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mariearen's review
0.25
0-1 Star
TL;DR: The plot of The Big Four is rife with antisemitic conspiracists thought. It furthermore relies heavily on orientalism, to build suspense and introduce one of its main antagonists. Even accounting for the pov generally present in the Poirot series, I found the racism and xenophobia in this book so uncomfortable, that I didn’t enjoy the reading experience. Sharing my review mainly because it might help someone gauge their mileage with this particular instalment. Further ramblings and incoherent musings below.
I read The Big Four in a burst of Poirot completism. Racism, classism, sexism etc. are part of Christie's entire Poirot series (e.g. murderers being more or less likely depending on "heredity" and certain methods being more male/female etc), but I found it particularly foregrounded in this installment.
A vast global criminal conspiracy formed by elites is plotting to take over the world and must be stopped by Poirot. There is seemingly no end to their powers and influence over world events, and the echo of antisemitic conspiracy theories was loud enough to drown out any potentially clever plotting. That, combined with the pervasive orientalism, just made it too unpleasant a read for me to recommend to anyone. Even a reader who is clear-eyed about the world-view generally present in Christie's work.
Racism, classism and sexism are present throughout the series, some of which I have enjoyed very much in spite of it. My mileage on this is most definitely informed by my relative position of privilege, and I understand that even me writing this review is evidence of the same.
Christie's writing and plotting is often brilliant. And it is of course also a product of her time. Neither of these facts mean that we should dismiss her writing, nor do they mean we should disregard her racism, sexism, and classism. Especially since they are interwoven with texts that have become fundamental to an entire genre of writing and filmmaking.
At points the classism (for example) is so outrageous as to be almost laughable. Some statements (be they character specific or emblematic of the writer’s larger pov) are so glaringly outdated, that I find it easy to shrug them off, and pay attention to the story taking place around it. But at other points plots rely so heavily on a perspective of the inherent righteousness of white British Imperialism, that there isn’t really anything left to enjoy.
I don’t generally believe that we should only read books with Good Moral Perspectives. And I think there’s a lot of value to be found in reading, enjoying, and engaging with classics (be they of genre or of literature more broadly). But even though I went into this book fairly clear-eyed about what to expect, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
I’m not sure this rambly review makes any real sense (or has a point), so thank you if you have read this far. I am struggling to make sense of my feelings about this series overall, and this turned into a random recording of my thoughts as part of that endeavour. 0-1 stars out of 5 do not recommend.
TL;DR: The plot of The Big Four is rife with antisemitic conspiracists thought. It furthermore relies heavily on orientalism, to build suspense and introduce one of its main antagonists. Even accounting for the pov generally present in the Poirot series, I found the racism and xenophobia in this book so uncomfortable, that I didn’t enjoy the reading experience. Sharing my review mainly because it might help someone gauge their mileage with this particular instalment. Further ramblings and incoherent musings below.
I read The Big Four in a burst of Poirot completism. Racism, classism, sexism etc. are part of Christie's entire Poirot series (e.g. murderers being more or less likely depending on "heredity" and certain methods being more male/female etc), but I found it particularly foregrounded in this installment.
A vast global criminal conspiracy formed by elites is plotting to take over the world and must be stopped by Poirot. There is seemingly no end to their powers and influence over world events, and the echo of antisemitic conspiracy theories was loud enough to drown out any potentially clever plotting. That, combined with the pervasive orientalism, just made it too unpleasant a read for me to recommend to anyone. Even a reader who is clear-eyed about the world-view generally present in Christie's work.
Racism, classism and sexism are present throughout the series, some of which I have enjoyed very much in spite of it. My mileage on this is most definitely informed by my relative position of privilege, and I understand that even me writing this review is evidence of the same.
Christie's writing and plotting is often brilliant. And it is of course also a product of her time. Neither of these facts mean that we should dismiss her writing, nor do they mean we should disregard her racism, sexism, and classism. Especially since they are interwoven with texts that have become fundamental to an entire genre of writing and filmmaking.
At points the classism (for example) is so outrageous as to be almost laughable. Some statements (be they character specific or emblematic of the writer’s larger pov) are so glaringly outdated, that I find it easy to shrug them off, and pay attention to the story taking place around it. But at other points plots rely so heavily on a perspective of the inherent righteousness of white British Imperialism, that there isn’t really anything left to enjoy.
I don’t generally believe that we should only read books with Good Moral Perspectives. And I think there’s a lot of value to be found in reading, enjoying, and engaging with classics (be they of genre or of literature more broadly). But even though I went into this book fairly clear-eyed about what to expect, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
I’m not sure this rambly review makes any real sense (or has a point), so thank you if you have read this far. I am struggling to make sense of my feelings about this series overall, and this turned into a random recording of my thoughts as part of that endeavour. 0-1 stars out of 5 do not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Antisemitism
hannah_krantz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
simone_ebony's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
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
2.25
Racist and annoying. The end was better than the rest of the book but it wasn't all that satisfying. It also just felt sooooo long and hard to get through even though it was super short.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Racism towards asian people mostly with slurs and 1920s exoticismthomas_wright's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
i enjoyed this not as much as the previous book (the murder of Roger Ackroyd)
which is mentioned in the final line of this book which you may miss if not reading in release order
this book is Poirot and Hastings on multiple cases
which is mentioned in the final line of this book which you may miss if not reading in release order
this book is Poirot and Hastings on multiple cases
as aposed to the usual 1 case per book thats been the norm so far
(excluding Poirot investigates which was a bunch of unconected cases)
(excluding Poirot investigates which was a bunch of unconected cases)
the cases in thi book where all linked by the criminal organisation the big four
which i thought might be a potential inspiration in Alex Rider books by Anthony Horrowitz
the way Scorpia operate in those books
i tweeted Anthony Horrowitz about it and he said possibly subconsciously which is so cool
the way Scorpia operate in those books
i tweeted Anthony Horrowitz about it and he said possibly subconsciously which is so cool
because this book was more about the over aching plot in how they all link together the case's do suffer slightly in how few pages they take up and connections are made a little to quickly and conveniently I'd say
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Xenophobia
Minor: Ableism, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexism