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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Poirot becomes involved in the lives of a group of young adults living together at a boarding house, after the redoubtable Miss Lemon makes a typing error on his correspondence. As this is a near impossibility, he discovers that Miss Lemon’s sister, Mrs. Hubbard, manages the boarding house, and that sensible woman is concerned about a series of small thefts of unusual and inconsequential items occurring at the house.
Once Poirot visits the place, things become much more serious when one of the residents, a young woman whom everyone agrees is not terribly bright, commits suicide.
This was an enjoyable entry, and Poirot discovers the multiple nefarious things going on at the house. I didn’t pinpoint who the murderer was, sadly. : )
Once Poirot visits the place, things become much more serious when one of the residents, a young woman whom everyone agrees is not terribly bright, commits suicide.
This was an enjoyable entry, and Poirot discovers the multiple nefarious things going on at the house. I didn’t pinpoint who the murderer was, sadly. : )
Hercule Poirot is asked to help investigate unusual events in a student hostel managed by his secretary's sister, Mrs. Hubbard. Some items have been missing from student's rooms. Poirot speaks to the students in their common room but things get worse. Soon one young woman is found dead in her bed from a morphine overdose. This won't be the last mysterious death in Hickory Dickory Death. How many more will die before Poirot figures out who is up to what in the student hostel. If not for the Cast of Characters in the beginning of the book I would have been totally lost. So many names and motives. Will Poirot figure out who is doing what? Well, he is Hercule Poirot after all.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A highly enjoyable tale that comes slightly undone at the end (I think AC tried to throw too much into the ending and it got a bit convoluted and burdensome). But overall, an entertaining morsel to snack on in between the big books.
I did like what a snapshot this was of race relations in England during the 50s. Interesting to compare to that of the US.
I did like what a snapshot this was of race relations in England during the 50s. Interesting to compare to that of the US.
The unflappable Ms. Lemon makes three mistakes in a letter which shocks Poirot. Finds that she has a sister who is running a rooming house for students.
Mrs. Hubbard brings to Poirot a list of things that have gone missing at the rooming house. Poirot is intrigued. He goes to visit under the guise of a favor to Mrs. Hubbard but the students see through this. He gets the girl who is responsible for some of the stealing to admit it. She was interested in the psychiatric student who finds her case interesting. The night they get engaged, she is killed and it is made to look like a suicide. That is easily proven wrong.
Poirot discovers that the rucksack common to the students can be cheaply purchased at a shop down the road. He discovers a smuggling ring, a disgraced son of a lord who has no problem killing.
Poirot seems puzzled most of this one. Not as fun. Although he does get the bad guy in the end, but not until after 3 murders.
Mrs. Hubbard brings to Poirot a list of things that have gone missing at the rooming house. Poirot is intrigued. He goes to visit under the guise of a favor to Mrs. Hubbard but the students see through this. He gets the girl who is responsible for some of the stealing to admit it. She was interested in the psychiatric student who finds her case interesting. The night they get engaged, she is killed and it is made to look like a suicide. That is easily proven wrong.
Poirot discovers that the rucksack common to the students can be cheaply purchased at a shop down the road. He discovers a smuggling ring, a disgraced son of a lord who has no problem killing.
Poirot seems puzzled most of this one. Not as fun. Although he does get the bad guy in the end, but not until after 3 murders.
Most folks today would likely find Ms. Christie’s work too staid. I love it still and plan to reread as many of them as I can get my hands on.
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first Agatha Christie, and indeed my first murder mystery novel. Apparently it's the 30th Hercules Poirot novel, but I don't know whether that's a good thing or not. I thought it was good - gripping, well paced, the characters were consistent and clearly drawn. The mystery itself was an intriguing puzzle, and the only thing that struck me as slightly weak was the clue of the torn backpack.
Other reviewers (that I had read beforehand) made mention of racism, so I paid particular attention to that as I read (you can see individual instances on my twitter feed - @readothusiast #HickoryDickoryDock). There are a number of characters of different races and nationalities in the story, but I didn't feel anything suggested racism on the part of the author. Some of the characters made derogatory comments, but you have to remember, this was published in the mid-50s. You'd expect there to be a fair amount of racism about back then. The foreign and ethnic characters were all attributed mostly positive character traits, so I don't know what the fuss was about really. You could say it's conspicuous that there are so many mentions of race, even if it is the characters who are doing it, but nevertheless, case dismissed in my opinion.
Poirot isn't as annoying in print as he is on TV, so I'll definitely read Agatha Christie again. And perhaps provide an update on this race controversy.
Other reviewers (that I had read beforehand) made mention of racism, so I paid particular attention to that as I read (you can see individual instances on my twitter feed - @readothusiast #HickoryDickoryDock). There are a number of characters of different races and nationalities in the story, but I didn't feel anything suggested racism on the part of the author. Some of the characters made derogatory comments, but you have to remember, this was published in the mid-50s. You'd expect there to be a fair amount of racism about back then. The foreign and ethnic characters were all attributed mostly positive character traits, so I don't know what the fuss was about really. You could say it's conspicuous that there are so many mentions of race, even if it is the characters who are doing it, but nevertheless, case dismissed in my opinion.
Poirot isn't as annoying in print as he is on TV, so I'll definitely read Agatha Christie again. And perhaps provide an update on this race controversy.
NOOOOOOO My poor heart. DON’T go into this book with hope and yearning. Agatha made yet another set of engaging characters but really did not pull her punches. A fun read!!
I have had that rhyme in my head since last night. I want to smother myself to just make it stop at this point.
I also somehow saw the television adaption of this story a few months ago, I now remember why I turned it off. They kept playing a slow sung ballad to the nursery rhyme throughout the entire show.
So we have Poirot firmly in the 1950s in England. This is a post WWII England and now the books feel different in a way that they have not in the earlier ones. There is no more separation between the upper and lower classes like there were in the earlier books. I am thinking at this point Poirot has to be well into his 60s or 70s. In the earlier books he was supposed to be retired and I think was around his late 40s so it has been about 20 years since most of his earlier cases.
In this new England we now have "blacks" in England and co-ed housing. We don't have characters saying monstrous things about people from other races. Although we do get a bit of them patting those of other races on the heads a bit and calling them pets or perfectly lovely.
We also get more women being independent and not running off to be married. In past stories Agatha Christie seemed to be down on women after WWII who tried to shrug off typical gender roles (see Taken at the Flood and After the Funeral) and now she seems to be okay with it in this book.
In this story alone we deal with several young single women and even Ms. Lemon's widowed sister who though she doesn't need the income, likes to work in order to still feel useful. There seems to be a plethora of working women or women attempting to obtain degrees. There was a little romance included in this book and I did like the handling of it, FYI the woman was take charge and even asked someone to be her soon to be husband's best man.
What I would consider the main characters are of course Hercule Poirot, Miss Lemon, and Miss Lemon's sister Mrs. Hubbard.
The secondary characters are the young men and women who live at the hostel. I can say that I was astounded by the number of characters from different backgrounds that Ms. Christie included in this book.
We have Ahmed Ali (an Egyptian student), Akibombo (West African student), Celia Austin (chemist that works in a hospital), Len Bateson (studying medicine and surgery), Nigel Chapman (student), Sally Finch (an American who is in England studying), Rene Helle (French student, Valerie Hobhouse (co-owner of a beauty parlor), Elizabeth Johnston (Jamaican student), Chandra Lal (Indian student) Patricia Lane (student), Genevieve Maricaud (French student), Colin McNabb (student), Gopal Ram (Indian student), and Jean Tomlinson (does physical therapy at the local hospital).
Another character that is included is the owner of the hostel, Mrs. Mrs Christina Nicoletis who I swear come straight out of central casting with some of the students above with how they are portrayed in this book.
I was surprised by how funny this book was in parts. I mean you don't think that someone stealing things would be a hoot, but I think reading about Poirot's reactions to Miss Lemon making mistakes, the way Miss Lemon's brain works, and the students not disgust, but general oh here is a weird old man manner towards Poirot was funny.
I did find that the whole why behind the murders in this book seemed a bit too far fetched. Though I did like the initial parts of the book with Poirot being flabbergasted that Miss Lemon has made mistakes in his letters. This and his own boredom is why he gets involved with the goings on at the hostel.
I can say that I did find Poirot a little smarter in this one. I am still floored by how dumb the ending was and the reason why he figured out who dun it in After the Funeral. However, after that ending I realize that any book would be a marked improvement.
And of course I am going to say that Ms. Christie used just enough of Poirot in this one to make the book good. I don't really care for the books when he comes in at the halfway point, or when we stay with another character the whole way through with their musings about Poirot and the case. After a while it just felt like lazy storytelling.
In the end the resolution to the case was not a simple explanation and I was totally off base. Though I do agree with what one person said about how the the murders may have been prevented if something had been done regarding the murderer earlier on.
I am now curious how the series ends since it seems that the last couple of books have barely been interesting. I have six more Poirot books to go!
I also somehow saw the television adaption of this story a few months ago, I now remember why I turned it off. They kept playing a slow sung ballad to the nursery rhyme throughout the entire show.
So we have Poirot firmly in the 1950s in England. This is a post WWII England and now the books feel different in a way that they have not in the earlier ones. There is no more separation between the upper and lower classes like there were in the earlier books. I am thinking at this point Poirot has to be well into his 60s or 70s. In the earlier books he was supposed to be retired and I think was around his late 40s so it has been about 20 years since most of his earlier cases.
In this new England we now have "blacks" in England and co-ed housing. We don't have characters saying monstrous things about people from other races. Although we do get a bit of them patting those of other races on the heads a bit and calling them pets or perfectly lovely.
We also get more women being independent and not running off to be married. In past stories Agatha Christie seemed to be down on women after WWII who tried to shrug off typical gender roles (see Taken at the Flood and After the Funeral) and now she seems to be okay with it in this book.
In this story alone we deal with several young single women and even Ms. Lemon's widowed sister who though she doesn't need the income, likes to work in order to still feel useful. There seems to be a plethora of working women or women attempting to obtain degrees. There was a little romance included in this book and I did like the handling of it, FYI the woman was take charge and even asked someone to be her soon to be husband's best man.
What I would consider the main characters are of course Hercule Poirot, Miss Lemon, and Miss Lemon's sister Mrs. Hubbard.
The secondary characters are the young men and women who live at the hostel. I can say that I was astounded by the number of characters from different backgrounds that Ms. Christie included in this book.
We have Ahmed Ali (an Egyptian student), Akibombo (West African student), Celia Austin (chemist that works in a hospital), Len Bateson (studying medicine and surgery), Nigel Chapman (student), Sally Finch (an American who is in England studying), Rene Helle (French student, Valerie Hobhouse (co-owner of a beauty parlor), Elizabeth Johnston (Jamaican student), Chandra Lal (Indian student) Patricia Lane (student), Genevieve Maricaud (French student), Colin McNabb (student), Gopal Ram (Indian student), and Jean Tomlinson (does physical therapy at the local hospital).
Another character that is included is the owner of the hostel, Mrs. Mrs Christina Nicoletis who I swear come straight out of central casting with some of the students above with how they are portrayed in this book.
I was surprised by how funny this book was in parts. I mean you don't think that someone stealing things would be a hoot, but I think reading about Poirot's reactions to Miss Lemon making mistakes, the way Miss Lemon's brain works, and the students not disgust, but general oh here is a weird old man manner towards Poirot was funny.
I did find that the whole why behind the murders in this book seemed a bit too far fetched. Though I did like the initial parts of the book with Poirot being flabbergasted that Miss Lemon has made mistakes in his letters. This and his own boredom is why he gets involved with the goings on at the hostel.
I can say that I did find Poirot a little smarter in this one. I am still floored by how dumb the ending was and the reason why he figured out who dun it in After the Funeral. However, after that ending I realize that any book would be a marked improvement.
And of course I am going to say that Ms. Christie used just enough of Poirot in this one to make the book good. I don't really care for the books when he comes in at the halfway point, or when we stay with another character the whole way through with their musings about Poirot and the case. After a while it just felt like lazy storytelling.
In the end the resolution to the case was not a simple explanation and I was totally off base. Though I do agree with what one person said about how the the murders may have been prevented if something had been done regarding the murderer earlier on.
I am now curious how the series ends since it seems that the last couple of books have barely been interesting. I have six more Poirot books to go!