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The Labours Of Hercules (Hercule Poirot #26)

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 5,148 ratings · 157 reviews

A unique collection of stories featuring Hercule Poirot and linked by mythological figures and classical legend and lore. It's everything "Christie's admirers have come to expect" (New Yorker), including her fans' favorite detective in a dozen of his most unusual cases.

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Published (first published 1947)

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Mar 30, 2013 Andy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, poirot

This is cheating a little as I actually read these in the collected short stories (though they were in order with the preface from the stand alone collection tying it all together).

They're a mixed bag of 12 short stories, loosely linked as Hercule aims to retire (again) after completing his own labours. Some of the associations and modern themes are quite subtle and clever (hydra = gossip) though a few are stretched pretty thin. Still, the same with any Poirot short stories, some good, some ok,...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, mystery

I first started reading Agatha Christie when I was 11 or 12--and now I'm almost 43. Miss Marple or Poirot? Poirot, vraiment!I love the little egg-shape headed, puffed up, mustachioed, Belgium detective. Somewhere in the last decade or two, Christie's books became "comfort reading" for me. And yesterday, recovering from some nasty stomach flu, I re-read, yet again, "The Labors of Hercules," wherein our protagonist is contemplating permanent retirement to the country to raise a better crop of vege...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Tom Wherry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Christie fans, mystery fans, Christie completists

A fun collection of twelve mini-mysteries with one common theme. Poirot considers him a modern Hercules, in the sense that he and his namesake both dedicate their lives to the removal of certain pests. So Poirot decided that these, the last cases before his retirement, should have some metaphorical connection to the original 12 Labours of Hercules. Some stories were better crafted than others but they all had that twist in the tail that Christie is famous for.

The Nemean Lion: The case of a missi...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-year-of-agatha

Of all Agatha Christie's collections of stories featuring the great Hercule Poirot, this is the one of which the man himself would most approve. It has the order and method, to be sure! A perfect dozen cases, updating the Labours of Hercules for the modern world (well, the 1947 world). The stories have a certain inevitability to them--it would be a shame to name a character Hercule and NOT do something with the classical allusion. The format is both the collection's greatest strength and its wea...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Doris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Poirot is not one of my favorite characters - he tends towards the stilted, and is a bit of a prig even for the days when this was written.

Likewise, I have never been particularly fond of Christie, and this set of tales reminded me of why. I like a story which works its way to a conclusion, inviting the reader along with a subtle touch, allowing said reader to say "Aha! I know who did it and why" even as the story's detective comes to the same conclusions.

These stories don't do that for the mo...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2011

While I respect Agatha Christie for her contributions to the mystery genre, I have to admit I'm not necessarily a big fan of much of her work.

I've liked a good deal of what I've read, but for the most part little of it seems to end up on my list of favorite mystery stories or she on my list of favorite mystery writers.

But every once in a while, I'll admit something about a Christie mystery or story captures my attention and I'm inclined to pick it up. In this case, it's the hook for this collect...more While I respect Agatha Christie for her contributions to the mystery genre, I have to admit I'm not necessarily a big fan of much of her work.

I've liked a good deal of what I've read, but for the most part little of it seems to end up on my list of favorite mystery stories or she on my list of favorite mystery writers.

But every once in a while, I'll admit something about a Christie mystery or story captures my attention and I'm inclined to pick it up. In this case, it's the hook for this collection of short stories.

In the later stages of his career, Hercule Poirot decides that he will take up a series of cases modeled after the legendary labors of Hercules. Each case must someone tie into one of the feats of the legendary hero.

And so, the great detective launches into a series of puzzles that are all (for the most part) of much lower stakes than the usual Poirot mystery. There are few stories here that deal with a murder and most involve a lost object or getting to the bottom of a particular issue or problem. Poirot engages the gray cells a bit.

However, while it's fun to see Christie tie in the mythological stories of Hercules to the detective pursuits of Poirot, I have to admit that many of these mysteries were a bit too obvious in their solution. In just about half the stories, I deduced the outcome or solution several pages before Poirot did as well as the motivation for the "crime" presented in the story. On the one hand, it's nice that Christie works to put all the details out there and not appear to come up with a solution out of left field. But it's another if the reader is too easily able to discern the solution before the detective in the story and there's no attempts to put in a red herring or two.

Part of this could be the limitation of short story telling. There's less time to develop red herrings in the story.

In the end, I found myself enjoying the idea behind "The Labours of Hercules" more than I did the actual execution of the book. (less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why bother with imaginative chapter titles if no preceding table of contents to summarize? Belgian magnificently mustachioed Hercule Poirot decides to choose cases preceding retirement by vague harking to the mythical ten labors of Greek hero Hercules - Nemean Lion (kidnapped Pekinese dogs), Lernean Hydra (village gossip accuses haggard Dr Oldfield of poisoning invalid wife to wed pretty Jean Moncrieffe), Arcadian Deer (mechanic Ted Williamson, handsome as "Greek god" p50 seeks lovely blonde mai...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Kurt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hercule Poirot is generally an annoying character, and his mysteries tend to be a lot of people telling him how brilliant he is, then absurdly long interviews with no action, then a dramatic reveal. This collection of short stories, though, is a creative and engaging way to use the character. The basic premise is that the detective gives himself a challenge (one that works better if we call a duck a duck and acknowledge that the challenge here is a literary one for Christie) that he will take a...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Tali rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christie-mysteries, crime

I've found that all of Christie's short story collections are very hit and miss, but I definitely think that this format of stories works better for the Miss Marple character than it does for Poirot. Out of this collection of twelve stories, themed around the classical labours of Hercules, many of the stories are more miss than hit, but three were genuinely enjoyable and they make up for those which are less than engaging.In this collection, my favourites are definitely The Lernean Hydra, The St...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Poirot fans

A Christie that's pure fun. Hercule Poirot, deciding that his namesake, though obviously of fine physique and strength, was sadly lacking in wit and culture, undertakes a series of twelve challenges modeled after the famous twelve labors of Hercules. Each of the twelve are tidy little mind-benders cleverly set up and worked out. Most are pretty easy to guess in advance. Though they occur one after another, there is not much in the way of overarching narrative to tie them together, so it's really...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Harshita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all mysteries and detective stories lovers

Shelves: mysteries-and-detective-stories

The Labours of Hercules is an aptly named collection of twelve off-the-track cases of hercule poirot...and they are a fun read...mr hercule poirot considers himself one of the best detectives in the world (quite rightly so, might i add!) and when he is compared to the greek god hercules he decides to take on cases which merit the parallel drawn to the twelve tasks performed by the former...
the cases as such are very diverse and represent a great variety of human nature...some of the cases which...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Troy Blackford rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This might be the most adroit 'themed' short story collection I have yet encountered. The 'skeleton' of this book is this - Hercule Poirot decides to undertake 12 cases that have some analog in the 12 'labors' of his classical namesake, Hercules. Suffice to say, all manner of witty and puzzling engagements follow. The genius Ms. Christie displays in making allegorical connections between the classical - and mostly physical - 'labors' of the famous historical strongman are paralleled via equally...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Lyndsey Wooten rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read many Agatha Christie books over the years. In fact she was honestly my first love as far as authors are concerned. "The Labors of Hercules" did not let me down in keeping my Christie love affair alive. Poirot is on a quest to complete 12 cases based on the 12 labors of Hercules. With his vanity he feels that is Hercules could manage these tasks, why not a modern day Hercule? The way the cases seem to fall in his lap are astounding and I find myself utterly amazed at how some of the...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Cathy Gaber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2013-challenge

The Labours of Hercules is a collection of short stories that are supposed to depict the last cases of the famous detective Hercule Poirot (since I have not read any other Hercule Poirot novels, I do not know if this is the case). Just before embarking on the labours, Hercule had begun to read about his namesake, the Greek god Hercules. Learning of the twelve labours that Hercules completed, Poirot resolves to take just twelve more cases before he retires and decrees they must connect, in order,...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Adam Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Poirot's begins a quest due to an obnoxious guest who mocks Poirot's name and the amazing fact that Poirot knows little of the Greek classics given that he was named Hercules and his brother Achillies. Egged on by the professor, Poriot decides to read the classics and is shocked by the lack of morality of the Greek gods and that his namesake was all muscle and no brain. Right then and there, Poirot vows to give the modern world something that's truly admirable: his own labours of Hercules. Poiro...more Poirot's begins a quest due to an obnoxious guest who mocks Poirot's name and the amazing fact that Poirot knows little of the Greek classics given that he was named Hercules and his brother Achillies. Egged on by the professor, Poriot decides to read the classics and is shocked by the lack of morality of the Greek gods and that his namesake was all muscle and no brain. Right then and there, Poirot vows to give the modern world something that's truly admirable: his own labours of Hercules. Poirot resolves to take 12 cases and no more with each case corresponding to a labour of Hercules.

What follows is twelve well-crafted and fun thrillers. Christie works elements of the Greek classics in a charming but unobtrusive way. One of the most amusing was in "The Apples of Hesperides." In the original tale, Hercules received the help of Atlas, in Poirot's version, he received the help of Atlas-Harry Atlas, a local gambler. "The Capture of Cerberus" in Hercules' story featured Hercules going to the underworld, in Poirot's version, he goes to a Hell-themed nightclub.

My favoritie stories in the collection were:

◦The Erymanthian Boar-Poirot is retained by the Swiss to find a killer in a Swiss hotel which has an unusually high number of occupants for that time of year.
◦The Horses of Diomedes: At the request of a doctor friend, Poirot looks into the distribution of Heroin that is apparently corrupting the daughters of an Indian Army veteran. A very solid and early story on the drug trade.
◦The Arcadian Deer: This story finds the great Hercules Poirot undertaking a commission for a garage mechanic to find a lost love: a very beautiful and sweet story.
◦The Apples of Hesperides: Poirot undertakes to find a golden goblet that was stolen from a rich man before he could take possession after winning at the auction. Some great twists including the character of Harry Atlas.
◦The Capture of Cerebus: The last and probably best story in the collection, as Poirot renews an old acquaintence with a supposedly reform female jewel thief who is running a nightclub called Hell. But the police suspect the den (in addition to being somewhat tacky) is also the center of the drug trade.
I could go on. There were so many great stories to love in this book. The character of Miss Carnaby, who appears in two stories, is a real treat.

All the stories were enjoyable in their own way, but if I had to pick two lesser ones, I'd choose "The Augean Stables" and "The Stymphalean Birds."

Poirot's analog to the "Augean Stables" is to clean up a political scandal which threatens to bring down the Prime Minister who Poirot admires because a respected friend told him the Prime Minister was a "sound man." What makes this story particularly odd is how Poirot cleans up the problem. The plot could very well have been the inspiration for the novel, American Hero and the movie, Wag the Dog. It suggests that the world is fortunate that Poriot didn't take up political consulting instead of detection.

The solution to the Stymphalean Birds seemed a little too simple. Poirot becomes involved in this case when a young English politician approaches him while visiting Europe with his problem. The truth is I could have told the poor unfortunate guy what was going on.

However, even the weaker stories were fun. While Agatha Christie began to tire of Poirot by the 1930s, that fatigue doesn't show in this great collection. This really has the feel of something the author enjoyed writing which gives the readers great joy as well.

(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Tori rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

This was not Christie's brightest moment. For one, several of these short stories I would have trouble classifying as Whodoneit's, which is what you expect of her. Now, I really don't mind too much about that, I understand not always wanting to write what you usually do. But some of them I have a hard time even calling mysteries, which for a Poriot story was kinda strange.

It had a little bit of language in it, which I don't recall Christie having before. Some might object to several of the short...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Tempo de Ler rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Este foi o primeiro e, até ao momento, o único livro que li de Agatha Christie...e não fiquei nada impressionada!

A ideia de comparar os 12 Trabalhos de Hércules com 12 misteriosos casos que Hercule Poirot se propõe a desvendar pareceu-me muito interessante ao início...mas os casos em si não despertaram o meu interesse e não vi mestria nenhuma na resolução dos mesmos. Talvez lhe falte consolidação por se tratarem de 12 pequenas histórias inseridas num livro que é relativamente pequeno.

Apesar de b...more

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Jan 28, 2010 nelli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ez tulajdonképp novellagyűjtemény. Poirot elhatározza, főleg sznobizmusból, hogy megismétli Herkules tizenkét hőstettét, azaz kiderít tizenkét olyan bűnügyet, amely hasonló a Herkules által elvégzett hőstettekhez. És persze, mit ad Isten, pont lesznek is olyan megbízásai, amiket kis túlzással egybe lehet vetni a görög hérosz tetteivel. A baj az, hogy ez kicsit erőltetett, és a történetek rövidsége miatt nincs idő kellőképp kifejteni a körülményeket. Nem üti meg az átlagos AC-krimik színvonalát s...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Rebekah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: agatha-christie

This isn't exactly 4* but more of a 3.5* A.C book.
Well, there is some sense behind the whole Hercules thing but I prefer one story that flow straight.
There were a few stories which were connected and it seemed like the entire book is on a continuous manner.

Poirot is also written as extra proud and there were some of the stories which I could not relate to Hercules since I do not have much knowledge in Greek history so it was hard to relate the title to the story which made me come up with my...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is another instance where I'd like to give one more half star, so for the record, it's better than okay, but not quite a three star-er.

These twelve short stories follow Poirot as he works through "twelve labors" similar to those worked through by his namesake. The likenesses are, of course, tongue-in-cheek (the Nemean lion is a Pekinese, the nine-headed Hydra is gossip over a murder...), and the stories tend toward smaller crimes--petty theft and drugs--instead of murder. I prefer murder a...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Vipula rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Labors of Hercules is a set of short stories with some really good mind-twisters. It's fun to try to solve the puzzles along with Hercule Poirot as he tries to complete the 12 labors as per his namesake Hercules.

I think I have finally reached a point where I am outgrowing AC novels. There is a marked difference in the quality of writing between Poirot and non-Poirot stories. I just read The Mirror Cracked which was actually a good mystery but not well written. I found it so tiring to get thr...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Katherine Rainwater rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book that I was recommended to read was The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie. I wanted to branch out to a new genre and historical fiction seemed to be a good idea, but to be honest this book was not my style. This book is organized as a collection of short stories. Each story in the book represents a new case and a new mystery.

Although the book is broken up into different cases, they are all bound together by Hercule Poirot. Poirot is a famous detective who is solving his last twelve...more The book that I was recommended to read was The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie. I wanted to branch out to a new genre and historical fiction seemed to be a good idea, but to be honest this book was not my style. This book is organized as a collection of short stories. Each story in the book represents a new case and a new mystery.

Although the book is broken up into different cases, they are all bound together by Hercule Poirot. Poirot is a famous detective who is solving his last twelve cases before he retires. The twelve cases are based off of the Greek mythology hero, Hercules. Each case is similar to one of the original twelve labors. The twelve mysteries are all very distinct. Poirot even explains them throughout the book. Having just finished a mythology unit at school I enjoyed seeing the connections she created between the mysteries and mythology.

My favorite of the twelve stories is that of the Nemean Lion. It is the first labor that Poirot has to solve. It is an unusual case of a stolen Pekinese dog. The owner of the dog found a letter stating that the dog would be hurt if money is not sent. The dog’s owner pays the money and the dog is returned, but the owner’s husband is furious. Poirot is hired to find the crook and the ransom money. The case is actually quite amusing with twists I did not suspect. While reading the story I wondered why someone would pay so much money for a dog. Overall, the Nemean Lion story was my favorite.

The Labors of Hercules was written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976). She was a very popular novelist that wrote murder mysteries, thrillers, crime fiction, detective and romance novels. She came from a family that was wealthy upper-class and was the only girl in a home with four brothers. The Labors of Hercules was written in 1947 when Christie was 57 years old and was one of her later books.

I did have difficulty relating to a book that was written in 1947.
There were many phrases and situations that confused me while reading the book. The book did not reflect the world of technology that I currently live in. During the time of Poirot, people did not have cell phones or computers. They did, however, use typewriters and phones that had cords and were attached to the wall. Although I could visualize the things that Christie wrote about, I could not look past the lack of technology. I also had some difficulty with words that I was not familiar with. For instance, “Poirot’s flat was essentially modern” (Christie, IX) but without the context clues I did not know that a flat was also an apartment. Once I was able to get past the issue of technology and some minor word difficulties, I found it to be a book that would challenge me.

I was impressed with the way Christie introduced the characters. Agatha Christie always put in great detail the character’s appearance and personality traits. In the first story, Christie introduced the reader to Sir Joseph Hoggin with “critically on the swelling jowl, the small pig eyes, the bulbous nose and the close-lipped mouth” (Chrisite, 3). Based on the description it was easy to create a mental picture of Sir Hoggin. Christie not only explained in detail their appearance, but gave insight into their personalities. When meeting Dr. Charles Oldfield Poirot remarks that “he had fair hair slightly grey at the temples and blue eyes that held worry” (Christie, 33). Each character was fully described by Christie and I enjoyed meeting the strange characters that Poirot met while working the cases.

Although there were twelve different short stories in The Labors of Hercules, there was a theme connecting all the cases. Although Poirot was the main character of the story, the theme related to the women in the stories. Most of the women in The Labors of Hercules were criminals. They are trying to compete in a male centered world. Often the women had to resort to stealing, trickery, and manipulation to improve their situation in life. Numerous times in the book the nature of women are commented on since “women are funny creatures” (Christie, 6). While reading the book I felt that Agatha Christie related to the women in the stories she wrote.

I personally did not enjoy The Labors of Hercules. It was not my genre and it bored me. The writing was well done and I commend Christie on that. Each story came with a twist that I enjoyed trying to solve before the end. I would not, however, highly recommend this book to any other daring young readers. I might try to read more of Agatha Christie’s work, but for now I am going to go back to my dystopian-romance novels. (less)

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Jan 26, 2011 Sammy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Poirot commits himself to retirement – once he has solved 12 cases which resemble the famed 12 labours of Hercules.

Is there a more unusual book in the Christie canon? "The Labours" are some of the last short stories Christie wrote (possibly the last?) and she brings a consummate skill – in both prose and construction – that wasn’t always present in the early days. Without Hastings, or indeed any narrator, we get to see Poirot at his most arrogant. It’s pleasant that Christie would let her charac...more Poirot commits himself to retirement – once he has solved 12 cases which resemble the famed 12 labours of Hercules.

Is there a more unusual book in the Christie canon? "The Labours" are some of the last short stories Christie wrote (possibly the last?) and she brings a consummate skill – in both prose and construction – that wasn’t always present in the early days. Without Hastings, or indeed any narrator, we get to see Poirot at his most arrogant. It’s pleasant that Christie would let her character be this much of a prig. This is the middle-era Poirot: a man who believes wholeheartedly in himself, and who has come to understand the human heart as well as the mind, but isn’t yet as besieged by regrets as he will be in the often moving later novels. Besides, it’s nice to know that after decades of service, Poirot is generally held in high esteem.

Miss Lemon, Japp and George pop in on occasion (Hastings is left squarely in Argentina), but this is Poirot’s book, and overall, that’s probably a good thing. Almost all of the stories are diverting, and a few – "The Nemean Lion", "The Erymanthian Boar" – are very strong. The final story, "The Capture of Cerberus", serves as the last story to really deal with Poirot’s personal life until his swan song in "Curtain", bringing back a notable figure from his past, although leaving us with yet further questions. It’s satisfactory, but Cerberus is possibly the weakest of the 12, since it centres around a thriller, not a mystery, and is reminiscent – for a few reasons – of the disastrous "The Big Four". Thrills were never the author’s strongpoint, nor the detective’s, and while he proves his worth in all the stores, including those few which involve spies and assassins, it’s harder to rein in one’s disbelief. All in all, though, an enjoyable read; each time I checked the clock, I was amazed how much time had passed as I breezed through this book.

The first 11 stories appeared in magazine form first, providing the framing narrative – as existed in other collections such as "The Thirteen Problems" and "Partners in Crime" – of the 12 ‘labours’. Poirot had been ‘retiring’ since 1926, when "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" came out, so I’m sure no one took this seriously, but the Poirot we see after World War II is decidedly more domestic. However, that framing device is the most questionable element. While it is absolutely fitting that Poirot would compare himself to Hercules, this sometimes makes him seem even more idiosyncratic than he usually is, given that he’ll sometimes ignore a pressing case until he makes the thematic connection. Occasionally, Poirot seems heavily involved with a case which only reveals its link afterward. I can’t deny there’s a lovely snug nature to the interlocking aspects of these cases, but sometimes the connections between the story and mythology seem… pardon the pun… laboured.

Poirot ranking: 30th out of 38(less)

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Aug 12, 2010 Kristensilvermoore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mystery Lovers

Shelves: mysteries

This book of short stories may be the first such collection by Agatha Christie that I really loved. A lot of that has to do with the way it was structured—by the twelve labors of Hercules, each story relating to one of the twelve in some way. I think the ways in which Christie linked the mythology to Poirot’s cases were quite clever. I found the stories themselves much more engaging than other collections of her short stories, because her writing is particularly strong in its plotting and charac...more

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May 14, 2010 Anu Harchu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, fiction

4.2/5.0
Херкиүл Пуароу нэгэнт тэтгэвэртээ гарах нас нь болжээ. Гэсэн ч мэргэжилдээ дуртайг хэлэх үү шууд салж чадахгүй л байлаа. Нэгэн найзтайгаа энэ тухайгаа ярьж байтал түүний өөрийнх нь нэрний тухай яриа орж ирнэ. (Херкиүл гэсэн нэр бол Херкулесийн арай өөр хувилбар нь юм.) Яг тэр үед Пуароу ахин яг 12 ажил хүлээн авах бөгөөд энэ нь Херулесийн үйлдсэн 12 үйлтэй шууд бус утгаар адилхан байх юм.

Херкулесийн үйлс ном бол бүрэн хэмжээний тууж биш юм. Энэ нь тус тусдаа өрнөл бүхий 12 бүлэг хэргээс...more

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Oct 13, 2009 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Certainly enjoyed these stories. Have been reading a few Agatha Christie books over the last few months. This was cleverly done with each chapter a different challenge for Poirot based on the Labors of Hercules. Christie did a great job linking possible story lines to the myths. Did force me to research the myths which lead to further enjoyment in reading the stories. Those Brits, they sure do know their classics.
Added bonus, the short chapters were easy to fit in here and there over the long w...more

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Jul 14, 2007 David rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It must be said. I am not a great fan of Poirot, who is nothing but a collection of idiosyncratic tics, in my opinion, and does not even approximate a flesh-and-blood person. Though, oddly, I like the David Suchet TV portrayal, but it's more for the furnishings than the characters. My lack of enthusiasm for Sherlock Holmes probably stems from the same feeling - a walking bunch of mannerisms, not really assembled into much of a human being.

That doesn't prevent some of the stories involving these...more

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Jun 17, 2007 علی rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-crimies

در دوره ی نوجوانی ما، خواندن آثار پلیسی و جنایی بسیار رایج بود. تمام زنگ تفریح های مدرسه به بحث در مورد آخرین آثار پلیسی چاپ شده می گذشت. "مایک هامر"، "جانی دالر"، کاریل چسمان، و...البته آگاتا کریستی. تقریبن تمامی آثار آگاتا کریستی در آن سال ها توسط مترجمین حرفه ای و غیر حرفه ای به فارسی ترجمه می شد، و در کتاب های کیلویی گوتمبرگ (کیلویی ده تومان) به فروش می رسید. در سینماها هم فیلم های هالیوودی از آثار آگاتا کریستی کم نبودند. همه ی ما مشتری داستان های شب رادیو بودیم که اغلب سری داستان های پلیسی...more در دوره ی نوجوانی ما، خواندن آثار پلیسی و جنایی بسیار رایج بود. تمام زنگ تفریح های مدرسه به بحث در مورد آخرین آثار پلیسی چاپ شده می گذشت. "مایک هامر"، "جانی دالر"، کاریل چسمان، و...البته آگاتا کریستی. تقریبن تمامی آثار آگاتا کریستی در آن سال ها توسط مترجمین حرفه ای و غیر حرفه ای به فارسی ترجمه می شد، و در کتاب های کیلویی گوتمبرگ (کیلویی ده تومان) به فروش می رسید. در سینماها هم فیلم های هالیوودی از آثار آگاتا کریستی کم نبودند. همه ی ما مشتری داستان های شب رادیو بودیم که اغلب سری داستان های پلیسی و جنایی بود. به همین دلیل، کمتر داستانی از آثار پلیسی به یادم مانده است. جز "تله موش" که سال ها بعد بصورت تیاتر تله ویزیونی اجرا شد، یا فیلم "قتل بر روی رود نیل" با بازیگرانی نظیر "دیوید نیون"، پیتر یوستینف و... با این همه لذتی که در آن زمان از خواندن آثار پلیسی و جنایی می بردیم، فراموش ناشدنی ست.
اغلب آثاری که به نام آگاتا کریستی در فارسی چاپ و منتشر شده، مانند کارهای عنایت الله شکیباپور، بیشتر بصورت ترجمه ی آزاد، یا تالیف اند، که چیزهایی از اثر اصلی با خود داشتند. "راز دودکش ها" هم زمانی توسط یکی از همین مترجمان که معروف به "مترجم بساطی" بودند، به فارسی منتشر شده است.
فکر می کنم "تله موش" برای بیست و هفت سال پیاپی در لندن روی صحنه بود. این نمایش نامه در اواخر دهه ی چهل، (!1349)، توسط گروه تماشا برای تلویزیون ایران تهیه شد. کارگردانی آن را نوذر آزادی بعهده داشت و بازیگرانش تا آنجا که به یاد دارم، عنایت بخشی، عزت پریان، پروین دولتشاهی، محمد گودرزی، محمد اسکندری، سیروس ابراهیم زاده و... بودند. برای عده ای که همدیگر را نمی شناسند، دعوت نامه ی گمنامی می رسد. آنها برای یک اقامت چند روزه به متلی دعوت می شوند. در یک شب برفی، مهمانان یکی یکی به متل می آیند و با هم آشنا می شوند. در همان شب یک نفر از مهمانان به قتل می رسد، و شب های بعد دیگری و ...

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Jan 03, 2013 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Prior to retirement, celebrated Belgium detective Hercule Poirot decides to take on 12 last cases that are reminiscent of the 'Labours of Hercules' in Greek mythology.

Although an interesting idea, I enjoy a mystery when it is layered with suspects, red herrings and lots of details. I find it hard to sink my teeth into short stories, especially ones that were relatively easy to figure out. I enjoy Agatha Christie and the Poirot series, I do not recommend this book

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Jan 05, 2012 Almeta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, serial, mysterious, yearbook1947

Just finished The Labours of Hercules the 26th volume of Hercule Poirot adventures.

The premise is that Hercule has made a pact with himself to take on only twelve more cases before he retires to take up gardening. Not just any case but one that simulates the twelve labors of the Greek hero Hercules... not by brute strength but by the little gray cells!

So twelve entertaining short stories follow.

Obviously Hercule did not retire at volume 26, for there are a total of 41 volumes under Poirot's mon...more

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About Agatha Christie

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

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Books by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)

The Mysterious Affair At Styles (Hercule Poirot #1)

Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple, #1)

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Quotes from The Labours Of Hercules

“Never do anything yourself that others can do for you.” — 316 people liked it

“My remarks are, as always, apt, sound, and to the point. (Hercule Poirot)” — 9 people liked it

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The Labours Of Hercules (Hercule Poirot #26)

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