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A review by merry_mandolin
The Big Four by Agatha Christie
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
This one just seems more racist than usual. I know it's a product of its time... but the constant references really took me out of the story.
So we were already off to a bad start... and then it just got over the top crazy.
It was the classic of the criminal mastermind behind the scenes... but like four of them? But also like political in the vaguest of ways... mostly like English Good, any other culture Bad. They're trying to destroy the world and cause chaos!!! It was giving thinly veiled war propaganda. Just not my vibe.
Some of the individual chapters that started as short story-esque mysteries were good... until their motives all became about THE BIG FOUR. (This makes sense finding out after the fact that this books was a series of short stories smashed together under the Big Four "plot." Explains why it seemed a little all over the place.)
It just all seemed so cliche and overdramtic in the worst way.
I've always just enjoyed her more contained murder mysteries more. I love a study of human nature and a interesting handful of character backstories being fleshed out. This fighting some ambiguous supervillain team is just weird.
Also, as an aside... Hastings, how could you just leave your--fairly recently married--wife for MONTHS like that?! People were literally like 'Go back to South America and be with your wife and we'll leave you alone.' And you were like 'Hell no! Gotta avenge my friend no matter the cost!'
All I'm saying is... I'd divorce Hastings.
So we were already off to a bad start... and then it just got over the top crazy.
Some of the individual chapters that started as short story-esque mysteries were good... until their motives all became about THE BIG FOUR. (This makes sense finding out after the fact that this books was a series of short stories smashed together under the Big Four "plot." Explains why it seemed a little all over the place.)
It just all seemed so cliche and overdramtic in the worst way.
I've always just enjoyed her more contained murder mysteries more. I love a study of human nature and a interesting handful of character backstories being fleshed out. This fighting some ambiguous supervillain team is just weird.
Also, as an aside... Hastings, how could you just leave your--fairly recently married--wife for MONTHS like that?! People were literally like 'Go back to South America and be with your wife and we'll leave you alone.' And you were like 'Hell no! Gotta avenge my friend no matter the cost!'
All I'm saying is... I'd divorce Hastings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism