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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Oh my lanta! The ending made EVERYTHING make sense. I thought the pace of the first two parts of the book were slow. I didn't like the relationship of the two main characters. To me, both were unlikable. Everything I was discontent about was very purposeful. Agatha Christie knows what's she's doing. The back story and the pacing made this story that much more creepy. I can see why this is one of Agatha Christie's favorite to write. Creepy and psycho, isn't my taste, but I can definately appreciate this work.
Les cours de littérature comparée font faire de magnifiques découvertes. Je suis toujours aussi fan d'Agatha Christie.
It's a short story that at the beginning centers the plot around a gypsy-curse but it culminates with the reflection of to what extent is the human being the cause of his misfortunes. Very entertaining if you're looking for a light story to read.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Endless Night by Agatha Christie
Read on audio
Narrator: Hugh Fraser
Harpercollins
Pub. 1967, 245pp
___
Agatha Christie does it again! This dark and eerie novel starts slowly, setting the scene beautifully which lulls you into a false sense of security. You know there’s a murder coming but here I kept having to remind myself that something nasty was on the way.
This is a standalone Christie told from the perspective of Michael, a likeable young man drifting from job to job . Recently he’s been working as a driver, chauffeuring rich customers to expensive destinations across Europe and their easy way with money and carefree lifestyle has him feeling envious. One customer is the famous architect Rudolf Santonix, who is casually dropped into the story but becomes a big part of it in due course.
Michael is drawn to a derelict house that he spots for sale in a remote and picturesque part of the countryside with accompanying land which is known by locals as “gypsy’s Acre”, and is said to be cursed. There’s a gothic atmosphere reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier, including a local gypsy warning him off the land with stories of death coming to those that live there, which he brushes off as silly superstition.
Michael meets a young woman at Gypsy’s Acre who he’s intrigued by; they’re both drawn to the house and enjoy discussing what a wonderful place it could be. They arrange to meet again in London and a romance blossoms. Ellie turns out to be a wealthy American with a complicated network of family looking out for her and she tells Michael they must keep their relationship secret as they wouldn’t approve, their expectation being that she’ll marry a suitably wealthy man chosen for her. Ellie’s life up to now has been very protected and controlled so In order to maintain their privacy Ellie asks her loyal companion, Greta, to cover for her. I enjoyed this ‘calm before the storm’ start to this book but some readers might find it a bit slow.
This was a Christie in which I thought I knew where it was vaguely going, had spotted some connections between characters and possible motives and method for murder. And then there was a twist that struck seemingly out of nowhere and I was kicking myself for not having guessed it! Just brilliant.
The audiobook was a delight to listen to with Hugh Frazer doing a fabulous job with all the accents, very slick and professional.
I read this book in preparation for attending the live recording of an episode of Backlisted podcast at Foyles Bookshop in London next week and I think it’ll be a lively discussion!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maannnn this old lady always gets the last laugh. Even the next generation van keep thinking they know what the book is about, they will never win. Agatha Christie is fucking brilliant. Fucking ruthless. She always knows her readers before they know themselves. Fucking hell during the race war, I will rescue her, Emily bronte and Jane Austen only.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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