| Dame Agatha Christie at her typewriter (15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976) |
This is Dame Agatha Christie's birthday. Today, her cake would have to be large enough to hold 123 candles.
If you are a fan of this mystery writer, as I am, you will never run out of things to read as she penned almost 70 books, over 100 short stories, as well as plays - those with original plots as well as those adapted from her novels.
I saw her play The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre in London twice - once in 1982 and again in 2002. I was just as surprised upon the revelation of the murderer the first time as I was twenty years later! It is the longest running play ever. It had its 25,000th performance last November and is still going. I do remember that the audience is asked to keep the ending a secret - my lips are sealed.
There is much to be learned about this beloved author online and I will let you do your own research if you are so inclined. To get you started though, here is a link to a short video about her courtesy of Biography.com.
Agatha Christie, An Autobiography was published in 1977, the year after her death. I have added it to my TBR list even though it is some 600 pages long! I am currently reading her memoir, Come, Tell Me How You Live, which is a very amusing tale of her experiences with her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, in the Middle East.
Ms. Christie's former home in Devon is open to the public and contains many of her family pieces. It would be a wonderful place to visit. For a glimpse, here is a link to the National Trust's page featuring Greenway Estate.
For tonight, to celebrate her birthday, I rented the DVD The Murder on the Links with David Suchet as the dapper M. Hercule Poirot (my favorite of her detectives). I recently read the book and wrote about it here. It will be fun to watch the story unfold on screen. As I remember, the plot has many twists and turns. Just what this mystery writer is famous for.
How will you celebrate Dame Agatha Christie's birthday?
I just might have to pull out my copy of And Then There Were None (formerly Ten Little Indians) in honor of Dame Agatha's birthday; it's my favorite Christie novel...and one I haven't read in awhile.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is a good one, Lark. I re-read it last year and as always was in awe of Christie's cleverness. It is a great movie too.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Agatha! I have a copy of her autobiography, too. It looks awfully good, but I don't know if I'll ever get to it.
ReplyDeleteI've read all the Jane Marple books, but am sometimes confused about which Hercule Poiret mysteries I've read. It doesn't really matter, since they're all so good.
You are so right, Kat. The only characters I haven't really cared about are Tommy and Tuppence. Maybe I should give them another chance.
DeleteNow that you've reminded me, I think I'll read one of her mysteries or do what you're planning to do, watch one of the many excellent TV or movie adaptations.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to check the dates, but we may have been in the audience together for The Mousetrap in London! Wouldn't that be eerie?!
Wouldn't that be funny, Joan, if we had been sitting next to each other in the darkened theatre! I was in London both times in September. I hope you haven't given away the play's ending...
DeleteI love watching the Poirot mysteries. It is fun to see the fashions and the location shots. And I love hearing his French!
Never, never would I give away the ending!
DeleteWe only went to England in September, October, or November, or, one year, in March. I went to the Chelsea Flower Show about 13 years ago, so that would have been May. So, it's very possible we saw the show together!
Let's just say we did see it together!
DeleteAh, the Chelsea Flower Show. How wonderful. Did you ever visit the Chelsea Physic Garden? It is such a lovely, quiet spot near the Royal Hospital.
Dame Agatha is one of my favorite authors and I have an extensive collection of paperbacks I picked up beginning in my teen years. I love that even though I've read each one more than once, I still often forget whodunit (not sure if that's a tribute to her skill, or a sad commentary on my memory). I would LOVE to visit her home someday, and it would be awesome if I could take my mom, who introduced me to Agatha Christie in the first place. Don't know that this will ever happen, but a girl can dream.
ReplyDeleteDavid Suchet is my favorite Poirot too--hope you enjoyed your Agatha Christie celebration!
Kathy, I don't think I own a one of Christie's books although I have read many, many of them - some more than once.
DeleteAt one time I did own a hardcover edition that contained the first and last Poirot mysteries but couldn't bring myself to read his final case, 'Curtain'. To this day I have not read that one! I finally gave the book away. It made me sad to see it on the shelf and to think that there was No More Poirot...
A trip to Greenway Estate would be thrilling wouldn't it? We could meet there and enjoy a cup of tea and a scone. Get your passport ready!
Funny you should mention Curtain--I've only read it once. It's just too sad.
DeleteI would love to meet you at Greenway Estate for tea and scones. My passport is ready!
By the way, did you know that Agatha Christie wrote several books under the pen name of Mary Westmacott? I've read several of those as well, and remember being very taken by Absent in the Spring when I was younger. I'd like to reread it to see if I still like it as well.
Kathy, thanks for confirming my determination not to read 'Curtain'. Hercule lives on in my world!
DeleteI don't think I knew about the Westmacott pen name and books. 'Absent in the Spring' got rave reviews. I will have to give it a try.
I wonder why an author chooses to write under another name? I think sometimes it has to do with a contract with his or her publisher. I will have to investigate this.