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Non-series Books and Characters

Other Christie books discussions

The best book AC ever wrote

hobbit 21 Nov 08 at 4:45 p.m. GMT

First off I would like to point out that my posting in the 'non-series' section of the site is far from desirable, as really this topic should go under 'miscellaneous'; however that section of the site is (currently) non-existant.

The idea of this thread is to debate which of AC's book is her greatest. Obvious titles may spring to mind ('And Then There Were None', 'Murder on the Orient Express', 'Death on the Nile' etc.) but the best posts will, hopefully, look at the term 'greatest' in an abstract way and try and offer original suggestions.

This discussion should not be a list of titles - it is not a vote or poll, but a debate. Any opinions must be backed with reasoning, the more detailed the better. Once a few people have posted their ideas we can hopefully start turning the issue on its head and offering reasons why the books others have chosen are NOT her greatest, and so forth.

Hopefully this will be quite an interesting topic. I hope you all share your views!

Hobbit

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43 replies

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LauraPoirot 27 Jan 12 at 4:51 p.m. GMT

Jap I also enjoyed that little disagreement between them both :-) It was actually similar with me and my Best friend: she said it was a nice idea but the investigation and all that didn't please her so much. She thought it boring. Me, I love that book and everything about it as you may have noticed ;-) its just as if we were like Hastings and Poirot about that case...

treplag 27 Jan 12 at 11:52 a.m. GMT

Laura - I was unable to remember what book that comment came from, so thank you for providing that information.  I think it is amusing that Poirot and Hastings disagreed about what their most interesting case was.  Since COTT was, as you say, entirely a psychological investigation, it would appeal to the cerebral Poirot but not to the active Hastings.

LauraPoirot 27 Jan 12 at 10:43 a.m. GMT

Thank you treplag! Yes, I remember, though the situation was a little different: in the abc murders Poirot and Hastings imagine their " creme de la creme" of murders and Poirot describes exactly the situation of COTT. As you might know ABC was written before COTT so Christie had that crime already in mind. Also in the foreword of COTT AC refers to that and explains once more the "fun" Poirot had with that case. 

treplag 26 Jan 12 at 7:57 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot - Your reasons are good ones.  You might remember that somewhere Poirot tells Hastings that that was his favorite case (although Hastings doesn't agree with him).

LauraPoirot 26 Jan 12 at 7:33 p.m. GMT

The best Book just because of the ingenuity is in my opinion Cards on the Table. The whole situation is made up in such a brilliant mind as only Agatha Christie herself has. Its simplicity makes it a masterpiece. Imagine it: five people in a room four of them are playing bridge and the fifth is murdered without anyone knowing anything! And on top of that they all seem to be murderer and in the room just next to them are sitting four coppers at the bridge table! Furthermore it's different from every other crime because there's only abstract evidence. No one could measure a footprint or smell the air of a just smoked foreign cigarette. What would a Sherlock Holmes have done? He'd  probably failed! It's a case which can only be solved from the psychological factor. And that is what Agatha Christie makes her Agatha Christie - what Poirot makes him the famous Detective Monsieur Hercule Poirot the man with the little grey cells. That's why I'd say COTT is Christies best book.

cameronjhw 26 Jan 12 at 6:32 p.m. GMT

That's a hard question to answer because I have read all of the Christie novels and while I find all of them interesting and entertaining I have to say it is And Then There Were None. It is tense, creepy and bleak. I like how all of the ten main characters are all unlikable and nasty in their own ways. I like how this novel takes a look at these people and their secret wicked pasts and how it is because of their pasts they are brought together to die. This was the first Christie novel I ever read and then afterwards I began to read the Poirot series and later the other novels. But I have to say the other three books that I think are best are Murder on the Orient Express, Death Comes as the End, and Crooked House.

ahzil_0723 26 Jan 12 at 1:57 p.m. GMT

I've read only a few but so far, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the best book for me. This was the first Agatha Christie book I read and I was really amazed of how well the plot was written. Each character had a motive that is realistic. The way the crime was committed is really creative. And I was really surprised with the last chapter where the narrator admitted that he is the murderer. It did really give me the creep!

Tommy_A_Jones 26 Jan 12 at 1:34 p.m. GMT

I can't choose, Either A Murder Is Announced, 4.50 From Paddington, Sleeping Murder, ABC Murders, Cards On The Table, The Clocks, N or M, The Sittaford Mystery, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Man In The Brown Suit or The Bundle Books or Towards Zero one of those definitely.

john_c_hamilton 24 Jan 12 at 4:19 p.m. GMT

If I was to choose only a single book, I would say 'Nemesis'.

asmikhushi 28 Sep 09 at 8:16 a.m. GMT

murder is announced is awesumm

asmikhushi 07 Sep 09 at 9:11 a.m. GMT

my favourite is spider's web. all the characters r real exciting and thers too much suspense. Its fast paced and full of drama and unexpected turns.

susandiane 07 Jun 09 at 10:10 p.m. GMT

go_leafs_nation , you've hit the nail on the head. there's a difference between killing accidentally and MURDER! there's a wonderful Ngaio Narsh novel (murder at the vulcan) that has a man explain how chilling the word "MURDER" is...

khbs 03 Jun 09 at 6:16 p.m. GMT

The best book Agatha ever wrote is her wonderful Autobiography - the only AC book I've read over 30 times, and still read whenever I'm in need of "comfort food". I adore her mysteries of course, but to read about her life, so exotic and unusual to modern ears, is an immense treat and pleasure. It makes me long for times past, not uncomplicated but with different complexities, different morals and codes of conduct. If you haven't read it, I most heartily recommend that you do. It gives such an insight into her character.

Tommy_A_Jones 06 May 09 at 2:52 p.m. GMT

Thankyou Moley, I would chose the Tommy and Tuppences except BTPOMT, and POF, I would also choose;

ABC Murders.

Cards On The Table

Death In The Clouds

Cat Among The Pigeons

Mrs McGinty's Dead

Man In The Brown Suit

Why Didn't They Ask Evans

The Secret of Chimneys

and of the MMs I have read;

4.50 From Paddington

A Murder Is Announced

Sleeping Murder

By the way, I probably would take Seven Dialsd but I haven't read it yet and I haven't read The Thirteen Problems but I love the idea of the book

TheMole 05 May 09 at 2:39 p.m. GMT

Great criteria, winne! I will apply that as well...

Personally, I would take 3 "The Seven Dials Mystery", "Peril at End House" & "Towards Zero".

Tommy_A_Jones 05 May 09 at 12:56 p.m. GMT

I like too many to list my favourites. I suppose my criteria was:

Did I like the setting?

Would I want to be a Fly on the Wall in the scenes?

Would I want to meet the Characters socially?

Did the book make me 'buzz'

Would I take it with me if I had to move?

If I was going on a long Voyage would I take it incase I got shipwrecked

I haven't read the Poirot or Miss Marple short stories but I have the Audio Cassettes, I don't like the stories Joyce/Joan tell but the Collections I like are 'Partners in Crime' and 'The Mysterious Mr Quinn'  

Sudarshan 05 May 09 at 10:26 a.m. GMT

Here's my list:

Cat Among The Pigeons

The ABC Murders

Curtain

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Why Didn't They Ask Evans

Death on The Nile

And Then There Were None

One Two Buckle My Shoe

The Body in The Library

Three Act Tragedy

Murder is Easy

Murder on the Orient Express

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

the three criteria for choosing this list have been depth/intricacy of plot (most important), relevance of the mystery theme in a larger context and writing style. The first should be obvious, by second I mean 'has christie examined the implications of a crime in a larger context - when does a crime become a crime (or cease to be a crime, as is shown in some Holmes stories) - on this count 'ABC murders' and to a lesser extent 'Orient Express' surely qualify. Some of the books are better written than others - as Dame Agatha herself said, there was a two year phase when she wrote some awful books (e.g. The Secret of Chimneys). Compare these shoddy books to the 'body in the library' or 'why didn't they ask evans', where clearly Dame A is in the mood. And they have good plots too. That sums up factor 3.

For short stories, surely 'Witness for the Prosecution' is the best (though its theatre adaptation was pathetic!) and for plays of course, there is the Mousetrap - that one doesn't need explanations. For supernatural stories, there is nothing like 'The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael'

Sudarshan Shidore

Boomcoach 15 Apr 09 at 5:10 p.m. GMT

My favorite would have to be The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  It is so tightly plotted, reading it a second time I especially noted how many tiny details were interwoven into the story.  It also has two characters that I really thought were well done, Hector Blunt and Caroline Shepherd.  Both could have easily been two dimensional caricatures, but they are excellent characters.

I close second, losing a few points only because it is so unique that it has become trite through overexposure, is And Then There Were None.  It is, IMO, the most suspenseful Christie work.  The audiobook with Hugh Fraser narrating is particularly good.

go_leafs_nation 12 Apr 09 at 12:17 p.m. GMT

I've said time and time again that my personal favourite is "Cards on the Table".

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I positively love how Agatha turned the tables on the classic locked-room murder, possibly my favourite kind of mystery. Another thing is the subtle way she conveys a major theme, that of justice. Anyone notice that all the killers were "punished" in one way or another? Anne and Mrs. Lorrimer were killed, Roberts was caught. As for Despard, he gets off scot-free because his murder was an accident caused by the hysterical Mrs. Luxmore. The characters are vividly written and memorable in COTT especially, because the solution can only be deduced psychologically, as Poirot says, so in order for the reader to have a fair chance of guessing the culprit, they have to get to know the characters.

Dolly_B 11 Apr 09 at 6:26 p.m. GMT

To: susandiane

I agree - I loved Griselda too. Those vicar's wives are endearing - in a "Murder is Announced" the vicar's wife, Mrs Harmon, in her total innocence, asked Miss Blacklock "When does the murder begin?" while all the rest of the characters were trying to be "cool" and not mention the ad in the paper.