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Top 10

Bundle_ 07 Oct 09 at 2:50 p.m. GMT

I know that some may be tired of seeing everyone's top 10 favorite AC book list -- which is understandable it's been done before -- but I thought it would be nice for us to put in our 10 favorites and add a twist to it by using a bit of psychology to try to figure out what type/style of books everyone likes, maybe some of us like more complex books while others like more fun loving books

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Tommy_A_Jones 07 Oct 09 at 4:15 p.m. GMT

Bundle, My own Darling, I could never get tired of reading anybodies Top 10, Do you remember when go_leafs used to do his OMDBs or what ever he called it? I really miss those, I am really interested as to what books some like and others don't just like what Characters some lke and others don't, When I have read all the books I weill provide you with a list, I have made a file in my favourites and am adding to it when I finish an AC Book, As usual with you a Great Topic which I will one day add to, I promise.

Puffinjill 07 Oct 09 at 6:40 p.m. GMT

A top ten! Fantastic idea but I don't know WHERE to start! I wouldn't have a CLUE how to whittle my choices down to ten!!

Give me a couple of days and I will have a good think about it....

Anyway, Bundle, what about yours?

go_leafs_nation 07 Oct 09 at 9:09 p.m. GMT

I grew to dislike Top 10 lists over time. How do you explain to others why Murder on the Orient Express is #6 and Five Little Pigs is #5? Placing books in their respective spots is also really difficult in itself. I'll be interested in others' posts, but I'm rather divided whether to do one myself. I like your idea of trying to find out what types of mysteries others tend to like, Bundle. This will probably be an interesting topic.

I'm glad you remember the INDBs, Tommy! I thought of starting up a "new and improved" one, in which I'd provide more detailed thoughts than my mere "snippets" from last time. This would require my rereading a book before reviewing it. Alas, life (and school) got in the way, and at any rate, I've been rather busy 'hunting down' John Dickson Carr's books to seriously get around to rereading every AC (which, when considering books I didn't like the first time around, is not necessarily the pleasantest prospect throughout). I'll keep it in mind, though, now that I know there's some interest in that...

I also wonder whatever happened to bcr_lechaps_76? I always enjoyed our conversations, and our opinions were often surprisingly similar.

Tommy_A_Jones 08 Oct 09 at 3:50 p.m. GMT

I really hope you do, I was starkwilder then on account of mme mishearing the name of a character - stupid me, I think how one does the task depends on the individual, I personally whill start nwith the 10s and think is one of the MMs with 10 better than one of the Poirots with 10 e.g. and work from there, I was going to do my own IMDB but the Site chasnged before I finished all the books which I stll haven't finished, I was going to go through each book saying which Characters I loved, liked, disliked or loathed, excluding Poirot, MM and T&T ofcourse and mentioning how books could have been improved IMHO and whether they needed certain Characters or could have done without them.

I too was wondering about bcr the other day, I could never remember his name so in my head I nicknamed him bacarat. 

Bundle_ 08 Oct 09 at 7:08 p.m. GMT

I miss Boley a lot too!! He was so fun loving... As all of you are! think about him every now and then when I visit the forum here.

Bundle_ 08 Oct 09 at 7:13 p.m. GMT

And thank you for your kind comments, Jill and Tommy!

I shall post my top 10 now. Just a note, first, I haven't read all of AC's books yet but this is just the list that I have compiled so far from the ones I have read. It hasn't changed all that much since the old forum.

1. The Seven Dials Mystery

2. Sparkling Cyanide

3. Thirteen at Dinner

4. Towards Zero

5. Sad Cypress

6. The Secret of Chimneys

7.  Endless Night

8. Nemesis

9. Murder is Easy

10. Peril at End House

So we can all decipher what style of books I like. If I had to comment I sould say that it looks as if I tend to enjoy books w/ character development.

Tommy_A_Jones 09 Oct 09 at 3:32 p.m. GMT

Bundle even though my brother tried to explain what you mean I still don't quite understand, I suppose words and phrases like Narrative and Character developement are too high brow for me, I thought you wanted to know whether we seeemed to like Country House Murders over locked room Murders, or Books that mention cold cases or Capers or Spy Novels etc.

Bundle_ 09 Oct 09 at 4:49 p.m. GMT

If you or anyone wants you can say things like "You seem to like stories that have a lot of character development." or "You seem to like Country House type of mysteries." or "You tend to like Spy novels.' All of these examples are correct. What it really boils down to is what TYPE of novels you think someone likes.

I hope I haven't confused anyone to the point where they don't want to particpate. Sorry about that, Tommy.

btw Character development means that the author really took the time to relay what the characters personailty was like. And that you felt like when you read the book that you really took a journey w/ the characters.

Adam_Scarlet 09 Oct 09 at 5:41 p.m. GMT

I'm more partial to the AC mysteries where the suspects are as important as the mystery. This seems to be a downfall of mine when reading AC books that solely concentrate on the crime. It just gets dull.

Usually my favourites conclude to having these factors:

- A great, unforgettable cast of suspects.

- A surpising solution with an amazing killer/killers.

- More than one murder. The novels with more than one murder seem to flow much better whereas investigations with only one body just seem to endlessly droll on that one crime (mainly one of the reasons why is dislike The Sittaford Mystery, The Mystery of the Blue Train etc.)

- Great narrative with the right amount of drama, wit, romance and sadness.

I'll have to have a serious think about my top 10.

(I for one, love reading people's top 10 lists. It gives me a great insight into which books appear to be the best)

Puffinjill 09 Oct 09 at 6:55 p.m. GMT

At first, Bundle, I was surprised to see Endless Night in your top 10 but why that is is hard to answer. I haven't been chatting to you for too long but I was visualising you as someone who really enjoyed AC's more fast moving books (such as The Seven Dials Mystery, Peril at End House and, of course The Secret of Chimneys, all of which do feature in your list) and wouldn't like the slower paced, more psychological works. And by that last remark, I'm not passing judgement on anyones preferences, I'm just trying to say how interesting it is to learn new things about someone you thought you were beginning to know!! Do you see what I mean?

Thanks for posting it. I'm still finding the task of trying to think of my own a bit daunting. Did your list surprise you, Bundle?

Bundle_ 09 Oct 09 at 7:20 p.m. GMT

I understand what you mean, Jill. I agree that I do have different tastes in books. Which really is surprising to hear.

But I've been thinking a bit about that and I realize that I do enjoy the fast paced books that feature lovable characters (I'm big on the importance of characters), and I like the fun adventures they go.

But it would be monotonous to only like to read adventure books, so I think that's why I also appreciate the more serious psychological mysteries like Towards Zero and Endless Night. Both of which, though, have a lot of character development.

Thank you for responding, Jill. And I'm looking forward to seeing your top 10 list soon!

Puffinjill 10 Oct 09 at 7:29 a.m. GMT

Oh, absolutely! It would be dull if we all single mindedly only read one sort of book. And AC offers such variety. I can see character is the single factor that holds your top 10 list together. Can this tell me anything about the real Bundle, I wonder? Good judge of character, maybe? Fun loving? Perhaps we all reveal more of ourselves than we realise when we assemble lists like this. An interesting thought!

Tommy_A_Jones 10 Oct 09 at 4:02 p.m. GMT

Thankyou Bundle for trhe Definition, I am a mass of Contradictions, I like Locked Room Murders but don't like The Murdewre of Roger Ackroyed, I think of Books set on Islands as locked room Murders as they can't escape but wouldn't put And Then There Were None in my top 10, I prefer books twere the Murderer is not a spouce but like one I can think of but not enough to put it in my top 10, I don't like the ones where the Host/Hostess is the Murderer but there is one I like and would even probably put iit in my top 10, I love Capers and love Books which have a victim's last words and also like Books where there are Puzzles on Pieces of paper or in books, I like the ones with Ariadne but 2 would definitely not get on my top 10, I don't like books where the Narrator is the Murderer as i don't like books where I think the solution is unfair and I like Murderers to be carted off to Jail, There are 2 books where the Guilty party commit suicide which I like but would not put them on my top 10 I also like books that have more than one element I like. I am finding it easier to think of booksd that aren't in my top 10 rather than ones which are but I haven't read all the books yet and will still keep thinking. 

Puffinjill 10 Oct 09 at 6:49 p.m. GMT

MMmmmm, I'm now trying to work out which books you might include in your top 10, Tommy!! Sounds almost as if you have set a puzzle for us to work out!!

go_leafs_nation 10 Oct 09 at 10:38 p.m. GMT

Again, I find myself insisting that the plot twist in Roger Ackroyd is completely fair. As Dorothy L. Sayers put it, it's the reader's business to suspect everyone. In fact, not only was the twist fair, but I find it far better hinted at than some of Christie's more loved works (especially And Then There Were None).

I know I kept my old lists somewhere on my computer, but since I'm currently out of town, I won't be able to find them. If I do find them, I might post them, but my tastes have dramatically changed since then. For instance, I loved Nemesis and Endless Night when I first read them; I grew to dislike Endless Night in particular the third time around (not only was it rather boring, but the characters did some rather silly things to fuel the plot: those who've read the book and recall discussions on the old site should know what I mean when I say "folly").

But my favourite book has always been Cards on the Table, probably because it was my first AC. Anyone familiar with her style will probably guess the killer without too much trouble; I didn't. When I read it the first time, I was patting myself on the shoulder for spotting all the "clues" which "had" to point to the "real killer".

go_leafs_nation 10 Oct 09 at 10:39 p.m. GMT

(CONTINUED)

My tastes in Agatha are somewhat strange. The books I love most are often the ones that are often forgotten in light of Christie's other work. Some of my favourites include the fantastic supernatural mystery, The Pale Horse. It was one of the best detective novels of the 1960s, in my humble opinion, and AC didn't make the fatal mistake she would later on (in Third Girl the most prominently): commenting on the changing times.

Don't bank on seeing a list from me; I just would be incapable of deciding the order of titles (or the titles themselves for that matter) to make up a list. But no matter how my list has changed since way back when, the list would always be topped by Cards on the Table. The mystery is its most shallow level. It is a tour-de-force; a masterpiece about justice.

Puffinjill 11 Oct 09 at 8 a.m. GMT

Well said! I completely agree with you about Cards on the Table. It's a wonderfully written book that operates on so many levels. Yes, you have a thrilling murder mystery, but, as you say leafs, this is only the (almost) superficial layer. AC looks at justice and what this means for different people in many of her works and, again, we get a new angle with this one. I really love books with a closed selection of suspects as it's such a challenge to the reader. "Surely", we say to ourselves "with so few suspect I can work this one out"! But, invariably, we don't!!

And, without trying to sound as if I'm just blindly agreeing with everything you post, I'm a big fan of The Pale Horse too. Didn't look forward to reading it, thought it would be creepy and stretch the imagination, but I still frequently reread it now as I love its atmosphere and its unsuspected twist. I find it very satisfying, somehow. Good to mention these two novels together as we get to meet Rhoda and Major/Colonel Despard in both. And I'm very fond of Mark Easterbrook as a narrator. Wish we had had more of him.

Tommy_A_Jones 11 Oct 09 at 12:48 p.m. GMT

I wasn't really intending to set a puzzle Puffinjill but I do like the idea that I was as I love Puzzles, I wan'ted to ewxpress how difficult I thought the task was and also say wehat elements I like in a Book without spoiling Books for others but if you want to guess wether I like or dislike a book go ahead and I will say Like or Dislike It might be fun, I will also say if I haven't read it yet like Pale Horse and say wether I think iot woulkd or wouldn't be in my top 10, If anyone else wants to play fine by me, but if people do want to guess please say if you have read it then I won't spoil the book for you but I suppose if you haven't read it you weon't ask if I do will you?

Puffinjill 11 Oct 09 at 7:06 p.m. GMT

Lets see... you must be a Tommy Beresford fan and a Bobby Jones fan judging by the name you go by!! So I think I can tick off The Secret Adversary and Why didn't they ask Evans? as likes to start with (I'll think about the other TT books later)!

Or it may just be your real name and I am talking nonsense, which is quite the ususal thing for me.

Jack_London 12 Oct 09 at 12:09 p.m. GMT

Top Ten Lists are great, sometimes it's just WAY too hard to narrow them down :)

I seriously can't put mine in order though, it's too hard to do, so yeah they're just listed as i remember them...

Mine would probably have to be as follows:

1. Seven Dials Mystery

2. Endless Night

3. Lord Edgware Dies

4. N or M

5. And Then There Were None

6. The Man in the Brown Suit

7. The Secret Adversary

8. Why Didn't they ask Evans?

9. They do it with Mirrors

10. At Bertram's Hotel.

Can't wait to get my analysis!

Cheers - Jack London.