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rknitss's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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
4.75
This is my first time reading Christie and it was surprisingly fun. I have been told that Agatha Christie disliked writing Hercule Poirot but I certainly didn't see any of that in the story. Poirot was surprisingly funny, the suspects sufficiently suspicious, the mystery was mysterious.
Despite knowing the twist (who doesn't at this point), reading along and trying to figure out the why, the how, and spotting the little hints was great fun.
The book loses .25 of a star for period typical stuff. There's some now known as offensive language used to describe neural-atypical people and people native to Africa. While I accept that the times were different and I don't think older books should be censored or re-edited for modern audiences I DO feel like a modern reader should see and recognize the problematic elements in a classic text.
Anyways, would recommend and would read another Agatha Christie.
Despite knowing the twist (who doesn't at this point), reading along and trying to figure out the why, the how, and spotting the little hints was great fun.
The book loses .25 of a star for period typical stuff. There's some now known as offensive language used to describe neural-atypical people and people native to Africa. While I accept that the times were different and I don't think older books should be censored or re-edited for modern audiences I DO feel like a modern reader should see and recognize the problematic elements in a classic text.
Anyways, would recommend and would read another Agatha Christie.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism and Racism
elwirax's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.0
"I have no pity for myself either. So let it be Veronal. But I wish Hercule Poirot had never retired from work and come here to grow vegetable marrows."
"It is completely unimportant. That is why it is so interesting.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did considering I didn't love Christie's first novel. However, I understand why many people love it and why it was considered controversial when it was published (it definitely broke boundaries in the mystery genre).
However,I had my suspicions from the start due to particular emphasis on a piece of information. While these were confirmed by the end, I still thought this was a cleverly woven mystery and one which I will definitely re-read in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, and Racial slurs
vardik's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Suicide
moonlitemuseum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can't quite give this (or any Christie yarn) 5 stars because of the unnecessary cruelties peppered through her work; nasty little asides about anyone who isn't white, able-bodied or neurotypical. That said, there's so much to appreciate and love about this story decades on. It's told with wit and humour, and changing pace from Hastings as a narrator both lets us experience a different side to Poirot and gives us the benefit of the narrator's close position in the community (as well as to his incredible gossip of a sister, Caroline.)
The mystery features a strong cast, all with their own secrets and skeletons to hide. Unraveling each one in turn is so much fun that I genuinely felt sad when it was all over. My favorite Poirot so far!
The mystery features a strong cast, all with their own secrets and skeletons to hide. Unraveling each one in turn is so much fun that I genuinely felt sad when it was all over. My favorite Poirot so far!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse