gothic fiction and has left an indelible mark on the genre.

Sommaire:
A landmark Victorian novel often regarded as one of the earliest and most influential works of detective fiction. First published in 1868, The Moonstone centres on the theft of a valuable diamond and the subsequent efforts to recover it. The narrative unfolds through a series of interconnected accounts, each presented by a different witness, creating a layered and methodical reconstruction of events. Collins employs this structure to examine not only the circumstances of the crime but also the perceptions and limitations of those who recount it. Set against the social milieu of nineteenth-century England, the novel combines elements of mystery, domestic drama, and psychological observation. The introduction of Sergeant Cuff as a professional investigator contributes to the development of the detective figure in fiction, while the use of multiple narrators anticipates later narrative techniques. The Moonstone remains a central text in the evolution of the detective genre and a representative example of Collins's contribution to Victorian literature....