The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
General Musings: Day 5 and I have two articles and some school work due today. Yesterday I read three chapters of Chandler's The Big Sleep before I realized it is not on the 501 book list (I was at the library and my memory failed me--I should have been reading Hammett's The Red Harvest). Last night I worked a slow shift so I got in some good reading (of actual books on the list).
It occurs to me that many people are questioning how I go about reading the books--allow me to explain. The vast majority of the books on the 501 list I have not read, however, I have read some of them. Strategically, I have decided to sometimes reread a book I'm already familiar with and that buys me a great deal of time in getting around to reading the bulk of books I have not. Moreover, many books (especially in the Children's Fiction section) are quick reads and I can read several a day. Lamentably, since I have not read most of the books and most are not quick reads I still have much reading to do and my diminishing buffer of books that I have read will mean few breaks-- Proust's Remembrance of Things Past alone is 3000 pages of postmodern angst! I'll include a page tally in the near future.
The Mission: 501 books in 501 days culled arbitrarily from the tome 501 Must Read Books.
Today's novel (Thriller): Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Preface: When I was a teenager I loved Agatha Christie mysteries, especially ones with Hercule Poirot--I think I read most of them. I remember doing an oral book report on Agatha Christie's autobiography in the eighth grade--desperate for a word to describe Christie's modesty my mother suggested the word "demure". Henceforth I was known as a chappy (to use a chappy slang expression). Check out Hot for words ' Marina Orlova to understand my passion for philology.
The Book: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the most famous Poirot mystery (in Christie's biography it earns the accolade of "her masterpiece") but it flew under my radar until a decade ago when I took an English class in Mystery Fiction. When Christie published the novel it created a sensation--angering and/or exciting readers. It was fun rereading this story that is presented as an orthodox closed room murder.
As an aside, I should mention that as a film and book writer I am keenly sensitive to spoilers and I take pains to prevent giving away story surprises. I will try to do the same in this blog which makes for a challenging review since this book has, suffice to say, an exceptional twist (although one used before in Christie's own The Man in the Brown Suit). I will respect you reader and try to entice you to read this book while allowing you to enjoy the twists and turns without compromise.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a classic whodunit set in an English village narrated by the character Dr. James Sheppard who assists Poirot in the investigation (Captain Hastings, Poirot's usual sidekick is absent from the story). Poirot, the small, peculiar, moustached Belgian with many idiosyncrasies is in fine form investigating a death, believed at first to be suicide and than realized to be (cue organ music) murder. There are many suspects, a neurotic sister, a mean daughter, a big game hunter, a maid, a step-son, and (I'm not joking) a butler. And all I can say without spoiling the plot (see above) is Poirot solves the crime and everyone returns to their Edwardian sexually repressed lives while you reread the book to understand how you managed to miss all the clues.
Grade: B+
Observations: The best drawing room murder novel period. However, I'm not a huge fan of the drawing room murder so I knocked the grade down a tad. According to Wikipedia Pierre Bayard, a literature professor, proposes an alternate solution to the mystery and says that Christie misled herself and readers while she subconsciously knew who the real murderer was(?!). I think Mr. Bayard is simple. As for a remaining mystery I can't figure out if Poirot is gay. Is it just me or do you think he is gay too? Not that there is anything wrong with that...
Segues: I think the best drawing room murder films are Gosford Park directed by Altman and the Murder by Death--both reflect my lack of reverence for the form. Altman's film is a murder mystery in which the murder becomes marginalized and eventually forgotten by the class politics of the story.
Murder by Death is an outrageous comedy in which the best sleuths in the world (including Poirot) are invited to dinner at a mansion and offered a million dollars to solve an impossibly convoluted mystery.
And finally--congratulations, this book (and only this Christie book) is on both the 501 and 1001 lists. Check out Vertigo Theatre for their productions of Christie's murder mysteries--my favorite is the Mouse Trap.
Tomorrow's Book (Science Fiction): William Gibson's Neuromancer (6/501)
