The Moonstone

8 ways to start a deeper conversation.

Contains spoilers for the entire book.

Discussion topics

Topic 01 of 08

How does the story of the Moonstone's theft from India frame the whole novel?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.

How does the story of the Moonstone's theft from India frame the whole novel?
Keep the conversation going
- What does the curse mean, and is it real?
- What does the prologue suggest about the British in India?
What does Gabriel Betteredge, with his Robinson Crusoe, bring to the story?
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- Did you trust his account?
- How does he see the people around him?
Why does Rachel behave so strangely after the theft?
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- When did you guess why?
- What does her silence cost her?
How did Rosanna's story affect you?
Keep the conversation going
- What did she know, and why did she hide it?
- What does her fate say about class?
Is Sergeant Cuff a good detective, given he gets so much wrong?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his love of roses?
- How does he compare to detectives you know?
What did you make of Miss Clack's narrative?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Collins include her?
- Who is she really judging?
How did you respond to Ezra Jennings's experiment to recreate the night of the theft?
Keep the conversation going
- What does he give Franklin besides the answer?
- What does his own story add to the book?
How did you feel about who really took the diamond, and about its final return to India?
Keep the conversation going
- Was the solution satisfying?
- Why does the novel end where the Moonstone began?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.