Episode 6 – fantasy and murder, the end of the reading challenge – Jen's Book Blog
- Episode 6 – fantasy and murder, the end of the reading challenge
- Episode 5 – Children's Books, Graphic Novels, Travel, History and Mysteries!
- Episode 4 – Murder Mysteries, Tibet, Shadow Skye and Ancient Greece
- Episode 3 – Poirot, Shadowplay, Kamala Harris and Yours Cheerfully
- Episode 2 – Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Scythe
Medium – Book
About the Book – Mark Aldridge takes us through the appearances of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, from his genesis in 1920 to the latest Poirot film, ‘Death on the Nile’ released in 2021. For each appearance of Poirot, he discusses the ways in which the character is presented – from his evolution through Christie’s writing, and then his later appearances in films, TV, radio, video games and spin-off books. He talks through Christie’s own feelings about the character and then the way that her legacy has been continued through Agatha Christie Ltd., run by (among others) her daughter, then grandson and now great-grandson.
My Rating – 5/5
My Thoughts – Agatha Christie has always been one of my favourite authors, and for a long time growing up, the Poirot adaptations with David Suchet were my favourite TV shows – I still make sure to have them on if I need something comforting (despite the murders!) This fantastic book is perfect for a Christie fan – fond, without being too sycophantic and a brilliant overview of the character, with humour along the way. I loved it. The author starts in 1920, and then goes through each appearance of Poirot in turn, from the first book all the way through to the latest film. He never gives us spoilers (although some are included in the end notes, if you want to read them) and instead encourages us to read (or watch, listen, play) each ourselves.
Up to 1975 (when the last book was produced), Aldridge talks through the books, the contemporary attitudes towards them and their strengths and weaknesses. For each adaptation of Poirot, he does the same, often throwing in reflections from those closest to Christie herself. One thing I learned through reading it was how much Christie tried to put off a television adaptation of Poirot – she was quite happy for him to be portrayed on the radio, but more reluctant on film and certainly in terms of television, which I found really interesting, especially in the light of how quickly successful books are optioned nowadays. This book was full of really interesting bits of information, and I would definitely recommend a read if you are a Poirot fan – or even if you aren’t, to be honest – there’s enough history and film criticism to keep you entertained! Be warned – you will probably want to read or re-watch stories after reading, which isn’t great if you have a massive TBR pile…
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