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Poirot ja mina
Hercule Poirot oma iseloomulike vuntside ja perfektsionistliku käitumisega on üks maailma enimarmastatud detektiive.
David Suchet on „väikese belglasega“ seotud aastast 1988, kui talle Poirot' rolli pakuti. 2013. aasta lõpuks oli David Suchet mänginud detektiivi kõigis seitsmekümnes Agatha Christie kirjutatud Poirot' loos. Raamatus „Poirot ja mina“ jagab ta mälestusi ikooniliseks saanud telesarjast ja mõtiskleb, mida detektiiv tema jaoks tähendanud on.
David Suchet on „väikese belglasega“ seotud aastast 1988, kui talle Poirot' rolli pakuti. 2013. aasta lõpuks oli David Suchet mänginud detektiivi kõigis seitsmekümnes Agatha Christie kirjutatud Poirot' loos. Raamatus „Poirot ja mina“ jagab ta mälestusi ikooniliseks saanud telesarjast ja mõtiskleb, mida detektiiv tema jaoks tähendanud on.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2013
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1902 people want to read
About the author
David Suchet
117 books122 followersDavid Suchet, CBE is an English actor best known known for his work on the stage and British television, for which he has earned international praise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 460 reviews
September 18, 2018
I have always thought that David Suchet was the personification or embodiment of Hercule Poirot (like Joan Hickson for Miss Marple and Jeremy Brett for Holmes) and on reading this biography of his 25 Poirot years one can see why. He put his life and soul into understanding and interpreting Agatha Christie's enigmatic Belgian detective, and an amazing job he did as well.
Through short stories and novels, from hour long episodes to 2hour specials, he lived breathed, spoke, thought and most of all walked like Poirot.
This book tells the ups and downs of being someone else for so long, the joys of returning to the character and the supporting cast, the agony of wondering if a new series would be commissioned and the final sadness of being Poirot through to the end.
David Suchet tells both a factual and deeply personal account, and as such it is incredibly interesting and very emotional. As one of my favourite literary characters and a joy to watch on tv, I really wanted to like and enjoy this book, and in every way I did. Thank you Dame Agatha, thank you Monsiuer Poirot and thank you David Suchet.
Through short stories and novels, from hour long episodes to 2hour specials, he lived breathed, spoke, thought and most of all walked like Poirot.
This book tells the ups and downs of being someone else for so long, the joys of returning to the character and the supporting cast, the agony of wondering if a new series would be commissioned and the final sadness of being Poirot through to the end.
David Suchet tells both a factual and deeply personal account, and as such it is incredibly interesting and very emotional. As one of my favourite literary characters and a joy to watch on tv, I really wanted to like and enjoy this book, and in every way I did. Thank you Dame Agatha, thank you Monsiuer Poirot and thank you David Suchet.
January 15, 2025
David Suchet IS Poirot in the eyes of most viewers. Many have tried to capture him before and after Suchet but none have done it so perfectly. This book gives some idea why this is so.
Poirot and Me is not a detailed recreation of the stories of Agatha Christie. Suchet has high professional standards and demands a lot of perfection in his development of the character. When first approached for the part he immediately began research by reading as many Poirot’s as could be crammed into the time before cameras first rolled in 1988. Suchet made exhaustive notes on the little Belgian detective highlighting personality traits, how Poirot would talk, walk and interact with other characters. Suchet never lets this go in his book and it can become repetitive and a little boring. I found the book at its most interesting as a revelation of the acting profession at its best. The time, care and thinking that goes into portraying the character is impressive. There are some funny anecdotes such as how the distinctive walk came about. Prince Philip taught him how to slice a mango—useful in one of the episodes. For the most part though, Suchet is dead serious and stylistically the book is dull. He’s definitely an actor, not a writer.
American fans may be put off with all the references to British theater people. Some of the repetitive detail may relate to Suchet’s own personality, a thing that probably helped him arrive at his approach to Poirot. He fully admits that he and Poirot share thoroughness and an obsessive need for perfection. He definitely leans towards compulsive detail in the book and Hercule Poirot would have expected no less.
Poirot and Me is not a detailed recreation of the stories of Agatha Christie. Suchet has high professional standards and demands a lot of perfection in his development of the character. When first approached for the part he immediately began research by reading as many Poirot’s as could be crammed into the time before cameras first rolled in 1988. Suchet made exhaustive notes on the little Belgian detective highlighting personality traits, how Poirot would talk, walk and interact with other characters. Suchet never lets this go in his book and it can become repetitive and a little boring. I found the book at its most interesting as a revelation of the acting profession at its best. The time, care and thinking that goes into portraying the character is impressive. There are some funny anecdotes such as how the distinctive walk came about. Prince Philip taught him how to slice a mango—useful in one of the episodes. For the most part though, Suchet is dead serious and stylistically the book is dull. He’s definitely an actor, not a writer.
American fans may be put off with all the references to British theater people. Some of the repetitive detail may relate to Suchet’s own personality, a thing that probably helped him arrive at his approach to Poirot. He fully admits that he and Poirot share thoroughness and an obsessive need for perfection. He definitely leans towards compulsive detail in the book and Hercule Poirot would have expected no less.
August 1, 2021
David Suchet played Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot for almost 25 years. From 1988 until 2013 he appeared in TV adaptations of every single Poirot story. This was a huge achievement & he is, & probably always will be, the definitive Poirot.
His books charts, in great detail, how he wanted to get his portrayl of Poirot as close to the one in Christie's stories as possible. He made a list of over 90 key points about the character, which he referred to throughout filming & always gave a copy of the list to new directors of the series as they arrived.
I totally admire how, even when filming the very first episode, he refused to wear the costume provided because it was not how Poirot would dress at home. His passion to get every detail correct was amazing & it is almost faultless. I say almost because Agatha Christie describes Poirot as having "gigantic moustaches" & not the small ones Suchet chose to use. Kenneth Branagh gets the moustache right in the new film versions, but Suchet is by far the Poirot of the books in almost every way. His performance is sublime.
Although Suchet is quite serious as he takes the reader through the filming of the series there are some very amusing stories along the way. I loved the story about a nun who recognises him on a tube in London!
I've seen many Poirot episodes over the years, but this book was such a delight that I've bought the box set. 70 episodes over 84 hours. Phew.
And finally......In an incredible twist of fate (just two minutes after I finished reading this book) I checked my emails & saw there was one from my local theatre saying that David Suchet would be there in November to talk about playing Poirot & his other acting roles! Book read. Theatre tickets booked. Now that's what I call a happy ending.
His books charts, in great detail, how he wanted to get his portrayl of Poirot as close to the one in Christie's stories as possible. He made a list of over 90 key points about the character, which he referred to throughout filming & always gave a copy of the list to new directors of the series as they arrived.
I totally admire how, even when filming the very first episode, he refused to wear the costume provided because it was not how Poirot would dress at home. His passion to get every detail correct was amazing & it is almost faultless. I say almost because Agatha Christie describes Poirot as having "gigantic moustaches" & not the small ones Suchet chose to use. Kenneth Branagh gets the moustache right in the new film versions, but Suchet is by far the Poirot of the books in almost every way. His performance is sublime.
Although Suchet is quite serious as he takes the reader through the filming of the series there are some very amusing stories along the way. I loved the story about a nun who recognises him on a tube in London!
I've seen many Poirot episodes over the years, but this book was such a delight that I've bought the box set. 70 episodes over 84 hours. Phew.
And finally......In an incredible twist of fate (just two minutes after I finished reading this book) I checked my emails & saw there was one from my local theatre saying that David Suchet would be there in November to talk about playing Poirot & his other acting roles! Book read. Theatre tickets booked. Now that's what I call a happy ending.
December 16, 2024
For as long as I can remember I have been reading and watching mysteries. Cam Jansen and the Hardy Boys progressed to adult mysteries at the right time. My grandparents introduced me to Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, and Margaret Truman. My mom is not much of a mystery connoisseur but did suggest Diane Mott Davidson. It was my middle school English teacher, a wonderful, brave woman, who first steered me in the direction of Dame Agatha Christie because she knew I could handle the depth to her writing. The first case she advised me to read for an independent assignment: Murder on the Orient Express. I was hooked but admittedly did not read the Queen of Crime on a regular basis until my adult life stabilized. The one who kept me in touch with Dame Christie and her main protagonist Hercule Poirot was my dad because he enjoyed, and still enjoys, the Poirot mystery series on A&E. They remain his favorite book on cd on car trips, and he claims to know whodunit before the end of one her cases even though they are written withholding a key clue so that no one knows. I love to watch these mysteries with my dad. They are a wonderful representation of 1930s England and fun to see if anyone in my family can solve them before the end of the hour. This month my theme is read celebrity memoirs. When I found David Suchet’s aka Hercule Poirot, I knew it was a must read. Suchet’s reminiscing about his life playing my favorite Belgian detective happily exceeded my expectations of what a celebrity memoir should be.
David Suchet is the son of a doctor and actress, who also happened to have parents inclined toward the stage. His father told his three sons not to follow in his footsteps as a doctor- too much stress- but did not expect his middle son to desire a life on the stage. That is exactly what David Suchet wanted, and his mother remained his biggest supporter for her entire life. Classically trained at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Suchet decided on a career as a character actor, one who would not be typecast into a specific type of role. It is due to his time at the RSC that Suchet has been fortunate to enjoy a long career on the stage, television, and movies in a myriad of roles from Molette in The Secret Agent to John in David Mamet’s Oleanna. These roles alone would be career defining; however, Suchet received rhe break of his career when in 1988 Brian Eastman approached him about a new Agatha Christie show created for ITV. Agatha Christie birthed Hercule Poirot into the world and wrote cases for him for over fifty years. Christie’s daughter Rosalind Hicks met with Suchet prior to his accepting the role and noted that she only wanted him to play Poirot. She believed that with his training as a character actor that he would embody Poirot and do justice to the character. This meeting lead to Suchet and Poirot becoming one and the same for twenty five years.
To this day when I read Poirot cases, I think of the Belgian sleuth as David Suchet. I saw the new version of Murder on the Orient Express and I thought it seemed off just because another actor embodied the role. Prior to filming, Suchet admitted that he had never read a Poirot case. To study for the role, he read up on the character in all of his spare time. On television one sees the finished product which was impeccable; yet, to successfully become Poirot, Suchet wrote a list of all of his idiosyncrasies. Poirot is Belgian, not French. Originally in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, he was meant to be a retired police detective and war refugee. Yet, even from the first case, he was meant to be sixty five years old and did not age much in his fifty years as a character. Poirot was only wrong once as a young man when he could not solve a case in Argentina. His little grey cells are of the highest order and superior to pretty much everyone else’s. Everything must be in order; for instance, his two eggs for breakfast must be the same exact size or Poirot will not touch. Suchet’s list reached nearly one hundred items. He had to practice walking and talking before growing into the role over time. Hicks noted that an audience could laugh with Poirot but never at him, and Suchet mastered this from the beginning. The rest one says is history.
When Suchet first accepted the role of Poirot he was forty one with two young children at home. His wife Sheila successfully managed their home Pinner. She also trained as an actress and knew that one never knows where the next role or check comes from. As a spouse she went above and beyond helping David learn his lines and encouraging him to take other roles in between filming Poirot. Due to the nature of the acting profession, Suchet actually went five years without playing the role. He learned about Dame Christie’s background and character development and had the notion to play Poirot in all seventy of the cases featuring him. This would take Suchet until the age of sixty seven, more than half of his adult life. According to Suchet’s research, Christie had grown tired of Poirot by the 1930s but he paid her bills, and, as a divorced woman, bills came before her personal desires. This is why she developed Ariadne Oliver as her alter ego in order to make Poirot’s cases more palatable to her. Suchet is convinced that she wrote the cases from the finish to start, which is why everyone is a suspect and the least likely character is usually the one whodunit. Readers or viewers do not find out whodunit until the end, Christie conveniently withholding a key clue that Poirot delivers in the form of a soliloquy. Because Suchet trained as a character stage actor, these speeches came easy to him and left the audience wowed and ready for the next episode. These episodes aired on Sunday nights in prime time and brought Suchet fans from around the world, Suchet and Poirot meshing as one person by the time the twenty five years ran their course.
I have read many of Poirot’s cases so reading Suchet’s depiction of them brought me back to my favorites. He described the depth to Poirot’s character and the moral dilemma he faced as a bon catholique in bringing perpetrators of crimes to justice. Although Poirot’s profession did not allow him to fall in love, he had the capacity to love and looked upon lovers wistfully. Poirot enjoyed one love of his life Countess Rossakoff who appears in The Big Four but becomes a recurring character on screen for the sake of keeping viewers’ interest for the long haul. The production team at ITV did not need to worry and as the series progressed Suchet gained more and more creative license over his character. Over the course of his study of Dame Christie, he believed her to be fascinated by him. So real was he in her imagination, that “she twice reported having seen him alive in her life.” Suchet summarizes Poirot as following: “he brought his passion to control the world as a way of controlling his own life to the fore; and- perhaps most important of all- allowed his intuition to reveal itself. His ‘little grey cells’ are important to him, of course, but his ability to intuit exceeds their importance.” This is what sets Poirot apart as a detective with a conscience and how he is always right in bringing criminals to justice. Suchet I think did justice to Poirot as well.
This year I attempted the Read Christie challenge. I had previously read half of the books selected and filled the rest in with Poirot cases I had not read yet. Three fourths of the way through the year I had gotten bored with Poirot and Christie’s development of his character. After fifty years of writing one character, he had gotten stale or formulaic. Suchet says otherwise, that there was a depth to Poirot that astute readers would hone in on. He would know, embodying the little Belgian detective for a quarter of a century. I read Suchet’s story of his life as Poirot over the course of a gloomy weekend. In the past I generally reserved weekends like this for mystery reading, settling in on the couch to see whodunit. Suchet has given me motivation to resume reading the entire canon of Poirot cases. If he could become the man for twenty five years, what is one book a month. I came away refreshed and in awe of a man who could act in one role for as long as he did, learning some insights into Christie’s methodology and writing process as I read along. I’m not sure at this point where Suchet stops and Poirot starts or if they are one and the same. It is raining yet again, so I think I will go and watch a few Poirot mysteries on A&E.
4.5 stars
David Suchet is the son of a doctor and actress, who also happened to have parents inclined toward the stage. His father told his three sons not to follow in his footsteps as a doctor- too much stress- but did not expect his middle son to desire a life on the stage. That is exactly what David Suchet wanted, and his mother remained his biggest supporter for her entire life. Classically trained at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Suchet decided on a career as a character actor, one who would not be typecast into a specific type of role. It is due to his time at the RSC that Suchet has been fortunate to enjoy a long career on the stage, television, and movies in a myriad of roles from Molette in The Secret Agent to John in David Mamet’s Oleanna. These roles alone would be career defining; however, Suchet received rhe break of his career when in 1988 Brian Eastman approached him about a new Agatha Christie show created for ITV. Agatha Christie birthed Hercule Poirot into the world and wrote cases for him for over fifty years. Christie’s daughter Rosalind Hicks met with Suchet prior to his accepting the role and noted that she only wanted him to play Poirot. She believed that with his training as a character actor that he would embody Poirot and do justice to the character. This meeting lead to Suchet and Poirot becoming one and the same for twenty five years.
To this day when I read Poirot cases, I think of the Belgian sleuth as David Suchet. I saw the new version of Murder on the Orient Express and I thought it seemed off just because another actor embodied the role. Prior to filming, Suchet admitted that he had never read a Poirot case. To study for the role, he read up on the character in all of his spare time. On television one sees the finished product which was impeccable; yet, to successfully become Poirot, Suchet wrote a list of all of his idiosyncrasies. Poirot is Belgian, not French. Originally in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, he was meant to be a retired police detective and war refugee. Yet, even from the first case, he was meant to be sixty five years old and did not age much in his fifty years as a character. Poirot was only wrong once as a young man when he could not solve a case in Argentina. His little grey cells are of the highest order and superior to pretty much everyone else’s. Everything must be in order; for instance, his two eggs for breakfast must be the same exact size or Poirot will not touch. Suchet’s list reached nearly one hundred items. He had to practice walking and talking before growing into the role over time. Hicks noted that an audience could laugh with Poirot but never at him, and Suchet mastered this from the beginning. The rest one says is history.
When Suchet first accepted the role of Poirot he was forty one with two young children at home. His wife Sheila successfully managed their home Pinner. She also trained as an actress and knew that one never knows where the next role or check comes from. As a spouse she went above and beyond helping David learn his lines and encouraging him to take other roles in between filming Poirot. Due to the nature of the acting profession, Suchet actually went five years without playing the role. He learned about Dame Christie’s background and character development and had the notion to play Poirot in all seventy of the cases featuring him. This would take Suchet until the age of sixty seven, more than half of his adult life. According to Suchet’s research, Christie had grown tired of Poirot by the 1930s but he paid her bills, and, as a divorced woman, bills came before her personal desires. This is why she developed Ariadne Oliver as her alter ego in order to make Poirot’s cases more palatable to her. Suchet is convinced that she wrote the cases from the finish to start, which is why everyone is a suspect and the least likely character is usually the one whodunit. Readers or viewers do not find out whodunit until the end, Christie conveniently withholding a key clue that Poirot delivers in the form of a soliloquy. Because Suchet trained as a character stage actor, these speeches came easy to him and left the audience wowed and ready for the next episode. These episodes aired on Sunday nights in prime time and brought Suchet fans from around the world, Suchet and Poirot meshing as one person by the time the twenty five years ran their course.
I have read many of Poirot’s cases so reading Suchet’s depiction of them brought me back to my favorites. He described the depth to Poirot’s character and the moral dilemma he faced as a bon catholique in bringing perpetrators of crimes to justice. Although Poirot’s profession did not allow him to fall in love, he had the capacity to love and looked upon lovers wistfully. Poirot enjoyed one love of his life Countess Rossakoff who appears in The Big Four but becomes a recurring character on screen for the sake of keeping viewers’ interest for the long haul. The production team at ITV did not need to worry and as the series progressed Suchet gained more and more creative license over his character. Over the course of his study of Dame Christie, he believed her to be fascinated by him. So real was he in her imagination, that “she twice reported having seen him alive in her life.” Suchet summarizes Poirot as following: “he brought his passion to control the world as a way of controlling his own life to the fore; and- perhaps most important of all- allowed his intuition to reveal itself. His ‘little grey cells’ are important to him, of course, but his ability to intuit exceeds their importance.” This is what sets Poirot apart as a detective with a conscience and how he is always right in bringing criminals to justice. Suchet I think did justice to Poirot as well.
This year I attempted the Read Christie challenge. I had previously read half of the books selected and filled the rest in with Poirot cases I had not read yet. Three fourths of the way through the year I had gotten bored with Poirot and Christie’s development of his character. After fifty years of writing one character, he had gotten stale or formulaic. Suchet says otherwise, that there was a depth to Poirot that astute readers would hone in on. He would know, embodying the little Belgian detective for a quarter of a century. I read Suchet’s story of his life as Poirot over the course of a gloomy weekend. In the past I generally reserved weekends like this for mystery reading, settling in on the couch to see whodunit. Suchet has given me motivation to resume reading the entire canon of Poirot cases. If he could become the man for twenty five years, what is one book a month. I came away refreshed and in awe of a man who could act in one role for as long as he did, learning some insights into Christie’s methodology and writing process as I read along. I’m not sure at this point where Suchet stops and Poirot starts or if they are one and the same. It is raining yet again, so I think I will go and watch a few Poirot mysteries on A&E.
4.5 stars
August 6, 2019
Nice book on David Suchet's journey as Poirot with the iconic television series. Starting from the first 50 minute episode of The Adventure of the Clapham Cook in June 1988 to Dead Man's Folly shot in June 2013, the book chronicles his journey over seventy episodes shot over a period of 25 years. Written straight from the heart, the book offers great insight on how David carefully maintained the style and mannerism of Poirot. Great read
November 8, 2013
This is just a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys the Poirot series. Suchet so clearly loves Poirot. His agony every time he has to wait to see if the series will be renewed. His painstaking attention to detail. His determination to be true to the man Christie wrote.
It might be obvious to people who have looked at my books read list, I am a big Christie fan. And I have always the thought David Suchet is the only man who have ever played Poirot the way he should be played. Portrayals of Hercule Poirot suffer from the same problem that John Watson often suffers from in adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories. He is not taken seriously. He is thought of as a funny little man: comic, and silly. Clever enough, maybe, but not to be considered as a realistic person. But he is not that way in the books. He iphas his little quirks, but he is also kind, honorable, a good listener who treats women with respect. A good Catholic who sometimes wrestles with the morality of what he does. And Suchet is the only actor who has shown that aspect of Poirot, the one that readers of the book love.
This is also a fantastic book for anyone who is interested in the way a character actor becomes that character. Though the process is most detailed with Poirot (and the story of how he developed Poirot's walk is laugh-out-loud funny), he also talks briefly about the way he developed other characters he played inbetween Poirot series. These include varied characters like Salieri in Amadeus, Robert Maxwell in Maxwell and John in Seesaw. In the first couple of chapters, he talks about how he became an actor and a crisis of confidence he had about how to become a character and how he discovered his way to approach any character that helps him find a way to become anyone.
Suchet is an engaging writer. He tells stories that make you laugh with glee. He draws you into the love he has for the fastidious little Belgian and makes you part of that. When he writes about filming Poirot's last scenes, you feel how tired and sad and emotionally draining that is. He doesn't write like a lovey. It's not "darling" this and "sweetie" that. He is as normal and likable as he describes the character of Japp. His is an enjoyable voice to spend a book with. I'll definitely be reading this again.
I should maybe point out that I got this book on publication day at a talk Suchet did with his co-author Geoffrey Wansell in Nottingham and got my copy signed by both. That hasn't affects my review in any way - I wouldn't have read the book in one sitting if I hadn't enjoyed it so much."
It might be obvious to people who have looked at my books read list, I am a big Christie fan. And I have always the thought David Suchet is the only man who have ever played Poirot the way he should be played. Portrayals of Hercule Poirot suffer from the same problem that John Watson often suffers from in adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories. He is not taken seriously. He is thought of as a funny little man: comic, and silly. Clever enough, maybe, but not to be considered as a realistic person. But he is not that way in the books. He iphas his little quirks, but he is also kind, honorable, a good listener who treats women with respect. A good Catholic who sometimes wrestles with the morality of what he does. And Suchet is the only actor who has shown that aspect of Poirot, the one that readers of the book love.
This is also a fantastic book for anyone who is interested in the way a character actor becomes that character. Though the process is most detailed with Poirot (and the story of how he developed Poirot's walk is laugh-out-loud funny), he also talks briefly about the way he developed other characters he played inbetween Poirot series. These include varied characters like Salieri in Amadeus, Robert Maxwell in Maxwell and John in Seesaw. In the first couple of chapters, he talks about how he became an actor and a crisis of confidence he had about how to become a character and how he discovered his way to approach any character that helps him find a way to become anyone.
Suchet is an engaging writer. He tells stories that make you laugh with glee. He draws you into the love he has for the fastidious little Belgian and makes you part of that. When he writes about filming Poirot's last scenes, you feel how tired and sad and emotionally draining that is. He doesn't write like a lovey. It's not "darling" this and "sweetie" that. He is as normal and likable as he describes the character of Japp. His is an enjoyable voice to spend a book with. I'll definitely be reading this again.
I should maybe point out that I got this book on publication day at a talk Suchet did with his co-author Geoffrey Wansell in Nottingham and got my copy signed by both. That hasn't affects my review in any way - I wouldn't have read the book in one sitting if I hadn't enjoyed it so much."
May 5, 2019
I have a confession to make, I rarely read any kind of biography or autobiography.
I, however, loved the Poirot series with David Suchet, so I had to read this book.
It definitely did not disappoint. I loved reading about how he acquired the role initially, and how it changed over time, and the decisions that he made in bringing the role to the screen.
In my mind, he will always be the ultimate Poirot. His dedication to bringing the Poirot that Agatha Christie created was touching and made me admire him all the more for it. There will always be changes from page to screen, but the essential character should always remain.
I find that my enjoyment of this book has made me wish to try another bio.
I, however, loved the Poirot series with David Suchet, so I had to read this book.
It definitely did not disappoint. I loved reading about how he acquired the role initially, and how it changed over time, and the decisions that he made in bringing the role to the screen.
In my mind, he will always be the ultimate Poirot. His dedication to bringing the Poirot that Agatha Christie created was touching and made me admire him all the more for it. There will always be changes from page to screen, but the essential character should always remain.
I find that my enjoyment of this book has made me wish to try another bio.
January 30, 2021
'And we are very keen that you should play Poirot'.
My spoonful of curry stopped halfway to my mouth. I was, quite literary astounded. I can remember the shock to this day.
Me, the serious Shakesperian actor, portrayer of men with haunted souls whose dark deeds forever surround them, playing a fastidious, bald detective; I couldn't quite grasp the idea, but I didn't say no. I was astonished'.
Ето как започва връзката на актьора Дейвид Съчет с Еркюл Поаро. Връзка, продължила 25 години (без 2 дни и не без известни прекъсвания вътре във времевия интервал) и превърнала се в предмет на обожание от страна на отдадени почитатели на Агата Кристи, каквато съм и аз. Връзката им за мен е още по-лична, защото точно играта на Дейвид Съчет ме запозна с любимата ми авторка. Цитирам:
" - Изобщо не се опитвай да се измъкнеш. Обеща да прекараш вечерта с нас, а не пред компютъра.
- Оф, мааамо!
- Хайде, сядай. Филмът е хубав, сигурна съм, че ще ти хареса".
Както вече разбрахте и майка ми имаше пръст в цялата работа. Още повече, че тя ми купи първите романи, старите издания на Абагар от 90-те - "Смърт в облаците" и "Зло под слънцето". След това открих сред бабините книги "Смърт край Нил" и "Убийство в Ориент експрес". По-късно открих и г-ца Марпъл. Останалото е история.
В книгата Съчет ни споделя удивителни подробности от тези 25 години - за изтощителното проучване на ролята до най-малкия детайл през кръстосания разпит, на който е подложен от Розалинд Хикс, дъщерята на Агата; един любопитен обяд в Бъкингамския дворец и едно манго за десерт; до постоянната неизвестност дали проектът някога ще бъде завършен. Поаро се превръща не само в предизвикателна роля, но и в скъп приятел, макар и леко непоносим понякога. На снимачната площадка се завръзват дългогодишни приятелства, продължаващи и до днес. А невероятно изпипаните декори запалиха страстта ми по art deco - my mysterious affair of style.
Бих могла да се впусна в дълъг разказ за всичко преживяно от автора, но мисля да оставя на вас да откриете очарованието на малкия белгиец. Предпочитам да не ви издавам края.
Приятно четене...
... и гледане!
My spoonful of curry stopped halfway to my mouth. I was, quite literary astounded. I can remember the shock to this day.
Me, the serious Shakesperian actor, portrayer of men with haunted souls whose dark deeds forever surround them, playing a fastidious, bald detective; I couldn't quite grasp the idea, but I didn't say no. I was astonished'.
Ето как започва връзката на актьора Дейвид Съчет с Еркюл Поаро. Връзка, продължила 25 години (без 2 дни и не без известни прекъсвания вътре във времевия интервал) и превърнала се в предмет на обожание от страна на отдадени почитатели на Агата Кристи, каквато съм и аз. Връзката им за мен е още по-лична, защото точно играта на Дейвид Съчет ме запозна с любимата ми авторка. Цитирам:
" - Изобщо не се опитвай да се измъкнеш. Обеща да прекараш вечерта с нас, а не пред компютъра.
- Оф, мааамо!
- Хайде, сядай. Филмът е хубав, сигурна съм, че ще ти хареса".
Както вече разбрахте и майка ми имаше пръст в цялата работа. Още повече, че тя ми купи първите романи, старите издания на Абагар от 90-те - "Смърт в облаците" и "Зло под слънцето". След това открих сред бабините книги "Смърт край Нил" и "Убийство в Ориент експрес". По-късно открих и г-ца Марпъл. Останалото е история.
В книгата Съчет ни споделя удивителни подробности от тези 25 години - за изтощителното проучване на ролята до най-малкия детайл през кръстосания разпит, на който е подложен от Розалинд Хикс, дъщерята на Агата; един любопитен обяд в Бъкингамския дворец и едно манго за десерт; до постоянната неизвестност дали проектът някога ще бъде завършен. Поаро се превръща не само в предизвикателна роля, но и в скъп приятел, макар и леко непоносим понякога. На снимачната площадка се завръзват дългогодишни приятелства, продължаващи и до днес. А невероятно изпипаните декори запалиха страстта ми по art deco - my mysterious affair of style.
Бих могла да се впусна в дълъг разказ за всичко преживяно от автора, но мисля да оставя на вас да откриете очарованието на малкия белгиец. Предпочитам да не ви издавам края.
Приятно четене...
... и гледане!
September 24, 2015
I should start this review by pointing out some things. First of all, I have a great admiration for David Suchet as an actor in his portrayal of Poirot. He is the definitive Poirot because he is an intense character actor. Second, I went in expecting an entirely different kind of book. Third, Suchet is an actor not a writer, and some of my misgivings with the book stem from this issue.
I'm very sorry to say I ended up not liking this book much at all. I trudged through the entire thing to be a fair reviewer, wanting very much to throw the book against the wall towards the end (would not have been a good idea, partly because it's a library book).
Beware! Spoilers ahead:
So where do I start? I should start by describing what kind of book I was expecting. I was expecting a book that showed what it was like to be Poirot on set, the people he interacted with in some detail, funny and/or insightful anecdotes, and an overall description of what went on behind the scenes. What I did not expect was an extremely padded out acceptance speech for an award for being Poirot. At least that's what it read like to me.
The first chapter was promising. He starts off my describing what it's like to see the end of his character filmed. It was insightful and moving, he used good language, and I felt the beginning of a connection to the man behind my most beloved TV series (that I have rewatched countless times). But after that it goes downhill. I agree with him on one thing. He shares some personality characteristics of Poirot, most notably his vanity. Suchet claims he is not vain, in fact he denies it vehemently. His book proves otherwise. Paragraph after paragraph of description of how the audience loved him, how his plays and tv shows were successful, how even the most hardened of critics gave him such "kind" reviews turned me off, only increased by his attempts at false modesty (his overuse of the word "kind" and "I was so surprised" made me want to instantly stop reading). The more I read, the more I disliked him. Perhaps that isn't his fault. Perhaps he is just a very confident actor, and his use of voice in writing is unpolished. But he did have an editor and someone to help him write the book, so surely someone must have noticed? My only conclusion was that he was as bull-headed about his book as he was about portraying his character. Perhaps this would have been a far better story told through a biographer, who is inherently more neutral on the topic.
Speaking of which, while I am very glad he was staunch in his early portrayals of Poirot to be as close to the books' characters as he could, the fact that he flipped on this concept, choosing to interpret the character more attuned to his own personality than reflecting what Christie had written, made him seem both hypocritical and egoistical. So it's not okay if a director or writer portrays Poirot in a way not portrayed in the books, but if Suchet decided something not mentioned in the books should be part of Poirot's personality, then by God it must be so because he's the definitive Poirot after all and no one can say otherwise! In the beginning of the book he talks proudly of the fact that he was able to stick to his guns about Poirot dressing in a certain way as described by the books, or being very averse to dirt and using a handkerchief to sit on a park bench as he feels Poirot would have done, but he has no problem (in fact, he actively pursues this)with ham-fisting religion onto Poirot's personality. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with religion being included into stories (I loved the subtleties of religion portrayed in Life of Pi, after all), but I am averse to actors using it to preach their own morals or viewpoint and then deluding themselves into thinking that's what the original author presented in the book. I am specifically referring to his defense of Murder on the Orient Express. The ending was changed in such a way to make Poirot almost unrecognizable, and deviated very strongly from the book, but Suchet defends it as if that was Christie's intention all along, making the episode horrifically dark, and removing Poirot's characteristic kindness and understanding to people dealt an injustice. After all, in previous episodes he has let people off the hook for crimes, so why is he agonizing over it so much in this episode? Religion was very much ham-fisted into this episode. A more subtle approach would have received far more approval, and given the story extra depth without shoving a moral code down our throats. His heavy handed and bitter portrayal made me think that Catholics were extremely hypocritical and judgmental, instead of expressing that he was wrestling with a very real moral dilemma. While this issue made me extremely angry while reading the book, it was only one small reason for me disliking it in general.
The rest of my issues with the book lie in the fact that he hardly ever described anything that happened behind the scenes of the set, hardly described his fellow actors except as a name dropping exercise or his interactions with them off set, and listed far too much of his acting outside of the series of Poirot. The book, after all, is titled Poirot and Me. If I wanted to read his entire biography, I'd have picked up a book probably called Autobiography of David Suchet, the definitive Poirot, or something along those lines. I would have really liked to learn something about his fellow actors, the set, what it was like to interact with those people on a daily basis, what problems he encountered playing Poirot, etc. Basically some insights that weren't general knowledge. The only person he referred to outside himself and his wife in a little bit of detail was his driver, but even he didn't get much fleshing out. One reviewer on Amazon.com said the book should have been titled "ME and Me", and I think it's an apt title.
To be fair, there are a few memorable anecdotes (his editors must have insisted) that brought a little bit of saving grace to this book. The ones I remember were his hilarious description of learning Poirot's walk, an elderly woman who engaged with him as if he were really Poirot, an elderly couple who adored the series but couldn't understand a word he said, and a letter from an African-American postmaster general and a grandfather who was an avid fan of the series. Unfortunately, there weren't very many of these, or it could have saved the book completely, in my eyes.
Another issue I had with the book was that it was fairly repetitive. Almost every chapter ended with him describing how the currently filmed series was a success, him declaring his profuse love for the character, and being worried that the series would not be renewed. His insights into Poirot also tended to get fairly repetitive.
Another thing I found a bit horrifying is that he allowed his old producer Brian Eastman (the guy who got him the chance to be Poirot and fought to get his artistic choices accepted) to get shafted when the production of Poirot was shifted from London and Weekend to A&E. He claims he was "merely an actor for hire" and didn't have much influence, and writes himself as torn between choosing his old friend and continuing to play Poirot. I cry fie! After accepting to continue being Poirot, Suchet is made into an associate producer (unpaid he marks), which gave him creative control over his character. This line alone showed me that he had power as an actor, and if he had actually tried, could have got his old friend back as a producer. In fact, I also think if Brian Eastman had been brought back we would have seen more of the humor that made the earlier series far more enjoyable. Suchet doesn't describe what, if anything, he did to try to help his friend, which is telling given how he likes to pat himself on the back the entire book (with added false modesty, of course). The fact that Brian Eastman never took this personally told me thousand times more about his character than it did Suchet's.
Another minor annoyance, that I found very irritating by the end of the book, is his constant reference to Agatha Christie as Dame Agatha. Is he trying to be polite by using her title? It seemed an unnecessary degree of formality on his part, and seemed to set a wall between him and the author, which is weird, given his closeness to one of her main creations.
This book has destroyed some of the magic behind the series, and more importantly took the stars out of my eyes, when it came to my uncritical and all encompassing admiration for Suchet. He has become decidedly human, and, unfortunately, less likable, to me. But it has not changed my perspective of him as an extraordinary actor, and his powerful rendition of Poirot on screen (I can easily ignore Murder on the Orient Express, as the rest of the series, even with religious tones, are absolutely delightful). I had planned on buying this book if I ended up liking it (I really am a big fan of Poirot in general), but seeing as I didn't, I shall instead look for a biography on the fictional character and see if that's any better. To be fair, I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1, because of some of the biases I brought to the book, stated at the very beginning.
I'm very sorry to say I ended up not liking this book much at all. I trudged through the entire thing to be a fair reviewer, wanting very much to throw the book against the wall towards the end (would not have been a good idea, partly because it's a library book).
Beware! Spoilers ahead:
So where do I start? I should start by describing what kind of book I was expecting. I was expecting a book that showed what it was like to be Poirot on set, the people he interacted with in some detail, funny and/or insightful anecdotes, and an overall description of what went on behind the scenes. What I did not expect was an extremely padded out acceptance speech for an award for being Poirot. At least that's what it read like to me.
The first chapter was promising. He starts off my describing what it's like to see the end of his character filmed. It was insightful and moving, he used good language, and I felt the beginning of a connection to the man behind my most beloved TV series (that I have rewatched countless times). But after that it goes downhill. I agree with him on one thing. He shares some personality characteristics of Poirot, most notably his vanity. Suchet claims he is not vain, in fact he denies it vehemently. His book proves otherwise. Paragraph after paragraph of description of how the audience loved him, how his plays and tv shows were successful, how even the most hardened of critics gave him such "kind" reviews turned me off, only increased by his attempts at false modesty (his overuse of the word "kind" and "I was so surprised" made me want to instantly stop reading). The more I read, the more I disliked him. Perhaps that isn't his fault. Perhaps he is just a very confident actor, and his use of voice in writing is unpolished. But he did have an editor and someone to help him write the book, so surely someone must have noticed? My only conclusion was that he was as bull-headed about his book as he was about portraying his character. Perhaps this would have been a far better story told through a biographer, who is inherently more neutral on the topic.
Speaking of which, while I am very glad he was staunch in his early portrayals of Poirot to be as close to the books' characters as he could, the fact that he flipped on this concept, choosing to interpret the character more attuned to his own personality than reflecting what Christie had written, made him seem both hypocritical and egoistical. So it's not okay if a director or writer portrays Poirot in a way not portrayed in the books, but if Suchet decided something not mentioned in the books should be part of Poirot's personality, then by God it must be so because he's the definitive Poirot after all and no one can say otherwise! In the beginning of the book he talks proudly of the fact that he was able to stick to his guns about Poirot dressing in a certain way as described by the books, or being very averse to dirt and using a handkerchief to sit on a park bench as he feels Poirot would have done, but he has no problem (in fact, he actively pursues this)with ham-fisting religion onto Poirot's personality. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with religion being included into stories (I loved the subtleties of religion portrayed in Life of Pi, after all), but I am averse to actors using it to preach their own morals or viewpoint and then deluding themselves into thinking that's what the original author presented in the book. I am specifically referring to his defense of Murder on the Orient Express. The ending was changed in such a way to make Poirot almost unrecognizable, and deviated very strongly from the book, but Suchet defends it as if that was Christie's intention all along, making the episode horrifically dark, and removing Poirot's characteristic kindness and understanding to people dealt an injustice. After all, in previous episodes he has let people off the hook for crimes, so why is he agonizing over it so much in this episode? Religion was very much ham-fisted into this episode. A more subtle approach would have received far more approval, and given the story extra depth without shoving a moral code down our throats. His heavy handed and bitter portrayal made me think that Catholics were extremely hypocritical and judgmental, instead of expressing that he was wrestling with a very real moral dilemma. While this issue made me extremely angry while reading the book, it was only one small reason for me disliking it in general.
The rest of my issues with the book lie in the fact that he hardly ever described anything that happened behind the scenes of the set, hardly described his fellow actors except as a name dropping exercise or his interactions with them off set, and listed far too much of his acting outside of the series of Poirot. The book, after all, is titled Poirot and Me. If I wanted to read his entire biography, I'd have picked up a book probably called Autobiography of David Suchet, the definitive Poirot, or something along those lines. I would have really liked to learn something about his fellow actors, the set, what it was like to interact with those people on a daily basis, what problems he encountered playing Poirot, etc. Basically some insights that weren't general knowledge. The only person he referred to outside himself and his wife in a little bit of detail was his driver, but even he didn't get much fleshing out. One reviewer on Amazon.com said the book should have been titled "ME and Me", and I think it's an apt title.
To be fair, there are a few memorable anecdotes (his editors must have insisted) that brought a little bit of saving grace to this book. The ones I remember were his hilarious description of learning Poirot's walk, an elderly woman who engaged with him as if he were really Poirot, an elderly couple who adored the series but couldn't understand a word he said, and a letter from an African-American postmaster general and a grandfather who was an avid fan of the series. Unfortunately, there weren't very many of these, or it could have saved the book completely, in my eyes.
Another issue I had with the book was that it was fairly repetitive. Almost every chapter ended with him describing how the currently filmed series was a success, him declaring his profuse love for the character, and being worried that the series would not be renewed. His insights into Poirot also tended to get fairly repetitive.
Another thing I found a bit horrifying is that he allowed his old producer Brian Eastman (the guy who got him the chance to be Poirot and fought to get his artistic choices accepted) to get shafted when the production of Poirot was shifted from London and Weekend to A&E. He claims he was "merely an actor for hire" and didn't have much influence, and writes himself as torn between choosing his old friend and continuing to play Poirot. I cry fie! After accepting to continue being Poirot, Suchet is made into an associate producer (unpaid he marks), which gave him creative control over his character. This line alone showed me that he had power as an actor, and if he had actually tried, could have got his old friend back as a producer. In fact, I also think if Brian Eastman had been brought back we would have seen more of the humor that made the earlier series far more enjoyable. Suchet doesn't describe what, if anything, he did to try to help his friend, which is telling given how he likes to pat himself on the back the entire book (with added false modesty, of course). The fact that Brian Eastman never took this personally told me thousand times more about his character than it did Suchet's.
Another minor annoyance, that I found very irritating by the end of the book, is his constant reference to Agatha Christie as Dame Agatha. Is he trying to be polite by using her title? It seemed an unnecessary degree of formality on his part, and seemed to set a wall between him and the author, which is weird, given his closeness to one of her main creations.
This book has destroyed some of the magic behind the series, and more importantly took the stars out of my eyes, when it came to my uncritical and all encompassing admiration for Suchet. He has become decidedly human, and, unfortunately, less likable, to me. But it has not changed my perspective of him as an extraordinary actor, and his powerful rendition of Poirot on screen (I can easily ignore Murder on the Orient Express, as the rest of the series, even with religious tones, are absolutely delightful). I had planned on buying this book if I ended up liking it (I really am a big fan of Poirot in general), but seeing as I didn't, I shall instead look for a biography on the fictional character and see if that's any better. To be fair, I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1, because of some of the biases I brought to the book, stated at the very beginning.
September 2, 2023
Weird or not, there are not so many literary valences in this book, not to mention that for a foreign reader perhaps there are a lot of unknown names and places, but that doesn't mean that "Poirot and Suchet" is an unpleasant lecture.
On the contrary, its charm and value arise from the critical and exhaustive point of view, as Mr. Suchet speaks for himself, Poirot and sometimes even for Agatha; which are the novels "they" like best, changes in the movie scripts, Poirot's human features and habits...
So, lots of respect for this one, a book which makes you love and value one of the greatest characters in modern literature.
PS. I'm somehow proud that both Agatha and Mr. Suchet have seen "The big four" very close to Edgar Wallace's type of novels and a poor output too...
On the contrary, its charm and value arise from the critical and exhaustive point of view, as Mr. Suchet speaks for himself, Poirot and sometimes even for Agatha; which are the novels "they" like best, changes in the movie scripts, Poirot's human features and habits...
So, lots of respect for this one, a book which makes you love and value one of the greatest characters in modern literature.
PS. I'm somehow proud that both Agatha and Mr. Suchet have seen "The big four" very close to Edgar Wallace's type of novels and a poor output too...
April 28, 2019
This book is the story of two men, one is a character actor while the other is the product of the imagination of Agatha Christie. For 25 years their existences intertwined in 70 television productions of varying lengths, which eventually led to this book. Amazingly, in 1988, when David Suchet was first offered the part of Hercule Poirot, he had never read any of the books. Twenty-five years later he had become the definitive Belgian detective. In fact, the part had become an obsession with him, an obsession to create the Poirot of Christie's books.
Suchet worked hard at the task, enduring body padding, and spending hours in acquiring all the infintesimal characteristics of the fussy little man. The book gives a small explanation of each of the episodes by highlighting interesting features of the episode, especially the three characters, which were regulars in the early years: Captain Hastings (who acted as narrator of many of the books), Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon, and Chief Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard.
In later years these three characters rarely appeared as production companies changed. The productions became more elaborate, even traveling to faraway countries as Poirot did. By this time, it had become obvious that Suchet want to do all 70 of the stories, which Christie wrote about the man 'with the little grey cells', but obviously he was not the one to make that decision. In fact at one point, there was a five year interval between epidodes. You can almost feel the relief in Suchet's tone when he was once again asked to don the Poirot 'uniform'.
Not that he sat around waiting for them to call. He needed to work, and work he did. He loves the theatre, and frequently appeared on the stage or in other television productions. But his heart was set on finishing what he had set out to do. Fortunately, he was given the chance. The last five episodes, including 'Curtain' were produced 25 years after his first performance. 'Curtain' was an ending for all involved. Suchet describes the death scene with candor and sadness. Poirot had become almost real as he was to his many fans around the world.
If you have not seen any of the episodes, you might find this book obsessive. Poirot was an extremely fussy individual with some not-always-likable habits. I was not surprised to find out that Agatha Christie appeared to hate him at times and wanted to stop writing the stories. That she didn't was probably financial, and just maybe a recognition that as his creator she was responsible for what he was.
Obviously, David Suchet has no such doubts about the man who means so much to him.
Suchet worked hard at the task, enduring body padding, and spending hours in acquiring all the infintesimal characteristics of the fussy little man. The book gives a small explanation of each of the episodes by highlighting interesting features of the episode, especially the three characters, which were regulars in the early years: Captain Hastings (who acted as narrator of many of the books), Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon, and Chief Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard.
In later years these three characters rarely appeared as production companies changed. The productions became more elaborate, even traveling to faraway countries as Poirot did. By this time, it had become obvious that Suchet want to do all 70 of the stories, which Christie wrote about the man 'with the little grey cells', but obviously he was not the one to make that decision. In fact at one point, there was a five year interval between epidodes. You can almost feel the relief in Suchet's tone when he was once again asked to don the Poirot 'uniform'.
Not that he sat around waiting for them to call. He needed to work, and work he did. He loves the theatre, and frequently appeared on the stage or in other television productions. But his heart was set on finishing what he had set out to do. Fortunately, he was given the chance. The last five episodes, including 'Curtain' were produced 25 years after his first performance. 'Curtain' was an ending for all involved. Suchet describes the death scene with candor and sadness. Poirot had become almost real as he was to his many fans around the world.
If you have not seen any of the episodes, you might find this book obsessive. Poirot was an extremely fussy individual with some not-always-likable habits. I was not surprised to find out that Agatha Christie appeared to hate him at times and wanted to stop writing the stories. That she didn't was probably financial, and just maybe a recognition that as his creator she was responsible for what he was.
Obviously, David Suchet has no such doubts about the man who means so much to him.
July 11, 2021
I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie and of the Poirot TV series, so I fully appreciated how meticulously David Suchet studied the character and brought him to life on-screen. It's rare when an actor's portrayal aligns perfectly with the vision I carry in my head when I read a book, yet that is what Suchet was able to do so brilliantly.
3 stars may be a little generous. The accounts of the various series get rather repetitive and I doubt that any but devoted fans will find it all interesting. Still, I must salute David Suchet and his accomplishment. There will never be another Poirot for me.
3 stars may be a little generous. The accounts of the various series get rather repetitive and I doubt that any but devoted fans will find it all interesting. Still, I must salute David Suchet and his accomplishment. There will never be another Poirot for me.
May 16, 2017
I loved this book. A must for all fans of Hercule Poirot and David Suchet. I've been watching some of my Poirot DVDs again after David's insight into how they came about. It was fascinating to read how David Suchet was chosen to portray Agatha Christie's most famous detective and how he brought him to life for the screen. His 25 years of work as one special character was phenomenal. A wonderful read. I would read it again.
January 1, 2014
A typical celebrity autobiography where everyone you work with is fantastic and your career was a struggle. That bit is hardly surprising. What is surprising is how Suchet glossed over his Poirot castmates so easily with the same kind of nonsense language that he saved for guest stars. No substance at all.
His career journey and the continued struggle to get all the Poirot stories made was interesting. I did find it odd that he kept going on and on how he wanted to make all of DAME Agatha's stories as she and wrote them and perform Poirot as written. Then flippantly says its not a big deal that stories were changed. Either it is a big deal to have them exactly as DAME Agatha wrote them or it isn't.
He also makes a point of claiming to agree with DAME Agatha about the British class system. He then regales us through the book with Agatha Christie's title and meeting the royal family.
All in all, an okay book. There are some insights thrown in among the fluff which make it worthwhile for any fan of Poirot.
His career journey and the continued struggle to get all the Poirot stories made was interesting. I did find it odd that he kept going on and on how he wanted to make all of DAME Agatha's stories as she and wrote them and perform Poirot as written. Then flippantly says its not a big deal that stories were changed. Either it is a big deal to have them exactly as DAME Agatha wrote them or it isn't.
He also makes a point of claiming to agree with DAME Agatha about the British class system. He then regales us through the book with Agatha Christie's title and meeting the royal family.
All in all, an okay book. There are some insights thrown in among the fluff which make it worthwhile for any fan of Poirot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2023
As a great fan of the Poirot TV series as well as the novels, I was interested to read this memoir by the actor of his experience of and reflections on playing the part. On the whole I enjoyed it, and found the recollections at the beginning of his filming the death scenes touching - I still haven't been able to watch 'Curtain' - and some of the information on the behind the scenes developments interesting. I hadn't realised there had been a five year gap at one point and then a more staggered schedule after the series was taken over by different producers although I had noticed that the stories had moved more to a motion picture quality over time. It was also interesting to see the actor confirm something I'd noticed myself: that Poirot becomes more serious and melancholy over time compared to the lively, twinkle-eyed character in the first series. The writing is a little repetitive in places but overall I award this four stars.
January 31, 2016
If you are interested in Poirot the character or the tv series Agatha Christie's Poirot, this is well worth the read. Suchet clearly put a lot of thought in how to play Poirot and his analysis is thought-provoking. I also enjoyed reading about how he as a character actor approaches creating a role.
November 26, 2022
4.5 stars
I think the only thing that would have made me enjoy this more is if I had listened to David Suchet narrate the book, but as a huge Agatha Christie fan, and a fan of the series (although I haven't watched tv in years, I watched many of these when they first came out), I loved getting the behind the scenes info about each of the episodes. Although he doesn't talk about all 70 of the episodes in detail, he does give us a lot of background on the decisions made, the cast who acted alongside him, and some of the other work he did in between each of the seasons of Poirot. I had no idea just how prolific David Suchet was, but after hearing about many of the roles he did, it made me want to check out some of them. But what it definitely made me do was want to back and rewatch all of these episodes! My library has many of the DVDs, so I'll probably make my way slowly through them, especially because I don't have much time to sit and binge.
I did not realize that the thirteen seasons of Poirot were done by different directors and producers, and it was interesting to hear about the life of an actor, even an actor as successful as Suchet has been. My brother is an amateur actor in California and does a lot of theatre acting rather than on film, so many of the things Suchet said about being a stage actor made me think of my brother. My brother has had roles in a number of Agatha Christie novels, his most recent being in The Murder on the Orient Express (he played Monsieur Bouc). As I write this, he is rehearsing for his next role as Lieutenant Battle in Toward Zero, so this made the book even more fun for me.
If you're not a fan of Agatha Christie or you've never seen an episode of Poirot with David Suchet, you might not find this book to be that interesting, as he takes you through his journey with becoming Poirot. But despite the fact that he talks about the amazing actors he's worked with on these shows and the incredible number of fans he's had about the show, he comes across as a genuinely humble man who feels complete gratitude for being able to film every one of Dame Christie's Poirot novels. He is someone I would love to meet some day!
I think the only thing that would have made me enjoy this more is if I had listened to David Suchet narrate the book, but as a huge Agatha Christie fan, and a fan of the series (although I haven't watched tv in years, I watched many of these when they first came out), I loved getting the behind the scenes info about each of the episodes. Although he doesn't talk about all 70 of the episodes in detail, he does give us a lot of background on the decisions made, the cast who acted alongside him, and some of the other work he did in between each of the seasons of Poirot. I had no idea just how prolific David Suchet was, but after hearing about many of the roles he did, it made me want to check out some of them. But what it definitely made me do was want to back and rewatch all of these episodes! My library has many of the DVDs, so I'll probably make my way slowly through them, especially because I don't have much time to sit and binge.
I did not realize that the thirteen seasons of Poirot were done by different directors and producers, and it was interesting to hear about the life of an actor, even an actor as successful as Suchet has been. My brother is an amateur actor in California and does a lot of theatre acting rather than on film, so many of the things Suchet said about being a stage actor made me think of my brother. My brother has had roles in a number of Agatha Christie novels, his most recent being in The Murder on the Orient Express (he played Monsieur Bouc). As I write this, he is rehearsing for his next role as Lieutenant Battle in Toward Zero, so this made the book even more fun for me.
If you're not a fan of Agatha Christie or you've never seen an episode of Poirot with David Suchet, you might not find this book to be that interesting, as he takes you through his journey with becoming Poirot. But despite the fact that he talks about the amazing actors he's worked with on these shows and the incredible number of fans he's had about the show, he comes across as a genuinely humble man who feels complete gratitude for being able to film every one of Dame Christie's Poirot novels. He is someone I would love to meet some day!
June 25, 2022
Well, this is, undoubtedly, a book for hardcore fans of the little Belgian sleuth. So, as it happens, I am one of them, I simply adored it.
Suchet's memories cover 25 years of production, from the very beginning, the creation, the search for Poirot, to the bitter end.
I can't bear there will be no more Poirot. But this memoir let us know that Suchet is well aware of what has accomplished: he has really brought Poirot to life. And it is impossible not to be grateful for the struggle he made to be faithful to Dame Agatha Christie's creation.
He tell us little filming secrets or funny anecdote that happened during the long journey through every Poirot story ever written, just to make his farewell a little more bearable.
Suchet's memories cover 25 years of production, from the very beginning, the creation, the search for Poirot, to the bitter end.
I can't bear there will be no more Poirot. But this memoir let us know that Suchet is well aware of what has accomplished: he has really brought Poirot to life. And it is impossible not to be grateful for the struggle he made to be faithful to Dame Agatha Christie's creation.
He tell us little filming secrets or funny anecdote that happened during the long journey through every Poirot story ever written, just to make his farewell a little more bearable.
Read
March 8, 2021Majoritatea probabil ați auzit de Poirot și o bună parte din voi ați și citit cărțile. Și eu fac parte din acea majoritate, așa că, atunci când am vazut minunăția asta de carte am știut că vreau să o citesc cât de repede. Au trecut într-adevăr câțiva ani buni de când am citit toată seria Poirot însă mi-a rămas în inimă micul detectiv belgian.
Cartea descrie minuțios drumul parcurs de actorul David Suchet pentru a-i da voce lui Poirot, experiența lui pe platourile de filmare și impactul pe care l-a avut acest rol asupra vieții lui.
#davidsuchet a depus un efort incredibil de a intra in rolul lui Poirot. De la un research extins pentru a-i da viață vocii inconfundabile și al accentului adorabil la crearea mustății perfecte pentru că Nu pleacă nicăieri fără trusa lui din argint masiv destinată îngrijirii mutații.
Cred că am zâmbit pe tot parcursul lecturii, așa de fericită m-a făcut să citesc depre rolul lui ca și Poirot.
Pentru mine a fost excelentă cartea aceasta pentru că am iubit serialul tv Agatha Christie’s Poirot iar actorul David Suchet i-a dat viață lui Poirot într-un mod excelent. Din toate punctele de vedere!
Cartea descrie minuțios drumul parcurs de actorul David Suchet pentru a-i da voce lui Poirot, experiența lui pe platourile de filmare și impactul pe care l-a avut acest rol asupra vieții lui.
#davidsuchet a depus un efort incredibil de a intra in rolul lui Poirot. De la un research extins pentru a-i da viață vocii inconfundabile și al accentului adorabil la crearea mustății perfecte pentru că Nu pleacă nicăieri fără trusa lui din argint masiv destinată îngrijirii mutații.
Cred că am zâmbit pe tot parcursul lecturii, așa de fericită m-a făcut să citesc depre rolul lui ca și Poirot.
Pentru mine a fost excelentă cartea aceasta pentru că am iubit serialul tv Agatha Christie’s Poirot iar actorul David Suchet i-a dat viață lui Poirot într-un mod excelent. Din toate punctele de vedere!
April 28, 2024
Choose not to finish after 91 pages. (10/06/20) I like Suchet as an actor but there's no real insight into his portrayal of Poirot in this book. It's basic and repetitive. A typical chapter is him explaining the plot of each episode he filmed, emphasising that it was well received, and then being unsure if there will be another series. Statements are made about himself, the role, or his and Poirot's similarities, but he doesn't tell us in any detailed way why this is the case.
There are a lot of cliché filler sentences like 'throughout the filming, Poirot and I, became more and more as one'. Or 'as I filmed that episode, I knew this would be the most important day of my life.' Or 'as I sat in the car on the way to the studio, my heart was in my mouth.' (These aren't direct quotes by the way, but they must be pretty close!) Definitely one for the charity shop- it's got high ratings so hopefully others will like it more.
There are a lot of cliché filler sentences like 'throughout the filming, Poirot and I, became more and more as one'. Or 'as I filmed that episode, I knew this would be the most important day of my life.' Or 'as I sat in the car on the way to the studio, my heart was in my mouth.' (These aren't direct quotes by the way, but they must be pretty close!) Definitely one for the charity shop- it's got high ratings so hopefully others will like it more.
February 21, 2024
I adore actor David Suchet and his work. I liked him as Poirot, I enjoyed watching most of movies based on Agatha Christie books. I went through "Agatha Christie phrase" when I was in High School. I used to bake a cake with a lot of raisins, make some tea (with milk as British people do), read Agatha Christie's book and forget about the world. Those were the times! Anyway, watching David Suchet as Poirot made me feel the same, like I was drinking warm tea and enjoying a piece of cake, reading a cozy mistery. But my favourite of his roles is the one he played in "A Perfect Murder" with Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen and Gwyneth Paltrow. He was great.
But this book... honestly it is one of the WORST memoirs I have ever read. It is simply dreadful and boring beyond anything. I don't recommend it to anyone. David Suchet should write this book with a talented writer not his friend. They didn't know what they were doing, poor souls.
But this book... honestly it is one of the WORST memoirs I have ever read. It is simply dreadful and boring beyond anything. I don't recommend it to anyone. David Suchet should write this book with a talented writer not his friend. They didn't know what they were doing, poor souls.
June 8, 2023
This is a fun read for fans of "Poirot" as well as fans of David Suchet. The actor talks in depth about his method of playing the iconic detective and chronicles his experiences filming many of the episodes. He also discusses other projects that he has worked on It's a warm entertaining memoir.
December 24, 2021
Very interesting. A few repetitions here and there.
June 8, 2019
This is a niche book for the fans of the Hercule Poirot films/programs that graced television in Britain and the United States for 25 years and starred David Suchet as the ultimate Poirot.
A stage and character actor, Suchet had not read any of the Poirot books and when offered the part which he assumed would be a one-off, he read as many of the stories as possible, made lists of Poirot's likes and dislikes, and spent weeks perfecting the Poirot walk. He was determined to present the master detective as a character and not a caricature. And he succeeded beautifully. His memories of the series are delightful but, since this is no Pulitzer Prize candidate, it will only appeal to the fervid fan. I loved it!!
A stage and character actor, Suchet had not read any of the Poirot books and when offered the part which he assumed would be a one-off, he read as many of the stories as possible, made lists of Poirot's likes and dislikes, and spent weeks perfecting the Poirot walk. He was determined to present the master detective as a character and not a caricature. And he succeeded beautifully. His memories of the series are delightful but, since this is no Pulitzer Prize candidate, it will only appeal to the fervid fan. I loved it!!
May 19, 2019
Ja runājam par pašu grāmatu, tad mazliet iestīvināti, mazliet pagarlaicīgi, mazliet nūģīgi, bez pašironijas un diezgan lielīgi. Šausmīgi daudz atkārtošanās. Manuprāt, tieši šādā manierē savus memuārus varētu būt rakstījis pats Puaro.
Bet tā kā esmu gan Kristi, gan Puaro, gan Sušē un tieši šīs kinoversijas cienītāja, saturiski bija interesanti.
Bet tā kā esmu gan Kristi, gan Puaro, gan Sušē un tieši šīs kinoversijas cienītāja, saturiski bija interesanti.
June 10, 2019
I loved reading insights into the creation of this beloved character on television. I have watched many of the Poirot episodes, but this book inspired me to buy the entire collection on DVD. I can't wait to watch it start to finish! Thanks to David Suchet for many years of Poirot.
May 27, 2023
Man, if you’re a fan of the show Poirot at all, you’ll love this. I teared up multiple times, starting with the prologue. David Suchet gave such amazing background and insights into the show and production. I loved finding out why the show aired the way it did (and how precarious it was sometimes), why certain decisions were made, why the Granada episodes felt different than the ITV episodes. I loved how much Suchet loved Poirot as soon as he accepted the job, despite not having been familiar beforehand. This was such a fun read and now I want to go and rewatch all the episodes.
August 25, 2022
Teraz uz viem odpovede na take otazky ako:
- v ktorej serii zmizol vlak z uvodnej znelky?
- v ktorom diely Poirota si zahral Bodie, moj hrdina z Profesionalov?
- kedy Poirot zmenil interier svojho bytu a kedy vymenil pani Lemonovu za sluhu Georga?
- ktora poviedka ako jedina zostala nesfilmovana?
… este asi 2 tyzdne si to budem pamatat. Quiz anyone?
- v ktorej serii zmizol vlak z uvodnej znelky?
- v ktorom diely Poirota si zahral Bodie, moj hrdina z Profesionalov?
- kedy Poirot zmenil interier svojho bytu a kedy vymenil pani Lemonovu za sluhu Georga?
- ktora poviedka ako jedina zostala nesfilmovana?
… este asi 2 tyzdne si to budem pamatat. Quiz anyone?
September 13, 2015
I listened to this book on Audible so I had the benefit of David Suchet's Poirot voice as well as his own.
The book, as suggested by the title, only covers the years of his career since taking on the role 25 years ago, but it also talks about the many roles he played in between the various Poirot series and the uncertain nature of an actor's life.
It discusses in great detail the production of each film explaining how and why each book was adapted as it was. I did sometimes find Mr Suchet's insistence on certain aspects of the role a little annoying but then I realised that this attention to detail is exactly why I love the films so much and why for me he was the perfect Poirot. I loved Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov but always thinking he was just wrong as Poirot.
I am sorry the last film Curtain which was excellent and clearly the best means Poirot is no more, but I know I will re-watch them all over and over. I have read all Agatha Christie's books so I had to read this one too and I'm glad I did.
The book, as suggested by the title, only covers the years of his career since taking on the role 25 years ago, but it also talks about the many roles he played in between the various Poirot series and the uncertain nature of an actor's life.
It discusses in great detail the production of each film explaining how and why each book was adapted as it was. I did sometimes find Mr Suchet's insistence on certain aspects of the role a little annoying but then I realised that this attention to detail is exactly why I love the films so much and why for me he was the perfect Poirot. I loved Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov but always thinking he was just wrong as Poirot.
I am sorry the last film Curtain which was excellent and clearly the best means Poirot is no more, but I know I will re-watch them all over and over. I have read all Agatha Christie's books so I had to read this one too and I'm glad I did.
October 16, 2020
I never have seen David Suchet's portrayal of Hercule Poirot. Having read the books from an early age, I never cared about seeing the detective on screen. However, I have been really enjoying Suchet's narration of the NIV Bible and that led me to this book. I am quite fond of Poirot (hence my lack of desire in having any version but my mental one) and I can tell that Suchet is also.
The first half to two-thirds of the book is very interesting as Suchet talks about how he came to his interpretation of Poirot and some of the struggles to get the directors of the different episodes to share his vision. The last part of the book turned into recounting the episodes for each season along with other projects he was working on. Suchet is charming and generous throughout, seeming like a really delightful person. Whether or not you enjoy the entire book will depend on how attached you are to his portrayal.
The first half to two-thirds of the book is very interesting as Suchet talks about how he came to his interpretation of Poirot and some of the struggles to get the directors of the different episodes to share his vision. The last part of the book turned into recounting the episodes for each season along with other projects he was working on. Suchet is charming and generous throughout, seeming like a really delightful person. Whether or not you enjoy the entire book will depend on how attached you are to his portrayal.
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