Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mini Review: Agatha Christie Bedside Companion


Ok...I'll confess.  I've never read an Agatha Christie mystery.   We inherited this book, and when I discovered it on a shelf several weeks ago, I was delighted because I thought it was an anthology of her works, or at least a sampling, and would be a great introduction to this famous writer.

WRONG!  Julian Symonds has edited this mishmash of items about Agatha Christie, including everything from reviews to articles, to publicity shots; it does not however contain any of her writings. The small (think about 8) font makes it difficult to read at night, and its large and heavy size makes it (in spite of what the title proclaims ) a "not for bathtubs" book.  As an armchair companion it works, but it's much more a reference, browsing book than one to read cover-to-cover. And again, I confess, I did not, could not, can not, and will not, am I sounding like a Dr. Seuss book? read it all. I slogged through quite a bit of it, enough to realize that she is a highly regarded writer, and obviously worthy of the accolades compiled here.

If you're a Christie fan, you might like it.  If like me, you've still got to cut your teeth, I suspect this is not the place to start. It did induce me to read one of her stories to find out what all the excitement is really about.

2 comments:

  1. I'm sorry, but my jaw just hit the floor. NEVER?!

    I'm biased though. I picked up one of her Miss Marple mysteries when I was 14. That was the beginning of my love of reading for myself. Before that I only really read what I had to read for school.

    Murder with Mirrors also called They Do It with Mirrors and Body in the Library are two of my personal favorites. I find the Marples much easier to read than the Poirots. He's much more enjoyable when played by David Suchet on PBS.

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  2. Fear not....I absolutely promise to read one and listen to another one before the end of the year. Even if I have to drop some more recent books sitting here. Enough if enough, and I've put it off too long.

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