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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41 replies

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StephenNorton 14 Jan 12 at 9:12 p.m. GMT

I have to admit that is one of my favorites of all her novels, for the entry of the 14. Febuary was the most ingenious way to start off this fantastic and marvelous piece of crime fiction.

Mr_west 20 Mar 11 at 10:08 p.m. GMT

Towards Zero Remined me a lot of Murder Is Easy. 

In them both there is a crazy man/woman who killed other just to punish someone who looks like the bad guy but he/she is actualy the victim. 

that is how I worked out who the murderer was, I thought about it at the beginning but I was soor only at the last chapter when we discover why did Nevil really divorced. the motive is one of the most wicked and evil one, I can't belive he done all that just because of that!

xrysoula 16 Sep 10 at 12:49 a.m. GMT

Honestly, co-fans, after reading all these posts of yours, I feel the need to praise the good Lord for the fact that these insufferable adaptations are not shown in my country! What is this nonsense - I 'd better not use the language I want - about Tuppence being drunk and talking to Miss Marple, and all the rest? Mercy! Is there a point in this kind of violation? If they 're not satisfied with AC 's stories, just let them be and write a whole new scenario alltogether!

This is a message to the Moderators: Is there even the slightest chance for the people in charge of these channel  programs to at least be informed by this site about all AC 's fans' strong objections?

And a small suggestion, if I may, to all of my co-fans who live in the UK: Have you tried to e-mail these views of yours to that channel? Perhaps it 's worth it, especially if they receive several mails complaining about the same thing simultaneously!

MissQuin 07 Aug 10 at 3:04 p.m. GMT

I read that the viewing figures have gone down. I mean Sherlock had about 7 million and Poirot cal only pull in about 4 mill. I know ratings don't mean anything much to us. But I think that alot of people who used to watch Poirot have turned away from it now.

Towards Zero: To anyone who loves Marple and Poirot, I reckon they would enjoy this one. It's really gripping.

But the Marple adapts wasn't great, but worth watching for Greg wise!!

Puffinjill 07 Aug 10 at 2:21 p.m. GMT

Oh blimey, I'm not sure we are ever fully ON topic!! Well, 'eccentric' is more interesting than (so-called) 'normal', I will agree, but I think I go a tad beyond eccentric at times. The term 'mad' might fit the bill better....

The changes made to the more recent adaptations might be unpopular with true fans of AC, but there is a huge TV watching audience out there that knows little of her original work and just wants to be entertained for an hour or so. These people will form the larger part of the viewing figures as the TV executives probably bank on AC fans continuing to watch, regardless of how they feel about the episodes. Anyway, and this sounds like a comment my Mum used to make, TV these days seems to have abandoned quality for shock value/celebrity hero worship/reality TV. A few of us who dearly love AC will not be missed if we decide to turn off our TV's when the rest of the country just laps it up. Sorry, I do go on about this a bit. I'll shut up now and get back to work.

MissQuin 07 Aug 10 at 10:57 a.m. GMT

 Let us not speak of it mon ami!

I suppose "eccentric" is more interesting than "normal"!!!?? lol

It does puzzle me why the adapt keep changing things, when the changes are unpopular. It must have effected viewing figues. Anyway this way of topic!

Puffinjill 07 Aug 10 at 7:13 a.m. GMT

I'm not sure either of us would pass as normal (I CERTAINLY wouldn't), MissQuin, but it's nice not to be the alone in my views! Bless you!! But enough now with the naked Belgian talk. I fear you are developing an obsession..........

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.