Intimidating Reads Selection #1: The Moonstone

[Tim]

The group has selected our selection for the first Intimidating Reads group read. The selection is The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Considering the size of the book, we will be reading it from January 1, 2020 through April 31, 2020. The way I decide how many months to take to read is by averaging out the number of pages of the downloaded copy depending on the ereader software I'm using divided by 150. The 150 is for the maximum number of pages to read per month. The number of pages from me various devices ranged from 494 to 558 thus making it a four month read. I remember reading The Woman in White by the same author which took me a while to read.

I will post discussion questions in this thread every so often to see what everybody participating in this group read think of what were reading.

If you think we are reading at to fast of a pace, please let me know. If there is a general consensus, I will adjust accordingly.

You can download the book in various formats from Project Gutenberg at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/155..

If you prefer to listen to it as an audiobook, you can download it from LibriVox at: https://librivox.org/the-moonstone-by....

[Sawako]

Thanks, Tim! I look forward to reading it with the group. 😊

[JenniferFour]

Also looking forward to it. My husband and I are sharing a NY resolution to read for pleasure from 9pm to 9:30 each night. As soon as I finish my current read, The Moonstone is next. I ordered a paperback for this even though I do most of reading in ebook format.

[JenniferFour]

Anyone else started it? I did tonight. Not too far in but enjoyable so far.

[Tim]

JenniferFour wrote: "Anyone else started it? I did tonight. Not too far in but enjoyable so far."

I possibly will be starting later today.

[Sawako]

I may start tomorrow.

[Tim]

I was hoping to start it over the weekend, but my health problems said otherwise. I will be starting it a little later today.

[JenniferFour]

It's good so far. I should finish up the first section (200 pages in my book) tonight.

[Sawako]

Hey everyone! How're you doing? I'm so sorry for my disappearance. A lot of things happen and I wasn't able to read. But I've managed to read up to chapter 5 in the first period. I'm enjoying the book so far.

Which chapter are you currently reading?

[JenniferFour]

I finished it but happy to talk about it without giving spoilers!

[Sawako]

JenniferFour wrote: "I finished it but happy to talk about it without giving spoilers!"

That's awesome, Jennifer. What's your rating?

[Tim]

Sawako wrote: "Hey everyone! How're you doing? I'm so sorry for my disappearance. A lot of things happen and I wasn't able to read. But I've managed to read up to chapter 5 in the first period. I'm enjoying the b..."

I've been in somewhat of a reading slum I'm a little farther than you and I like it so far.

[Sawako]

Tim wrote: "I've been in somewhat of a reading slum I'm a little farther than you and I like it so far."

Why do you have a reading slump?

I'm happy you like it.

[JenniferFour]

Sawako wrote:

That's awesome, Jennifer. What's your rating?"


A solid 4 stars. I wrote a review today if you want to read it. No spoilers but I won't post it here anyway just in case those in progress don't want to see it.

[Sawako]

JenniferFour wrote: "A solid 4 stars. I wrote a review today if you want to read it. No spoilers but I won't post it here anyway just in case those in progress don't want to see it."

Nice review! (view spoiler)["One thing I really enjoyed was that the first section is written by one person who describes several other characters." Do you mean Betteredge? I'm enjoying his narrative. (hide spoiler)]

[JenniferFour]

Yep, I meant Betteredge. probably should have said character instead of person.

[Sawako]

JenniferFour wrote: "Yep, I meant Betteredge. probably should have said character instead of person."

That's okay!

[Li]

I'm just starting chapter XVI.

In the previous chapter, Sergeant Cuff told Betteredge that he bet the young lady had just revolved to lreave the house. And now in this chapter, Miss Verinder told her mother she was going to stay with her aunt for a while.

I thought I had been conscientiously following all the clues so far, marking dates and events with a pencil, but I cannot figure out how Sergeant Cuff who seemed to possess the same clues as I do, could have known what was going to happen.

So to those who have finished the book, I have a question:

At the start of chapter XVI, has Wilkie Collins provided enough clues so far, for a reader smarter than I, to foresee that Miss Verinder was leaving the house, just like Sergeant Cuff had foreseen it?

[JenniferFour]

Hmmm....well, I certainly did not try that hard as I read to solve things! However, there were a fair number of (timely) explanations of things so although the fact might be unexpected, I wasn’t kept in suspense long....which I liked.