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Names in Muder Is Announced

(Contains spoilers!)

squatty 03 Oct 08 at 6:38 a.m. GMT

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A Murder Is Announced is one of my all time AC favourites but one thing that has always intirgued me has been the nameplay in the book between Letty and Lotty.

How on earth did AC manage to get away with that? I've seen both TV adaptations and the nameplay is only used once but in the book, it happens about four times. When I first read the book, I never spotted once but when it is revealed I read back and it look so obvious.

Does AC play on the fact that people tend to read fast, or not register some of what they are reading?

As a trick, I think it is absolutely brilliant

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12 replies

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Tommy_A_Jones 06 Jan 09 at 1:07 p.m. GMT

I think you are write S Siegerson, It is easier to noticre in a book because you are reading it yourself like when you want to learn something it's easier to mlearn if youn are doing the research yourself where as if you are watching something on Television or listening to something you can't go back unless ofcourse itn is a Video/DVD or Tape/CD.

pegahorse 05 Jan 09 at 3:11 a.m. GMT

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When i read the book for the first time i got most of the clues but totally missed (readover) the Letty/Lotty one, but the next time i read the book i really enjoyed looking for all the things i missed first time round. In the JH TV addaption i still miss the Letty/Lotty clue even though i know what i'm looking for? lol

hobbit 31 Dec 08 at 10:34 a.m. GMT

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Exactly, major! The same is true with the whole shepherd/shepherdess lamp thing; it's a vital clue that we simply put down to Bunny's scattiness. I think the same is true of the violets/cigarettes as well.

major_pallgrave 31 Dec 08 at 1:23 a.m. GMT

Also remember the person who was saying Letty and LOtty was in thestory something of a scattycharachter so the reader would be lulled into putting the distinction between the two names down to the charachters general scattiness. A safe sort of way for AC to drop her clue.

squatty 23 Dec 08 at 6:20 p.m. GMT

It must be that I read very fast but I missed the clue every time in the book. For what its worth, I agree with Marc and believe it is harder to disguise a verbal clue in a film/TV adaptation, especially in this case where we are talking about someone's name. It is more noticeable on film because the person is either being spoken to or talked about

S_Sigerson 23 Dec 08 at 1:32 a.m. GMT

Actually it would be more obvious in the book because you are reading the words. Whereas, when you watch something you are listening to the words and depending on how well you are listening and the person's accent you might not catch it. And subtitles do not help much because the go too quickly. When reading you see the words written out so it makes it much easier to spot the clue. First time I read this novel, after Dora was found dead I guessed who the murderer was.

Marc_Anton 22 Dec 08 at 1:41 p.m. GMT

I guess it is more obvious in a film/TV-adaptation than in a book because there is more talk and senseless chatter in a book and you can easily 'hide' certain clues. A writer uses dialogue to give life and colour the characterisation of the persons (even when it has no relation to the actual plot), something that is achieved by acting and costumes in a film version. In an adaptation dialogue is an extra to the characterisation and every word (hopefully) counts for something. Perhaps a viewer listens better to the dialogue (and maybe uses the subtitle function of the DVD). So yes, more frequent use of THE WORD would have given the clue and perhaps the entire plot away.

hobbit 22 Dec 08 at 11:19 a.m. GMT

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Actually, squatty, it happens twice in the Geraldine McEwan version. I had already read the book when I saw this version and was expecting it, but my wife (who did not know the story) noticed Dora said Lotty instead of Letty the very first time (not that it brought her much closer to solving the mystery)! Hobbit

Tommy_A_Jones 21 Dec 08 at 4:16 p.m. GMT

I think she is subtlely dropping a clue to give the reader a fighting chance and probably thinks "Let them have this because they might not be so lucky in future" Just a thought.

AndThenThereWasTim 12 Nov 08 at 7:13 p.m. GMT

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When I Read that I noticed it but I just thought it was a pet name or something.. you know like "pumpkin" or "dearest" "honey" Then when I got to the end im like OOOOOOHH.. It made so much sence Charolotte (Lotty) Lettitia (Lette)

GKCfan 06 Nov 08 at 3:42 p.m. GMT

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When I first read the book, I assumed it was a printer's error.

curious 03 Oct 08 at 5:24 p.m. GMT

Chee, I don't know, but her writing style is just brilliant! She must have known human psychology quite well to have written her books like she did?!