Love Aggie so of course loved this. Thank you. I re-read all her books not for whodunnit - for the quality of the writing. Can't cope with Poirot - don't think Ms C could in the end - not credible but can easily believe there is a Miss Marple in every English village. Joan Hickson was the best. In 1946, Ms C saw Joan (40) on stage in her play Appointment with Death (the role of Miss Pryce). She was so impressed she sent Hickson a note: "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple." Joan was a bit miffed that Ms C thought she looked like an old lady. Almost ten years after Ms C's death, she accepted the honour when she was 78 and played Miss Marple until she was 86. Her fans included HRH Elizabeth II who told Joan that she was the most book-accurate. She retired after playing Miss M for of all twelve AC novels featuring her. Her last appearance was in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side BBC 1992. Joan Hicksn died in 1998, age 92.
You might be pleased to know that I lived in the same village as Joan Hickson growing up. I saw "The Mirror Crack'd" on TV, which I really loved. I was about 11 and thought ot was amazing. Then my dad told me Miss Marple lived in our village - and she did! Because you could actually see Joan riding through the village on her bicycle. Miss Marple is real!!
What a fabulous interview! I love Laura's 'stack, so it was great to "hear" your interview! (Thank you for the transcript, btw, as I'm deaf!).
I love Christie and I also love Simenon's Maigret novels - there's a lightness to those books too which compares with Christie. They're short but there's something so profound in them about human nature, especially the hard-scrabble of 20th century capitalism. As with Christie, it's often the money, and with both of them I often think back to William Palmer, "The Rugeley Poisoner". Ending up in horrendous debt and putting life insurance on everyone.... His writing has taught me lot as a writer - those wonderful descriptions where in the space of a short paragraph, you're in a rainy Paris street in November. Fabulous!
📚Great discussion on Agatha Christie. I particularly liked the back and forth, give and take. Responses didn’t feel rehearsed, and I liked the pauses in the discussion for considering and thinking before answering.
Laura and Henry, I ran across this yesterday and haven’t yet listened but I will. Currently rereading Murder on the Orient Express ~~ one of two AC mysteries whose denouement cannot be forgotten. I had forgotten how well it is constructed and written.
Possibly just writing to myself here, but I got around to listening to part of that podcast yesterday and it’s kind of horrible for the most part. Not recommended!
But one important thing I did pick up (that I hadn’t known) is that Murder On the Orient Express was based on the LINDBERGH kidnapping case. And that Agatha Christie’s dénouement was a nod to justice ~~ outside the law.
I believe I read all of Agatha Christie growing up, but this conversation unleashed me with the freedom to read a bunch of them again. I read everything on my Kindle now and have for years, but unfortunately, most of these books are quite expensive. So that is the restraint. The cool part is then I can instantly look up translations for all of Poirot’s little French interjections. (This feature worked to great advantage with War & Peace also!)
I had incoming houseguests when this substack arrived, so I read through it quickly, bookmarked for later and later finally came. I’ve now read through it slowly and deliciously with a page of notes.
I read all of Christie growing up, then abandoned her for decades until I decided to read a couple to and with my granddaughter. What fun we had. I’d told her AC lays out all the clues if the reader can identify and follow them. She stopped our reading constantly to query this or that. She solved Cat Among the Pigeons before it ended and almost solved Roger Ackroyd! Personally I thought she should include this on her college applications (what a brutal business that’s become).
Anyway after War & Peace and a string of Jane Austen I decided to read a few Christie’s, and she’s just a damn good writer so that will be my next only-slightly-guilty string as well.
Another of my slightly-guilty pleasures a few years back was Patricia Highsmith.
Just read murder on the links and it is absolutely bizarre and kind of horrible. Is there a worse Christie‽ Was she trying to go through an oddly romantic period? That’s the only thing I can fathom. Do NOT recommend! I am mildly curious about what has been written about that book.
Very enjoyable, sadly my bookshelves are soon piling up a larger back log, I someday will read about 4 books now. Such a good pod cast. Christy is that gateway to harder and different books. She just got me to read much and depth in her works, I stumbled into other books in English lit and Latin in high school , but without Christy I would never had the same hunger at the right time.
Thank you Henry. What a true pleasure to speak to you! No better way to spend an afternoon.
Thanks too for your lovely words.
Love Aggie so of course loved this. Thank you. I re-read all her books not for whodunnit - for the quality of the writing. Can't cope with Poirot - don't think Ms C could in the end - not credible but can easily believe there is a Miss Marple in every English village. Joan Hickson was the best. In 1946, Ms C saw Joan (40) on stage in her play Appointment with Death (the role of Miss Pryce). She was so impressed she sent Hickson a note: "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple." Joan was a bit miffed that Ms C thought she looked like an old lady. Almost ten years after Ms C's death, she accepted the honour when she was 78 and played Miss Marple until she was 86. Her fans included HRH Elizabeth II who told Joan that she was the most book-accurate. She retired after playing Miss M for of all twelve AC novels featuring her. Her last appearance was in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side BBC 1992. Joan Hicksn died in 1998, age 92.
You might be pleased to know that I lived in the same village as Joan Hickson growing up. I saw "The Mirror Crack'd" on TV, which I really loved. I was about 11 and thought ot was amazing. Then my dad told me Miss Marple lived in our village - and she did! Because you could actually see Joan riding through the village on her bicycle. Miss Marple is real!!
Lucky you. Huge fan of Ms Hickson. Loved her underacting. Did she have a big send off? Where is she resting?
What a fabulous interview! I love Laura's 'stack, so it was great to "hear" your interview! (Thank you for the transcript, btw, as I'm deaf!).
I love Christie and I also love Simenon's Maigret novels - there's a lightness to those books too which compares with Christie. They're short but there's something so profound in them about human nature, especially the hard-scrabble of 20th century capitalism. As with Christie, it's often the money, and with both of them I often think back to William Palmer, "The Rugeley Poisoner". Ending up in horrendous debt and putting life insurance on everyone.... His writing has taught me lot as a writer - those wonderful descriptions where in the space of a short paragraph, you're in a rainy Paris street in November. Fabulous!
📚Great discussion on Agatha Christie. I particularly liked the back and forth, give and take. Responses didn’t feel rehearsed, and I liked the pauses in the discussion for considering and thinking before answering.
Absolutely delightful. Thank you for doing this.
Can't wait to listen!
Laura and Henry, I ran across this yesterday and haven’t yet listened but I will. Currently rereading Murder on the Orient Express ~~ one of two AC mysteries whose denouement cannot be forgotten. I had forgotten how well it is constructed and written.
This podcast looks like fun.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/old-school-with-shilo-brooks/id1841566275?i=1000769975364
Possibly just writing to myself here, but I got around to listening to part of that podcast yesterday and it’s kind of horrible for the most part. Not recommended!
But one important thing I did pick up (that I hadn’t known) is that Murder On the Orient Express was based on the LINDBERGH kidnapping case. And that Agatha Christie’s dénouement was a nod to justice ~~ outside the law.
Thanks I shall avoid!
I believe I read all of Agatha Christie growing up, but this conversation unleashed me with the freedom to read a bunch of them again. I read everything on my Kindle now and have for years, but unfortunately, most of these books are quite expensive. So that is the restraint. The cool part is then I can instantly look up translations for all of Poirot’s little French interjections. (This feature worked to great advantage with War & Peace also!)
I had incoming houseguests when this substack arrived, so I read through it quickly, bookmarked for later and later finally came. I’ve now read through it slowly and deliciously with a page of notes.
I read all of Christie growing up, then abandoned her for decades until I decided to read a couple to and with my granddaughter. What fun we had. I’d told her AC lays out all the clues if the reader can identify and follow them. She stopped our reading constantly to query this or that. She solved Cat Among the Pigeons before it ended and almost solved Roger Ackroyd! Personally I thought she should include this on her college applications (what a brutal business that’s become).
Anyway after War & Peace and a string of Jane Austen I decided to read a few Christie’s, and she’s just a damn good writer so that will be my next only-slightly-guilty string as well.
Another of my slightly-guilty pleasures a few years back was Patricia Highsmith.
Thanks for the convo, a true treat!
Just read murder on the links and it is absolutely bizarre and kind of horrible. Is there a worse Christie‽ Was she trying to go through an oddly romantic period? That’s the only thing I can fathom. Do NOT recommend! I am mildly curious about what has been written about that book.
Very enjoyable, sadly my bookshelves are soon piling up a larger back log, I someday will read about 4 books now. Such a good pod cast. Christy is that gateway to harder and different books. She just got me to read much and depth in her works, I stumbled into other books in English lit and Latin in high school , but without Christy I would never had the same hunger at the right time.