Murder on the Orient Express - 1934
The elegant train of the 1930s, the Orient Express, is stopped by heavy snowfall, with many passengers. A murder is discovered, and Poirot's trip home to London from the Middle East is interrupted to solve the murder.Murder on the Orient Express is a detective novel by British writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934.
After taking the Taurus Express from Aleppo in Syria to Istanbul, private detective Hercule Poirot arrives at the Tokatlian Hotel. There he receives a telegram prompting him to return to London. The train is stopped by a snowdrift near Vincovci (sic). Among the several events that disturb Poirot's sleep is a cry from a neighboring compartment. The next morning, Poirot is informed that a passenger has been murdered and is asked to investigate.
Since rewatching recent movie of Murder on the Orient Express and discussing comparison, I thought I’d focus on the author in relation to her work. It amazes me that a woman born in 1890 could write murder mysteries, especially in Britain where it seems unseemly for a lady, gender cast by societal ideals as frail, helpless, and intellectually limited. Writing from the 20s till her death in 1976, Christie was named the best selling novelist of all time by the Guinness Book.
ReplyDeleteShe chose to lend her reoccurring Poirot and Miss Marple to classic motifs, which sounds like the formulaic unfortunate route of today’s best sellers. She began with a large cast of suspects. A murder is committed. Multiple suspects all have secrets which the detective gradually uncovers and connects. He then gathers all of them in one place to explain his deductive reasoning to reveal the guilty party. The killer may not be
brought to justice legally but often falls to other bad ends. Thus Christie introduced classic mystery structure to the genre.
I found comments from her diary to correspond to your own thoughts as she wrote in 1930 that she was tired of Poirot, and in 1960 she found him insufferable and an egocentric creep.
I intend to read more of her work starting with The Murder of Roger Ackroy, called the best crime novel ever written. Also I’ll look for the first Poirot, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and the final Poirot, Curtain. It might be fun to check out a Miss Marple story to compare.
It could be easy to dismiss Poirot and his books as formulaic and thin on plot. After reading “Murder,” I hesitate to do so and not just because of Christie’s place in the pantheon of the murder mystery novel. In its simple plot, Christie guides the reader on a thorough exploration of time, space, and action. Characters interact and develop in ways that might seem stiff in comparison to books of similar genre today but fit the era in which they are set and bring a refinement and elegance to tales of brutal crimes. The proliferation of the genre has made many of the devices seem quaint, repetitive, and sterile but that is with the burden of reading the book anachronistically.
ReplyDeleteThe overall plot is utterly simple: On the luxurious express train from Turkey to Calais, a passenger is found stabbed to death, and Poirot, through the power of deduction and interrogation, solves the crime. I was surprised that the vast majority of the book takes place over only two days after the train is stuck in the snow drift. With a setting like that, it takes a deft hand to not only guide but enthrall readers to follow the inevitable path to the unmasking. Christie has such skill in spades. It is fitting that the book is sectioned into acts like a stage drama though this was a common literary tool of the time. Further similarity to a stage production comes in the dialogue which is rich and colorful. Accents, vocabulary, and emphasis: it is obvious why many have wanted to adapt this to the screen as it nearly screams to be read aloud.
Christie's writing is lean and rather brisk when examined with my affection for historical language. I admit I attribute less to a writing style and more to the guarded and precise nature of English writers of the time. It is descriptive but not curious about motivations which I guess is why I found it so intriguing. The characters are developed less by being described with prose and more by their social positions and dialogue. Christie manages to say more by not saying much in that regard. Her writing drives forward but not to an obvious conclusion as to who-done-it. She includes enough twists to make all characters suspects, especially those that seemed to be previous cleared of wrong-doing. It makes the details she does include seem that much more important to the reader’s investigation of the case.
ReplyDeleteI myself, as you mention, cared little for the film version of Poirot. The book version is slightly less grating and this impression was informed by my learning that in this book, it is actually Poirot’s ninth or tenth case. He is seasoned and celebrated in his world at this point. It does help explain his attitude and confidence quite a bit more. The book version of the character seems far more disarming in his awkward physical appearance and presentation which serves to make him that much better of an investigator.
Speaking of appearances, it is telling about the importance of looks, class, and station of the time that though Poirot is physically ill-fitting compared with much of his company, he is well versed in the mannerisms, customs, gestures, and behaviors needed to navigate the various social circles in which he finds himself mixing on the stranded train. The book has such a diverse range of characters, each serving to reinforce British stereotypes of various citizens of world characters. I am, unfortunately, sure that such a cast and slant to the writing could get through the lens of social justice and Twitter outrage looming over all today, but it again adds more character to the book with the need for additional words. Reading it as a development of global and international awareness, it is an interesting study of the history of inter-societal interaction.
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest elements of the book is its tightness and economy of words. The plot moves forward, the arrest looms, but despite the linear progress and grand theater of the final revelation, the book makes up with ingenuity what it lacks in reality. Most interestingly, the book still manages to leave room for moral consideration. One is forced to consider the power of grief and trust and the effect those powers can have on justice.
Christie’s brilliance and acclaim is well deserved. The book is enjoyable and engaging but has the increasingly rare benefit of resolution. It can be read quickly but that diminish the experience whatsoever. It does lend itself to film and the most recent Branagh offering is a fitting tribute aesthetically. Watching the movie with the benefit of having read the book actually increases the enjoyment gleaned from the film as one can study portrayals and artistic elements not necessary to the prose.