Hercule Poirot and the Stolen AIBU

[SirJamesTalbotAndHisSpeculum]

Would Poirot survive in an internet age?

What would Agatha Christie have made of it?

And can anyone explain the plot of Sparkling Cyanide to me? I have all AC's books and love to read them as I fall asleep. But I have never understood the ending of Sparkling Cyanide.

Yes, love David Suchet - he IS Poirot!

Just googled Geraldine McEwan cos I get her mixed up with the other one for obvious reasons. Her obituary has been illustrated here with an old photo of..... Tezza May?

indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/actress-geraldine-mcewan-dies/

I dont massivey enjoy the books but I do love golden age. They're a bit parlour gamey and the early ones have some very dodgy anti semitic tones, but they're brilliant for adaptions and for people learning English.

Hang on, does Lucy Eylesbarrow not end up with Bryan in the book? I only know the Hickson TV version.

Haven't RTFT but did any one else really hate Kenneth Branagh's vanity project Murder on the Orient Express? I love AC, so I was so excited when I saw it advertised, but bitterly disappointed when I watched it.

I have a lot of brain fog these days and struggle to really concentrate on books anymore, but I LOVE when BBC I player radio have a Poirot or Miss Marple series on. My fave recently was the one with the seance, but I can't remember what it was called

Yep, the ending of Taken at the Flood ruins the whole story, I wanted her to follow her heart to adventure, not settle for the violent murderer who tried to strangle her!

@SirJamesTalbotAndHisSpeculum I've read her autobiography, I thought it was really interesting how she glosses over the famous disappearance that her biographers make so much of. Also, loved the way she got over her divorce with a trip to the Middle East.

Anne Hart has written books about Miss Marple and Poirot that you might enjoy. They're very interesting and obviously written by someone who loves the characters and books.
The only AC biography I've read is the graphic novel one, are there others you'd recommend?

Also, the BBC adaptations need to get in the fucking bin. Absolutel travesties.

*absolute

Also wanted to mention the Poirot 'continuation novels' by Sebastian Faulks and others.

I only read the first one, by Faulks. It was...okay. Good attempt. But I found myself being jarred by dialogue that wouldn't have been used by Christie.

I'd imagine though that someone less familiar with her works might enjoy them.

Lucy Eyelesbarrow doesn't end up with anyone in particular in 4.50 From Paddington.

The reader is left to ponder whether she ends up with Bryan Eastley, Cedric Crackenthorpe or even Inspector Craddock.

My sister maintains that she ends up with Craddock.

I’d have liked her to end up with Craddock, but he’s in later books with no mention of her, so I’m guessing it’s unlikely.

Has anyone read the biography by Laura Thompson?

It gives a very compelling scenario for the famous disappearance.

AC was desperate when she went up to Harrogate in 1926.

She hoped that Archie Christie would follow her up there and realise how wrong he was being to want a divorce.

She left notes for various people saying that she was going away to the north of England but they were not given due consideration by the police when they started to search for her.

Eventually she was recognised and Archie did come for her - but he was furious and the whole thing backfired.

Has anyone read all the Westmacott books?

Giant's Bread is awful IMO.

I think Lucy ends up with the police inspector in the itv version (Amanda Holden and John Hannah). My e-library app has loads of the BBC radio dramatisations with John Moffat as Poirot and June Whitfield as Miss Marple, they’re fabulous, and also an unabridged version of Cat Among The Pigeons read by Hugh “Captain Hastings” Fraser

Also, I used to have some colleagues who knew Pauline Moran, who plays Miss Lemon (she used to temp in between filming) and she said when they shot the David Suchet version of Evil Under The Sun it was absolutely freezing and they had to go about in 1930s summer clothes and swimming costumes because it was supposed to be the middle of summer

Laura Thompson thinks that The Rose and the Yew Tree is AC's best book.

I do not agree. Absent in the Spring is a far better book.

And oddly, Laura Thompson believes that Endless Night is one of AC's best books.

I do not think it is at all. It doesn't come close to such classics as Death on the Nile and Five Little Pigs.

@SydneyCarton which e-library app do you use? I hate that the AC dramatisations disappear off i player after a few weeks. June Whitfield makes a fantastic radio Miss Marple, and I love John Moffat. When he says 'the little grey cells' it always makes me smile.

Did you know that AC wrote many plots in little notebooks and had not always decided which detective would have the leading role until she had started the writing?

And when Curtain was published it got a very bad press in the US as "all the characters were so old."

id you know that AC wrote many plots in little notebooks and had not always decided which detective would have the leading role until she had started the writing?

And sometimes (at least once) stories were published once with one detective, and a second time with another.

I've always liked The Hollow. Works well as a play, too. Loved the happy ending for Midge and Edward.

@Mitebiteatnite I use Libby, but the content will vary depending on what your particular library stocks on there. If you google Agatha Christie audiobook Youtube a lot of the dramatisations are on there as well

Clawdy I love The Hollow.

It was well-dramatized on ITV too. I think the character of Lady Angkatell is brilliant.