Friday, July 16, 2010

My first Agatha Christie


All my life I've been around people who love Agatha Christie. My mom was an avid reader of mysteries and loved Dame Agatha. Everyone seemed to love her books; people were always surprised when I said I'd never read any. Maybe that's why I avoided reading them.

A few weeks ago I was scanning the movie offerings at the library and saw Death on the Nile. I thought that looked good so I brought it home. We never did watch it (we rarely actually watch any of the movies we get from the library), but for some reason I requested the book that same day. I was in a fever to read something by Agatha Christie.

And now I'm glad I did. It was an easy novel to read and enjoy. I thought I had the killer(s) figured out pretty early on. Then, I wasn't so sure. Then, I was sure again. There was a lot of back and forth - guessing and second-guessing. Quite fun! I thought it was going to be gruesome; it was more light-hearted in tone than I expected. Well, as light-hearted as a book with multiple murders can be. Or maybe I just read it that way. I hate bleak, dark books with no light to them so maybe I just didn't want this book to be like that.

I'm sure I'll read another Agatha Christie novel. In fact, I have Murder on the Orient Express in the library basket right now. Mom would be pleased.

3 comments:

DADvocate said...

I love Agatha Christie. I've read many of her books. "Murder on the Orient Express" is excellent. I can't remember if I read "Death on the Nile" or not. I also like "Ten Little Indians" and any story with Hercule Poirot in it.

I went to a grade school on the opposite side of the block from the Knoxville's main children's library. I loved mysteries so much I read every mystery book in the library. The Sherlock Holmes stories are excellent also. You learn a lot about deductive logic, too. My favorite lesson from Sherlock Holmes is "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". If you read Sherlock Holmes, be sure to read "Silver Blaze" and find out why it's important that the dog didn't bark.

And, forgive me if you've already read Sherlock Holmes. Keep reading mysteries, they'll help develop your reasoning powers.

Marbel said...

DAD, thanks for the comment. I have read a little Sherlock Holmes but it has been years. He is the granddaddy of them all, isn't he?

I've never liked mysteries all that much, except Nancy Drew when I was younger. But now I feel attracted to them for some reason. Maybe my brain is telling me to read them to keep senility at bay.

DADvocate said...

I read some Nance Drew and The Hardy Boys, too. Mysteries are still my preferred form of fiction to read or watch.