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wbein 's review for:
Endless Night
by Agatha Christie
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Endless Night is a quick read; I read it basically in two sittings, one in an airport and the other on the plane. I’ve seen reviews that say it is slow to begin, but I didn’t think so, though it does not follow the formula of other Christie novels. It takes quite a while to reach the murder that defines the genre, but I found myself curious even prior to that as to where it would go.
I have sought to keep spoilers out of my review, but as is often the case, talking about murder mysteries will inevitably reveal something that the reader may not benefit from knowing. I went in largely blind; that is the best way to read it. However, reading the below will by no means spoil the plot.
As far as murder mysteries go, this is not an especially strong one. There is no Poirot figure, assembling clues and uncovering a truth that is hinted at but difficult to discern until he paints it all together into a glorious picture; neither does Christie leave a trail of breadcrumbs in quite the way she often does to allow the reader to guess at the hidden workings of the plot as they read. Endless Night is a story about a murder more so than it is a murder mystery. Christie is a master of bringing the truth into focus, and she does so here just as well as always; throughout, I had suspicions regarding where the plot was headed, but at multiple points found myself with my jaw hanging open, stunned at the turn of events. Others have said that the reveal in Endless Night is what makes it worth reading; I would concur. It is unexpected and well-crafted.
This book does have a pretty racist depiction of Gypsies. It is, for that reason, uncomfortable to read at numerous points throughout.
I have sought to keep spoilers out of my review, but as is often the case, talking about murder mysteries will inevitably reveal something that the reader may not benefit from knowing. I went in largely blind; that is the best way to read it. However, reading the below will by no means spoil the plot.
As far as murder mysteries go, this is not an especially strong one. There is no Poirot figure, assembling clues and uncovering a truth that is hinted at but difficult to discern until he paints it all together into a glorious picture; neither does Christie leave a trail of breadcrumbs in quite the way she often does to allow the reader to guess at the hidden workings of the plot as they read. Endless Night is a story about a murder more so than it is a murder mystery. Christie is a master of bringing the truth into focus, and she does so here just as well as always; throughout, I had suspicions regarding where the plot was headed, but at multiple points found myself with my jaw hanging open, stunned at the turn of events. Others have said that the reveal in Endless Night is what makes it worth reading; I would concur. It is unexpected and well-crafted.
This book does have a pretty racist depiction of Gypsies. It is, for that reason, uncomfortable to read at numerous points throughout.