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alliecat13's review against another edition
3.5
Not my favorite Poirot, but the underlying message is strong.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
poirot's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Death, Suicide, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Classism, Medical content, Misogyny, and Colonisation
Minor: Xenophobia and Violence
lavenderlilacs1912's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe follows Hercule Poirot on another interesting mystery involving espionage, finance, and disguises. Starting with the murder of Poirot's dentist, he is drawn into a case that is at times baffling and completely unnerving.
I liked this book slightly better than Death in the Clouds. But I had the slightly unfortunate experience of watching the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation before reading this novel, which colored my experience a bit. I actually preferred the TV adaptation. While I don't expect masterpiece level character development out of mysteries like this, nor do I think unlikeable characters ruin a novel right out the gate. But here's the thing, unlikeable characters have to at least be interesting for me. And there were two characters (Raikes and Frank Carter) who I hated, and also didn't find all that interesting. Especially Raikes, who up to the last page was an a-hole of the nth degree. I would compare him to Mr. Ferguson from Death on the Nile (another grade a-hole), but at least Ferguson was funny in his lack of self-awareness at the end.
The book's redeeming quality is its main character. I liked watching Poirot's struggle to solve this case and I liked the outlining of his moral philosophy at the very end of the book in his confrontation with the killer, and how his respect for the lives of the victims despite his personal feelings about them shines through. The outlining of the mystery and the pieces falling into place could have been done better, but I loved the reveals and they all made sense in the end.
Not one of Christie's masterpieces, but I liked it well enough.
I liked this book slightly better than Death in the Clouds. But I had the slightly unfortunate experience of watching the Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation before reading this novel, which colored my experience a bit. I actually preferred the TV adaptation. While I don't expect masterpiece level character development out of mysteries like this, nor do I think unlikeable characters ruin a novel right out the gate. But here's the thing, unlikeable characters have to at least be interesting for me. And there were two characters (Raikes and Frank Carter) who I hated, and also didn't find all that interesting. Especially Raikes, who up to the last page was an a-hole of the nth degree. I would compare him to Mr. Ferguson from Death on the Nile (another grade a-hole), but at least Ferguson was funny in his lack of self-awareness at the end.
The book's redeeming quality is its main character. I liked watching Poirot's struggle to solve this case and I liked the outlining of his moral philosophy at the very end of the book in his confrontation with the killer, and how his respect for the lives of the victims despite his personal feelings about them shines through. The outlining of the mystery and the pieces falling into place could have been done better, but I loved the reveals and they all made sense in the end.
Not one of Christie's masterpieces, but I liked it well enough.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
canab's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Another enjoyable Agatha Christie read. It had a running underlying theme of the financial political climate which I thought was ironic and apt for today’s times. Page 74 caught my eye and the use of the phrase #costofliving in the book. I thought I was reading about a book in 2022 though this was published in the war years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
michayla13's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
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