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| A study in murder |
The books I read in August 2022:
Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie > link
I guess I had too high an expectation but this was a decent read. What I like to know is why are Hercule Poirot's guesses so accurate? It's like he was all prepared or someone told him the answers before he got on the train but that's probably untrue because there are things readers could not possibly know.
I find most of the characters racist and extremely judgmental. I don't usually solve any mysteries I read but this one, I sort of guessed it half way. And the ending? Well, it just seems expected but also kind of dumb because it seems the answer is at the beginning of the book. I especially do not like what happened to the murderer/murderers and I don't think I like this kind of ending.
Who the murderer is is surprising to me. We follow these suspects, get into their heads and yet, we know nothing that might indicate they are the real murderer. I don't think readers are meant to solve it, that's my opinion but you may think differently. And there is a lot of French that Poirot speaks. I think I wasted some time trying to translate them. In every Poirot book (that I read, so far), it just seems like no one have a good opinion of Poirot even those who works with him. I suppose he's kind of unlikeable and a bit conceited but people seems to have a distaste for him somehow upon meeting him.
This is about an old case and it wasn't bad. My guess was wrong but it's what people might guess also. The mystery was okay but honestly, if you didn't like any of the characters which I don't, you probably don't care who murdered the guy. I didn't really, I just finished this to see who did it.
I can't stand Hasting, the narrator and Poirot's friend. I think he's an idiot, this book certainly seems to make him seem like one. I don't like Hasting calling Poirot a little man but it seem everyone thinks of him with that expression but is five-feet-four-inches little? I suppose for a man, it's little but it's not like he's three feet, come on. And the mystery? Well, I think Hasting sort of ruins the mystery somehow. I would have preferred someone else to tell the story.
We get into the head of Elinor Carlisle, the accused and it just seems like it's her story and the murder was kind of a side thing. Somehow, it wasn't all that enjoyable since it didn't seem like a mystery, more like a half courtroom drama, half regular life drama.
I think I enjoyed this more than the other Poirot mysteries. Not sure why that is since it's not much different from the others. And Mrs. Oliver makes me think Agatha Christie wrote her base on herself and there was a mention of a book title that is one of Christie's.
The way the murder was done was creative and I doubt I would have thought of it but it's a bit boring somehow.
I don't know how to play bridge so every mention of the game (and there is a lot of talk of it) I didn't get them but that's fine. The mystery is okay but we really just get the four suspects background and that's pretty much the story.
I enjoyed this. It's kind of amusing to see Poirot in discomfort with his lodging/surrounding.
This is a bit of a misleading tale and I sort of didn't like the ending. It was a kind of not so nice surprise. I think I would have preferred the killer to be someone else.
I enjoyed this very much. I guessed the murderer and I was only half right. Not sure I have much of an impression of Miss Marple here but I don't like or dislike her. This is the only Miss Marple book I have ever read so far.
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The shows and movies I watched in August 2022:
I don't think Kenneth Branagh is the right actor to play Hercule Poirot and not because he's too tall but I just find him to be a bit too cartoony looking and sometimes I can't take him seriously with that ridiculous mustache that looks far too large for his face. They even added two fighting scenes which I thought was out of character with Poirot since he is someone who prefers to use his gray cells instead of his fists. This Poirot is a man of actions which I don't think I quite like. This was an okay adaptation.
I think David Suchet is the perfect man to play Hercule Poirot. I prefer this version of Murder on the Orient Express better than the 2017 movie. And the ending was certainly a lot better than the book since in the book, Poirot was easy-going and even offered solutions how to explain it to the police but here in this tv version, Poirot, once he found out who did the murder, struggled with the issue of whether to give them up to the police or not.
I half enjoyed this movie because I was a bit distracted by Hercule Poirot played by Albert Finney and his odd way of stooping down or resting his head on his chest trying to make his neck disappear or something. That extreme oddness, I can't get over. I haven't seen much of the actor's work to know if that's normal for the guy but it's just odd and distracting.
I don't know but I think now it's a bad idea to read the book, then watch the adaptation because you sort of have an unconscious expectation of what's going to happen. But here this version, they changed things and even changed who the murderer was which I thought was rather odd and unfitting considering the time period this should take place but I suppose they had to change it somehow for the more modern audience? I don't know. But I do find that Geraldine McEwan plays Miss Marple just right.
How was your August? Is September treating you well?
I prefer Miss Marple to Hercule Poirot - and prefer Agatha Christies memoirs/autobiographies to her novels.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child: I'm thinking now if I have read more Miss Marple, I might feel the same. I haven't read any of Christies memoirs or autobiographies but she sounded like someone knew a lot.
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A number of years ago I went on an Agatha Christie binge and read all her Poirot books/stories then. I've seen most of the modern film adaptations too. I agree that David Suchet is the PERFECT Poirot, much much better than Finney, Ustinov, and Branagh. This weekend I watched the latest Branagh movie, "Death on the Nile." Stylish in many ways. And also, we learn the (apocryphal) reason for Poirot's ridiculously large moustache.
ReplyDeleteDebra She Who Seeks: I haven't see that version of "Death on the Nile" but I don't think I'll like it much. With these modern movies, they do add things that weren't in the book. I have not read anything detail about Poirot's mustache but I don't need a reason but it's definitely odd looking in Branagh's version.
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I always enjoy reading Agatha Christie's books. I just finished one of her Poirot mysteries last week. :)
ReplyDeleteLark: I do think Christie's books are quite enjoyable but perhaps I shouldn't read them all one after another.
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I really enjoy Agatha Christie's books, I've only read one book and one of her short stories but I hope to read others. :)
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, I actually saw that exact version of The Body in the Library a while back. I remember it was a weird episode-- that it was strange that they changed who the killer was. I should really go and read the actual short story just to compare them, because I know how the TV show did it, but I want to read the actual story to see how Christie did it and who the true killer is. ;)
And I also saw that Poirot TV show too you that you watched, I saw part of an episode I think of "Death on the Nile" and I've watched a lot of the others. It's a really fun show.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post and your comparisons of the books the adaptations. :)
-Quinley
Quinley: Movie and tv adaptation do change endings sometimes and sometimes, it's for the best and other times, not so much. I really prefer the original book ending for 'The body in the library.' I should probably have said one of the killer is changed as there are two.
DeleteThe Poirot tv show is great, I plan on watching all the episodes if I can.
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Lots of Agatha Christie as you say!
ReplyDeleteWell done with finding the spider's legs Lissa!
DeleteChristine: Lots of Christie, certainly, there are so many books and shows and movies.
DeleteThe spider image - took a little long to figure that one out.
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I don't know what it is about Poirot but I don't always like him either, in the admittedly few times I've read or watched a Christie adaptation. I watched the 70's version of death on the Nile recently and didn't care for his personality. I did kind of like the 2017 Orient express movie, although I'm not super crazy about Branagh in the role? Or maybe it's that ridiculous moustache. I do kind of want to try Suchet's portrayal however.
ReplyDeleteI love those covers.
Greg: I think some tv and movie adaptation can ruin a person's judgement of a book character. I really think Suchet is the perfect Poirot and also, his mustache is not ridiculous at all. But honestly, Poirot's is not someone to be liked, certainly, Christie wrote him not to be likable or so I think after reading so many books. Characters in the Poirot books didn't like Poirot and have terrible views of him. I don't think you have to like him to enjoy the mystery.
DeleteThese covers are great. There are lots of different versions of Christie's book but I find the ones marked with little 'a' red sticker supposedly approved by the Christie people are the best covers.
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Wow, you are such a good reader! Inspiring.
ReplyDeleteTammie Lee: The Christie books are quite short, most under 300 pages and it's why I can read a lot of them.
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I love your Study in Murder!
ReplyDeleteI've read ALL Christie's books - in Italian (some were in the house when I was a kid because my mother read them, the others I bought later) - and my favourite of the ones you've read so far is probably Roger Ackroyd, because it's insanely creative. Poirot is meant to be irritating to an extent...though I have to say that I've always liked him. But I like Miss Marple too.
Suchet is the only actor who looks the part, and the adaptations he starred in are the only ones that don't stray from the original (sometimes they even quote the book dialogues!).
"I was a bit distracted by Hercule Poirot played by Albert Finney and his odd way of stooping down or resting his head on his chest trying to make his neck disappear or something."
For real? I think I only saw him play Poirot once, but I didn't notice it. Maybe because he was doing things that the original character would never have done (like wearing a striped swimsuit and, well, actually swimming), and I was too outraged to notice anything else LOL. As for Branagh, I'm trying to pretend he never played the role at all 😂.
Roberta: You're right, Poirot is meant to be not so likable but I like him. I haven't read enough Miss Marple to judge but I think I'm beginning to like her.
DeleteSo far I have seen more episodes with Suchet in it and he really looked and played the part just right.
I think Albert Finney didn't quite move in a comfortable way so maybe that's why he seemed so weird to me. I don't think I described it very well the way he moved. I guess you'll have to see the movie to judge. As for Branagh's Poirot, his character is quite a different version of Poirot, I think, less like the boo, and more like today's modern action stars. But it's a preference.
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