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readingwithmyeyes 's review for:
And Then There Were None
by Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is the ultimate book about people trapped on an island and being murdered. The story puts ten strangers on an island where a recording plays, calling them all out for murders they believe have been committed. The strangers all start dying the exact way a nursery rhyme counts down to none. The story is tension-filled as they learn they are the targets of a murderer, and it has to be one of them. And Then There Were None is somewhat similar to the show Survivor, as they start forming alliances and can't truly trust anyone. The book is so great at establishing characters so quickly. The book has 10 people on the island, and they are all different. I was never confused about who was who. It just all makes sense. I recently did a reread of The Stand by Stephen King and was astounded by how many characters he creates that are all different. Christie establishes characters so fast with very few words. When we meet the characters, we get a brief backstory and we learn that their mind is conflicted. The novel is so great at establishing conflict and tension. These people on this island alone might murder each other anyway, even if there wasn't a crazy person knocking them off one by one. The pace of the story is so fast. Once the first murder happens, the other people go so fast. The ending is one of the best. It floored me the first time I read it. Then, after it ends, we get the epilogue, which tells how it was all done. I did appreciate that if you pay attention during the epilogue, you can figure out the ending before everything gets revealed, with the confession in a bottle. I do think this mystery is impossible to solve before the epilogue. The ending of the book is different from the stage play version. This novel has gone through some name changes; some were more controversial than the last. When I read it at 12, it was called something else. The nursery rhyme for my edition referred to the statues as little soldiers. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie was first published on November 6, 1939.
Why did I read And Then There Were None? This or The ABC Murders, also by Agatha Christie, were the first books I ever remember completing that were not illustrated. I have wanted to read some Agatha Christie books. This is a good one to start since it is a standalone. My wife has never read this book, nor my Father and Mother-in-law, with whom I share most of my reads. I thought it was time to revisit it.
Plot Summary: 10 strangers get letters in 1939, to come to an island. Some get letters to work, some get letters for business opportunities, and some get letters to work undercover. All are gathered in a room for dinner when a recording starts playing, singling out the guests and waitstaff of crimes they committed, which led to murder. Before anyone can find out much, a guest dies by choking, or was it murder? When a couple of people die, they find a pattern, that guests are dying just like the nursery rhyme that is written on every door. The nursery rhyme ends with and then there were none.
What I Liked: I liked the ingeniousness of the murders and how they all correspond to the nursery rhyme. Nursery rhyme is so creepy. The characters are unique, even though they are not the greatest of people; you don't want them to get murdered. The tension when the number starts going low, knowing you can't trust the person next to you. I liked the internal struggle that characters go through, either convincing themselves they are a good person or justifying their actions. I love how logic comes into the story over searching the grounds and how they break down logically who could be the killer. The crimes the strangers are charged with are great; some are owned and others are not, even to the bitter end. I do like that we do get to hear the killer's thoughts when the group is at the diner table. The scene is great as it is bouncing from thought to thought without names attached, and we hear the paranoia in everyone else's thoughts but one. I do like that I can still enjoy the story even if I knew the ending and who was responsible.
What I Disliked: I still don't like that Philip Lombard's crime goes unchecked, and his defense was that they were savages. We go to Vera's head, where she thinks it was only savages. I wish there had been a couple more hints as to who the killer was.
Recommendations: And Then There Were None is such an easy, quick read. The pace of the book is incredible and hard to put down once the murders start happening. The novel is perfect for young readers. I read it at age 9. My stepmom was in the stage play when I was 10, which is why I think I read the books. And Then There Were None created so many great island mysteries. If you liked The Guest List by Lucy Foley and Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce, read the book that set the tone for an isolated destination. I recommend watching the 2015 mini-series called And Then There Were None starring Charles Dance. It expands the book and adds some trauma to the text and ramps up the tension.
Rating: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I rated 4.8 out of 5.
Why did I read And Then There Were None? This or The ABC Murders, also by Agatha Christie, were the first books I ever remember completing that were not illustrated. I have wanted to read some Agatha Christie books. This is a good one to start since it is a standalone. My wife has never read this book, nor my Father and Mother-in-law, with whom I share most of my reads. I thought it was time to revisit it.
Plot Summary: 10 strangers get letters in 1939, to come to an island. Some get letters to work, some get letters for business opportunities, and some get letters to work undercover. All are gathered in a room for dinner when a recording starts playing, singling out the guests and waitstaff of crimes they committed, which led to murder. Before anyone can find out much, a guest dies by choking, or was it murder? When a couple of people die, they find a pattern, that guests are dying just like the nursery rhyme that is written on every door. The nursery rhyme ends with and then there were none.
What I Liked: I liked the ingeniousness of the murders and how they all correspond to the nursery rhyme. Nursery rhyme is so creepy. The characters are unique, even though they are not the greatest of people; you don't want them to get murdered. The tension when the number starts going low, knowing you can't trust the person next to you. I liked the internal struggle that characters go through, either convincing themselves they are a good person or justifying their actions. I love how logic comes into the story over searching the grounds and how they break down logically who could be the killer. The crimes the strangers are charged with are great; some are owned and others are not, even to the bitter end. I do like that we do get to hear the killer's thoughts when the group is at the diner table. The scene is great as it is bouncing from thought to thought without names attached, and we hear the paranoia in everyone else's thoughts but one. I do like that I can still enjoy the story even if I knew the ending and who was responsible.
What I Disliked: I still don't like that Philip Lombard's crime goes unchecked, and his defense was that they were savages. We go to Vera's head, where she thinks it was only savages. I wish there had been a couple more hints as to who the killer was.
Recommendations: And Then There Were None is such an easy, quick read. The pace of the book is incredible and hard to put down once the murders start happening. The novel is perfect for young readers. I read it at age 9. My stepmom was in the stage play when I was 10, which is why I think I read the books. And Then There Were None created so many great island mysteries. If you liked The Guest List by Lucy Foley and Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce, read the book that set the tone for an isolated destination. I recommend watching the 2015 mini-series called And Then There Were None starring Charles Dance. It expands the book and adds some trauma to the text and ramps up the tension.
Rating: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I rated 4.8 out of 5.