So I'm going to take the opportunity to beat my own drum so to speak and to advertise the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge and the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival.
The Agatha Christie Reading Challenge began just 4 years ago in 2008 when I set myself the task of reading Agatha Christie novels in order of publication. I recently wrote about it here. I've been reading at the rate of about a book a month and now estimate I am now about two-thirds through my journey.I invited my blog readers to join me on my reading journey, with the options that they could either read the books in order of publication as I am doing or as they came to hand, whichever they liked and since early 2009 we have been contributing reviews and discoveries to a monthly edition of the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival.
I'd like to invite any contributors to the celebrations on Friday's Forgotten Books to also add their contributions to the Mr Linky for October on the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival.
I haven't found that the Agatha Christie titles have lost their appeal. I'm sure I read most of them over 40 years ago, but my forgettery is pretty good and they still have the capacity to surprise.
I have been also looking at aspects other than just the central mystery, like what problems Christie posed for herself to solve, how her sleuths' characters were developed, why she created new ones, and what the novels tell today's readers about social and economic conditions of the times in which they are set.
So perhaps by today's standards these are not the best books in crime fiction, but they still have the ability to hold attention, to provide satisfying puzzles, and they are generally pretty quick reads.
If you are interested in exploring further, you will find a whole page in this blog summarising the novels Agatha Christie Novels, and one summarising the short story collections Agatha Christie Short Stories I have read so far.
And finally, if you'd like to join the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, there is a sign up page here, and we'd love to see your contributions of your reviews to the Blog Carnival . Feel free to add to the current carnival any reviews already written on your blog. Perhaps you could write a summary page and direct us to that.
I must say I was surprised to see Agatha Christie's books considered as 'forgotten books' - even with your ?
ReplyDeleteBut I too suffer from having read them years ago and forgetting the details! So it's good to bring them to everyone's attention and get them reading her many books.
... which reminds me to get another one of hers on the go as soon as possible.
Kerrie - In my opinion you've done a wonderful job of reading, studying and promoting Christie's work.
ReplyDeleteI think it must be sign of an awesome author when we/I can pick up a book I've read over and over again and still be entertained and delighted and surprised at the ending. That's our Ms. Christie, they can change the titles but we can't forget her books.
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave soul. There must be a bunch of Agatha Christie books.
ReplyDeleteI tried to put my link for today's Christie in, but it wanted some strange ?#^ thing in the url and I don't have any of that, so no go.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really cool you are reading them in order like that. What have you been using to figure out what's next? You must have some sort of a list. I do have a book titled The Agatha Christie Chronology that I have found helpful, but it's old and I doubt still in print. This one, Mirrors, is one I haven't read, since I've mostly them in random order. You're doing it right, though.
Here's the shortlink to my today post:
http://wp.me/pCGOo-1Ot
- Richard
I don't think they are forgotten but it sure seems that people want a lot more gore than Agatha offers. I love her work.
ReplyDeleteRichard I'm using a list on Wikipedia
ReplyDelete