I recently found myself with a long drive coming up and–no audiobook to hand! So naturally I snatched up And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, read by Hugh Fraser–a narrator I’ve encountered with Christie before, and already on the shelf at my local library.
Even though I wasn’t thinking about the R.I.P. Challenge, I think my subconscious must have been at work–and since this fits the challenge and I listened to it at the right time, I’m counting it!
The story opens with ten people, unconnected to each other, all summoned by various means and reasons to visit a deserted island. The eight guests and two servants are at the house on the island, but their host is unaccountably absent–and at dinner, a gramophone record plays with a chilling message. Each individual is accused of being responsible for someone’s murder. And then one by one, by different means and methods, people on the island begin to die. The murderer must be among those who remain–but who?
Apart from Murder on the Orient Express, I think this is Christie’s most famous novel. For that reason I’m glad I “read” it, although it was not my favorite Christie–which is a personal preference that others may not agree with!
Based on the experience of three Christie novels and a lot of short stories, this was definitely the darkest Christie I’ve encountered yet. I didn’t realize quite how much I appreciated the light moments of some of her others until I came to one without them! The whole point, of course, is that anyone could be the murderer, which is a fascinating premise…but also leaves the reader with no protagonist to ride along with. Poirot may be surrounded by potential murderers, but you always know that Poirot at least is all right (and likely to make a comic reference every now and then). In this novel, the reader is in much the same position as the characters–trapped on an island with a murderer, and unable to trust anyone.
The lack of a protagonist is all the more challenging because, well, it becomes pretty quickly apparent that the chilling gramophone record knows of what it speaks.
Christie is admittedly masterful at creating an escalating nightmare of a situation, as the body count rises and the tension rises with it. So if you like dark mysteries, this could well be your favorite Christie novel, even if it was a shade too bleak for me.
It is a very clever puzzle, essentially a locked door murder mystery. The title promises that no one will survive–but then who can be the murderer? Christie manages an answer in the epilogue, and while it does work, I feel a little cheated. Of course she has to withhold some information to keep the mystery going, but I kind of feel like she withheld crucial details to an extent that it becomes, well, cheating! I’m very curious to hear from anyone else who’s read the novel how they felt about that…
So this is a little bit of an odd one, in that it was a good novel that didn’t quite work for me but you might love–and even I’m feeling curious to watch the movie!
Author’s Site: http://www.agathachristie.com/
Other reviews:
Margaret Benison
The River Ram Press
LitLovers
Anyone else?
Buy it here: And Then There Were None
This is actually one of my favorites by Christie but I don’t mind darker mysteries. Have you read any of her Ms. Marple series? I’ve always enjoyed every book that I’ve read by Christie so far….I have a goal now to read all of her books eventually 🙂 I’m glad that you liked this one even if it wasn’t your favorite.
Cheryl, I’ve never actually read anything by her. Which ones are your favorites or at least THE favorite?
I think my favorite so far is The Secret Adversary, a Tommy and Tuppence spy adventure. Peril at End House may be my favorite Poirot novel so far, though I don’t feel like I’ve read enough to make a definite statement on that!
I recommend reading Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” which is a Poirot mystery. It’s the most brilliant murder mystery I’ve ever read.
Thanks! Christie wrote SO many, I always appreciate a suggestion of where to go next.
I read this forever ago and didn’t remember much about it apart from its premise. I thought your comments about lack of protagonist were interesting, although Christie’s approach does, as you say, put the reader in the same position as the characters. Unsettling, indeed.
BTW, I’m an audio book fan and always have one on in the car these days.
That’s where I listen to all of my audiobooks too!
I remember this one fell flat for me and I couldn’t remember why, but maybe it was for the same reasons you mentioned. A lot of people seem to love this one, so I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t completely buy into it.
I know, it’s so popular! It makes me feel a little funny not liking it as much…but I really have enjoyed her others more.
I haven’t read any of her other books, but perhaps I will knowing you liked her other stuff more!
I haven’t read this but have watched an old black and white film base upon the book. Great review and observation about the lack of a main protagonist to latch onto and also the fact that there are no real light relief moments. I would like to read this though and forewarned, etc, etc.
Lynn 🙂
🙂 I have plans to watch a movie version with a friend soon. I hope you enjoy the book, if you do read it!
Hey, just wanted to tell you I tagged you in the bucket list tag: http://roughtoughrealstuff.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/bucket-list/
No obligation. 🙂
Thanks, I enjoyed reading yours! (And I don’t think I knew about this blog…!)
Ha, it’s fairly new. I’ve been backdating a lot of entries. It was supposed to be a place where I could catalog the theater and baseball games I see, but I have a habit of putting it all together in my head and then never writing anything down, so I’m afraid the posting has been rather sparse. It does add to my admiration of your ability to stick to your three-times-weekly schedule!
This was one of the few Poirot stories that I’ve ‘experienced’, via the TV series in this case. My main memory of this was the transport needed to get to the island — perhaps I need to read the book instead.
Sounds like they must have really changed the story for the TV show–since the book doesn’t have Poirot in it! I’m curious to see the the TV adaptation now though…
My memory may be playing me false here — I’ll have to check now!
It’s been too long since I read this book to remember the ending, but I’m always super excited to see someone reading Christie!! Last year, I read all of her Poirot books, and I was just going to let you know that reading them in published order actually added a lot to the overall development of Poirot as a character, so you might think about doing that. I’m starting with the Miss Marple mysteries, now!
Thanks for the suggestion! I like Christie’s novels, but she wrote so many, I never know quite where to go next–too many choices! Reading Poirot in order sounds like a great idea.