Sadly this novel is representative of a common phenomenon even absent mental decline: publishers not bothering to edit or refuse submissions from long-term, big name authors. The foundations of this novel might have sufficed as a short story or as a minor side plot in an earlier Christie, but it just can't support a full-length book. Will you be tackling Postern of Fate? No shame in saying no, haha.
Maybe at some point. "Curtain" will almost certainly be next (though I haven't read it yet). In tomorrow's video I'll talk first briefly about The Big Four, but then I'll spend a few minutes at the end pondering what'll be next for me after that in terms of Poirot, Christie, and detective fiction in general.
This novel and Postern of Fate were used as a source by scientists to prove, that Christie was probably suffering from Alzheimer, when writing them. Which makes the whole memory theme rather sad, as it was probably what Christie was feeling herself. Still, the book should never have been published, and Postern of Fate for sure shouldn't have been.
Yes I heard about this, I think among other things the linguistic complexity really declined in this one relative to even the most recent ones before it
If you want to read Christie's worst book, just for curiosity's sake, read "Postern of Fate". At least the first chapter or two...
This one was pretty rough. I thought she had beaten the "elephants" theme to death early on, but then she exhumed it and resumed the flogging. 😭
Spot on - and very entertaining - you are always interesting when you dislike a book.
Sadly this novel is representative of a common phenomenon even absent mental decline: publishers not bothering to edit or refuse submissions from long-term, big name authors. The foundations of this novel might have sufficed as a short story or as a minor side plot in an earlier Christie, but it just can't support a full-length book.
Will you be tackling Postern of Fate? No shame in saying no, haha.
Maybe at some point. "Curtain" will almost certainly be next (though I haven't read it yet). In tomorrow's video I'll talk first briefly about The Big Four, but then I'll spend a few minutes at the end pondering what'll be next for me after that in terms of Poirot, Christie, and detective fiction in general.
This novel and Postern of Fate were used as a source by scientists to prove, that Christie was probably suffering from Alzheimer, when writing them. Which makes the whole memory theme rather sad, as it was probably what Christie was feeling herself. Still, the book should never have been published, and Postern of Fate for sure shouldn't have been.
Yes I heard about this, I think among other things the linguistic complexity really declined in this one relative to even the most recent ones before it