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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's really a pity that one of the best Poirots is marred by the casual anti-semitism of the era. One offhand remark could have been put down to a character's crassness or prejudices, but it comes from many sources. The most widely adapted Poirots, Nile and Orient Express, are also among Christie's strangest. Here, the situation is much more straightforward, much closer to Christie's home and heart.
A crumbling old seaside Victorian home and a circle of young Londoner friends, ricocheting here and there, with shifting loyalties, deep passions, and, of course, just beneath the surface, the cold need for money, and lots of it. Poirot is nearby when a murder is attempted, so he takes on the difficult matter of preventing the next attempt from succeeding. The thrill of the chase is ever-present; the urgency of catching the murderer before they succeed (or, after they succeed twice...) is vital. And Christie plays fair. Everything we need to know is right here in front of us. We just need order, method, and the application of the grey cells to make it work. This is the nature of the best Poirots.
A crumbling old seaside Victorian home and a circle of young Londoner friends, ricocheting here and there, with shifting loyalties, deep passions, and, of course, just beneath the surface, the cold need for money, and lots of it. Poirot is nearby when a murder is attempted, so he takes on the difficult matter of preventing the next attempt from succeeding. The thrill of the chase is ever-present; the urgency of catching the murderer before they succeed (or, after they succeed twice...) is vital. And Christie plays fair. Everything we need to know is right here in front of us. We just need order, method, and the application of the grey cells to make it work. This is the nature of the best Poirots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism
This is how good she is:
When I was a child, I read this book, and it was the only one where I figured it out (not everything, but the central mystery, the "it's the sled," or "she's her sister AND her daughter" kind of thing). I was very pleased with myself. That said, when I re-read it this time, even pages from the end of the book, she had me questioning myself—had I actually remembered correctly? Could I possibly have worked it out? Had I misunderstood? Because it didn't seem possible that my solution was the right one. (Of course it was, my memory is good ... but she's such a gifted writer that she can not only fool most readers, she can even fool readers who have already read it and guessed right, once upon a time!)
Four stars because none of the characters particularly excited me, and the plot itself is rather less complicated than many of her works. I think it would be better in movie form than book form (I suppose it's an episode of the Poirot TV series) where gifted actors can bring their own interest to the characters.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
When I was a child, I read this book, and it was the only one where I figured it out (not everything, but the central mystery, the "it's the sled," or "she's her sister AND her daughter" kind of thing). I was very pleased with myself. That said, when I re-read it this time, even pages from the end of the book, she had me questioning myself—had I actually remembered correctly? Could I possibly have worked it out? Had I misunderstood? Because it didn't seem possible that my solution was the right one. (Of course it was, my memory is good ... but she's such a gifted writer that she can not only fool most readers, she can even fool readers who have already read it and guessed right, once upon a time!)
Four stars because none of the characters particularly excited me, and the plot itself is rather less complicated than many of her works. I think it would be better in movie form than book form (I suppose it's an episode of the Poirot TV series) where gifted actors can bring their own interest to the characters.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
mysterious
fast-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In all the books I have read in the Hercule Poirot series, this is the rare one in which I was actually eager and excited in knowing what was going to happen next. It had a real dramatic touch, this one. Drama enclosed in shining stars. I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Expected endings, even though I lost faith in them mid-way, do give a satisfaction to my heart. More than the other books that are popular in the Hercule Poirot series ( like Roger Ackroyde and Orient Express), this is my unpopular opinion, that I like these kinds of small murder mysteries where there is no never-seen-before ending but just a simple evil person behind the crime and all the excitement comes in figuring out how, when and why of their actions.
Another day, another good read.
Another day, another good read.