And Then There Were None
question
NEWBIE ALERT: Agatha Christie where to start? - Solved
Ema Fortunova
(last edited
Jul 21, 2015 07:47AM
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May 11, 2014 10:21AM
Hello friends,
I've decided to start reading Agatha Christie's novels. I've been told wonderful things about her mysteries and I can't wait!
However I've been looking through her books and I have found myself to be overwhelmed by over 1,260 distinct works (as indicated on Goodreads) .
I was wondering if anyone could guide me through and advise me where to start. For instance And Then There Were None appears in a lot of lists here on Goodreads, so I thought maybe I should start there?
I appreciate any help! Happy reading :)
(sorry if this topic has already been discussed, I couldn't find anything myself)
****UPDATE: Thank you all for the super helpful comments. Since many of you said that ATTWN was an excellent novel, I decided to start there and after finishing it I am very very impressed!
Now I plan on following detective Marple through her adventures in the respective order of the novels. And later I will continue with another detective! Again, you are the best, I really appreciate it!
I found this link super helpful.
I've decided to start reading Agatha Christie's novels. I've been told wonderful things about her mysteries and I can't wait!
However I've been looking through her books and I have found myself to be overwhelmed by over 1,260 distinct works (as indicated on Goodreads) .
I was wondering if anyone could guide me through and advise me where to start. For instance And Then There Were None appears in a lot of lists here on Goodreads, so I thought maybe I should start there?
I appreciate any help! Happy reading :)
(sorry if this topic has already been discussed, I couldn't find anything myself)
****UPDATE: Thank you all for the super helpful comments. Since many of you said that ATTWN was an excellent novel, I decided to start there and after finishing it I am very very impressed!
Now I plan on following detective Marple through her adventures in the respective order of the novels. And later I will continue with another detective! Again, you are the best, I really appreciate it!
I found this link super helpful.
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I Dont think all 1260 are unique pieces here is a page that might help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_C...
you can read them in order or hit the high spots like And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient express then fill in the gaps as you like or even just follow one detective at a Time (Marple, Peroit, Tommy and Tuppance, Etc)
you can read them in order or hit the high spots like And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient express then fill in the gaps as you like or even just follow one detective at a Time (Marple, Peroit, Tommy and Tuppance, Etc)
Agatha Christie's books can be read in almost any order - they don't really follow a sequence. Don't try to read in publishing order, since some of the earliest ones are not that great. However, if you pick up almost any of her novels that were first published in the 1930s, you're very likely to pick a good one. And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The ABC Murders, Three-Act Tragedy, etc. are all excellent books to start off with.
I have just bought every recommendation given here. I read 'And then there were none' in one gulp today and I have to have more of that! I am now a poor man in monetary terms, but rich in books!
I was a newbie recently too! And Then There Were None was my first book I read of hers and I didn't regret it! If you don't decide on that one, I'd also choose The Murder of Roger Ackroyd one I had just finished and it's great! You would probably want to read specific books because you might find other titles a little repetitive in content. She is still a great writer though!
Start with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, I think. It's not the best book, but it's a solid and interesting mystery, introduces Poirot, and will give you a good sense of whether you like her style.
And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Murder on the Orient Express are all better books (in my opinion) but are different enough from her other mysteries (particularly ATTWN) that you probably won't get a good sense of whether you'll like her other work.
And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Murder on the Orient Express are all better books (in my opinion) but are different enough from her other mysteries (particularly ATTWN) that you probably won't get a good sense of whether you'll like her other work.
Read And Then There Were None and you will become a fan of Agatha Christie and will want to read other books.
Cards on the Table, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, and Crooked House are pretty fine too.
I wouldn't know where to start. I started reading her books after watching a movie adaptation of "And then there were none", many years ago. I can't even remember which one was my first book, but it wasn't this one.
The ones I didn't really like were the short stories "Parker Pyne Investigates", but probably because I was expecting mystery stories and they are actually romantic stories.
The ones I didn't really like were the short stories "Parker Pyne Investigates", but probably because I was expecting mystery stories and they are actually romantic stories.
i think this was my first Christie! so intriguing! then i saw a black & white movie of the book. loved both! i was hooked at the first page! i tried reading them in order of the publication dates-but that's just me. Enjoy!
Personally, I prefer Poirot to Marple by a good margin. In fact, I don't enjoy Marple at all. I recommend starting with And Then There Were None and then moving on to Poirot.
I think you'll find most fans rate Poirot stories like Murder on the Orient Express quite highly overall in her books.
I think you'll find most fans rate Poirot stories like Murder on the Orient Express quite highly overall in her books.
Laura Herzlos
Same for me! I find Ms. Marple a little bit irritating, but I like Poirot's style better.
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I think Christie wrote 86 mystery books, but I'm not sure.
I have read many of her books and these are my favorite,
1. And Then There Were None
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
3. Murder on the Orient Express
4. A Murder Is Announced
5. Death on the Nile
I have read many of her books and these are my favorite,
1. And Then There Were None
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
3. Murder on the Orient Express
4. A Murder Is Announced
5. Death on the Nile
My first Christie was Murder on the Links (Poirot), just the first one I picked up off my parent's bookshelf as a kid. Very enjoyable.
I'd try a Poirot (maybe Mysterious Affair at Styles?), and then a Marple (maybe 4:50 from Paddington, or Murder at the Vicarage), to see which one you like better, and then follow that detective for a while. I would advise you to steer clear of her later work from the 60's and 70's (Passenger to Frankfurt, Endless Night, The Clocks) unless you become a real Christie fan. The later stuff has a really different style - less classic structure, more psychological. I think that period is her least typical and least accessible work for a newbie.
I'd try a Poirot (maybe Mysterious Affair at Styles?), and then a Marple (maybe 4:50 from Paddington, or Murder at the Vicarage), to see which one you like better, and then follow that detective for a while. I would advise you to steer clear of her later work from the 60's and 70's (Passenger to Frankfurt, Endless Night, The Clocks) unless you become a real Christie fan. The later stuff has a really different style - less classic structure, more psychological. I think that period is her least typical and least accessible work for a newbie.
Why don't you read one entire series on any detective in order of publishing date?
1. Murder on the Orient Express
2. Peril at End House
3. And Then There were None
4. Death on the Nile
These were my favorites, and I have read all of them but the plays!
2. Peril at End House
3. And Then There were None
4. Death on the Nile
These were my favorites, and I have read all of them but the plays!
There is a group of us who read one book a month written by Agatha Christie. This is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/.... You can ask questions there also.
Hmm, My first were Murder on the Orient Express, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which were both fantastic!! I've also read about half of the Miss Marple books, and I found them more my style than the couple of other Poirot/random ones I read, although I might not start Miss Marple with The Moving Finger. It was a bit of a dud, to be honest. Hope this helps!
I believe And Then There Were None was my first read as well. It's definitely a good place to start. I would also recommend The Mousetrap and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as introductions. Both very good.
I also never read Agatha Christie before and my first book was And Then There Were None. I liked it very much, I can recommend it.
And Then There were None would definitely get my vote every time. The Miss Marples in my opinion are better than Poirot.
My first and only Christie book was also "And then there were none". Good read but I don't have much of a desire to read any other Christie books.
If you have your mind made up that you want to read several books by this author, I wouldn't start with "and then there were none" as many of her other works will seem disappointing in comparison.
If you have your mind made up that you want to read several books by this author, I wouldn't start with "and then there were none" as many of her other works will seem disappointing in comparison.
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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (other topics)
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And Then There Were None (other topics)The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (other topics)
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