Magic

Today’s post is the third of the Poirot Book Review challenge. The theme of the week is Magic.

As a reader, I find Agatha Christie’s work to be pure magic. Let’s face it- the Queen of Crime is revered by many, including Isaac Asimov himself, who fashioned his Back Widowers series as “comfortable armchair detective” stories.

Magic and conjuring appear in Problem at Sea where Hercule Poirot unmasks the murderer as not being a former magician but a ventriloquist.

Some short stories like the Dressmaker’s Doll even deal with spirits and psychics and seances frequently appear in her novels.

Allied to the theme of this week, the book I am reviewing is literally a collection of fairy tales.

A gift for my daughter, this book has some extremely interesting notes before each story begins. And its foreword was simply amazing.

Chosen by Michael Morpurgo, in his foreword, he ponders over what makes a fairy tale stand the test of time.

Is it the story itself?

Does the hope that it infuses that goodness indeed does triumph over evil make it lovable?

The adventures involved- do they hold a special appeal for humankind- that curiosity to explore and be part of something bigger, bolder than our own everyday lives?

They made me think as well.

My answers as a parent are an eclectic mix of all the above and a few as listed below.

I like some stories because they are short. (Hello Bedtime!)

Some stories are beloved because of the look on my child’s face when I first read it to her. Priceless! I am sure that thinking about Those moments will bring a smile even when I am too old to read or see their smiling visage.

A few stories remind me of my own childhood and so, they remain precious. Ah, good old childhood! (Why on earth did we want to grow up?)

I have to say that there were some strong contenders to this theme and I am listing two of my other favorites:

The first is The secret by Rhonda Bryne

The second is of course the Mahabharata- magic, mayhem and morals- a wonderful combination.

How about you? What book comes to mind when you think of Magic? Share in the comments below.