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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > BOTM September: THE MOONSTONE by Wikie Collins
 
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DrVenkman
Dec 28, 2005

I think he can hear you, Ray.
Yeah it's fair enough that people want to avoid spoilers, and I will admit that I found the initial part of the book easier to handle than the second part. But it's still a great read, and it's easy to see the DNA that was later used for most mystery novels. Difference is that Collins was looser and the novel more sprawling, but that's what gives it character. Take some of that stuff out and you essentially have an Agatha Christie book.

* # ¿ Sep 19, 2015 22:15
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DrVenkman
Dec 28, 2005

I think he can hear you, Ray.

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

Oh, and this is my comment:

The real question I have about the book is the extent to which Collins was deliberately painting the Indian characters as heroes. To a modern reader they come across that way; they certainly seem to win in the end; but I'm not sure what message Wilkie was trying to send. Was he defending "natives" ? Implicitly critiquing colonialism? Just writing a good story that played on the doubts as to the validity of their colonial enterprise that even the most British Britisher must have, on some level, had? I don't know!

To me it read that Collins was a little more sympathetic to their plight and was actually critiquing colonialism. But at the same time there's this thinly veiled stereotypical portrayal of the Indians that slightly undercuts that somewhat. Though it could be argued that he was just using the language and ideas of the time to do it. I remember thinking the opening in particular had a sort of 'Boys Own Adventure' feel to it that ends up being out of place with the rest of the book.

* # ¿ Sep 29, 2015 13:31
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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > BOTM September: THE MOONSTONE by Wikie Collins