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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Murder, Classism
It feels there is somehow even more racism/xenophobia in Christie’s short stories than her longer works. Her plotting, pacing, and personal knowledge of chemistry/medicine are fantastic but it’s hard to focus when slurs against Asians show up without preamble.
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It takes a great writer to make crime fiction work in short-form fiction. How do you get everything you need into such a short space? I mean you have to set up the crime, introduce the new characters, show the investigation and solve it. It's something that Arthur Conan Doyle did remarkably well and Agatha Christie does better than most. Although, I can't say that her short stories are ever my favourite. Especially where Hercule Poirot is concerned.
One of the greatest joys of a Poirot mystery is watching how he deals with suspects. Seeing his little grey cells in action. You don't get a lot of that here. Yes, he solves some pretty good mysteries but it's all a bit quick. There are a few of them when he doesn't even leave his flat let alone interrogate people. Instead of following his thought process, you just end up witnessing the great reveal. Unlike Christie novels, it's unlikely you'll solve the short stories because they're too short.
It's the difference between being shown and being told. Instead of witnessing Poriot's genius we have to be told how great he is. It doesn't necessarily make these stories bad but it certainly doesn't stand up to his novels. He's a character that demands a slow burner so you can get to grips with his character. As enjoyable and fun as these stories are, I did find myself wishing I was reading a full-length book.
Still, there are certainly worse Poirot books out there. It's a readable book that has some decent twists. As with all short story collections, not all of them are as good as the others. I don't think there are any major duds though. If you're trying to read every Agatha Christie then you won't be disappointed with this one. However, if you're not bothered about completing the set then you can probably skip this one.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
mysterious
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:
No
A number of short stories detailing some of Poirot's exploits. An unfortunate number of racial slurs.