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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My rating: ⭐️⭐️
Quick Overview:
An old woman witnesses a murder on a train when two trains pass by each other for a brief moment. She is the only witness and no corpse is discovered. Only her friend Jane Marple takes her seriously and takes up the case.
Thoughts:
I never thought an Agatha Christie book would disappoint me as much as this book did. Incessantly long and boring. Also, the overwhelming amount of details regarding trains and stations snatches away any interest the reader might have had. Nothing really made sense and the characters were flat. Also, this puts my belief to concrete that Hercule Poirot is sinply better than Jane Marple as a detective protagonist. The final reveal felt like lucky guesswork. It kind of got a bit morw exciting towards the end but the climax ruins it.
The worst book I read this year.
This put me in my worst reading slump ever
Thoughts:
I never thought an Agatha Christie book would disappoint me as much as this book did. Incessantly long and boring. Also, the overwhelming amount of details regarding trains and stations snatches away any interest the reader might have had. Nothing really made sense and the characters were flat. Also, this puts my belief to concrete that Hercule Poirot is sinply better than Jane Marple as a detective protagonist. The final reveal felt like lucky guesswork. It kind of got a bit morw exciting towards the end but the climax ruins it.
The worst book I read this year.
This put me in my worst reading slump ever
I wish I could give this a 3.5 because the ending, although very shocking and the murderer being none of the usual suspects, was too simple. It felt like there were two many murders explained away too easily. I honestly thought for a moment maybe it was the old man, killing his children out of spite and wanting to live longer. Also, although this is a Miss Marple book, her involvement wasn't prevalent till the very end and that was kind of boring. But it's a one time read if you are looking for a murder mystery and it does just that, entertain you. The main question (which has been a cause of debate since the book was released) is surprisingly not about the murder but about who Lucy Eylesbarrow ends up with. Christie fans have created alternate stories regarding that and I would not spoil the ending for anyone by what the author intended to do.
*spoiler* a creative murder mystery, but, to be honest, the villain is not a very satisfying person because he's 100% batty. Dr. Quimper takes the most absurd risks for the slightest possibility of success. His methods are wildly inefficient (evil deeds on a train? He couldn't think of anything less conspicuous?). And what was his endgame? To kill ALL the family members except one person he would then ask to marry him?
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have come back to Agatha Christie novels after a break of several years, and rarely have I read a book in the intervening years that has gripped me so much! This is the kind of book where any spare minute of the day is used to cram in another few pages, it is so good. I'd go back and read it again straight away, if I didn't know whodunnit...
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No