Celebrating 100 Years of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot
This year is the 100th anniversary of the creation of Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie. Let’s look at the two books marking this centennial.
You might first think of Sherlock Holmes when you think of a literary detective, but, let’s face it: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle doesn’t hold the title of “Queen of Crime”. No, that belongs to Dame Agatha Christie. Her books have sold over 2 billion, with a b, copies worldwide. Of course, her most famous creation may very well be Hercule Poirot, who first appeared in The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written 100 years ago this year.
“But wait,” you may be saying, “Styles was published in 1920!”
But wait, we say back! Christie really did write Styles in 1916. In other words, yes, it’s Poirot’s 100th anniversary…just of his creation. With such a momentous occasion, not only do we have a little gray book of Poirot, we have a fresh mystery starring the Belgian detective, Closed Casket.
First up is Little Grey Cells: The Quotable Poirot, out this week. As we mentioned, it’s a little gray book. (It could probably fit in a large pocket, actually, which is pretty clever all on its own…unless you have no pockets.)
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It opens with a short essay by Christie herself, discussing her now-famous complex relationship with her little detective. Then, though, we simply have Poirot in his own words, compiling quotations from the novels and short stories where he appears, divided into themes like Poirot talking about himself, about Captain Hastings, women, and more. Naturally, you’ve also got plenty of Monsieur Poirot talking about his superior mustache game. Often funny and always witty, the quotations have been selected with what looks like a lot of care.
The book closes us out with another short essay from Christie.
And Now for Closed Casket
Now, though, Christie fans, we have a fresh Poirot for your reading pleasure. This past September, Sophie Hannah delivered a second continuation after 2014’s The Monogram Murders. The Monogram Murders was good.
Closed Casket ended up better overall, in my humble opinion. Poirot takes a trip to County Cork in Ireland at the behest of children’s book author Lady Athelinda Playford, who expects some murder to go down at her estate. After all, she’s just changed her will, and now will leave a sizable fortune to her secretary.
Once again, we inhabit the mind of Inspector Edward Catchpool throughout the book, who first appeared in Monogram Murders. Depending on how you feel about Catchpool, this may be a feature or a bug.
The violence certainly has stepped up from the Christie-written books, which again may be a turn off for purists. However, considering the title of the book alone, it’s not completely unexpected.
It appears that Hannah’s avoided a second-book slump and has instead managed a good Christie pastiche. If you’re a Poirot fan, pick it up and give it a shot. If you want your friends to be Poirot fans, this book doesn’t seem like a terrible entry point, either.
Next: Review: A Study in Scarlet Women, Sherry Thomas
You can find both Little Grey Cells and Closed Casket at your bookseller of choice.