A book that was released 86 years ago!!! Believe it or not it, that is what wiki states that the book was first launched on 1934. Even after nearly a century later, if the book thrills the new reader, that definitely says something about the story and the author’s caliber. Agatha Christie clarifies any doubt as to why she is the queen of murder mysteries by this book alone. I would’ve started this book, several times previously, but the pacing was never per my comfort. With this lockdown and having already tasted the effect of the previous 2 novels that I read, dived headlong into the book and wow, what an experience it turned out to be!!! There are quite few sections that can still be trimmed and the count could be reduced to half a dozen instead of 12 and there are some other pointers that anyone can suggest. But having to think the situation and build a case from top down, backtracking on the response for each character and appropriate question for them, that doesn’t reveal the plot but only add to it, all this while having figured out the eventual solution is no mean task and deserve an award for the concentration level of the author in ensuring the story line stays coherent. At some point, I am sure the author herself would’ve guessed that unless there is a listing of all the conversations, into facts and figures, people would lose interest and hence uses Poirot to jot down the details and present the evidence in a sequential list. She is a master of trapping all the people in one spot, with a dead body, with one of them being the perpetrator and snow being the other character, stopping the killer from escaping (at least in the couple of stories that I had read). The way she drives the conversation amongst the characters and how such simple and innocent queries lead to the killer makes one go awestruck. For those who’ven’t read the book yet, it is about a murder that happens on a train. Sorry for spoiling the fun that was revealed from the title. There are a bunch of people, about 13 of them, who are under the mask of suspicion. There is a recurring story line of a murder committed by the victim several years back which plays a major role in both his death and also in the grand reveal. What was astonishing for me was, the timing of the book and the thought process of this lady!! She would’ve been several decades ahead of her times and to even think of such a plot would be alien!!! This lady has managed to cook up a plot which is not just out of the world for her times, but this plot is unique and path breaking even after 9 decades of its first print!!! That I guess is the crowning glory. Would’ve loved to have a chat with this lady to understand her inspiration behind such plots and how she even thinks about these situations. And I am quite sure no one in their right frame of mind would be able to guess the ending. An amazing story, told but tediously, but well worth reading, just for the ending.
Thanks Thala for recommending this.
Thanks Thala for recommending this.
Comments
Hercule Poirot was loosely inspired by Sherlock Holmes, although the good lady would have bashed your head if anybody said it to her face. She developed his quirks and personality in her series of books on him and French adopted him although he is supposed to be Belgian.
The Orient Express itself is the stuff oflegends. In some form or the other, it opertated for more than 100 years. But then it became a casualty to high speed trains and cheap flights and is now, alas, no more. It would have been very evocative to spend your million dollar bonus and take the good lady and Junior on a first class trip :):)