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seriesly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The book was very slow in the beginning and up until the final reveal I was confused as to what had happened. And then that final reveal absolutely shifted my 3.5 rating to a whopping 4.25. Great book, very satisfying.
qiu's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
caroll555's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
markalkman's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5 stars
This was my very first Agatha Christie novel and I absolutely loved it. Somehow I expected it to be a difficult read, but it wasn't. Not in the slightest. I enjoyed reading it; the storyline itself was really good and so was the mystery that Poirot and our narrator, Dr Sheppard, had to solve. The characters were interesting enough, even though they were a bit one dimensional (but that doesn't really matter, does it, in a mystery novel like this one?). The logic Poirot uses to dedude who the culprit is, is a fun one, because as the reader you actually have no idea what he's really doing, until the very end of the novel, where he reveals everything and all the pieces of the puzzel fall into place.
I did, however, guess who the murderer was before Poirot had the chance to reveal it. I wasn't 100% sure, but I had this feeling in my gut I couldn't shake. Turns out I was right. It didn't ruin the experience of the book for me, though. I still enjoyed it, and it was actually pretty nice to have some validation for my suspicions.
It has to be said that Agatha Christie is a very good writer and she absolutely deserves the title of 'queen of mysteries'. At the end of my edition of this novel, there was a postscript by Laura Thompson and she ended it by saying 'Christie fooled you'. Well, that's exactly what I want in a novel like this; because even though I did guess the murderer right, I had no idea what the motive behind the killing was. So it was still kind of a surprise, Agatha still kind of fooled me.
I highly recommend this to everyone; it's accessible for readers of all genres. That's what makes her books so special and timeless. It's got mystery, drama, humour and murder. And it's incredibly cleverly written. What else can you ask for? I'm definitely going to buy/read more of her books.
This was my very first Agatha Christie novel and I absolutely loved it. Somehow I expected it to be a difficult read, but it wasn't. Not in the slightest. I enjoyed reading it; the storyline itself was really good and so was the mystery that Poirot and our narrator, Dr Sheppard, had to solve. The characters were interesting enough, even though they were a bit one dimensional (but that doesn't really matter, does it, in a mystery novel like this one?). The logic Poirot uses to dedude who the culprit is, is a fun one, because as the reader you actually have no idea what he's really doing, until the very end of the novel, where he reveals everything and all the pieces of the puzzel fall into place.
I did, however, guess who the murderer was before Poirot had the chance to reveal it. I wasn't 100% sure, but I had this feeling in my gut I couldn't shake. Turns out I was right. It didn't ruin the experience of the book for me, though. I still enjoyed it, and it was actually pretty nice to have some validation for my suspicions.
It has to be said that Agatha Christie is a very good writer and she absolutely deserves the title of 'queen of mysteries'. At the end of my edition of this novel, there was a postscript by Laura Thompson and she ended it by saying 'Christie fooled you'. Well, that's exactly what I want in a novel like this; because even though I did guess the murderer right, I had no idea what the motive behind the killing was. So it was still kind of a surprise, Agatha still kind of fooled me.
I highly recommend this to everyone; it's accessible for readers of all genres. That's what makes her books so special and timeless. It's got mystery, drama, humour and murder. And it's incredibly cleverly written. What else can you ask for? I'm definitely going to buy/read more of her books.
angevba's review against another edition
5.0
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
¡Este libro está en el 5to lugar de los mejores libros de misterio de todos los tiempos Y CON JUSTA RAZÓN!
Agatha y Poirot lo volvieron a hacer. Impresionante.
¡Este libro está en el 5to lugar de los mejores libros de misterio de todos los tiempos Y CON JUSTA RAZÓN!
Agatha y Poirot lo volvieron a hacer. Impresionante.
genteelblackhole's review against another edition
5.0
(This review contains heavy spoilers.)
When I first read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I felt cheated by the ending. The revelation that Dr Sheppard, the narrator of the book, was the killer struck me as unfair: How did I have a chance to guess the solution when the narrator himself had been lying to me the whole time?
The experience of rereading it is quite different. I knew to keep a close eye on Sheppard and question every line he wrote. It became very satisfying to spot the scrupulously ‘accurate’ but absolutely dishonest use of language: “Beyond making certain that life was extinct - an easy matter - I have not disturbed the body in any way.”
Rereading the book, it becomes akin to an episode of Columbo. My curiosity is not in who the killer is, but in how Poirot uncovers the truth and how Dr Sheppard behaves during the investigation. A book that was disappointing on first read has become one of my favourite Christie mysteries. Excellent.
When I first read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I felt cheated by the ending. The revelation that Dr Sheppard, the narrator of the book, was the killer struck me as unfair: How did I have a chance to guess the solution when the narrator himself had been lying to me the whole time?
The experience of rereading it is quite different. I knew to keep a close eye on Sheppard and question every line he wrote. It became very satisfying to spot the scrupulously ‘accurate’ but absolutely dishonest use of language: “Beyond making certain that life was extinct - an easy matter - I have not disturbed the body in any way.”
Rereading the book, it becomes akin to an episode of Columbo. My curiosity is not in who the killer is, but in how Poirot uncovers the truth and how Dr Sheppard behaves during the investigation. A book that was disappointing on first read has become one of my favourite Christie mysteries. Excellent.
themoonphoenix's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
aritrigupta's review against another edition
3.0
[b:The Murder of Roger Ackroyd|16328|The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389734015l/16328._SY75_.jpg|1073110] is one of the most famous works by Christie, and I'm certain, for the age in which this was written, this must have been a spectacular, twisty and thrilling read.
However, despite my best efforts to enjoy the story, I could not. Well, no, let me rephrase that. Christie sets her crime scenes very well and her language is simply marvelous. But, Poirot as the charming detective has never been one of my favorites, and that bias worked against the book right at the start. There were unnecessary long drawn dialogues that had me dozing off at times, and the most terrible part being, it was predictable. You will know who the murderer is two-thirds into the book easily.
Christie's books are a great comfort read, but thrilling they are not. Not for me, at least. I am sad that I could not enjoy this more.
However, despite my best efforts to enjoy the story, I could not. Well, no, let me rephrase that. Christie sets her crime scenes very well and her language is simply marvelous. But, Poirot as the charming detective has never been one of my favorites, and that bias worked against the book right at the start. There were unnecessary long drawn dialogues that had me dozing off at times, and the most terrible part being, it was predictable. You will know who the murderer is two-thirds into the book easily.
Spoiler
Unreliable narrators are not a novelty anymore in the world of crime fiction, and some books have done a far better job of it than our dear Dr. Sheppard’s account. His misogynistic, patronising rants were annoying me, and the multiple allusion to "grey cells" by Poirot gave me a headache. The story was sluggish, and most of the characters had no intrigue whatsoever.Christie's books are a great comfort read, but thrilling they are not. Not for me, at least. I am sad that I could not enjoy this more.