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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
For most of this book I was intent of giving it two stars as the whole story was a bit of drag and didn't live up to my expectations. Although I had my suspicions, the ending surprised me and even shook me. It shouldn't have, I've read plenty of Agatha Christie and should have been prepared. I wasn't.
Mike, the narrator, is a penniless man working odd jobs who wants a lot from life. One of the things he wants is a piece of land called "Gipsy's Acre". It is to sell cheap because of a curse on it. Mike doesn't care. One day when he is inspecting the site he comes across a beautiful, young, American heiress called Ellie. They fall in love and secretely marry, in order to avoid the fuss and likely hindrance of her family and lawyers. Mike now has all that he wants. The only fly in the ointment is Ellie's companion Greta. A formidable German-Swedish woman who organizes Ellies life.
I thought this would be something gothic, involving more time and clues given on the site. It wasn't until about half way through the book that Ellie and Mike even settled on Gipsy's acre. I didn't notice even half of the red herrings that I should have, so despite the slow start, this book leaves me feeling impressed by the author.
Mike, the narrator, is a penniless man working odd jobs who wants a lot from life. One of the things he wants is a piece of land called "Gipsy's Acre". It is to sell cheap because of a curse on it. Mike doesn't care. One day when he is inspecting the site he comes across a beautiful, young, American heiress called Ellie. They fall in love and secretely marry, in order to avoid the fuss and likely hindrance of her family and lawyers. Mike now has all that he wants. The only fly in the ointment is Ellie's companion Greta. A formidable German-Swedish woman who organizes Ellies life.
I thought this would be something gothic, involving more time and clues given on the site. It wasn't until about half way through the book that Ellie and Mike even settled on Gipsy's acre. I didn't notice even half of the red herrings that I should have, so despite the slow start, this book leaves me feeling impressed by the author.
No one of her best, but very readable. Guessed halfway through
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first Agatha Christie book. Not crazy about it, I found the beginning very slow. It's also very much a product of its time.
The word gypsy is used multiple times throughout this book, which for those who may not know is a derogatory term for the Romani people. It also contains various instances of badmouthing and in general racists depictions of the Romani people. It is an old book. This is a risk you take when you read old books, I am aware, nonetheless it did make me a little uncomfortable and all the characters unlikeable.
It's an okay book. Would have left it at 3 🌟 but the reveal at the end did surprise me so it gets an extra 1/2 🌟 just for that.
The word gypsy is used multiple times throughout this book, which for those who may not know is a derogatory term for the Romani people. It also contains various instances of badmouthing and in general racists depictions of the Romani people. It is an old book. This is a risk you take when you read old books, I am aware, nonetheless it did make me a little uncomfortable and all the characters unlikeable.
It's an okay book. Would have left it at 3 🌟 but the reveal at the end did surprise me so it gets an extra 1/2 🌟 just for that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Endless Night is Agatha Christie's take on the gothic novel (a cursed property, a fortune-telling gypsy, a wealthy young woman manipulated by her extended family, a talented architect wasting away from some blood disease, etc.) but set in the 1960s. Our narrator is Michael "Mike" Rogers, a charming, working-class, ne'er-do-well, who is just floating through life until he meets Fenella "Ellie" Guteman, who just happens to be one of the wealthiest young women in America. They fall in love and build their dream house on Gipsy's Acre, a spot that's said to be cursed. We know from the beginning that things will not end well, but Mike meanders through the story, building suspense along the way. How will it all end? Was there anything he could have done differently?
Old Agatha really had a grudge against those hippie kids and it comes out in her writing. This has that same vibe as some of her later Poirot mysteries, where those kids are just too modern and lazy for their own good, with their drugs and their free love. It's entertaining in the same way as listening to Boomers complain about how Millennials could afford a house if they'd just give up their avocado toast and lattes. There's an interesting, but somewhat jarring, juxtaposition between this crotchety take on the main characters and the excellent use of gothic tropes to build suspense. Definitely not the same old thing she'd been doing for 50 years, but not one of her best (even though it was apparently one of her favorites).
Spoiler
As a matter of fact, it was all a set-up from the beginning, to get Ellie's money so that Mike and Greta (who had previously met in Germany) could finance the lifestyle of their dreams. But Mike goes crazy in the end, kills Greta, and goes to jail.Old Agatha really had a grudge against those hippie kids and it comes out in her writing. This has that same vibe as some of her later Poirot mysteries, where those kids are just too modern and lazy for their own good, with their drugs and their free love. It's entertaining in the same way as listening to Boomers complain about how Millennials could afford a house if they'd just give up their avocado toast and lattes. There's an interesting, but somewhat jarring, juxtaposition between this crotchety take on the main characters and the excellent use of gothic tropes to build suspense. Definitely not the same old thing she'd been doing for 50 years, but not one of her best (even though it was apparently one of her favorites).