An Agatha Christie fan, really!!:

More than two months, about six posts, claims to be an Agatha Christie fan and not a single mention of any of her books or even one of her short stories yet. That’s what you must be thinking. I know. But so many thoughts were jumbling in my mind at the time I was preparing for this blog that it was hard to decide what to write and when to present it.

My foray into the world of children’s movies will continue further. But this time let’s return to the original object behind this blog- Agatha Christie. Among her detective characters, Hercule Poirot is my favourite, and as he also happens to be the first one created, let’s begin at the beginning.

Begin at beginning:

I plan to take the upcoming post in two parts. Meaning that, her first book- The Mysterious Affair at Styles, will be Part I of this post. Part II will be the end- i.e. Curtain- Poirot’s Last Case.

Not to say that I will only discuss Poirot mysteries. Though some of her book were published posthumously including Sleeping Murder (that features Miss Marple), it just seemed like a complete cycle. To begin and end with a Poirot novel, both of which began and ended at a countryside place called Styles.

It’s the Symmetry:

While reflecting on a way to present my first write-up on Agatha Christie I joined the two novels as it gave me a feeling of symmetry, just as Poirot likes.

Ergo the first part of the post, it will be The Mysterious Affair at Styles the first book and the first story featuring Poirot. The second part will be Curtain, which is the last case of Poirot, quite literally too.

Everything else are the in-betweens.

Part I: The Mysterious Affair at Styles:

The novel published in 1920 was actually written around the time the first world war was being fought.

Captain Arthur Hastings, the narrator and a friend of Hercule Poirot (whom he met in Belgium), is a soldier returning home for convalescence after being wounded in the war. He is invited to spend his leave by an old friend at his mother’s place, a place Captain Hastings used to go as a boy. The Styles Court in the village Styles St. Mary. Little does he know that this event is going to take him on a journey that has for over a century, enthralled suspense and mystery lovers all over the world.

Part II: Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case:

This novel was published in 1975. Although few other novels written by Ms. Christie were published after her death in 1976.

Captain Hastings again visits Poirot at Styles, at the latter’s behest. This would be their last adventure or case together. And the journey on which Captain Hastings and Poirot embarked in Styles comes to an end with the latter’s death.

The above statements might create and impression as if I was talking about an actual person. And why not, Hercule Poirot is the only fictional character to get an obituary in a newspaper.