Have Your Say

Discuss Poirot

Talk about everything Poirot related!

triangle at rhodes

6497942 03 Mar 09 at 2:43 a.m. GMT

I watched the short story 'Triangle at Rhodes' (or something like that on TV) and it occured to me that it is really really similar to 'Evil Under the Sun'. This is a bit like the story 'Dead Man's Mirror' and 'They Do it with Mirrors' aswell. It was as though she wrote the story first and later expanded it to a whole novel. Anyone know if this is the case? If Evil under the Sun was based on this story?

Login or register to add posts and reply

6 replies

Reverse order

SeaView 30 Oct 11 at 7:47 p.m. GMT

I love "Triangle at Rhodes". I saw the dvd version, borrowed from my local library. The water and scenes of Rhodes were gorgeous. The hike into the rocky hills where the old stone church revealed to Poirot one of the character's religious affiliation, was neat.

I love the old Knights Hospitaller history of Rhodes. The search through old stone streets to find an apothecary who knew of ancient poisons was exciting. The main characters at the grand resort hotel bathing in the sea and all lounging about the proud actress who played the spoiled rich lady, it's all good.

I have watched an old videotape of "Evil Under the Sun" more than a hundred times, falling to sleep at night with the sound of Peter Ustinov's rich voice as Hercule Poirot. Oh, how I love all Agatha Christie stories set in holidays by the sea, because i went to the seaside every summer with my family when I was young. The sea never leaves you.

Taher 24 Aug 11 at 7:19 a.m. GMT

I am not sure which one is based on the other, but it is completely clear that AC, as well as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, had limited "patterns" of stories. These patterns, or prototypes are used to found, build and expand a new independent story. So yes you are wright, especially Evil under the sun and Triangle at Rhodes have many things to share.

Each time that she wanted to write a novel, she came back to her pre-arranged patterns, choosing one of it, and since these patterns were raw and very rough, she could make a new novel by producing new extensions, descriptions, changing the names, characters, ... .

Tommy_A_Jones 23 Mar 09 at 4:11 p.m. GMT

Devilgal The Blue Train is based on The Plymouth Express or Visa Versa 

GKCfan 22 Mar 09 at 12:53 a.m. GMT

Most Christie scholars agree that the plot of "Evil Under the Sun" draws heavily upon themes from two short stories: "Triangle at Rhodes," as you said, but also the Miss Marple story "The Bloodstained Pavement" from "The Tuesday Club Murders."

devilgal19 21 Mar 09 at 7:42 p.m. GMT

It's a bit different with Triangle of Rhodes and Evil Under the Sun.  But I can see the reasoning behind your statement. 

Now read or watch Plymouth Express and Mystery on the Blue Train...it's similar in more ways than one.

HarleyBarley 03 Mar 09 at 3:03 a.m. GMT

Well, well. About the Mirror matter, I know not (as I have not read the latter), but as far as I know, Triangle at the Rhodes has little, if any, connexion whatsoever to Evil Under the Sun. It did occur to me when reading the novel how it reminded me of Val Chantry's story, but I never took the theory seriously myself. But I may have been mistaken.