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A review by verosnotebook
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
3.0
3.5*
This was a difficult book to score. As many have mentioned, Osborne is no Christie although I could see he did a work of love and admiration, which I respect. He added for instance a lot of references to Poirot’s canon as well as to Agatha’s real life, but I’m not sure all these worked, distracting you from the narration. Still, that is a small gripe.
This novel adaptation felt very much like a play, which I didn’t mind. Many of Christie’s stories have that effect and it often works to concentrate the suspense. Here, some scenes worked better than others. I loved the one ‘of the murder’, with everyone in one room, and there is so much going on! You think you know which cup has been poisoned and you try desperately to keep track of it. If you follow closely, there is a huge clue. Is it too obvious? Not sure. I’d have to read the play, in its original form, and see clearly what was Christie’s and what was Osborne’s interpretation.
This was a difficult book to score. As many have mentioned, Osborne is no Christie although I could see he did a work of love and admiration, which I respect. He added for instance a lot of references to Poirot’s canon as well as to Agatha’s real life, but I’m not sure all these worked, distracting you from the narration. Still, that is a small gripe.
This novel adaptation felt very much like a play, which I didn’t mind. Many of Christie’s stories have that effect and it often works to concentrate the suspense. Here, some scenes worked better than others. I loved the one ‘of the murder’, with everyone in one room, and there is so much going on! You think you know which cup has been poisoned and you try desperately to keep track of it. If you follow closely, there is a huge clue. Is it too obvious? Not sure. I’d have to read the play, in its original form, and see clearly what was Christie’s and what was Osborne’s interpretation.