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37th out of 68 books
—
345 voters
Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot #30)
Normally, a mere outbreak of petty thefts in a youth hostel wouldn't be enough to interest the great detective Hercule Poirot. However, the warden of the hostel is sister to Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon, and concern for her sister is interfering with Miss Lemon's typing abilities. Poirot finds himself with an intriguing puzzle on his hands, and before long, murder increas...more
Audio CD, 196 pages
Published
December 7th 2006
by AudioGO
(first published 1955)
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Beautifully written, as are almost all of Agatha Christie's mysteries (with thus far in my reading experience the notable exception of "The Big Four" which seems as if it was written by Christie's 12-year-old nephew :-), this is however not one of her best works. The principal problems are the plethora of at times clumsily handled characters, and a crucial unexplained plot flaw.
The characters first: there are a lot of them, but then the setting is a student rooming house, so this is understandab...more
The characters first: there are a lot of them, but then the setting is a student rooming house, so this is understandab...more
First off I do understand the criticism aimed at this book. There are too many characters for such a short book and as such hardly any of them are fleshed out. Also Poirot plays a relatively minor role and a lot of the interrogations are actually carried out by his inspector friend (although it is Poirot who finally pieces everything together).
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
What made this book stand out for me though was the final revelation of the villain. I find that so many detective stories try to shock...more
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
What made this book stand out for me though was the final revelation of the villain. I find that so many detective stories try to shock...more
January 6, 2013
If you are considering reading all of the Hercule Poirot novels from beginning to end, may I suggest that you skip Hickory Dickory Dock, AKA Hickory Dickory Death. This is not Agatha Christie's greatest achievement in literature.
First of all, there are just a lot of characters. I was tired from trying to keep them all straight. I do give Christie credit, because I was, indeed, able to keep them straight... beginning about a third of the way into the book. And I'm very inclined to...more
If you are considering reading all of the Hercule Poirot novels from beginning to end, may I suggest that you skip Hickory Dickory Dock, AKA Hickory Dickory Death. This is not Agatha Christie's greatest achievement in literature.
First of all, there are just a lot of characters. I was tired from trying to keep them all straight. I do give Christie credit, because I was, indeed, able to keep them straight... beginning about a third of the way into the book. And I'm very inclined to...more
This book cost me $2 at a country market... not bad, really. Nearly a cent per page. It did smell suspicious but hey, I won't complain.
"What are you doing, Poirot?"
"I dissect rucksacks. It is very interesting."
I love Christie's subtle humour. It makes me laugh, every time.
Square crumpets. LOL.
Anyway. This book was quite interesting, although I did feel, as I feel with many of her books, that there were so many characters. I understand why, if there were only two then it'd be pretty damn obvio...more
"What are you doing, Poirot?"
"I dissect rucksacks. It is very interesting."
I love Christie's subtle humour. It makes me laugh, every time.
Square crumpets. LOL.
Anyway. This book was quite interesting, although I did feel, as I feel with many of her books, that there were so many characters. I understand why, if there were only two then it'd be pretty damn obvio...more
1 like · like · see review
Miss Lemon really comes to life in this book, admittedly she could have played a greater role but the opening scene completely endeared me to the novel and perhaps I was willing to overlook things that I was less fond of because of that. The opening chapter is the high point of this mystery, the characterisation and use of language is just superb - very comic.
That said I wasn't 100% head-over-heels in love with this book. Too many characters were introduced and then never mentioned again or not...more
That said I wasn't 100% head-over-heels in love with this book. Too many characters were introduced and then never mentioned again or not...more
I actually think 3 1/2 stars would reflect my feelings best, but I'll round up! I very much enjoyed seeing a more human side to Miss Felicity Lemon, Poirot's perfect secretary, and getting to know her sister, Mrs. Hubbard. I also really enjoyed the setting: a youth hostel occupied mostly by students. Dame Agatha has all sorts of colorful personalities to work with, although some of her characterizations veer rather dangerously close to just being stereotypes of "foreigners". Christie's imaginati...more
I'd have given it one star for excessive racism AND the nursery rhyme title whose connection to the story was tenuous enough that she could've just renamed it, but she did let one "Asiatic" guy yell at all the Britons something like "You ask why is the Mau Mau? You ask why does Egypt resent the Suez Canal?" AND she lets Poirot make a nice point about how his being foreign to English people doesn't make all other non-English people familiar to him.
Nonetheless: The inoffensive African guy talks al...more
Nonetheless: The inoffensive African guy talks al...more
I had never read a book by Agatha Christie, and since her books have sold more than four billion copies, second only to the Bible, perhaps it was about time. This particular book was one in a series revolving around her hero detective, Hercule Poirot and some mysterious burglaries—and ultimately three murders—which occurred in a hostel for international students. At least two of the murders involved the use of morphine—a drug that Christie was familiar with, having worked previously both in a nu...more
Hickory Dickey Dock is a late Agatha Christie novel, entertaining but rather formulaic. Hercule Poirot investigates a student hostel where a series of petty thefts and acts of vandalism are the clues to solving a more serious crime. On the way, Poirot pokes fun at the psychobabble theory of crime and presents a couple of nice cameos of young, single women and their concerns back then.
The plot is reasonable and gets off to a strong start. It has good potential with a mixed bag of foreign students...more
The plot is reasonable and gets off to a strong start. It has good potential with a mixed bag of foreign students...more
In this Agatha Christie, the writer reaches out into the new multi-cultural world which post war England, or certainly post-war London was becoming at the time this story was written. Some comments in Goodreads mention what they call "the racism" in the book. There is none in the sense of the malicious disparagement of people of different ethnic origin to one's self. However, it is true that the writer does sink into something akin to caricature of other nationalities and races. As it has become...more
Opinião no blog http://howtoliveathousandlives.blogsp...
Neste volume é-nos apresentada uma personagem pela qual os fãs de Poirot certamente nutrirão uma grande afeição: Miss Lemon, a sua eficaz e infalível secretária. Mas, quando esta chega excecionalmente atrasada e comete alguns erros, Poirot inevitavelmente desconfia que algo mais estará por trás de tão incaracterística atitude. O verdadeiro motivo levará Poirot a uma pensão para estudantes estrangeiros, governada pela irmã de Miss Lemon, ond...more
Neste volume é-nos apresentada uma personagem pela qual os fãs de Poirot certamente nutrirão uma grande afeição: Miss Lemon, a sua eficaz e infalível secretária. Mas, quando esta chega excecionalmente atrasada e comete alguns erros, Poirot inevitavelmente desconfia que algo mais estará por trás de tão incaracterística atitude. O verdadeiro motivo levará Poirot a uma pensão para estudantes estrangeiros, governada pela irmã de Miss Lemon, ond...more
May 10, 2013
Pants
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
detective,
woman-author
Poirot gives me life!
Dinner was at seven-thirty and most of the students were already seated when Mrs. Hubbard came down from her sitting-room (where sherry had been served to the distinguished guest) followed by a small elderly man with suspiciously black hair and a moustache of ferocious proportions which he twirled continuously. (Pages 32-33)...more
After a careful study of the goods displayed in the window, Poirot entered and represented himself as desirous of purchasing a rucksack for a hypothetica
One thing about almost all of the Poirot novels I have left is that I've seen them as episodes, so I tend to know most of what's happening. I've also listened to the audio version of this, however I usually listen to it at night and fall asleep after a bit. So I was pleasantly surprised when there was some big differences from the book. This was mostly in the form of extra characters.
Now, a lot of people have mentioned racism in the book. I certainly can't deny that and frankly racism and horrib...more
Now, a lot of people have mentioned racism in the book. I certainly can't deny that and frankly racism and horrib...more
hmm... to start lets say that the plot was very good for an ingenious crime or a great ending. But the amount of characters were very much and to give justice to each was not possible(i guess). Although the characterization was a bit up and down, the plot as i say was very interesting. The title doesnt relate to the story,she could have kept a more relating title (not possible anyway now!).
Anyways its an enjoyable read, and the main culprit was so cruel as he killed the person who loved him and...more
Anyways its an enjoyable read, and the main culprit was so cruel as he killed the person who loved him and...more
Hickory Dickory Death by Agatha Christie is one of her later mysteries. Instead of a country house with a housebound set of subjects, it is set in a boardinghouse for graduate students and other young adults. Things have gone missing lately, an odd assortment of things, from valuable jewelry to light bulbs to useless trinkets. The housemother is afraid they have a thief, and calls in Hercule Poirot to investigate. Shortly thereafter, the thief confesses… and is then murdered. Poirot take stateme...more
Jun 14, 2011
Cheryl Gatling
added it
A recent Smithsonian article on Agatha Christie said that her books were wildly popular during WWII, when people found them reassuring because justice was always done in the end, and order was always restored. I thought I could also use some order and reassurance, so I picked up some Agatha Christie. This wasn't the best place to start. Order does indeed emerge out of chaos, but how Hercule Poirot managed to figure things out remained a mystery to me. When Sherlock Holmes makes a statement that...more
May 21, 2013
Laura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
detective-fiction,
library-sale
Mon ami! The great Poirot returns!
The Story.
It is inconceivable to Hercule Poirot. But it is the truth. Miss Lemon, his efficient secretary, has made three mistakes in one letter. Three mistakes in three years, he might understand, but this? Ce n'est pas. Even more monstrous is the cause of this irregularity. Miss Lemon has received a letter from her sister. Her sister? Can Miss Lemon really belong to a family? Has she not been born of a machine?
But it is true. And this sister of Miss Lemon, one...more
The Story.
It is inconceivable to Hercule Poirot. But it is the truth. Miss Lemon, his efficient secretary, has made three mistakes in one letter. Three mistakes in three years, he might understand, but this? Ce n'est pas. Even more monstrous is the cause of this irregularity. Miss Lemon has received a letter from her sister. Her sister? Can Miss Lemon really belong to a family? Has she not been born of a machine?
But it is true. And this sister of Miss Lemon, one...more
This is currently my "worst ever" Christie book. Besides being amazingly racist while trying to provide comic relief, the whole set up of the action is slow and forced.
The scene is a co-ed student boarding house owned by an obvious bad-guy and run by Ms Lemon's sister, the obvious good-guy. The staff are foreigners, so while Christie makes fun of their Italian high-spirits, only native born Brits get the real action. Same for the goofily drawn foreign students.
That leaves the six or so students,...more
The scene is a co-ed student boarding house owned by an obvious bad-guy and run by Ms Lemon's sister, the obvious good-guy. The staff are foreigners, so while Christie makes fun of their Italian high-spirits, only native born Brits get the real action. Same for the goofily drawn foreign students.
That leaves the six or so students,...more
so ... the version of this book that i got from the library (published in 1955) is called "hickory dickory death," a title that i am unable to locate on goodreads. that's a pretty substantial difference in the titles right? stupid book publishers.
anyway, i was really enjoying the mystery in this one - there wasn't as much poirot, but that was okay because of all the characters and fun stuff going on. but then it wrapped up really quickly at the end with no real explanation and really weird red h...more
anyway, i was really enjoying the mystery in this one - there wasn't as much poirot, but that was okay because of all the characters and fun stuff going on. but then it wrapped up really quickly at the end with no real explanation and really weird red h...more
I enjoyed Agatha Chritie's 'Hickory Dickory Dock'. It tells the story of a hostel of students where items keep going missing, much to the dismay of Mrs Lemon's sister.
What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was the range of diverse characters Christie creates at the hostel, thus giving us a range of different options for who might have committed the murder.
I also enjoyed how the plot developed, and although I didn't enjoy the book as much as my previous read, '4.50 from Paddington', I thoug...more
What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was the range of diverse characters Christie creates at the hostel, thus giving us a range of different options for who might have committed the murder.
I also enjoyed how the plot developed, and although I didn't enjoy the book as much as my previous read, '4.50 from Paddington', I thoug...more
Hercule Poirot goes to a youth hostel to investigate a series of small thefts. He quickly determines who the culprit is, she apologizes and either returns the items or makes restitution. But the next morning she is dead – an apparent suicide. Or … was it murder?
As is typical of a Poirot mystery, there are plenty of suspects what with all the students and young people living in the rooming house. The police investigate, but it will be Poirot who solves the crimes. Christie throws in a few false...more
As is typical of a Poirot mystery, there are plenty of suspects what with all the students and young people living in the rooming house. The police investigate, but it will be Poirot who solves the crimes. Christie throws in a few false...more
Apr 09, 2013
Nofuture
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
analogova-kniha,
krimi
Čo robiť, keď má človek plné zuby fantastických príšer, vesmírnych lodí a laserov? Treba si otvoriť Agathu Christie a pustiť sa do vyšetrovania zamotaných prípadov.
V tejto knihe nebude Hercule Poirot stredobodom pozornosti. Dalo by sa povedať, že to celé organizuje zo zákulisia. Všetko začne tým, že sekretárka pána Poirota, akýsi kancelársky stroj v tele ženy, urobí v liste niekoľko chýb (čo je pravdepodobné asi tak, ako možnosť, že sa z Parížie Hiltonovej niekedy stane distingvovaná dáma). A ta...more
V tejto knihe nebude Hercule Poirot stredobodom pozornosti. Dalo by sa povedať, že to celé organizuje zo zákulisia. Všetko začne tým, že sekretárka pána Poirota, akýsi kancelársky stroj v tele ženy, urobí v liste niekoľko chýb (čo je pravdepodobné asi tak, ako možnosť, že sa z Parížie Hiltonovej niekedy stane distingvovaná dáma). A ta...more
Book is ok so far, not yet to the climax, more like the introduction of the characters. But, Agatha Christie is writing a strange one so far. I mean, I read her straight-forward ones, like the motives, and so forth, but...makeup? A pair of shoes? A rucksack? That's pretty weird, so I better keep on reading!
This book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I really am twisted up in Agatha Christie's mind of mysteries and murders, and that's why it's so addicting because you think it's all the same, but then, you r...more
This book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I really am twisted up in Agatha Christie's mind of mysteries and murders, and that's why it's so addicting because you think it's all the same, but then, you r...more
C'est pour une bien mince affaire qu'on dérange le grand Hercule Poirot : dans une pension de famille peuplée en majeure partie d'étudiants, il s'est produit toute une série de menus larcins et de petits actes de malveillance - délits trop insignifiants pour qu'on prévienne la police et qui semblent encore moins dignes du génie de Poirot.
Mais la liste des méfaits est si bizarre que l'attention du célèbre détective en est piquée.
Alors que l'enquête commence, les choses se gâtent. En fait, elles...more
Mais la liste des méfaits est si bizarre que l'attention du célèbre détective en est piquée.
Alors que l'enquête commence, les choses se gâtent. En fait, elles...more
I haven't reread this since my first reading in 1975 - I'll probably be just as surprised at who the murderer is when I finish it this time as I was then, as I have absolutely no recollection at all. This was one of several Christie wrote in the 1950s that seem fairly indistinguishable from one another (I actually had it confused with CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS which also, if I recall, concerns students). One thing I can say for sure is that this has got to be one of the
talkiest
novels Christie eve...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Not one of Poirot's more rousing tales. Set in a boarding house for students at 26 Hickory Road, this is a story of lies, deceit, theft and murder. Plus we get Mrs. Lemon (who's characterization in the book is nothing like the TV impersonation) and her sister Mrs. Hubbard, who everyone calls "Ma". The various characters are well drawn and interesting, though the clues are a mess at the beginning, making little to no sense. But that's where Poirot puts his "leetle grey cells" to work.
On the whole...more
On the whole...more
Setelah sekian lama menunggu, akhirnya terbit edisi cetak ulang ganti cover -- ini satu-satunya judul karya Dame Agatha Christie yang belum pernah kubaca dan kumiliki, sudah sempat keliling ke setiap penjuru toko buku (termasuk jika keluar kota) sama sekali tak terlihat jejaknya, dan kini lengkaplah koleksiku edisi terjemahan (meski covernya belang-belang alias tidak serupa)
Kali ini sang tokoh utama kesayanganku kembali muncul, siapa lagi jika bukan Papa Poirot (^_^)
more about this book, check o...more
I like this book because of the title lol. the title made me stare at the book, and then I decided to buy it.
First, I like the case. The things that gone were strange and unusual, it's really interesting. But, when we saw that one of the girl killed, it became so so. No more investigates, because they did it by interviewing the other students. And also, at the first, most of the people expected Nigel as the murderer, but then, in the end, the real murderer was also Nigel. So I think it wasn't a...more
First, I like the case. The things that gone were strange and unusual, it's really interesting. But, when we saw that one of the girl killed, it became so so. No more investigates, because they did it by interviewing the other students. And also, at the first, most of the people expected Nigel as the murderer, but then, in the end, the real murderer was also Nigel. So I think it wasn't a...more
This is not among the best Hercule Poirot mysteries for several reasons: parts of the plot are confusing, the narrative jumps back and forth, the characters seem a bit confused, and the standard explanation by Poirot at the end of the book is not as well written as some of Christie's other books. It appeared as if Christie was tired or confused as she wrote the book, and thus, Hickory Dickory Dock was a decent read, but did not seem to have the excellent plot or characters of some of Christie's...more
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Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
More about Agatha Christie...
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
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2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“What are you doing, Poirot?"
"I dissect rucksacks. It is very interesting.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
"I dissect rucksacks. It is very interesting.”
Sep 15, 2012 10:17am