Wednesday 29 August 2012

The Moonstone, Part 4: "I consider you to be a person whose head is full of maggots."

Warning: I haven't warned you of this before, but this time it's really really important because I'm about to reveal the person who stole the moonstone. So if you don't know, RUN AND SAVE YOURSELVES NOW!

Because, of course, OBVIOUSLY it wasn't Ezra Jennings. Who even suspected him? I knew he'd turn out to be a good guy in the end! Ahem. But I'll come back to ALL that later, because of course, OF COURSE it was Godfrey!
I never liked that guy. Although, I did sort of enjoy that it was a crime of opportunity rather than of real maliciousness against his own cousin, and also that he got all smothered for it, because, you know, it's Godfrey. Oh, how Clack must have mourned. My main thought on the whole mess? Don't let the poor relations be trustees to the rich people! How was that ever going to work, especially when said poor people kept a woman in his villa? How?!

Anyway, that was all later. May we please speak about Ezra Jennings, he of the amazing 'I must make my patients drunk and give them opium and stuff' method of being a doctor. Way to go Ezra! Did we all see Wilkie's pains reflected in Ezra's, and Wilkie's massive opium addiction doing the same? Good good. Also, I have to assume that Ezra's piebaldness has some kind of relation to Wilkie's GIANT forehead, because no amount of google searching has meant I can figure out what that is. But let's just pretend it's the same thing, even if it isn't, ok?

Anyway, I was surprised as anyone that Ezra wasn't evil, and apparently Betteredge (who, by the way, was supremely awesome in this last part, I have to say) still believes that he is "Speaking as a man, I consider you to be a person whose head is full of maggots."
GREATEST INSULT EVER! Just, in my opinion. (Note: I just realised this was my title quote. But it bears repeating!) Ok, so the opium thing was clearly a work of genius (although, baad Dr Candy. Sorry, Mr Candy. Personally I blame him for all of this. The whole thing. He was probably just faking a brain disease to get out of taking the blame, is what I think) and I'm SO sad that Ezra died! He was totally my star of this last section, so YAY EZRA (at last!) But bad Godfrey. Bad bad bad.

But hey, at least Rachel and Franklin got it on:
"Sir and madam, look back at the time when you were passionately attached to each other- and you will know what happened, after Ezra Jennings had shut the door of the sitting room, as well as I know it myself."

And if you'll just indulge me for a tiny bit longer, I want to talk about the ending (which, by the way, I nearly missed because I thought Betteredge and Robinson Crusoe deserved to end it, really) which slightly confused me. Because, on the one hand, it was EXACTLY what I wanted to happen (the moonstone being returned to its home and all) but then, also, why exactly did the Indians who brought it back get punished? And if it was, as I believe it was, a caste thing, is that like Wilkie saying that the Indians are stupid for not rewarding good actions and being overly obsessed with caste, which is actually pretty rich coming from a Victorian gentleman? I JUST DON'T KNOW. Help me out, everyone?

And so it endeth! I am sad and yet happy, all at once. Damn Wilkie, you're just the greatest! Good readalong everybody! *claps and imagines everyone else doing the same*. I just don't know what I'm going to do in September, but I know that in October we'll all be reading The Grapes of Wrath along with me? Isn't that right? Get your sad faced gifs ready, I'll be waiting!

29 comments:

  1. The book was awesome, even if I was surprised at how the Moonstone ended up in London; I had thought it would get there via a conspiracy instead of a crime of opportunity.
    I'm not sure Wilkie was saying the Indians were stupid. I think he may have been trying to show the tragic consequences of Britain's mishandling of Indian affairs (the gem was stolen and the Brahmin guards had to break caste to recover it). In fact, Murthwaite seems very sympathetic to Indians. I wonder what Wilkie's take on the Elgin marbles would be...

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    1. Yeah, it was slightly like 'well no one really MEANT to steal the moonstone, it just sort of happened...' which is a bit of an anti-climax, I have to say!

      Murthwaite was definitely very sympathetic to the Indians (it's possible he likes them better than the English, to be fair) so, yeah. I don't want to think of Wilkie as being like 'tsk, stupid Indians don't know how to reward people' so let's go with the tragic consequences thing!

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    2. On the whole I thought Wilkie presented a fairly progressive view on colonialism/imperialism; there were of course some shudder-worthy remarks about skin colour, but he was a Victorian so if that was the worst of it, Wilkie comes off looking pretty forward.

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    3. Oh yeahhh, definitely! I like the interpretation we worked through just below in the comments, so I'm going with that and choosing to give Wilkie a big THUMBS UP for being all progressive-y.

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  2. Oh, dear. I forgot about Clack. I bet she is still mourning to this day. Her beloved Godfrey. I bet she would have been able to make good out of Godfrey's actions. You know, like Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor or something like that, right?

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    1. Wasn't she all like "I'm still way into him despite later events" or something? There was some sort of reference.

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    2. She did, she did! She was like 'I still love him, in spite of what anyone might say about him' and it was TINGED WITH SADNESS and I should have solved the mystery there! Dammit...

      Also, Belle, tsk forgetting about Clack! I WILL NEVER FORGET HER! The crazy bitch...

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  3. I was totally expecting something to be made of Candy's illness. Like some big conspiracy. But I was suspicious THIS ENTIRE BOOK, including when Rachel was all "I must have a hand in it" and wanted to pour the water for the opium. I was like "SHE PUT SOMETHING IN THE WATER -- RACHEL IS SECRETLY EVIL." But nope, water.

    I thiiiiink with the pilgrimage thing at the end, he's showing the total difference of that culture. I don't think he's saying it's a bad thing; the scene he paints with all the people in white on a hillside is certainly beautiful.

    Oh yeah, I had a picture of that temple thing in the 1860s, but I forgot to post it. Oooops.

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    1. I can't believe Rachel wasn't evil! It just... doesn't seem possible. Yeah, it was a bit annoying that the only suspicious thing about Candy's illness was that he couldn't confess what he'd done to Franklin! I mean... WHUT? I don't think Ezra's plying him with booze was helping one little bit though!

      Difference of culture=fair enough. I guess it's like... if an English person returned a precious jewel, they'd be rewarded because they'd returned something of great value, whereas, whilst it's still got value in India, it's not AS important as like religious rules. Like, capitalism vs spiritualism or something. Cool.

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    2. Yes, I agree with this interpretation of the fate of the Indians. In England, the Moonstone is only valued for its great price, and in India, the Moonstone is only valued for its religious significance. And the actions around it from both sides adhere to that. (Mostly, right?)

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    3. Yes! Because he's like "Oh, the last time I saw this diamond it was in a lady's bosom and now it's the centerpiece of this moving scene and thousands of people are respecting it and its meaning."

      So if anything, anti-England. Wilkie, you go, sir.

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    4. Agree with all the things. We are SO smart!

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    5. I think it may have been the AMMONIA that wiped Candy's memory, and maybe not the brandy? I do not intend to let that go.

      And yes, Wilkie = progressive for his time what with his thoughts on the wimminz and pointing out the differences between Indian/British culture and all.

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    6. There was ammonia too?! I may have not noticed that... Ok, yeah, that can't have been good for him either!

      Totes progressive-ish. And I feel like he would have liked todays times, you know? As a left-wing type dude, obvs.

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  4. Betteredge is the king of insults. He and Mr. Ablewhite Sr. should get together and shout at each other. It would be hilarious.

    This book! Aahg! I'm sad to leave it. REALLY looking forward to your Grapes readalong, though! I may start looking for a copy now, just to make myself feel better.

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    1. AGH, Betteredge and Ablewhite Sr SHOULD get together! (I didn't mean like that... Although, maybe...) And Mr Fairlie can be there too and be all like 'why is everyone shouting? It's very upsetting to my nerves. WHY MUST EVERYONE BOTHER ME?' etc. Ah, Wilkie cross-breeding...

      GRAPES!!! I'm pretty excited tooooo! You go and get a pretty copy and then hug it til October. When all will be well.

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    2. GAY ALL THE WILKIE THINGS

      I think I have this GoW: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LmuAKmLB7jc/Tyrb1NIP2ZI/AAAAAAAAAxA/a1cCjVZV2kQ/s1600/Grapes.jpg

      Because it matches my East of Eden.

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    3. Oooh, olden days looking! I really hate my copy of GoW, cause it's ugly: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2603708198_eb819ddf5f.jpg and doesn't match any of my other Steinbecks and I only got it cause it was the cheapest version at the time on (whispers) amazon.

      BUT I LOVE IT SO IT DOESN'T MATTER!

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  5. I was surprised that the Indians were kind of punished too. Oh and I think it's a little odd that Mr. Candy's memory was SO BAD, but after Ezra dies then he's able-minded enough to write a letter to Franklin? What up with that.

    I better start hunting for a copy of The Grapes of Wrath. I feel like I might hate it, but I'm gonna try it just for the fun of the readalong :)

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    1. YES! The Mr Candy letter was SO odd- but I guess he can get it together to write a letter because he can take little mumbling breaks that we just don't see? Maybe? I've decided the Indian thing is ok, see the above comments :)

      DON'T HATE THE GRAPES OF WRATH!!!! I can't deal with criticism of it! Ok, maybe I can. Or maybe I don't have a choice haha. But I do love Steinbeck so *sigh*

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  6. Rachel and Franklin totally had sexy times when Ezra shut the door and I hope it was super scandalous at the time.

    And Ezra. EEEZZRRAAA. I thought he was going to be so evil and instead he's so wonderful and tragic. Better than Rosanna, who sorta creeped me out. Of course maybe Ezra also did something creepy like wear his crushes undergarments for awhile. Also piebald = his skin had splotchy tones. Sorta like a cows coloring.
    http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/uploaded_images/IG4474-1-708671.jpg

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    1. I THOUGHT PIEBALD REFERRED TO HIS HAIR BEING SPLOTCHY

      (...that probably didn't require shouting, but I AM NOT CHANGING IT)

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    2. Ohhh- so it's like that thing Michael Jackson 'had'? That has a new name now, right? But also, ok! I can dig it.

      I can't imagine that the bad thing that happened with Ezra was any worse than wearing your crush's nightgown under all your clothes. Rosanna's lucky she didn't get pregnant from that and then NEED TO STEAL THE MOONSTONE FOR HERSELF SO SHE COULD GET ONE OF THOSE ABORTIONS! Oh my god, the places this book could have gone to, and Wilkie just let GODFREY be the thief?!

      Total sexytimes. I mean, they probably just kissed. But Skarsgard knows it was more...

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    3. I also thought his hair was the thing that was splotchy. Although I prefer to think of it as a sexy sort of salt-and-pepper sort of look.

      I totally forgot to speculate in my post about what happened to Ezra! I want to know what his Big Secret is!

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    4. Maybe he was blotchy allll over? Who can say? We need an illustrated copy of this, someone get on it!

      WE ALL WANT TO KNOW HIS BIG SECRET BUT WE NEVER WILL! Someone needs to write a Moonstone prequel, and I think it should be ALL OF US!

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    5. Once upon a time, Ezra was accused of misdeeds with a goat, and everyone was all "Ewww" and no matter where he went, his goaty reputation followed, until he got sick and died. The end.

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    6. Wow, Alice. I think you're on your way to a Nobel Prize for Literature with that.

      WHERE'S MY SARCASM BUTTON?

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  7. I love that your readalong mascot is Skarsgard...



    Wait, what was I doing?

    Ahem. I like how none of us feels bad that Godfrey was murdered. I do, however, want to know more about this Villa lady, because SCANDAL.

    I don't think I'll be doing the Grapes of Wrath readalong, but I will be nosy and read all the posts when they are put up!

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    1. I think Skarsagard is going to be my official sponsor for EVERYTHING since I basically only have gifs of him, because I only read (or 'read') one tumblr and it is dedicated to his face, mainly. Ahh, Skarsgard...


      Sorry! Anyway. Yeah, no one cares about Godfrey. Which is as it should be. I bet the Villa lady cares about him though, and I bet she was all like 'yeah, you should marry some rich lady and then buy me jewels!!' OR more likely she was like 'I wish he would marry ME, but then what would we live on?' and oh LOOK how evil capitalism is again!

      I am ignoring this last part because I consider your mind ALTERED on the issue!! :)

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