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The Murder on the Links
Archive: Poirot Buddy Reads
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Unofficial Poirot Buddy Read: Poirot 2: The Murder on the Links
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This book was published in 1923 and takes us to place in northern France. Poirot's long memory for past or similar crimes proves useful in resolving the mystery. We have Hastings properly losing his heart this time. And a lot of unexpected characters propping up, enjoy!
Mod
This being the second of the Poirot series, was just as good as the first. It really was quite complicated, with a lot of characters. Don't think anyone could have liked Giraud, and all the time I was cheering on Poirot. Told from Hastings point of view, did make him seem more dumb than we imagine, but it did mean that Poirot explained some of his thoughts along the way as opposed to leaving all explanations to the very end. Did like the happy ending.
Your comments about Poirot making done explanations as the case proceeds is good. I hadn't thought about that difference before.
some explanations, I meant.
I'm quickly rereading this one as I last read it a couple of months ago, before this buddy read was planned. The first meeting between Hastings and the young woman on the train is really interesting. AC introduces a young (she appears to be 17), lively American to pedantic Hastings. We start to see that he possibly can change, when he is charmed, unwillingly, by the girl's spirited approach to life.
Leslie wrote: "It always surprises me when I reread this how early Christie [spoilers removed]"yes! though let's move this discussion over to the spoiler thread... :-)
Mod
Yes, that's a bit annoying isn't? May be he is just very happy to have some french speaking people around...
Poor Hastings does have to serve in as the role of reader throughout the story, which makes him seem far less clever than he probably is just because we are so clueless. Besides, if we are to imagine that Poirot is half as clever as he believes himself to be, then others wouldn't be able to draw the same conclusions he does with the same evidence. Even the rather clever Giraud looks buffoonish in comparison.
Mod
I watched the TV adaption of this story with Suchet yesterday, and I have to say that I was not a fan. They changed too many aspects of the story in a way that made it feel haphazard and incomplete. While the written version is a bit complicated, I dont think the changes they made were in a positive direction.
I'm sorry to hear that, Tara! Especially as I have the TV-adaptation planned for tonight ... I have seen only a few Poirot adaptions. I can remember only Murder on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express, but I'm now duly committed to Poirot and will also "visit" him on screen! I will let you know how it went tomorrow.
I look forward to hearing your take Jessica. I can be a bit of a purist snob at times, so perhaps I was a bit harsh in my criticisms. Normally I am a huge Suchet as Poirot fan, but the contrasts seemed more apparent when I watched it immediately after finishing the book. Hopefully you will like it!
Well, Tara, I do not think you have to be a purist to frown at the many changes! Most obviously, and most strangely... the opening sequence. Giving away the whole plot and making it completely improbable at the same time! I wonder how that ever made it in there. (also really, why merging the two very important and very different women into one? but more appropriate to discuss that in the spoiler section...)Besides the occasional frowning. I actually rather enjoyed it. I could see why they chose to put so much more of the golfing into the plot. I loved the way the episode looked and felt. Perhaps if one hadn't read the book very attentively just before watching, the changes wouldn't stand out so much.
Mod
One or two of these were needed because Hastings is older here than in the book, and also I think there are some problems with the plot in this book (I'll say more in the spoiler thread!) so it isn't surprising the scriptwriters were tempted to tinker with it.
But some of the changes were pretty odd, such as the opening sequence you mention, Jessica.
Mod
Whew, glad to know I wasn't the only one who was ambivalent about this adaption. It makes sense to untangle a bit of the plot twists (especially the part with the plan of snaring the murderer), but some of the changes just seemed unnecessary, and left the story a bit flat IMO. I also didn't like that they revealed Renauld's secret from the beginning, rather than letting it unravel as the story progressed.
Oh gosh. I now don't know whether to watch the Suchet episode. I've finally caught up with everyone in terms of reading but I was going to watch the Suchet episodes after I'd finished each book, hmm.Despite thinking I'd read every Poirot, and watched every Suchet, I did not remember this book at all, which was wonderful.
Though decision indeed Adrian... but I still liked the episode despite the changes
Ok, thanks Jessica, I will be guided by your thoughts !!
Over at the Ngaio Marsh challenge page, I complained of having waited in vain on a book order to arrive... Included in that order was a Ultimate Poirot companion book (or something to that order). So I cannot yet delight you all with interesting facts 🤣. Do any of you have a reading guide to Poirot? And if so, do you like it / recommend using one?
I haven't a guide to Poirot, but bought the one to miss Marple. I thought it was interesting enough, but fairly simplistic. I'd love to write one on poirot. I think it would be fun.
Robin wrote: "I haven't a guide to Poirot, but bought the one to miss Marple. I thought it was interesting enough, but fairly simplistic. I'd love to write one on poirot. I think it would be fun."Yes that would be so much fun! Please do, I'd gladly edit it for you haha
Christmas Adventure is listed for next month but I can't seem to find a copy of it anywhere. It is listed as not currently available on Kindle. Any ideas?
Mod
Sandy, I posted about this when there was a question about it in the Mysterious Affair at Styles thread, will just copy my post below:
Mark Pghfan wrote: "I've read all of the stories/books multiple times, so I am perfectly set to join in the discussions. I have a question on "Christmas Adventure". Is this "The Theft of the Royal Ruby"/"Adventure of the Christmas Pudding"? I think this was written much later than 1923, though...."
Mark, I've just found a thead about this on AgathaChristie.com and this is an earlier/shorter version of the Royal Ruby/Christmas Pudding story:
http://community.agathachristie.com/d...
It looks from this thread as if it has not been published in the US in this version -there is a Christmas Adventure: Hercule Poirot mini-book of it available on Kindle from UK Amazon, maybe also on the US site? Anyway I think I will hold fire on reading either version of it until Christmas!
After I posted this, Jan then commented that the mini-book was not available in the US.
It's a delicate balance between the satisfaction of list-following and adapting the reading order to suit seasons. I think the Christmas Adventure can very well be left for the December when we are all in the mood for a Christmas adventure. Though in The Netherlands we do have access to the English ebook version (Harpercollins), it seems hard to find in the international stores. Isn't it that weird?
As some of you know from last year's challenge, I thought I had a complete set of Agatha Christie books (inherited from my mother), and also as some will know this proved not to be true.For this challenge I had to buy
. Now whilst this may not be the definitive guide to all things Poirot, it does say regarding The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and I quote "was first published in December 1923 and is an expanded story of the original version A Christmas Adventure" .
Don't know if that helps people ?
Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (other topics)Christmas Adventure: a Hercule Poirot Short Story (other topics)
We're reading the books in order as suggested by www.agathachristie.com, one book each month. There will be a separate spoiler thread for each month. So for this year, we will read: (updated 8-4-18)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles 1920 --> Done!
Feb - Murder on the Links 1923
March - Christmas Adventure (short story) 1923 (well it's been placed here chronologically, you can ship it and save it for December...)
March - Poirot Investigates (short stories) 1924 (because we can certainly handle more than 1 short story this month!)
April - Poirot's Early Cases (short stories) 1974
May - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd 1926 (my favourite)
June - The Big Four 1927
July - The Mystery of the Blue Train 1928
August - Black Coffee (play novelisation by Charles Osborne) 1997
September - Peril at End House 1932
October - The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (short story) 1932 and Second Gong (short story) 1932
November - Lord Edgware Dies 1933
December - Murder on the Orient Express 1934 and optional reading of Christmas Adventure (short story) 1923