Meurtre en Mésopotamie

Agatha Christie Graphic Novels #12

by François Rivière (Text Adapter), Chandre (Illustrator)

Graphic Novel Adaptation of MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA
Imaginé par Agatha Christie, le quotidien d’un chantier de fouilles, en Irak, réserve bien des surprises… Pourquoi un archéologue de renom demande-t-il à une infirmière de surveiller sa femme, la belle et fantasque Mrs Leidner, qui vient de recevoir des menaces de mort ? Au bord du Tigre, dans un décor de rêve, Hercule Poirot entre en scène pour une enquête exotique…

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mystery, Agatha Christie, Crime, Comics, Sequential Art, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 2005

About the author

Romancier et journaliste, il s’est fait une spécialité des adaptations en bande dessinée d'Agatha Christie chez Emmanuel Proust Editions. Chez le même éditeur, il a également publié Un Drame en Livonie, et les deux tomes de Voyage sous les eaux, d’après Jules Verne.

Reviews

[Alex]

Άλλη μια απλοϊκή, κακογραμμένη και σχεδόν παιδική προσαρμογή διηγήματος της Αγκάθα Κρίστι από τον Ριβιέρ. Μόνο που αυτό το 2ο τεύχος είναι χειρότερο από το πρώτο γιατί αναλαμβάνει άλλος σκιτσογράφος με κάκιστο και ερασιτεχνικό σχέδιο.

Το μόνο που αξίζει σε αυτή τη σειρά είναι η έκδοση της Μαμούθ, σκληρόδετη με γυαλιστερό χαρτί. Βέβαια δεν λείπουν τα λάθη στην μετάφραση αλλά δυστυχώς αυτό είναι το τελευταίο που σε απασχολέι στην γενικότερη μετριότητα.

[Nanee Perry]

Didn’t enjoy the comic version of it. Was very abrupt and didn’t find continuity.

Maybe due to graphic restriction they had to put in all the facts at once, but could have been done better.

[Hemavathy DM Suppiah-Devi]

A graphic novel is rather like an actual book adapted for TV, but in print form. The Murder in Mesopotamia graphic novel is certainly entertaining. the story is told concisely, albeit with several changes . Amy narrates the entire story to a journalist, which is where we begin, unlike in the book.

There are other changes as well - Dr Leidner drive Amy to Hassaneh instead of Coleman (and she doesn't have to take the train), Amy sees a look of horror on Richard Carey's face when she visits the tell, and Louise is a much nicer person, nothing manipulative about her here. Oh, and while Dr Leidner looks very much the same as he is portrayed in the ITV Poirot adaptation (2001), Poirot himself looks like a weird Peter Ustinov/Albert Finney hybrid - short, and squat, and with a very odd center parted hairstyle.

I liked it, is is a fun read, rather like a snack, to whet the appetite for the book.

[Michael Rumney]

An adaption of the Agatha Christie novel this graphic novel is told from the point of view of Nurse Amy Leatheran who is recruited to an archaeological dig in Mesopotamia, to look after Mrs Leidner the wife of the leader of the dig.
Mrs Leidner is murdered and with one of those amazing Christie coincidences Porot just so happens to be relatively near by in Syria.
The light colours used in the scenes works well and the illustrator Chandre does well in the flashback scenes in using a sepia tone.
At only 45 pages not a long read but passes an engaging hour.

[Linda]

Fun murder mystery, and actually this was my very first Agatha Christie, but I'm not sure there were enough clues given in the comic strip format for me to figure out who the murderer was. Although my husband thought it was obvious, so I may just be a bit slow at such things. :)

[Josée Leon]

I didn't find this short graphic novel particulary interesting. The illustrations were just ok and because it was so short, the lack of detail made it seem bland and rushed. I'm sure the regular Agatha Christie novel would make for a better read.

[Michelle Hyland]

This graphic novel version of the Agatha Christie crime novel was a fun quick read.
I was confused in some parts as I found that some events needed to be explained.
I then watched the David Suchet TV adaptation of the novel which had a totally different beginning.

[Ira Madan]

Tidak habis pikir dengan cara membunuh si antagonis dari atas melalui jendela... Oh Agatha... Kenapa Misteri yg anda tulis mengandung plot twist yg tidak gampang ditebak...

[Gee]

At first, feel confused because of so many characters introduction….


But after that, super fun reading it and easy to finish🥂

[Tiii]

😮‍💨 kenapa setega itu

[Sarah Fairbairn]

I haven’t read this Christie story in its original form. But as a regular reader of a variety of graphic novels, I think they’ve done a fantastic job adapting it for the graphic genre.

It was an entertaining murder mystery. A quick read that followed well. A story of torment, revenge and murder.

I will going to get my hands on more of these Christie adaptations, asap.

[Becky B]

A paranoid woman accompanying her husband on an archaelogical dig near the River Tigris is presumed crazy by her friends, companions and nurse, until she shows up dead. Thankfully, Poirot is nearby and can help unravel a very puzzling mystery.

I started reading this and in my head had inadvertently confused this title with They Came from Baghdad so for a while I thought they had left out quite a bit and then started changing the story. Eventually I realized my mistake (and that Agatha had written two stories that have enough similarities as can be confusing...the other also starts off with a young lady hired as a companion for a woman traveling to the Middle East). This one is a faithful adaptation of its original story as far as I can tell, and is quite a twisty mystery. I'm not a huge fan of Chandre's art style. There are times when it feels like he channels Dali a bit too much and the characters appear horribly disfigured. I did like his adaptation of Poirot, though. He felt true to Christie's descriptions. Again, this series seems to focus on adapting the stories to visual form tactfully enough I have no qualms with handing them to a 12 year old.

Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content or decency issues. The murder victim is shown with some blood, but it isn't super gory or anything.

[Antonina Swietlicka]

Murder in Mesopotamia is one of those mysteries that escalates to the climax in about 2 chapters, then slowly lessens ones interest and slightly disappoints ones view of the book

Thankfully, Poirot saves it (marginally) with his theory and conclusion of the murder.

It will make you say " is that really the end, the conclusion ?", with a big sigh, after you find out the "ugly truth."

But Poirot , being the magnificent sass-master can kick all of those sighs and comments in the arse.

You should read this book in order to get a good sense of Poirots ways of investigating. He will make you wait for the answer at the edge of your seat and make you feel like an utter buffoon, in one chapter or less.

Poirot is a detective that could make even Sherlock Holmes feel ludicrous and imbecilic

Poirot could make Sherlock Holmes eat his own shit.

Toodles .

[Loup0]

Comme toutes les autres BD de cette collection "Agatha Christie" c'est vraiment très moyen.
Encore une fois si on n'a pas lu le roman avant il est vraiment trop difficile de suivre l'histoire. L'action est vraiment trop réduite au strict minimum qui donne une impression de simplicité dans l'enquête. Les personnages sont parfois mal dessinés et très mal présentés ce qui fait qu'on a du mal à savoir qui est qui ...

Mieux vaut lire le roman ...

[umarul mukhtar]

dibanding dengan graphic novel, ternyata ceritanya Agatha Christie lebih enak kalau novel biasa..

[Jim]

the art is okay.

[StrictlySequential ArtNarrative]

1st Printing = 2008 = Brown Cover

I feel quite unpleasant giving Chandre the chaste but the art is far tou-louse for my taste.

[Indah Threez Lestari]

Aduh, gambarnya... :(