Do you like Agatha Christie?

[seagull]

I thought I'd hijack this thread, sorry! I'm just wondering if it's worth reading the Poirot's in the reading order? I'd like to read the major ones (if you get what I mean) in chronological order before I read the minor ones but don't want any of the minor ones to be spoiled!

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by seagull

I thought I'd hijack this thread, sorry! I'm just wondering if it's worth reading the Poirot's in the reading order? I'd like to read the major ones (if you get what I mean) in chronological order before I read the minor ones but don't want any of the minor ones to be spoiled!

I would try, but I've never seen Christie give away one book in another (occasionally she alludes to other cases, but that's about as far as it gets).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I would try, but I've never seen Christie give away one book in another (occasionally she alludes to other cases, but that's about as far as it gets).

Actually, in the case of the "Poirot" books it happens "big time", so it's a very good idea to read them in order; he frequently refers back to his earlier cases and gives away the solution. Eg, in "Cards on the Table", he gives away the solution to "Murder on the Orient Express", while in "Hercule Poirot's Christmas", he describes the solution to "Three Act Tragedy". There are also minor characters who appear in multiple books, and often refer back to their previous encounters with Poirot. It really is advisable to read them in the right order .

[Ghostwalk]

I started reading Christie’s during my teen; and occasionally now still read her, and find the stories as delightful. I think one doesn’t read Christie’s for literary value; Christie is not Joyce after all. But if you enjoy puzzles as I do, you’d find that this lady constructed some of the most formidably elegant puzzles in the history of the genre. Over the years, I’ve read many more crime/mystery stories from various other writers, and nobody came close. Do I like Agatha Christie's? I do.