Book Club

Non-Series Novels & Stories

For those of you wanting to discuss Agatha Christie's standalone books, such as And Then There Were None. 

Beware spoilers and remember we'll be able to add the most insightful comments to the stories section. 

If you can't find your favourite one, don't worry, we'll be adding them in the coming weeks.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Towards Zero

Moderator1 11 Nov 09 at 8:33 a.m. GMT

There is a killer at large at Lady Tressilian's house, Gull's Point.  Not just a killer but an extremely convincing and clever one who will ruthlessly murder anyone who gets in the way of their plans.  It is unfortunate for him that Superintendent Battle is on holiday in the area and is called in by the local police to help.  But what has Battle's young daughter got to do with the case?

Christie uses the mad person as the killer in other books.  Is it convincing in this case?  And where do you think Superintendent Battle came in the order of Christie's affections?  Above Parker Pyne?  Below Ariadne Oliver? 

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54 replies

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MissQuin 06 Aug 10 at 8:48 p.m. GMT

I'm sorry Jill! I was joking. But the adapts have gotten so off the mark. Theyve added just about everything else- rape, incest, sex. I don't want to think about it, but the thought occured to me that if they read about The Labours Of Hercules cover, they might attempt a bath scene with Poirot in the adaptation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please spare us!

No I haven't got a fetish for fat, short Belguims, before anyone asks. On a serious note, is there anything to stop them adding nude sceens in Poirot? They have actually already had one in Four and Twenty Blackbirds actually.

I'm relieved to know that other AC fans feel indigant too. Makes me feel slightly more normal.

Tommy_A_Jones 06 Aug 10 at 4:45 p.m. GMT

Miss Quin, I had to record Marple in the MKewan era on my own too as after watching Body In The Library my mum refused to watch the otthers with her as Miss Marple but she likes Julia McKenzie's portrayal I still haven't read Ordeal By Innocence and The Sittaford Mystery yet so didn't watch the adapts too closely but I remember I was very bored by them. 

Puffinjill 06 Aug 10 at 3:09 p.m. GMT

Oh, MissQuin, what CAN we do with you?! There you go, back on the subject of a nude Poirot AGAIN!!!!!! I'm beginning to worry about you....

I think a health warning before AC adaptations - both for ardent AC fan's and their long suffering families - would be a BRILLIANT idea! Miss Eylesbarrow is 100% right - AC has been top of the tree in Crime Fiction for nigh on a century. Her books have stood the test of time AND gained a new readership with each passing generation. Doesn't that count for anything with those who are responsible for making the adaptations of her works? Oh dear, I'm getting worked up, I know, but AC and her wonderful body of work means a great deal to me and to see it treated with such disrespect makes me angry and sad.

MissQuin 06 Aug 10 at 12:24 p.m. GMT

Bye Miss E, have great weekend!

Joking about Poirot in the nip! It's too scary.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 06 Aug 10 at 12:20 p.m. GMT

Why mess with the Queen of Crime?  Surely AC is at the top of the tree of detective fiction for (getting on for) the last 100 years for a jolly good reason?  If it ain't broke don't fix it!  BTW - nude Poirot?!! 

Off home in a mo, catch you next week.

xx

MissQuin 06 Aug 10 at 12:10 p.m. GMT

Oh my! I can't watch an adapt with anyone else these days. I used to, but now I have to record the adapt, watch alone.  Then I can pause them, gather my bearings, think about things, wave an angry pitchfork or flaming torch at the TV (no ok, I made that last one up).

Is it just me or is it annoying to see AC good books massarced?

Some of the scenes added in the ecent ones aren't even suitable for family viewing!! Violence, incest, sex, nude Poirot (ok, made that last one up too!!)

Miss_Eylesbarrow 06 Aug 10 at 12:04 p.m. GMT

Perfect Miss Quin!  Yes, a health warning would be an excellent idea.  Perhaps a warning for family members too, "family members of Christie purists should be aware that after every other scene, your loved ones will be saying 'that's not in the book' and really spoil your enjoyment of this production"

MissQuin 06 Aug 10 at 12:01 p.m. GMT

If you don't want to watch the adapt that's fine. Because the books are what really matter and lie at the heart of Christie fans. Ive said before, I think some of the recent adaptation have been bad for my overall wellbeing!! The should have warnings on them:

"This programme contains scenes which may cause high blood pressure, major annoyance and anger to Chritie purists. Viewers discretion is advised. This programme also contains mad nuns, whch some viewers may find offensive!"

Or just down right funny. To call the Sittaford Mystery Agatha Christie's is very cheeky. Even "based on" is too far from the truth.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 06 Aug 10 at 11:53 a.m. GMT

Sorry to say that I'm not convinced .  Through listening to the audio books frequently (some would say constantly), which are completely accurate, particularly when read by the fab Hugh Fraser or Joan Hickson, I just can't handle any kind of deviation from the originals.  Sorry to be such a purist.  If they were re-packaged to say 'loosely based on' or some such then I wouldn't be expecting too much.  At least with the Rutherford adapts they were so poor that you weren't expecting them to follow the book in any way.

MissQuin 05 Aug 10 at 4:38 p.m. GMT

Ordeal By Innocene featured Burn Gorman, Juliet Stevenson, Alison Steadman, Denis Lawson and Richard Armitage. All are actors of the highest calibre. so the epsiode had the potential to be fantastic. But sadly, after a brilliant start, it floundered. It went downhill after Miss Marple turned up, picked locks and started gigling. It also contained a violent scene with a knife! It's very unexpected and that character wasn't killed in the book.

I think Body In The Libary had very good acting. It had a few "soapish" scenes which lowered the tone of the adapt. Sorry if that sounds snooty! It's all I think of as a description. A man and wife shouting about their private lives in front of others, it just didn't work. But the costumes and scenery were sumptious! Really very attractive on the eye. I didn't liek the strangling scene or the shivered hand i nthe burnt out car scenes horrible! I always look away then.

i should be chatting about this, as it's the rong topic. I'm sorry!

Tommy_A_Jones 05 Aug 10 at 4:02 p.m. GMT

I thought David Walliams and Ian Richardson were Great in Body In The Library but the Murderer Change completely ruined it for me, I thought A Murder Is Announced was excellent and only spoilt by Alexander Armstrong who I usually like, I haven't read Ordeal By Innocence yet so can't comment on the Adaptation but I hope the book isn'tas boring same with The Sittaford Mystery I liked After The Funeral and McGinty I also liked The Hollow (Which Scene upset people?) I did like Five Little Pigs but didn't like tha change in Amyass and found the Adaptation a Tad boring.

MissQuin 05 Aug 10 at 9:03 a.m. GMT

I think the best out the recent episodes have been Body In the Library (if you forget the terrible murderer change). Murder Is Announced was faithful and had good acting. Ordeal By Innoence starts off v well, but soon descends into boredem.

The ones to avoid like the plague are Nemesis (although we have had our LOL moments making fun of it) and The Sittaford Mystery.

I don't think your missing much if you don't see the other episodes. Out of the recents Poirots' After The Funeral's pretty good. McGinty is good in places. Five little pigs is very good. The hollow was good too, although the version I saw didn't have this "scene" which has upset people. It saw the censored version!

Puffinjill 05 Aug 10 at 6:46 a.m. GMT

I, too, have watched very, very few ITV Marple adaptations but I did have the misfortune of watching By The Pricking Of My Thumbs once. I was ill with 'flu at the time and, in my feverish state, the whole two hours seemed like one long nightmare!! I was beginning to think that a drunk Tuppence encountering Miss Marple in the same episode was an halucination! No such luck!! Unfortunately I was been looked after by someone who wanted to watch it and thought that I, as a huge Christie fan, would enjoy it too. I think I relapsed!!!!

The only other ones I have seen have been the couple starring Julia Mackenzie, but I haven't enjoyed these either so I'm not sure I will waste my time on the up and coming episodes.

Tommy_A_Jones 04 Aug 10 at 4:08 p.m. GMT

Miss Eyelesbarrow I think you are depriving yourself unnecessarily of seeing Good Adaptations, I have liked most of the later ones, the only Episode I have really had a problem with is Cards On The Table but I must admit I read Mystery of The Blue Train in the 80s so can't remember how accurate the Adaptation is.

By The Pricking of My Thumbs was one of my Favourites with Ms Mkewan, I just found the fact MM talked to people in Rooms which were volour coordinated with their closes reallu funny, and I loved the Minceing of one of the Male Characters. I also liked Murder At The Vicarage and A Murder Is Announced aswell as 4.50 From Paddington.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 04 Aug 10 at 9:44 a.m. GMT

I did try a McEwan once, I think it was By the Pricking of my Thumbs - but didn't get very far.  As soon as I saw drunk Tuppence talking to Miss M, I decided that this whole TV adaptation thing wasn't for me.  I haven't watched any of the succeeding Miss Marples.  I no longer bother with the later adapts of Poirot either.  A pity because I like David Suchet as Poirot, I think he'd got the characterisation just right in the early years.  I caught the denoument of Styles the other day as I was channel hopping, and it was great, so was the Affair at the Victory Ball which followed.  If AC didn't like what they did to the Marples in the early years of Margaret Rutherford, I wonder what she'd make of these ones?  They are about as true to the originals as Murder Ahoy and such like.

MissQuin 03 Aug 10 at noon GMT

LOL I did watch the McEwan nemsis, just to see how bad it was. Couldn't sit through Sittaford mystery.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 03 Aug 10 at 11:26 a.m. GMT

strap line: "Blue Nun and ITV mystery night, it's a mystery why anyone would watch it..."

MissQuin 03 Aug 10 at 10:19 a.m. GMT

It might not be far fetched enough! LOL. No really, your idea is fantastic. I think I can see a kindred AC fan's mind at work here. I have too much imagination as well.

Needless to say The Mystery Of The Blue Nun episode would have the most unlikely and unsuitable people. If even has it's own sponser- you guessed it The blue nun!

Miss_Eylesbarrow 03 Aug 10 at 9:14 a.m. GMT

Oh gosh, I'm not good at TV/film star names - I watch so little TV.  But we'd need a rich American business man, his spoiled daughter, her lesbian lover & sex-change woman-to-man husband that she's trying to divorce.  A nun who is in disguise as a chamber-maid. A secret Nazi agent posing as a secretary,  an art/jewell thief who has his own private helicopter in which to make the essential get away, while Poirot & Hastings cling to the helicopter legs Bond-stylie in an all-ports alert desperate chase through France to the UK ending in an explosion in the Chanel Tunnel which accidentally kills the Prime Minister, who (it turns out) is the REAL murderer after all.  Phew! 

What a ripping yarn and guaranteed to bring the punters running along like good chaps, what ho Jeeves?

MissQuin 02 Aug 10 at 9:34 a.m. GMT

Oh that's brilliant.That made me laugh Miss E!  Although I think that it should be either the prequal or sequal to Then There Were nuns!

Sadlly, Ive not read Blue train, so can't parody it. But I did see part of the awful Suchet adapt. It must be hard to make a version worse than that? Try casting for it too ;)