MobileRead Discussion: The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie (spoilers)

pilotbob · 09-19-2009, 11:58 PM

Let's discuss the MRBC September selection, _The Mysterious Affair at Styles_ by Agatha Christie.

Blanka · 09-22-2009, 06:49 PM

Well I quite liked it

lilac_jive · 09-22-2009, 06:59 PM

Loved it! I totally didn't see that ending coming! I've kind of given up trying to figure out what is going on in her books, because I never figure it out. So I just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. Maybe if I read more I'll get used to her style and figure things out better, but honestly I'm not sure if I want to

On another note, does anyone else want to read the runner up, Murder Must Advertise?

pilotbob · 09-22-2009, 07:21 PM

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit tough at the beginning... she introduces a lot of characters and used both their first and last names quite a bit.... so it was hard to follow. I had to be back a few times and see... of was Evelin, Ms Canterbury (or whatever) until I got the characters straight.

My biggest issue with many mysteries is that it is almost impossible to figure it out... because the detective knows information that is not revealed...

But, it was a lot of fun. Hercule is my favorite Christie detective.

BOb

AnemicOak · 09-22-2009, 11:28 PM

This was my first time reading a Christie novel, at least as far as I can remember.

I liked it for the most part. Lots of characters, lots of clues providing some twists and turns, the culprit isn't obvious halfway through the book. A good solid mystery.

NormHart · 09-23-2009, 11:49 AM

She is one of my favorite authors in this genera and created some of the most odd lead characters in the genera IMO. This was her first novel and introduces Hercule Poirot, who is in 32 more novels and 54 short stories. Naturally I couldn't resist comparing the book to the BBC television series and I have to say that the book and the TV series both stood up very well, which is not always the case. I was highly amused to see that Hercule's subtle put downs of Captain Hastings as portrayed on TV were actually in the book. I had missed those the first time I'd read some of the Poirot books many years ago. Quite possibly the best known Poirot story is the wonderful Murder On The Orient Express.

It is interesting and somewhat puzzling that all three of the top poll nominees were all written in the 1920s. All three were pleasant reads but The Mysterious Affair At Styles was far and away the best. Best written and best mystery in my opinion, I thought there were sufficient clues to enable me to solve the mystery prior to Poirot, although it was touch and go.

I want to thank who ever it was that suggested the Charlie Chan mysteries, having the collection of the first six available here at MR is wonderful and I am midway through the fifth book now. Lovely period stuff about America in the '20s and especially Hawaii and San Francisco as well as being cracking good mysteries.

CharlieBird · 09-25-2009, 11:10 PM

Well, I finished re-reading about 2:00 a.m. w/the same frustration I felt initially in trying to follow the cups, the cocoa and the coffee. Decided it didn't matter that much as it was a pretty good read overall. I didn't remember Poirot as such a romantic from my recollection of the BBC Mystery productions. I did love his description of Miss Howard as "...an excellent specimen of well-balanced English beef and brawn..sanity itself." I sort of agree w/NormHart but this is a rare instance when I'd choose the visual.

I also read the nominated Sayers' Murder Must Advertise which I also liked. I was surprised that advertising was seen much the same in the 1930s as it is now.

I also think it notable the difference in early English and U.S. detectives. Even when the English fellows started turning a bit scruffy, when? in the 70s or so... they seem to retain a patina of upper class intelligentsia. Maybe excepting Ms. Marple.

I'm off to see about The Chinese Parrot. Know nothing of C.Chan, but don't have an image of him as what I think of as "typical" U.S.

PennyPie · 09-27-2009, 06:54 AM

My 1st Agatha Christie. Mystery/Thriller is one of my favorite genres, so I throroughly enjoyed this. The suprise ending was truly a suprise to me...I don't try to 2nd guess too much...I'm not the sharpest of detectives, but get 'that nagging feeling' that there was some reason for making some point (the author as he/she writes), which will show up later. But I'm not the one for figuring out the mystery...I, like our characters, have to be led along to the final act.

Now, I also sometimes don't pay real close attention to detail (or forget immediatly after reading) but it was news to me that there had been a former 'relationship' between our killer & the spouse of the deceased.

I guess I also have not seen any of the films her stories were made into.
Anyway....her (Christie's) writing is fun and am looking forward to reading more of her.

It's nice...I'm reading things I would never have thought of reading since getting my ereader.

HarryT · 09-27-2009, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

My biggest issue with many mysteries is that it is almost impossible to figure it out... because the detective knows information that is not revealed...

That is regarded as "not playing fair" when it comes to good detective stories. The reader should always have access to the same clues as the detective, and have as fair a chance of "solving" the crime.

pilotbob · 09-27-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That is regarded as "not playing fair" when it comes to good detective stories. The reader should always have access to the same clues as the detective, and have as fair a chance of "solving" the crime.

I seemed to find that it happened a lot in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Or maybe I just missed it.

BOb

JSWolf · 09-27-2009, 02:11 PM

I found Poirot to be a little bit like Monk with his having to straighten the vases.

Elsi · 09-27-2009, 04:52 PM

This is one of the few book club books that I finished reading. (Some day I'll go back and finish A Passage to India.) I had never read any of Agatha Christie's books though I am very fond of the BBC productions of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

I was surprised that this book from the 1920s was just as easy to read -- and just as "modern" -- as many of the contemporary mystery novels I read. It was a bit short, but I think that's also typical of the time. I was willing to accuse different characters at different times. I was surprised that once "cleared" a character would wind up being suspected again. I think that was the twist that kept everyone on their toes.

Patricia · 09-27-2009, 05:17 PM

I believe that it was Wilkie Collins who first established the "fair play" rule in The Moonstone. The reader is given all the information necessary to solve the problem themself, unlike Conan Doyle's stories.

I feel that it cheats the readers if they aren't given a fair chance to solve the puzzle for themselves.

AnemicOak · 09-27-2009, 05:30 PM

I was interested to find out that this book resulted from a bet with her sister Madge that she couldn't write a detective story.

True or just one of those stories that get passed around?

pilotbob · 09-27-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I was interested to find out that this book resulted from a bet with her sister Madge that she couldn't write a detective story.

True or just one of those stories that get passed around?

I don't know, but if it is true... thank you so much to Madge. I have read and enjoyed many of Christie's books.

If I am correct isn't Agatha Christie still the best selling author of all time?

BOb

09-19-2009, 11:58 PM	#1
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 18,750 Karma: 4233896 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Discussion: The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie (spoilers) Let's discuss the MRBC September selection, _The Mysterious Affair at Styles_ by Agatha Christie. __________________ Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence. --Napoleon Bonaparte

09-22-2009, 06:59 PM	#3
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,871 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Loved it! I totally didn't see that ending coming! I've kind of given up trying to figure out what is going on in her books, because I never figure it out. So I just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story. Maybe if I read more I'll get used to her style and figure things out better, but honestly I'm not sure if I want to On another note, does anyone else want to read the runner up, Murder Must Advertise? __________________ Need something to read? Check out my blog, The Book Plate! http://bookplatereads.blogspot.com (Yes, I'm finally updating it!!)

09-22-2009, 07:21 PM	#4
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 18,750 Karma: 4233896 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	I enjoyed this book. It was a bit tough at the beginning... she introduces a lot of characters and used both their first and last names quite a bit.... so it was hard to follow. I had to be back a few times and see... of was Evelin, Ms Canterbury (or whatever) until I got the characters straight. My biggest issue with many mysteries is that it is almost impossible to figure it out... because the detective knows information that is not revealed... But, it was a lot of fun. Hercule is my favorite Christie detective. BOb __________________ Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence. --Napoleon Bonaparte

09-22-2009, 11:28 PM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 7,389 Karma: 18766781 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: AuraHD, Nook HD+, Kindle 2,3,T , Opus, TF101, Nexus7, iPT, iPhone5	This was my first time reading a Christie novel, at least as far as I can remember. I liked it for the most part. Lots of characters, lots of clues providing some twists and turns, the culprit isn't obvious halfway through the book. A good solid mystery. __________________ ~Brian "The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible." — Mark Twain Last edited by AnemicOak; 09-23-2009 at 11:59 AM.

09-23-2009, 11:49 AM	#6
NormHart Semper Carpe Bufo Posts: 536 Karma: 21626 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Napa Valley, California Device: Kindle2 & Kindle3	She is one of my favorite authors in this genera and created some of the most odd lead characters in the genera IMO. This was her first novel and introduces Hercule Poirot, who is in 32 more novels and 54 short stories. Naturally I couldn't resist comparing the book to the BBC television series and I have to say that the book and the TV series both stood up very well, which is not always the case. I was highly amused to see that Hercule's subtle put downs of Captain Hastings as portrayed on TV were actually in the book. I had missed those the first time I'd read some of the Poirot books many years ago. Quite possibly the best known Poirot story is the wonderful Murder On The Orient Express. It is interesting and somewhat puzzling that all three of the top poll nominees were all written in the 1920s. All three were pleasant reads but The Mysterious Affair At Styles was far and away the best. Best written and best mystery in my opinion, I thought there were sufficient clues to enable me to solve the mystery prior to Poirot, although it was touch and go. I want to thank who ever it was that suggested the Charlie Chan mysteries, having the collection of the first six available here at MR is wonderful and I am midway through the fifth book now. Lovely period stuff about America in the '20s and especially Hawaii and San Francisco as well as being cracking good mysteries. __________________ Webscriptions!!! Eleven years of DRM free goodness!

09-22-2009, 06:49 PM	#2
Blanka Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 16 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: prs-505	Well I quite liked it

09-25-2009, 11:10 PM	#7
CharlieBird ¿Huh? Posts: 310 Karma: 997416 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: rural Jalisco Device: enTourage PE	Well, I finished re-reading about 2:00 a.m. w/the same frustration I felt initially in trying to follow the cups, the cocoa and the coffee. Decided it didn't matter that much as it was a pretty good read overall. I didn't remember Poirot as such a romantic from my recollection of the BBC Mystery productions. I did love his description of Miss Howard as "...an excellent specimen of well-balanced English beef and brawn..sanity itself." I sort of agree w/NormHart but this is a rare instance when I'd choose the visual. I also read the nominated Sayers' Murder Must Advertise which I also liked. I was surprised that advertising was seen much the same in the 1930s as it is now. I also think it notable the difference in early English and U.S. detectives. Even when the English fellows started turning a bit scruffy, when? in the 70s or so... they seem to retain a patina of upper class intelligentsia. Maybe excepting Ms. Marple. I'm off to see about The Chinese Parrot. Know nothing of C.Chan, but don't have an image of him as what I think of as "typical" U.S.

09-27-2009, 06:54 AM	#8
PennyPie Cocoa & Toast...mmmmmm... Posts: 276 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio Device: Sony PRS-700, iPhone	My 1st Agatha Christie. Mystery/Thriller is one of my favorite genres, so I throroughly enjoyed this. The suprise ending was truly a suprise to me...I don't try to 2nd guess too much...I'm not the sharpest of detectives, but get 'that nagging feeling' that there was some reason for making some point (the author as he/she writes), which will show up later. But I'm not the one for figuring out the mystery...I, like our characters, have to be led along to the final act. Now, I also sometimes don't pay real close attention to detail (or forget immediatly after reading) but it was news to me that there had been a former 'relationship' between our killer & the spouse of the deceased. I guess I also have not seen any of the films her stories were made into. Anyway....her (Christie's) writing is fun and am looking forward to reading more of her. It's nice...I'm reading things I would never have thought of reading since getting my ereader. __________________ Penny

09-27-2009, 02:11 PM	#11
JSWolf Mobile Reader Geek Posts: 34,204 Karma: 13801264 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Sony Reader PRS-650, iPad	I found Poirot to be a little bit like Monk with his having to straighten the vases. __________________ Jon 2013 Reading List

09-27-2009, 04:52 PM	#12
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,374 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	This is one of the few book club books that I finished reading. (Some day I'll go back and finish *A Passage to India.) I had never read any of Agatha Christie's books though I am very fond of the BBC productions of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. I was surprised that this book from the 1920s was just as easy to read -- and just as "modern" -- as many of the contemporary mystery novels I read. It was a bit short, but I think that's also typical of the time. I was willing to accuse different characters at different times. I was surprised that once "cleared" a character would wind up being suspected again. I think that was the twist that kept everyone on their toes. __________________ Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.* -- Henry David Thoreau Currently reading: *Kiln People* by David Brin (MM Paperback) ... *A Play of Isaac* by Margaret Frazer (Kindle) ... *Birthright* by Nora Roberts (Audio CD) Books read in 2009: 117

09-27-2009, 05:17 PM	#13
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,527 Karma: 1199598 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I believe that it was Wilkie Collins who first established the "fair play" rule in The Moonstone. The reader is given all the information necessary to solve the problem themself, unlike Conan Doyle's stories. I feel that it cheats the readers if they aren't given a fair chance to solve the puzzle for themselves. __________________ Of making many books there is no end [Ecclesiastes, 12.12]

09-27-2009, 05:30 PM	#14
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 7,389 Karma: 18766781 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: AuraHD, Nook HD+, Kindle 2,3,T , Opus, TF101, Nexus7, iPT, iPhone5	I was interested to find out that this book resulted from a bet with her sister Madge that she couldn't write a detective story. True or just one of those stories that get passed around? __________________ ~Brian "The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible." — Mark Twain

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