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foramen_magnum's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.5
Agatha Christie at some of her most genre defining -- you know all along that there's some trick, but without a Belgian detective to point it out to you, you go through the whole book not entirely sure what it could be.
A group of seemingly random people are invited to a mysterious island for various reasons. Quickly, they realize they all have a secret that has led to their invitation.... And may lead to their deaths, as dictated by an eerie children's rhyme. What's worse, the killer seems to be among them-- but who? Will they figure out whodunnit in time for anyone to escape the Island?
This was a quick read and, as Christie always is, was good fun that leaves a slight tingle up your spine. None of the characters are at all likeable (and those that verge on being so don't fare very well), and the ending is a bit of a twist for twist's sake, but this one is worth the read to understand the way modern mystery thrillers were shaped.
A group of seemingly random people are invited to a mysterious island for various reasons. Quickly, they realize they all have a secret that has led to their invitation.... And may lead to their deaths, as dictated by an eerie children's rhyme. What's worse, the killer seems to be among them-- but who? Will they figure out whodunnit in time for anyone to escape the Island?
This was a quick read and, as Christie always is, was good fun that leaves a slight tingle up your spine. None of the characters are at all likeable (and those that verge on being so don't fare very well), and the ending is a bit of a twist for twist's sake, but this one is worth the read to understand the way modern mystery thrillers were shaped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Addiction, Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Confinement
leosaki's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Whoever invented Saw read this and was like I can make it worse
There's a character who's racist as fuck and would k!ll a child if it came down to it, but they'd draw the line at throwing out a woman bc she got pregnant unwed which is kind of a wild way to have morals
There's a character who's racist as fuck and would k!ll a child if it came down to it, but they'd draw the line at throwing out a woman bc she got pregnant unwed which is kind of a wild way to have morals
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Child death, Alcohol, Murder, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Suicide
bringmybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I did it, y’all. I DID IT. I read And Then There Were None before someone spoiled it for me!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
To explain further, I became convinced within literal moments of deciding last year that I wanted to read Agatha Christie that someone would spoil her books for me (namely this one & The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) before I could actually read them, thus depriving me of the joy I would have had upon finishing them.
Is there a statute of limitations on spoiling books? Honestly, I think there is. If I happen to off handedly mention the ending of The Great Gatsby, I don’t think I can get blamed for ruining that for you, you know? (Personally I put my limit at 50+ years - if it’s been published prior to 1970, that’s fair game)
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I WAS NOT SPOILED AND I AM SO GLAD
Furthermore, take this as your sign to read And Then There Were None if you haven’t already, because this was such a dang fun read and I absolutely loved how everything came together at the end! Loved the setting, loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the writing, LOVE how a mystery book that was written almost 100 years ago could still be so relevant & important to the genre today!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Terminal illness, War, Racial slurs, Ableism, Addiction, Car accident, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
lavenderlilacs1912's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
And Then There Were None is a stand alone mystery by Agatha Christie that is perhaps her most well-known. Ten visitors arrive on a seemingly deserted and isolated island at the invitation of their mysterious host. What looks to be a relaxing weekend in a modern home turns into a deadly game as each guest is accused of murder by an unknown voice. Then their pursuer starts to pick them off, one by one, all according to a children's nursery rhyme.
I've heard it said that And Then There Were None is one of Christie's best stories and I'd have to agree. It's also one of her darkest, asnone of the main characters make it out alive in the end and the murderer is never caught . The setup and unfolding of the mystery is unique I can't say I've read any other mystery like it. Christie usually writes cozy murder mysteries, but I would argue that nothing about ATTWN is "cozy." Whereas her Poirot and Marple stories usually have a main character (usually the detective) who is, for the most part, above reproach, ATTWN is different. All the main characters are quite unsympathetic, each being guilty of individual crimes, in the killer's mind. This is quite a psychological murder mystery, where the reader is thrown into each character's head as they reflect on their situations and indeed their own perceived guilt or innocence. And in the end the ambiguity dissipates a little, as each person reveals that they were in fact guilty of their respective crime...they just didn't think so.
The events of the book read like a typical murder mystery, but I also think that ATTWN can also read like a precursor to the modern day slasher films. A cast of morally ambiguous characters getting picked off one by one is definitely a trope in modern horror, with a dash of mystery and psychological thriller thrown into the mix (in this case, though, the characters in ATTWN behave in more intelligent and resourceful ways than the characters in your run of the mill slasher). Yet, that comparison is complicated by the fact thatthe "final girl" of ATTWN, Vera Claythorne is 1. Never shown confronting the killer and 2. Is the most damnably guilty and remorseless of them all, her death serving as the final act in the novel before the two epilogues .
Which brings me to the ending. That ending is probably the best ending to a book like this, it explains everything yet also offers up more opportunities for discussion, namely about the characters and the themes present throughout the book, namely murder, guilt, and innocence. In conclusion And Then There Were None is a classic for a reason and it's one I can return to and enjoy over and over again
I've heard it said that And Then There Were None is one of Christie's best stories and I'd have to agree. It's also one of her darkest, as
The events of the book read like a typical murder mystery, but I also think that ATTWN can also read like a precursor to the modern day slasher films. A cast of morally ambiguous characters getting picked off one by one is definitely a trope in modern horror, with a dash of mystery and psychological thriller thrown into the mix (in this case, though, the characters in ATTWN behave in more intelligent and resourceful ways than the characters in your run of the mill slasher). Yet, that comparison is complicated by the fact that
Which brings me to the ending. That ending is probably the best ending to a book like this, it explains everything yet also offers up more opportunities for discussion, namely about the characters and the themes present throughout the book, namely murder, guilt, and innocence. In conclusion And Then There Were None is a classic for a reason and it's one I can return to and enjoy over and over again
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Addiction
The book was re published with noted changes from the original. In the original edition the poem and the title both contained the N-Word, while the 1st revision changed the wording from N-Word to "Indian". I read the most recent edition, which excises any racial themes from the poem altogether and changed the title. For an analysis of the racial themes of the book you can watch a YouTube video called "Crime and Colonialism: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None."scaredykatbooks's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Sexism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Suicide, Violence, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Abortion, and Suicide
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