It'd be fab to hear your thoughts on the Crooked House. Imo, it's one of the strongest AC books, in terms of the characters and their psychology. She plays with some of her old tropes in new fresh ways (e.i. The victim controls his family, but in the end that's really what's best for them, who appear ''crooked''). The murderer is easy to discover if the reader goes that way, which we usually wouldn't.
You're in luck! A full video review of Crooked House is tentatively scheduled for June. It's been a while since I read it so I am interesting to see if my opinion of it has changed.
I actually like Elephants Can Remember. The mystery is okay, but I love Mrs. Oliver and Poirot in it. I did figure it out pretty early, but I still like it.
(Spoiler?) As far as I can remember, the sisters where not even twins, of course I can have forgotten one time, or another, were they were mentioned as identical twins, but towards the end I am fairly sure that they are just sisters, with a strong resemblance, not even twins, therefore the point of the nearly blind housekeeper, and letting her stay on, getting the children, and the music teacher, away, or some such. I agree with the placing, but just throwing the "identical twins" trope in there is just plain wrong. It does also reminds one of "A Murder is announced"; Molly & Dolly (Elephants can remember), Lettie & Lottie ( A murder is announced), and in both cases, as far as I can remember, neither were twins (and if they were, not identical ones, so their resemblance would be as similar or different from other siblings)
Dolly and Molly are twins but this isn't revealed until late into the book. For most of the book, they are referred to as simply "sisters" to hide the fact they are identical.
The reason Christie hated "The Mystery of the Blue Train" is because she was writing it when she *ahem* disappeared (when she discovered that her husband was being unfaithful).
That is absolutely the reason for sure. She hated it for decades but I also think she legitimately hated the plot of it as well as she never seemed to let up on it.
@@summationgathering she reportedly had a severe case of writer's block and it wasn't until after her "reappearance" and separation from Archie Christie that she was finally able to finish the book. I'm still astounded at what a prolific writer she was!
I will never understand why Dame Agatha's editor didnt amend the obvious mistakes in her later books when she showed signs of mental decline. Surely they could see the mistakes as clearly as the audience could
Christie was notoriously strict with her editors but by that point in her life, there was no excuse for it. Everyone knew that whatever Christie wrote would sell like hotcakes so they didn't even bother editing her. At least that is my theory. But I agree, they absolutely should have. Sometimes even the most basic facts are changed midway through the story. One has to wonder if an editor even read them first.
I totally agree with you. Sorry to cite a Miss Marple novel, but really the lack of elementary editing is appalling in "Nemesis". There are continual repetitions, and Miss Marple has to be taken to an hotel in which she has been taken. It would have been so easy to correct these mistakes. Throughout her books simple mistakes aren't corrected, and they spoil really excellent plots.
If there is one redeeming feature of Hickory Dickory Dock, it's the opening - Miss Lemon makes three mistakes in one letter. I wonder if Dame Agatha leaned on Mrs Oliver when her powers were failing; the Oliverian aspects of the low-ranked novels were the best things about them. Death in the Clouds had an interesting aspect that recurred in Taken at the Flood of suspecting those who lost by a death instead of gained; it was also nice to see Venetia Kerr cleared of suspicion because of her social position. Poirot visiting his dentist was another excellent beginning. Sad Cypress might well be the second-best love triangle.
It'd be fab to hear your thoughts on the Crooked House. Imo, it's one of the strongest AC books, in terms of the characters and their psychology. She plays with some of her old tropes in new fresh ways (e.i. The victim controls his family, but in the end that's really what's best for them, who appear ''crooked''). The murderer is easy to discover if the reader goes that way, which we usually wouldn't.
You're in luck! A full video review of Crooked House is tentatively scheduled for June. It's been a while since I read it so I am interesting to see if my opinion of it has changed.
I actually like Elephants Can Remember. The mystery is okay, but I love Mrs. Oliver and Poirot in it. I did figure it out pretty early, but I still like it.
Even a low-ranked Christie novel is still pretty good in my opinion.
(Spoiler?) As far as I can remember, the sisters where not even twins, of course I can have forgotten one time, or another, were they were mentioned as identical twins, but towards the end I am fairly sure that they are just sisters, with a strong resemblance, not even twins, therefore the point of the nearly blind housekeeper, and letting her stay on, getting the children, and the music teacher, away, or some such. I agree with the placing, but just throwing the "identical twins" trope in there is just plain wrong. It does also reminds one of "A Murder is announced"; Molly & Dolly (Elephants can remember), Lettie & Lottie ( A murder is announced), and in both cases, as far as I can remember, neither were twins (and if they were, not identical ones, so their resemblance would be as similar or different from other siblings)
Dolly and Molly are twins but this isn't revealed until late into the book. For most of the book, they are referred to as simply "sisters" to hide the fact they are identical.
The reason Christie hated "The Mystery of the Blue Train" is because she was writing it when she *ahem* disappeared (when she discovered that her husband was being unfaithful).
That is absolutely the reason for sure. She hated it for decades but I also think she legitimately hated the plot of it as well as she never seemed to let up on it.
@@summationgathering she reportedly had a severe case of writer's block and it wasn't until after her "reappearance" and separation from Archie Christie that she was finally able to finish the book. I'm still astounded at what a prolific writer she was!
I will never understand why Dame Agatha's editor didnt amend the obvious mistakes in her later books when she showed signs of mental decline. Surely they could see the mistakes as clearly as the audience could
Christie was notoriously strict with her editors but by that point in her life, there was no excuse for it. Everyone knew that whatever Christie wrote would sell like hotcakes so they didn't even bother editing her. At least that is my theory. But I agree, they absolutely should have. Sometimes even the most basic facts are changed midway through the story. One has to wonder if an editor even read them first.
I totally agree with you. Sorry to cite a Miss Marple novel, but really the lack of elementary editing is appalling in "Nemesis". There are continual repetitions, and Miss Marple has to be taken to an hotel in which she has been taken. It would have been so easy to correct these mistakes. Throughout her books simple mistakes aren't corrected, and they spoil really excellent plots.
If there is one redeeming feature of Hickory Dickory Dock, it's the opening - Miss Lemon makes three mistakes in one letter.
I wonder if Dame Agatha leaned on Mrs Oliver when her powers were failing; the Oliverian aspects of the low-ranked novels were the best things about them.
Death in the Clouds had an interesting aspect that recurred in Taken at the Flood of suspecting those who lost by a death instead of gained; it was also nice to see Venetia Kerr cleared of suspicion because of her social position.
Poirot visiting his dentist was another excellent beginning.
Sad Cypress might well be the second-best love triangle.
Miss Lemon is the best part of Hickory Dickory Dock for sure. She's criminally underutilized in the novels.
@@summationgathering I expect to be commenting soon on the other two of her three greatest moments.
Omg. Why spoilers?! Now. I can't listen to it. Really unfortunate