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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the first book by Agatha Christie that I've read. I can see why she's such a popular author! This was a book with enough twists that I wasn't sure who "did it" until it was all revealed at the end. I'll be reading more Agatha Christie books for sure.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review of And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
A JEWEL WITH A FEW DENTS BUT A JEWEL NONETHELESS
I had read this book years prior as a teen, and in my native tongue. I recalled it being particularly good, so when the time came to decide which book to read next, this was an easy pick. It was just as good as I remembered, even though I already knew the killer’s identity.
Let’s start with the good.
The premise is absolutely amazing and creatively macabre. Ten people are lured to a remote island under false pretenses, each believing they have their own selfish reasons for being there. The crimes are then committed according to a nursery rhyme (in my native tongue the rhyme was still the racist version, so this edition fortunately makes it palatable), which adds an eerie sense of dread that even the characters themselves feel.
This brings us to the next big positive: the characters themselves.
I say it as an absolute compliment when I call the characters despicable. We see this particularly in their inner dialogue, written so masterfully that in the audiobook, it felt like listening to real thoughts—cadence, stutters, and all. They are all judgmental, selfish, self-serving, paranoid, and cowardly, making it completely believable that these people are capable of committing crimes. And yet, they are not one and the same. Some regret their actions, some are honest about them, some are in denial, and some believe they did nothing wrong at all.
Philip Lombard was definitely my favorite—an awful man, but an honest one, in a den full of liars and selfish people. I also appreciated how Vera is shown to be absolutely disgusting. In my opinion, many adaptations ruin her character by often trying to mellow her crime and mindset, attempting to make her redeemable, but she was the vilest of the whole lot for sure.
The descent into paranoia is also compelling, and it helps us understand why they don’t make the most rational choices when the time comes. A particularly amazing scene was the dinner scene where dread creeps up on us as we realize that someone at the table is conspiring to kill the others, and that U. N. Owen is indeed one of them, and among them.
I encountered only two flaws in this read: one concerning the prose and one concerning the plot. Let's start with the writing style.
At times, the book reads almost like a script, with very little description beyond dialogue tags like "Lombard said," "Vera said," and so on. I think listening to the audiobook might have helped, as the narrator used distinct, compelling voices that made the experience more enjoyable; simply reading it might have been a bit dry. Still, this is a minor flaw and nothing too detrimental.
Then, however, we have a more major issue.
This is the plot hole that many critics have noted: Justice Wargrave’s entire plan seems to rely heavily on luck and improbable convenience.
It only works because Dr. Armstrong is a witless fool who helps him without feeling any suspicion for the judge. It only works because the bad weather actually keeps the remaining survivors from burning an SOS bonfire. It only works because they somehow fail to question how the judge, supposedly shot in the head, made no gunshot noise and left behind no pool of blood. Finally, it only works because three very alert people fail to notice an old man wandering around a small island, trying to murder them all.
While, overall, this was a great reading experience, these flaws exist. Despite them, And Then There Were None still manages to be an iconic read that will certainly stay with me.
TLDR - Review Points
Pros: The premise is amazing and unforgettable. The characters are complex and realistically awful. There’s great scenes like the dinner scene and the inner dialogue is written so well it feels like real thoughts.
Cons: At times the book feels more like the script of a play than a novel; The plot itself works only with a great amount of suspension of disbelief.
4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A JEWEL WITH A FEW DENTS BUT A JEWEL NONETHELESS
I had read this book years prior as a teen, and in my native tongue. I recalled it being particularly good, so when the time came to decide which book to read next, this was an easy pick. It was just as good as I remembered, even though I already knew the killer’s identity.
Let’s start with the good.
The premise is absolutely amazing and creatively macabre. Ten people are lured to a remote island under false pretenses, each believing they have their own selfish reasons for being there. The crimes are then committed according to a nursery rhyme (in my native tongue the rhyme was still the racist version, so this edition fortunately makes it palatable), which adds an eerie sense of dread that even the characters themselves feel.
This brings us to the next big positive: the characters themselves.
I say it as an absolute compliment when I call the characters despicable. We see this particularly in their inner dialogue, written so masterfully that in the audiobook, it felt like listening to real thoughts—cadence, stutters, and all. They are all judgmental, selfish, self-serving, paranoid, and cowardly, making it completely believable that these people are capable of committing crimes. And yet, they are not one and the same. Some regret their actions, some are honest about them, some are in denial, and some believe they did nothing wrong at all.
Philip Lombard was definitely my favorite—an awful man, but an honest one, in a den full of liars and selfish people. I also appreciated how Vera is shown to be absolutely disgusting. In my opinion, many adaptations ruin her character by often trying to mellow her crime and mindset, attempting to make her redeemable, but she was the vilest of the whole lot for sure.
The descent into paranoia is also compelling, and it helps us understand why they don’t make the most rational choices when the time comes. A particularly amazing scene was the dinner scene where dread creeps up on us as we realize that someone at the table is conspiring to kill the others, and that U. N. Owen is indeed one of them, and among them.
I encountered only two flaws in this read: one concerning the prose and one concerning the plot. Let's start with the writing style.
At times, the book reads almost like a script, with very little description beyond dialogue tags like "Lombard said," "Vera said," and so on. I think listening to the audiobook might have helped, as the narrator used distinct, compelling voices that made the experience more enjoyable; simply reading it might have been a bit dry. Still, this is a minor flaw and nothing too detrimental.
Then, however, we have a more major issue.
This is the plot hole that many critics have noted: Justice Wargrave’s entire plan seems to rely heavily on luck and improbable convenience.
It only works because Dr. Armstrong is a witless fool who helps him without feeling any suspicion for the judge. It only works because the bad weather actually keeps the remaining survivors from burning an SOS bonfire. It only works because they somehow fail to question how the judge, supposedly shot in the head, made no gunshot noise and left behind no pool of blood. Finally, it only works because three very alert people fail to notice an old man wandering around a small island, trying to murder them all.
While, overall, this was a great reading experience, these flaws exist. Despite them, And Then There Were None still manages to be an iconic read that will certainly stay with me.
TLDR - Review Points
Pros: The premise is amazing and unforgettable. The characters are complex and realistically awful. There’s great scenes like the dinner scene and the inner dialogue is written so well it feels like real thoughts.
Cons: At times the book feels more like the script of a play than a novel; The plot itself works only with a great amount of suspension of disbelief.
4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
dark
mysterious
Agatha Christie is the Mystery Queen, and with good reason. This book keeps you guessing the entire time. Well written and great characters.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Oh to be 17 years old again reading this for the first time. It’s SUCH a good mystery and I wish I could experience the reveal over and over.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No