October 21 - In our first session, we will explore the gothic, crime/detective, and sensation fiction traditions that Collins is part of, as well as a brief Collins biography and an introductory placement of The Moonstone in its cultural and literary moment. No need to finish reading the book until the second session.

November 18 - We will look more deeply into the novel itself. Beyond placing The Moonstone within the detective and gothic genres, we will examine the book's use of plotting and narrative voice to immerse its readers in a version of mid-Victorian England, its fantasies, its obsessions, its crimes, and its contradictions.

About the presenter:

Jason Gieger is a Professor of English at California State University, Sacramento, and he teaches widely in the department, including courses in 17th- and 18th-century British literature, drama, film, and popular culture/cultural studies.