ugreta's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sathyadgs95's review
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I have to admit that I haven't read every book Christie wrote; in particular, there are several of her later novels that I haven't gotten to yet. But I've read most of them and, of those, this is easily the worst. What makes the shortcomings of this book particularly mysterious is that it was written in 1927, the year after she wrote "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," which is arguably the finest mystery ever written. The "Big Four" is actually a spy thriller, rather than a conventional mystery. The title characters are an international gang intent on taking over the world. All that stands between them and world domination are Hercule Poirot and his ever-faithful companion, Arthur Hastings.
The basic plot is not remotely believable and several of the plot twists are far-fetched to say the least. The dialog is often borderline laughable. So much so, that you do wonder whether, as a couple of other reviewers have suggested, Christie intended this as a satire. Somehow I don't think she did because, so far as I know, none of her other books featuring Poirot or Miss Marple can be taken for satire. Clearly, she had the ability to write a very good thriller, as she showed with "They Came to Baghdad," written almost 25 years later. On the other hand, some of Hastings observations in his narration seem intended to be comic. Even these observations fall flat as comedy, however, as when he multiple times wonders why various characters are underestimating his intelligence, usually just after he has done something outrageously stupid.
Perhaps the explanation for the failings of this book lies in its origins. It began as a series of short stories published in a magazine. Apparently for personal reasons the stories were written about the time of her celebrated disappearance Christie wasn't able to give her full attention to the series or to smoothing out its problems when publishing it in book form. In any event, I would give it a rating of 2 1/2 stars -- and I only refrain from giving it one star because of my affection for Christie as a writer and Poirot as a character. If you have never read a Christie novel, for goodness sakes don't start with this one!
The basic plot is not remotely believable and several of the plot twists are far-fetched to say the least. The dialog is often borderline laughable. So much so, that you do wonder whether, as a couple of other reviewers have suggested, Christie intended this as a satire. Somehow I don't think she did because, so far as I know, none of her other books featuring Poirot or Miss Marple can be taken for satire. Clearly, she had the ability to write a very good thriller, as she showed with "They Came to Baghdad," written almost 25 years later. On the other hand, some of Hastings observations in his narration seem intended to be comic. Even these observations fall flat as comedy, however, as when he multiple times wonders why various characters are underestimating his intelligence, usually just after he has done something outrageously stupid.
Perhaps the explanation for the failings of this book lies in its origins. It began as a series of short stories published in a magazine. Apparently for personal reasons the stories were written about the time of her celebrated disappearance Christie wasn't able to give her full attention to the series or to smoothing out its problems when publishing it in book form. In any event, I would give it a rating of 2 1/2 stars -- and I only refrain from giving it one star because of my affection for Christie as a writer and Poirot as a character. If you have never read a Christie novel, for goodness sakes don't start with this one!
givli's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alonidote's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cpjeanz's review against another edition
3.0
Another adventure with Poirot, and this one was something. The characters are still great, Poirot being the best, but the story was weird as many reviewers have said already. Hastings was far less annoying in this one, especially since he's married so no more weird and annoying interactions with the female characters in the book. I actually didn't mind the idea of Poirot fighting against an international crime group. But the execution was rather odd. Some moments felt great, and very inline with Poirot. Others however, felt out of place and just didn't feel realistic. What makes Poirot, and Christie for that matter, is the realistic crimes which have well drawn and real characters who aren't perfect. It's not necessarily about Poirot outsmarting some supremely intelligent criminal a la Moriarty. He learns about all the characters, even the things they don't want to reveal, and puts the pieces together to understand who was capable of the crime and how they did it. Here though, there was just random things happening with no real thread to the overall plot and characters who only exist in the background. The story just feels out of place.
Quick hits:
+ Poirot as usual, still such an engaging character.
+ Hastings played an actual Watson role and wasn't annoying.
+ There were moments which felt great and inline with the series.
- The plot was very up and down.
- The story felt out of place, and too out there.
Overall, this wasn't the best. The writing and main characters were great as usual, but the rest not so much. I know we return to form in the rest of the series, and I'll definitely be continuing.
Quick hits:
+ Poirot as usual, still such an engaging character.
+ Hastings played an actual Watson role and wasn't annoying.
+ There were moments which felt great and inline with the series.
- The plot was very up and down.
- The story felt out of place, and too out there.
Overall, this wasn't the best. The writing and main characters were great as usual, but the rest not so much. I know we return to form in the rest of the series, and I'll definitely be continuing.
amid's review against another edition
5.0
I recently read The Big Four by Agatha Christie and I was thoroughly impressed! This book is a masterpiece of mystery and suspense, and it is a must-read for fans of the genre.
The plot of the book is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and diverse, and each one adds a unique layer to the story. The descriptions of the different locations, such as the luxury train and the hotel, are vivid and add to the overall atmosphere of the book.
Agatha Christie's writing style is, as always, superb. Her storytelling skills are unparalleled, and she keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book. Her characters are complex and their motivations are not always clear, which adds to the overall mystery of the story.
I would highly recommend The Big Four to anyone who loves a good mystery or who is a fan of Agatha Christie's work. It is a fast-paced and entertaining read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I give this book a solid 5 stars and cannot wait to read more from this amazing author!
The plot of the book is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and diverse, and each one adds a unique layer to the story. The descriptions of the different locations, such as the luxury train and the hotel, are vivid and add to the overall atmosphere of the book.
Agatha Christie's writing style is, as always, superb. Her storytelling skills are unparalleled, and she keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book. Her characters are complex and their motivations are not always clear, which adds to the overall mystery of the story.
I would highly recommend The Big Four to anyone who loves a good mystery or who is a fan of Agatha Christie's work. It is a fast-paced and entertaining read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I give this book a solid 5 stars and cannot wait to read more from this amazing author!
grinningcat's review against another edition
4.0
This is my least favorite of all of the Hercule Poirot mysteries. It’s the Poirot version of a spy novel, and spy novels are not Christie’s strong point. The book is considered unfilmable, although there’s a David Suchet version that is an adapted extract from the book. Hastings is back. This and the appearance of Poirot’s brother Achille are the highlights of the story. However, even the worst Christie is better than most other mysteries.
Agatha Stats:
Detective: Hercule Poirot
POV- 1st person, narrated by Mon Ami Hastings
Published- 1927
First Victim- Mayerling
Agatha Stats:
Detective: Hercule Poirot
POV- 1st person, narrated by Mon Ami Hastings
Published- 1927
First Victim- Mayerling
perrywolfecastle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
wisdm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
elodiethefangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75