Book Club

Poirot Stories

Poirot is Agatha Christie's most famous and popular detective.  No doubt he would agree that he deserves that accolade!

Here is the place to discuss all of his stories in detail with other fans.  The most insightful comments will be added to the Stories pages.  But remember to beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Poirot story here, don't worry - we'll be adding them all soon.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

The Hollow

Jemma 25 Sep 09 at 11:39 a.m. GMT

It seems rather silly and tasteless to Poirot that a murder mystery would be arranged for his benefit by his neighbours in the country. But this is no game; Dr John Christow is dead and his wife Gerda is holding the smoking gun. Of course no-one really believes that slow-thinking Gerda would kill the husband she adored, but do still waters run deep in her case? The appearance of Veronica Cray, actress and one time scorned love of John. throws something else into the mix for Poirot. This may be one of Christie's lighter plot lines but do the sharp and rather fuller than usual characterisations make up for this? Poirot certainly doesn't have as much to do as usual - could he have been dropped from the book as he was for the play? Should he have intervened more towards the end? What do you think?

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45 replies

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NightRayDuck 05 Nov 12 at 11:06 p.m. GMT

Frankly, I think Poirot is just making a statement of "Why did it take me such a long time and so much running around to solve the case? It's because TWO of you who weren't murder accomplices before decided to be accomplices after the fact!"

I don't think Midge knew. I might be wrong but I thought David had gone back to school, I mean, when the police stopped asking everybody to stay at The Hollow - so that Midge went back to work, Edward went back to sitting in his study, Henrietta went back to her studio - David would also head back to school at that time.

I seriously think Sir Henry and Edward aren't told. Edward I think has difficulty understanding anything that's not been put into words (so he didn't know Midge was working for a living, not out of a spirit of independence), but if Edward learns the truth about the murder, he would insist on telling the police and cleaning off the suspicion that's been focused on his family - and that from Henrietta's view would not do at all. Sir Henry is a retired K.C. or something? If I remember aright and he's a K.C., he would not agree to his lovely wife getting involved in the cover-up, either.

In the later part of the story, Lucy suddenly asks Henrietta what she had done with a piece of evidence, that makes me think that Henrietta didn't explicitly tell Lucy about the situation. Lucy is just doing her usual "oooh let me see where I can help".

mstj 05 Nov 12 at 10:21 a.m. GMT

SPOILERS! 

I actually had a question on another matter in this book.  At the end of the book, it is revealed that the family knew who the murderer was.  But did all of them know?  Obviously Lucy and Henrietta did, but I don't think Midge did, and I don't see why they would tell David, but what about Edward and Sir Henry?

NightRayDuck 05 Nov 12 at 5:30 a.m. GMT

My comment on something else entirely - Poirot is definitely an egoist when he walks onto the murder scene. We know he's very perceptive, and yet for a moment there he misses any smell of gunpowder, and he decides that everyone is putting on a very bad act.

SPOILERS ON IDENTIFYING THE MURDERER

Finally, Poirot (and we readers) figure out that the impression of bad acting did count for something, because the murderer was putting on a clumsy act. But, for Poirot to instantly think that everybody else is also acting, just to imperss him - I think that's very unworthy of his good little grey cells.

NightRayDuck 05 Nov 12 at 5:22 a.m. GMT

Bottom line - I agree with mstj. The Angkatells (most of them) have their life easy simply because they're born into the Angkatell family which has wealth and some level of social prominence. It's fun to fantasize about being them, or being their acquaintance. If I've met someone like Lucy Angkatell in real life, I am likely to stuff her mailbox with all kinds of petitions and visit her every week to solicit funds for charity projects. o.O I won't hate her, but I'll certainly attempt to induce her to, ah, enrich the community.

NightRayDuck 05 Nov 12 at 5:11 a.m. GMT

I cut off my previous comment because it was supper time for me. I was really thinking that if Lucy had been in a more "responsible" position and had more practical affairs to get her hands in - but that only regarding her social position, she's still equally scatterbrained on top of being selfish - some of her associates might decide to kill her in order to protect her assets. :p

She's loved by mostly everyone in The Hollow, mainly because she wasn't in a position to harm them or take away what they had. We see that Gerda hates visiting Lucy simply because Lucy's brain goes too fast over all kinds of subjects AND expects everyone else to keep up.

Probably something in the Angkatell heredity. Even Midge can keep up with her hinting about Midge's on-job frustrations.

I think Edward Angkatell got lucky. If he'd got hold of the land in the middle ages, he would have been more than a landlord, he would probably be a baron or some such, and the King and other politicians would expect him to have an army ready if the country went to war. And he would probably be unable to discuss military matters with the knights under his command; he'd be full of historical examples, while the knights were trying to count up the forces they had at the moment and figure out the supply routes. And then he and his forces would be late to the battlefield, and after the war was done and the blame game began, he'd be stripped of his title and land. :p

Sorry, I read way too much of Henry III to Henry IIIV history on wikipedia last week..

mstj 04 Nov 12 at 6:08 a.m. GMT

I agree with NightRayDuck about how fortunate it was the Lucy was who she was (hope that makes sense).  The main thing I don't like about her is that she can do whatever she wants and get away with it (and everyone loves her).

NightRayDuck 04 Nov 12 at 3:08 a.m. GMT

Personally I love Lucy Angkatelle, but I think it's fortunate for other characters that she's a gentleman's daughter when she's young, and then a diplomatic hostess when she's married, and finally an exasperatingly forgetful mistress of the house when her husband retired. If she had been an heiress who took an active interest in business affairs (like Linnet Ridgeway in Death on the Nile), then Lucy would have flummoxed all of her business associates and lawyers, and probably misplace some important contracts or certificates..

Tommy_A_Jones 01 Nov 12 at 2:54 p.m. GMT

I am the one who should be apologising, I didn't mean what I said, but I do get a bit miffed at people who seem envious and Jealous at other people's good fortune, but I rand against tat Stupid woman Raymond hires to help Miss Marple in The Mirror Cracked with her patronizing attitude, You dislike Lucy and Henrietta but I HATE Miss K  

mstj 01 Nov 12 at 4:02 a.m. GMT

Sorry just a little jealous.  I agree with you that it's better that Christie didn't write about the poorer people and that it's nice to dream about being them.  My rants (I'll call them that) against Lucy and Henrietta still stand though.   

Tommy_A_Jones 31 Oct 12 at 4:30 p.m. GMT

Sorry mstj, life was like that then, The Books would not be so readable if the sadder part of that era is what Agatha Christie Wrote about.

Tommy_A_Jones 31 Oct 12 at 2:52 p.m. GMT

I think you are taking things far too seriously, I LOVE that side of the Christie Books, when I read them I can fantisize I am in that atmosphere with the means to do what I want with no restrictions, It can't all be bEEr and skittles for him, he is an empployer and has the wealth to keep up his lifesytyle and his employees.

I know you won't like tis but I do wonder if you have a working-Class Chip on your shoulder.

mstj 31 Oct 12 at 7:45 a.m. GMT

Sorry for being so negative.  But it still makes me feel like that.  I wish I was Edward Angkatell - no work, nor worries, anything.

mstj 31 Oct 12 at 7:42 a.m. GMT

This book made me rather jealous and angry - all those people with lots of money and not working.  I noticed this more in this book probably because of the contrast with Midge.  Lucy infuriated me and how she didn't think of other people - I compare her to Jane Wilkinson.  And Henrietta - I think she should have been punished for keeping back evidence etc.  I just didn't like her philosophy of nice lies.  

Anyway after that rant, it was a good book and with great 3D characters.  Rather nice end (Edward and Midge) except that no-one is punished (I think Henrietta should have been, more than the murderer).

ErkutSoyer 15 Jul 11 at 9:30 p.m. GMT

Will I be sorry after buy The Hollow?

Quin90 15 Jul 11 at 6:45 a.m. GMT

I liked the fact that Edward did get married to Midge.There's sth good abt a woman getting the man that she'd been longing for.I wish Edward got to realize it earlier though but his love for a younger Henrietta of back then blinded him to what was infront of him.As for Lady Angkatell...she remains a mystery that one!Intriguing really!?Veronica Cray got what was coming to her,if only Poirot had rubbed it in her face!?

Dr.John Christow..hmm...I wonder who he going to choose btn Henrietta and Gerda?and if Henrietta knew that John trully loved Gerda if he wasn't to have died,would she end the affair and let them remain happily married?

NightRayDuck 20 Apr 11 at 5:51 a.m. GMT

Suspects were distant relatives? Not relatives of either John Christow or Gerda? None that I could remember from the book, anyway..

GKCfan 02 Jan 11 at 12:34 a.m. GMT

Yes, it's not clear what will happen to the kids in the future, except that Poirot will tell the truth regarding what happened to the son when he grows up and wants to know, but since there's no mention of Poirot telling the son to look him up in the future, I like to think that Poirot keeps an eye on the Christow kids, although it's not explicitly mentioned.  We do know that Gerda had multiple siblings, and the suspects in the book are also more distant relatives, so we can assume that someone in the big family took them in, or paid for sending them to boarding school.  Still, it's a really rough deal for the pair of them, poor kids.

Mr_west 01 Jan 11 at 5:22 p.m. GMT

there is one thing that I can't stop think about.

SPOILERS

what happen to the kids? their father is dead, and their mother committed suicide in the end of the book. and then what? who will take care of them?

Cicely 31 Oct 10 at 9:09 p.m. GMT

I have just finished reading The Hollow again for Fall, 2010.  I read it every Fall!  Something that struck me this time, toward the end of the book, was Henrietta's explanation of John's real, true love for Gerda.  I think Henrietta was correct, John did love Gerda because "she belonged to him."  That is not really a bad thing, except for the fact that John WAS egotistical. I really like the era when husbands loved, protected and cared for their wives.  John was of this era.  Another thing I clued in on more closely this time was that John discovered he did NOT love, need, or want Veronica anymore.  He was really over her!  If he had not been killed, perhaps he would have matured more and come around to realize he loved Gerda, and therefore, treat her better.  Another thing I noticed was that Inspector Grange really had a larger role than Poirot, though Poirot was more perceptive.  I really love the crazy, mixed-up thought processes of Lady Angatell!  I also loved Gudgeon's verbal exchange with the maid who called the police after seeing him carrying a revolver down the hall!  Lady Angatell and Gudgeon add alot of humor to this story!

Someone, please read The Hollow and comment (while this is fresh on my mind!)

It's my favorite Christie Poirot!

Mr_Graves 04 Oct 10 at 1:39 a.m. GMT

The "R"s have it!

Nausicaa (the face of whom Henrietta was struggling to capture at her introduction of the book) is, I believe, a character in Homer's "Odyssey". The daughter of King Somebody... Alcinous. So there's definitely a Greek connection there. 

Yes, Mrs. Otterbourne is certainly a dramatic type. Actresses are fairly common in Agatha Christie. Very useful for impersonations, I find.