Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

22 reviews

turidt's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-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

2.5

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leosaki's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.75

It's actually incredibly easy to figure out who the murderer is in Hercule Poirot books, you just put him in a room with all the suspects and whoever he's most attracted to probably did it
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bronwensbooks's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Not one of Christie’s best, I think it’s fair to say. It was published at the end of the 60s and you can really feel that Agatha was spooked by the rise of psychological thrillers as a genre. Much of the book is spent complaining about “maniacs and deviants” in a way that comes across as very bitter and out-of-touch. The actual mystery is fine, and eminently solvable, but I wish it was paced out a bit better; the plot really stagnates in the middle and then the climax feels a bit rushed rushed.
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smoakwithwifi's review against another edition

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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

2.0

Slow, repetitive, and full of pearl-clutching about how "children don't behave responsibly anymore" and "they don't lock up deranged people anymore like they ought to".
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inkysplodge's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

2.25

Not my favourite. I found this predictable and over repetitive. 
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j_squaredd's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-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

3.5

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nialiversuch's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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hannahcstocks's review against another edition

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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

3.5

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heini's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

1.0

It felt like every. single. thing. was repeated at least twice. I was almost starting to think it was some sort of number three-motif but no.
Very boring and very predictable. 

A child as a murder victim is always horrible to read about, but the way Agatha Christie (repeatedly) described the murder felt out of place. 
Although she does this often, describes and introduces everyone matter-of-factly by their "flaws" (everyone is ugly, annoying, stupid, horse-faced, too thin or too fat, too young or too old, doesn't dress well etc.) it is uncomfortable when she does it to children. She treats her cut-out characters the same, adult or not.

I had to check twice the year this was published (1969) since there was so much talk about The Good Old Days not only from Poirot but the same exact thoughts repeated by every slightly older character. 
Especially saddening was the way they talked about mental illness and increasing crime rates. 

Sometimes it's hard for me to discern what are Christie's own personal thoughts, what's critique and what's from a charcter. Poirot is especially unlikeable when trying to teach moral lessons:
in his opinion a ten year child got what he deserved (murder by drowning) because he Understood the consequenses of blackmailing someone for money. Ffs.


I've been listening to Poirot audiobooks too much this year. Would not recommend. Christie is enjoyable in small doses, otherwise all her weird fucked up thoughts (anti-semitism, misogony, sexism etc.) just stand more and more out book by book and you realize it's all negativity, all the time. 
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