The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
drumpenguin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Sexism
tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Murder, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
kers_tin's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Xenophobia, Death, Classism, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Drug use
Minor: War and Suicide
bloomingpear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Xenophobia and War
lulugirl297's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship
lavenderlilacs1912's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Christie's setup of the mystery was great, I especially enjoyed how everything fitted together perfectly at the end. While the eventual ending reveal was not as shocking a twist as her other novels (*cough cough* Murder of Roger Ackroyd) It made sense and was cleverly revealed. Poirot was delightful every time he appears on the page and his Sherlock/Watson esque friendship with Hastings is a treat. Hastings as the narrator was a good choice as well.Â
Minor: Xenophobia and Racial slurs
leaflibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Iâve tried starting TMAaS at least once before, maybe even twice, but both times was bored and disinterested. The first person narrator seemed offputting, and the rapid introduction of boring suspects (with the all the Christie staples of sexist and racist descriptions!) was not appealing. I powered through this time, though, because I havenât really been in the mood to read any fiction lately but had a good experience with Death In the Clouds two weeks ago.
A fourth of the way through: itâs gotten more interesting, partly in plot but mostly in opportunities to recognize familiar patterns. As far as character tropes, weâve got the square, sensible nurse type, the nervous diligent maid, the brooding brothers, the suspect (but maybe not suspicious) doctor, the hot mysterious wife, the cute young ward, the âwickedâ âgypsyâ face of some pretty outsider, the unloved elderly victim, the bumbling detective sidekick nonplussed by every conclusion Poirot comes to⌠That last is the most obnoxious, since heâs also the narrator! The continual internal dialogue of âpoor Poirot is getting too old, he pays attention to unimportant stuff, what can he be thinkingâ feels heavy-handed and grating. I get the set up, to some degree, since this is the first Poirot novel and the first readers might somehow miss the fact that heâs going to solve everything. Wouldnât a friend of Poirotâs know how he works and give him more credit?? Itâs so fake and annoying! Itâs also a weird way to introduce the world to Poirot: old and past his prime, before weâve even witnessed his work! Then again, I guess a lot, if not all, of Christieâs themes are about not writing people off due to age (or gender or relationship or motive or whatever); characters are constantly stunned by the odd outsider Poirot and the sweet elderly Ms Marple, no matter how many times they solve the most complicated crimes. And of course the suspect is always someone no one would expectâŚ
Once I finished it, it felt more like Death on the Nile but less sexy. Kind of forgettable. I like that it actually WAS the person everyone suspected, plus the one no one suspected! Overall it feels pretty forgettable, though, and like Christie recycled several elements of this story in later ones, usually with better returns. There was the standard racism, unfortunately, the overuse of the word "apache,"Â
I'm ranking it lower than Death in the Clouds, because, even though it's a tidier story, it felt less unique and annoyed me more. Ha. One of the elements that grated on me most - Hastings' transparently ignorant assumptions - also provided some truly funny moments. The one that stands out most is his pity proposal to Hastings' auburn haired second choice Cynthia, whom, it turns out, doesn't see him romantically at all.
With a sigh, Cynthia flung herself down, and tossed off her hat. The sunlight, piercing through the branches, turned the auburn of her hair to quivering gold.
âMr. Hastingsâyou are always so kind, and you know such a lot.â
It struck me at this moment that Cynthia was really a very charming girl! Much more charming than Mary, who never said things of that kind.
I donât know what possessed me. Her beauty, perhaps, as she sat there, with the sunlight glinting down on her head; perhaps the sense of relief at encountering someone who so obviously could have no connection with the tragedy; perhaps honest pity for her youth and loneliness. Anyway, I leant forward, and taking her little hand, I said awkwardly:
âMarry me, Cynthia.â
Unwittingly, I had hit upon a sovereign remedy for her tears. She sat up at once, drew her hand away, and said, with some asperity:
âDonât be silly!â
I was a little annoyed.
âIâm not being silly. I am asking you to do me the honour of becoming my wife.â
To my intense surprise, Cynthia burst out laughing, and called me a âfunny dear.â
âItâs perfectly sweet of you,â she said, âbut you know you donât want to!â
âYes, I do. Iâve gotâââ
âNever mind what youâve got. You donât really want toâand I donât either.â
âWell, of course, that settles it,â I said stiffly. âBut I donât see anything to laugh at. Thereâs nothing funny about a proposal.â
âNo, indeed,â said Cynthia. âSomebody might accept you next time. Good-bye, youâve cheered me up very much.â
And, with a final uncontrollable burst of merriment, she vanished through the trees.
"Thinking over the interview, it struck me as being profoundly unsatisfactory." Lol.
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Incest, Murder, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Classism, Death, Medical content, and Xenophobia
gilnean's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Cultural appropriation, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Classism, Misogyny, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Grief, and Racism
Minor: War
ttumbletree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Antisemitism, Classism, Murder, Racism, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Drug use
ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia