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Rate The Mysterious Mr. Quin

detectivepauljohn 03 Oct 08 at 10:01 a.m. GMT

I like this book containing 12 shorts whodunit/mystery stories by Agatha Christie. I'll gonna rate it 8/10. I love the exciting twists and plots especially in "The Voice in the Dark" and "The Shadow on the Glass". I like Mr. Satterwhaite. I think Satterwhaite met Poirot in one of the novels featuring Poirot. I don't know who are my favorite characters because there are so many characters but maybe Quin and Satterwhaite. How about you? what can you say?

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MissQuin 07 Oct 10 at 1:59 p.m. GMT

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Mr Quin isn't really a sleuth. Because he is all knowing! He already knows all there is about any mysteries. He can speak to the dead, which is a very useful way of finding out who a murderer is- just ask the victim!! Rather unquie in the way of mystery stories isn't it?

It's Mr Sattersthwaite's job to piece together the facts. Really on the Favourite dectectives option, it should be Mr S. Although I don't really mind too much.

But Mr S couldn't solve the Three Act Tragedy Case. Without Mr Q to appear, he didn't get there. But why didn't Mr quin appear? I presume because of being omniscient, he knew Poirot woud solve it!

Pongo 07 Oct 10 at 5:41 a.m. GMT

Thank you for the reply, MissQ.

So, is Mr. Quin the "sleuth"?  Though you are right that, in Three Act Tragedy, Mr. S does not solve the crime thereof, Mr. S. does serve as the "sleuth" in the Quin stories, doesn't he?  Whether the inspiration is completely internal or whether it is external (in the form of Mr. Q), there is no doubt that Mr. S. is the sleuth here, right? 

MissQuin 04 Oct 10 at 2:16 p.m. GMT

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In response to your question pongo, I don't think people are quite sure when The last two Mr Quin stories were published. I suppose it might not matter. It will remain as mysterious as the stories themselves!

On my profile I listed Halrey Quin as my favourite detective, even though he's not a detective is he?. SPOILER WARNING!! He's really a omniscient being, who doesn't solve any puzzles, but promts Mr S to do so. Mr Satterthwaite's not exactly a sleuth either, as in Three Act Tragedy, he didn't actually solve the murder. Even though he's intelligent, he needs  Mr Quin to help. Rather like Mrs Oliver, she doesn't solve crimes, but inspires other people todo so.

Tommy_A_Jones 27 Sep 10 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

I am glad you liked the book, I am in the minority for many things, it would be odd if we all felt the same.

MissQuin 25 Sep 10 at 4:28 p.m. GMT

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Shame you didn't like it Tommy, I've not rated them so far, so I give the sotries 10/10! The Bird With the Broken Wing is so sad, it's unusual for a motive not to be given..

Tommy_A_Jones 20 Sep 10 at 2:23 p.m. GMT

I finished The Mysterious Mr Quin at the weekend but the site was down so was unable to give my verdict before now, I was Surprised from what people have said about the book I was expecting to like it much more than I did, I liked some of the stories like The Coming of Mr Qun, At The Bell's and Motley, The Man From The Sea and The Dead Harlequin and a couple more but others just bored me like The Bird With The Broken Wing, The World's End and Harlequin's Lane and othersI found hard going aif not dull, In the end I give it 5.    

MissQuin 17 Sep 10 at 1:24 p.m. GMT

Thank you Pongo! Ths was puzzled me for years!! I did think that it was later, maybe 50's,  because a lady was riding a motorbike, there's some refrences to smoking dope. The way people spoke didn't sound like 20's or even 30's. So I think what you said could be correct.

It's another case like Poirot and Marple, where the sleuth is in their dotage! But we still love them anyway! It's good to know that Mr S is still active, mind still ticking, he's taking strolls around town and such.

Mr Quin is unique in the fact he never ages! You will notice in the desciption of him, into whatever age it was, say 50's, that he's still young, handsome and muscular. Very nice! But also gives us a futher clue about Harley Quin.

The Love Detectives A great story and a brilliant scene in the car headlights, which I love.  But that doesn't seem to be any particular age. Wheras the other's feel 20's, but oddly timeless.

Pongo 17 Sep 10 at 1:13 p.m. GMT

MissQuin,

According to Charles Osborne, The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie, (publisher Contemporary Books page 70):

"The fugitive Harley Quin story mentioned by Max Mallowan, 'The Harlequin Tea Set', is a pendant to the series written much later, after the Second World War.  It contains an oblique reference to the Mau Mau troubles in Kenya in the early 1950s.  Mr. Sattersthwaite, 'now of an advanced age', has a final adventure involving Mr. Quin whom he encounters...."

So, based on the above, if the story has an oblique reference to an event of the early 1950s, and if Mr. S is of an advanced age, then not only was it written later but it is also probably SET in a later period, such as the 1950s.  

Mr. S was in his late 60s during the Mysterious Mr. Quin stories, so he must be nearing 90 by now!!  

Can anyone verify or correct me?  

MissQuin 17 Sep 10 at 1:06 p.m. GMT

Ive not been able to find out when The Harlequin Tea Set, was set. It setting feels alot later than 20's. But goodness how old Mr Satterthwaite must have been if it was much later!

Anyone know?

Tommy_A_Jones 16 Sep 10 at 4:10 p.m. GMT

Mr Quin has been on Radio 4 but it finished today.

Pongo 16 Sep 10 at 2:30 a.m. GMT

Thank you very much for this.  Is this a public reading? 

Tommy_A_Jones 14 Sep 10 at 4:15 p.m. GMT

He is Narrating the stories but not in the order they come in the book as today was Journey's End his wife Rosalind Ayres is Directing, they have a Company J and A, I listen to Audio books quite alot, I have both Readings like The Thirteen Problems and Audio Cassettes and CDs, I have all the Miss Marples with June Witfield playing Miss Marple, Joan Hickson reads The Thirteen Problem I think you should listen to Audio Cassettes, They are Brilliant.

MissQuin 14 Sep 10 at 4:02 p.m. GMT

Is Martin Jarvis reading as Mr Sattethwaite? I'm at the book club that day, so i'll mss it. Actually I don't listen to audio books, but maybe I should.

Tommy_A_Jones 14 Sep 10 at 3:52 p.m. GMT

Miss Quin and Pongo and anyone elsebut Martin Jarvis is reading Mr Qin stories Tuesdsay Wednesday and Thursday this week 3.30 PM to 3.45 PM

MissQuin 14 Sep 10 at 9:37 a.m. GMT

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Mr Quin, where to I begin?! I love the stories and was very sceptical before I read them. Then I was converted.

With The Mr Quin stories there's never been a full length novel. I see that as a good thing. I like the way Mr Quin suddenly turns up and leaves again unexpectedly. Although every story stand alone, they are even better read in order. I was often in suspense waiting for Harley Quin to appear, so that I could learn just that little bit more about him. By the time of The Man From The Sea, we learn that Mr Quin is no mere mortal.

I was sad the dog died, it came out of the blue.

I think that on midsummer Eve, Mr Quin may have been wearing his motley. There's a couple of hidden or obscure refrences. Like the Opera Mr S goes to see.

Which story collection do you have Pongo? I had to buy the Love Detectives collection, just so I could read the extra Quin tales, The Love Detectives and The Harlequin Tea Set!

I never thought of Mr S as dim, it's just he needs the facts laid before him. I love the unexpected twists in the stories. A interesting threory on Mr S here:

http://www.agathachristie.com/forum/have-your-say/non-series-books-and-characters/mr-satterthwaite-nuts/

But yes, in the Harelquin's lane sotry, Mr Quin is frightening. I posted on the topic itself.

Pongo 14 Sep 10 at 4:12 a.m. GMT

MissQuin,

Thank you for answering my question regarding "Midsummer's Eve."  Yes, I gathered that it was less to do with the actual mystery at hand and more instead to do with the nature of Mr. Quin. 

It has been a couple days since I finished this collection, but I cannot seem to get the image of Mr. Quin out of my head.  Mr. S. is fast becoming one of my most favorite of all of AC's characters.  I like how he is seemingly dim, like Hastings, and yet he has real acute powers of perception and recall that are otherwise latent. 

I also love AC's description of events in the past, and how things become more pronounced the further removed one is from the events of the past, that the logic of past events unfold in terms of relativity. 

Pongo 13 Sep 10 at 8:12 a.m. GMT

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SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!

To MissQuin,

Last night, I finished the short story collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin, and, frankly, the ending of the last story "Harlequin's Lane" left me numb.... I do not know whether to like Mr. Quin or be afraid of him. 

More interestingly, though, as I take a step back (away from the cliff's edge as it were) and consider the collection as a whole, I must say that I loved the stories, but especially The Man from the Sea and Harlequin's Lane.  Is it me, or could it be that these stories rank as among the strongest literary output from AC?  These stories can really be regarded as some fine examples of British literature. 

I especially loved the seemingly random episode in the Man from the Sea about how the dog finds the rubbish heap and then suddenly gets killed, while giving Mr. S one final glance before death.  The dog's death seems linked to the death of Anna at the end of Harlequin's Lane, death just as one is on the verge of becoming fulfilled. 

By the way, I hated that actress from World's End!  Thanks to her carelessness with that opal, a man was imprisoned for a year!!!!! 

MissQuin 11 Sep 10 at 1:57 p.m. GMT

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I'm honoured you just ask me Pongo! I can't anwser your question entirely. I don't think that Midsummer Eve is a clue about the Sign In The Sky Story, but I think it's an obscure reference to the Harlequin legend.

In England and Italy there were costume parades and plays held on Midsummer Eve.

I think that the Harlequin's Lane story might give some clues about the Midsummer's eve question. Let us know what you think of the last two stories.

Face of Helen- I did think the explantion was rather too scientific for me. Ive no idea if that experiment  would work, nor do I wish to try it out!! I did like the rest of the story and the opera references. In fact there'sn ot a bad Mr Quin story, I think Chrisite put her heart into these short stories. They are at times sad and The Man from the Sea is particuarlly moving.

Pongo 11 Sep 10 at 12:30 p.m. GMT

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SPOILERS

MissQuin,

I am two stories from finishing this collection.  To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it, but it is totally taking me by surprise.  I like them all, but the one that hit me the most was "The Man from the Sea", the ending for which left a lump in my throat... Dame Agatha was truly capable of painting some great literary imagery.  Mr. Quin standing there on the cliff's edge... that image is mysterious and yet it explains everything about that character.  

Although I liked it, I must say that the "Face of Helen" is my least favorite of the stories so far, whose plot is a bit of a stretch that I could not suspend my disbelief as much as was needed.  

My question is this: in the story "The Sign in the Sky", when they are talking about Mr. Satterthwaite going to Canada, they talk about "Midsummer's Eve" and Mr. S is "startled, as though the words held a clue that he did not quite understand."  

What is the significance of "Midsummer's Eve"??

fedora_mavrick 23 Apr 10 at 6:08 p.m. GMT

8.5/10. It's definitely up there in my top 10 favorite Christie books. And I liked Mr. Satterthwaite; I found him endearing.