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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Different from the usual Christie fare in subject, voice, and conclusion. Unfortunately not as shocking now as it was when it first came out (so many different reviews talking about "the twist" at the end thereby ruining the surprise). Always enjoyable to read a master mystery writer, though.
Very different than her normal writing. Not my absolute favorite of hers but still great nonetheless. The ending hits you very hard in a great way!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read for book club. I haven't read my Agatha Christie books and choose to listen to this as I have a lot of car and train journeys this month - the narrator was very good and I think this added to it. Moat the time when I am reading I guess the plot, but because I was concentrating mainly on driving, I was just listening, so the twist took me by surprise. A wonderfully creepy read
mysterious
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
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
dark
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very creepy. If I hadn’t known Agatha Christie had written it, I never would have been able to guess. Far more sinister, creepy and even unhinged than her usual fare.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't even know how to begin writing and explaining what a perfect book this was to me. From beginning to end it sucked me in and sold me this fantasy of ambition and love and unease and i was made a FOOL. Of course you can GUESS the outcome and the culprit but its not in the normal christie way that you may overlook small insignificant details, you are actively being spun a story as you READ so you only know as much as he wants you to know at any moment. The last few pages of the book were such a dramatic punch to the gut for me because imo, Mike does SUCH a good job of painting himself as aloof and helpless without appearing like he is. He sets up this Me vs. Them ruse with him and the "smart wealthy sharks" so well (aided by ellie and the actual wealthy people) that you are always just as wary of everyone around him throughout the novel even BEFORE Ellie dies. But its not until after that you realize why he was wary of them, because he had his own intentions and performance to put on.
As always, small and seemingly insignificant details set themselves into place once you have the full story from Mike. From his and his mothers unease for eachother, his not wanting his mother to get acquainted with Ellie, his random bursts of anger at Ellie keeping secrets from him, his great mood the day of the incident, and the way he was so specifically questioned after her death (because Phillpot and Keene already suspected him). They question/prod at him about 'someone' paying off the gypsy and wanting her quiet, two 'lovers' sneaking off to the folly, and his plans afterwards.
Things that I can't stop thinking about:
-The absolute SPIRAL right after he initially lets slip his true plan where he has flashbacks of killing his friends..... it was absolutely HAUNTING. I felt something akin to just disappointment and betrayal because he was our storyteller and voice, our unassuming narrator, our fish out of water yet was admitting to murder and apathy and scheming?
-The way he spoke about Ellie before and after her death. It kind of felt like a sort of karma for his nature that even after pulling off the impossible, Ellie haunts him not only literally as an apparition but as a slap to the face that he WAS happy amidst his ruse. She haunts him as the ultimate 'What If?' and as his interpreted other half. Her sweet delight to his endless night becomes the ultimate karma because for all his scheming and lying, she will be the one to haunt him as a million different thoughts meanwhile he spirals into whatever madness his last chapter was.
Not a happy ending in the slightest but its a SATISFYING ending where you feel that even after how HARD they tried, Mike and Greta fell victims to themselves in the end. A million other thoughts about the individual karmas they went through but thats for another readthrough.
As always, small and seemingly insignificant details set themselves into place once you have the full story from Mike. From his and his mothers unease for eachother, his not wanting his mother to get acquainted with Ellie, his random bursts of anger at Ellie keeping secrets from him, his great mood the day of the incident, and the way he was so specifically questioned after her death (because Phillpot and Keene already suspected him). They question/prod at him about 'someone' paying off the gypsy and wanting her quiet, two 'lovers' sneaking off to the folly, and his plans afterwards.
Things that I can't stop thinking about:
-The absolute SPIRAL right after he initially lets slip his true plan where he has flashbacks of killing his friends..... it was absolutely HAUNTING. I felt something akin to just disappointment and betrayal because he was our storyteller and voice, our unassuming narrator, our fish out of water yet was admitting to murder and apathy and scheming?
-The way he spoke about Ellie before and after her death. It kind of felt like a sort of karma for his nature that even after pulling off the impossible, Ellie haunts him not only literally as an apparition but as a slap to the face that he WAS happy amidst his ruse. She haunts him as the ultimate 'What If?' and as his interpreted other half. Her sweet delight to his endless night becomes the ultimate karma because for all his scheming and lying, she will be the one to haunt him as a million different thoughts meanwhile he spirals into whatever madness his last chapter was.
Not a happy ending in the slightest but its a SATISFYING ending where you feel that even after how HARD they tried, Mike and Greta fell victims to themselves in the end. A million other thoughts about the individual karmas they went through but thats for another readthrough.