Wilkie Collins Great Classic Library

by Wilkie Collins

Great Classic Library Wilkie Collins. Includes the complete and unabridged versions of: The Moonstone, The Haunted Hotel and My Lady's Money.

680 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1994

About the author

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was composed of 3 complete novels. The Moonstone, The Haunted Hotel, and My Lady’s Money.

Something that Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, good friends, had in common was that they both wrote long and intense novels. And while Dickens is my absolute favorite, I do admit that on occasion, when reading his books, I have to think “What?” and reread a bit to catch it all. Collins is just slightly lighter in tone, as far as ease of reading, and also generally quite enjoyable.

So…the Moonstone. Beautiful, but flawed, gem. Stolen from India and always watched over from afar by three men from India as it is passed down thru generations, with those whose hands it lands in usually facing some type of tragedy. It has been suggested that it be cut up into several smaller, more perfect stones, which would break the curse, but this is always ignored.

While I read Dickens foremost for his characters, most of Collins’ characters are more “normal”. But there are some fabulous exceptions here. Gabriel Betteredge is a man who has worn out several editions of Robinson Crusoe, and takes all of his life lessons by referring to it, which he does regularly, often by just opening it randomly and finding the perfect quote he can fit to whatever event he needs it to work for. He even looks down on people with contempt mixed with sympathy when they say they haven’t read Robinson Crusoe since childhood. Drusilla Clack thinks highly of herself and feels it is her Christian duty to try to improve others, and bring them up to her high standards. She hands out tracts, some with chapters called things like “Satan in the Hair Brush” or “Satan out of the window”. She will leave these in places where specific people will likely find them, or give them to taxi drivers in place of a tip, etc. The tracts are often all returned to her. Sergeant Cuff is an officer who is obsessed with roses. He will talk roses with you any time, anywhere, and has passionate debates with people over certain kinds and how they should be grown. Mr. Candy is a doctor who falls ill and ends up with little memory, making for some amusing moments when he tries to tell someone what he called them about and has to save face by inventing something else to cover his forgetfulness. There are others with amusing little traits, but these were the top four for me.

Our story basically begins when the Moonstone is given as a birthday gift to a young woman from a man who inherited it. When it is stolen, or missing, everyone in the house is asked to give an account of anything they knew about the activities surrounding it, from when it arrived as the gift, to when it disappeared, and their own activity in particular. Mr. Betteredge begins with his account, and its how we learn of the family history to that point. When his daughter reads it, she says its all true and correct, but not what what asked of him. So he begins again. There are numerous accounts given, and each adds more to the story, and there is very little that overlaps, keeping it interesting and moving right along, altho admittedly a little long in some cases. The accounts involve mystery, betrayal, romance, engagements made and broken, a little of everything.

I had put off reading this book for a long time, partly because of its length and also because it looked so serious, and I was never ready for it. But I was pulled into the first story very quickly and surprised to find all the humor in it. The chapters often end with something that has you wanting to read at least one more, even if its late at night and you’re half asleep. But altho I can read Dickens over and over, I think one time is probably enough for this long book, even tho I did enjoy it.

Of the other two novels in the book, “The Haunted Hotel” was much shorter, but didn’t really do much for me, and even with the shorter length seemed a long way to go for the story it told. “My Lady’s Money” was the shortest of the three, with money being taken near the beginning, and the rest of the story involving several people trying to discover who the thief was. It had a few characters I liked, and was interesting enough, but I was glad it wasn’t stretched out any longer.