Unofficial Poirot Buddy Read: 4 Poirot's early cases

[Jessica-sim]

Well here we are, it's three days in to April already!

Because I'm so late, I'm opening this thread on my mobile phone in a train... Not something I would recommend to do haha I hope to be home tomorrow evening and will then edit the thread so that it neatly resembled the others and sort out the confusion regarding the short stories planned for later this year that I appearently mistook for full blown books.

For now: Know that this month is dedicated to yet another short story collection: Poirot's early cases. I did read these before, so it will be fun to reread and compare the experience. It took me a while to get used go the tone and pace of the short stories we read last month, but they did grow on me.

Enjoy! :-)

[Jessica-sim]

This book contains no less than 18 short stories:

1. The Affair at the Victory Ball
2. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
3. The Cornish Mystery
4. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
5. The Double Clue
6. The King of Clubs
7. The Lemesurier Inheritance
8. The Lost Mine
9. The Plymouth Express
10. The Chocolate Box
11. The Submarine Plans
12. The Third Floor Flat
13. Double Sin
14. The Market Basing Mystery
15. Wasps' Nest
16. The Veiled Lady
17. Problem at Sea
18. How Does Your Garden Grow?

[Judy]

I've started reading this now, and aim to read one of the short stories every night at bed time. The first story was quite long and enjoyable, broken up into mini-chapters.

In these stories and the ones in the previous collection, the whole set-up is so reminiscent of Holmes and Watson, with Poirot as a consulting detective and Hastings sharing his lodgings and recording his cases. I'm very happy with this, as I love the Holmes short stories.

[Susan]

I hope that I will get time to read these. If not, I will rejoin you for the next month. Jessica, for two months, you have just one short story listed as the read - can you confirm that this is correct?

[Jessica-sim]

Susan wrote: "I hope that I will get time to read these. If not, I will rejoin you for the next month. Jessica, for two months, you have just one short story listed as the read - can you confirm that this is cor..."

Hi Susan, it is correct that I overlooked that, and I stand by my opinion that we hardcore Poirot readers can surely handle two short stories in one month! So, new amended plan:

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

Yay! Murder on the Orient Express now made the list for this year :-)

[Susan]

Thanks for amending the list, Jessica. I will definitely join in with Roger Ackroyd, and other novels, but I may skip some of the short stories.

[Judy]

Yes, great that Orient Express has made the list, Jessica. :)

[Sandy]

And I plan on joining in July, with Blue Train.

[Jill]

I have read these and think I got more into them than the previous book. Maybe it is that I have got used to the fact that they will end quickly.

[Jessica-sim]

Jill wrote: "I have read these and think I got more into them than the previous book. Maybe it is that I have got used to the fact that they will end quickly."

It also took me a while to get into the pace and length of these stories, despite their short length they did grown on me ;-)

[Judy]

I’ve already fallen behind with my one story a night plan, but with such short stories it shouldn’t be a problem to catch up!

[Judy]

A bonus with reading all these short stories is that it means there are lots of Poirot episodes I am now free to watch without spoiling a future read!

[Jan C]

I just finished the first book of short stories. And this doesn't look readily available. Unless I want to pay $27 for a hardcover. Unless it has a different title in the US.

I may take a run out to the bookstore and see if they have it on the shelves and just not available on line. Otherwise will need to send away for it.

[Tara]

Luckily I was able to get a digital copy of this from my library, and I had to race to finish before it was due back in a few days. When you are actively reading 6-7 books, it can be difficult to juggle priorities sometimes. While I think it is next to impossible to figure out whodunnit in these short stories (not that I am any more successful in full length books), as you really aren't given enough clues to do so, they are fun. I also think that Poirot's quirks are less evident in smaller doses, which might work well for people who find his habits and mannerisms annoying. Hastings certainly is exasperated with him time and time again.

I have never read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, despite being a Christie (and pretty much exclusive Poirot) fan since my teenage years. Luckily I was able to score either a free or cheapie version from Kindle some time ago, so I will gladly be joining in next month's read!

[Judy]

Got to admit, I didn't keep up with reading one of these a day as I originally planned, and have now fallen way behind with them! I think the trouble is that short stories tend to be so easy to put down when I get hooked on a longer book.

I will try to finish it though! I do find these short stories quite enjoyable, and reminiscent of the Holmes and Watson short stories.

[Jan C]

My book should come next week.

[Jessica-sim]

Tara wrote: "Luckily I was able to get a digital copy of this from my library, and I had to race to finish before it was due back in a few days. When you are actively reading 6-7 books, it can be difficult to j..."

I have the same problem! It's a bit weird I really enjoy reading them but due to their short size they get passed over for longer books that are on the schedule for this month... ALSO highly problematic is that I get to watch so many Poirot episodes, which interferes with my reading time hahaha before starting on this Poirot spree I hadn't watched many Poirot episodes, now I'm well on my way in series 4, I finally get why the series has such loyal fans.

[Frances]

I'm also working my way through these but because I have a collection of all the Poirot stories they're out of order and I have to keep checking the list! I do like the shorter ones.

Having also just finished Murder on the Links, (view spoiler)[ there seems to be no explantation for Hastings being back in the picture and apparently single. Are these supposed to be out of sequence? Do we ever hear more of Hastings personal life? (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica-sim]

Yes, that is strange isn't it! I also was confused about that based on publication dates (murder on the links 1923, and the short stories (1923-1935). But these early cases, though published later, do refer to times before Murder on the Links. These short stories are meant to be cases from Hercule Poirot's early career before he was internationally renowned as a detective. Though I think even in these short stories his fame is already often alluded to.

[Judy]

That's interesting - I was initially wondering about that same plot twist from Murder on the Links, Frances. I will be curious to see if it is referred to later!

[Judy]

I'm halfway through now, and am enjoying these short stories a lot, but I do find it hard to remember them after I finish! Hoping that watching the David Suchet adaptations will help me to remember them better, although I'm aware they must add a lot to the stories to fill an hour of viewing.

[Frances]

If there are any more short story collections it might be nice to set up a spoiler thread with 4-6 stories at a time-I don't want to go to that thread until I've completed the series.

[Judy]

Still reading these, and I was intrigued to see in The Third Floor Flat that Poirot refers to a lost love, looking sad:

"You know, Mademoiselle Patricia, I once loved a very young beautiful English girl who resembled you greatly. But, alas, she could not cook..."

I'd been wondering if there would be any hints of romance in his past - this is the first one that I've noticed!

[Jan C]

My book finally came today. Hope to start it soon.

[Judy]

I thought the last two stories in this collection are probably the best, even though they sadly don't feature Hastings. Problem at Sea is like a mini-novel, with short chapters - I wonder if she ever considered writing this one as a full-length novel?

[LovesMysteries]

Judy wrote: "I thought the last two stories in this collection are probably the best, even though they sadly don't feature Hastings. Problem at Sea is like a mini-novel, with short chapters - I wonder if she ev..."

I think Problem At Sea suits better as a short story, rather than a novel. I can't see how she could have fleshed out the characters and the story any better because Christie already does it well enough. The denouement/drawing room type scene is not drawn out which makes the end of the story even more effective.

[Judy]

LovesMysteries wrote: "I think Problem At Sea suits better as a short story, rather than a novel..."

I'm sure you are right - I just thought it was so good that I wondered if she was tempted. to make it longer. I have probably enjoyed the two collections of short stories more than the Poirot novels I've read so far.

[Adrian]

Having just finished this book, I have to agree that “Problem at Sea” was one of my faves as well, despite having no Hastings or Miss Lemon .

[Frances]

I enjoyed theses stories much more than I thought I would, and though I suspect I'd read them all before, I didn't always remember the solution and even when I did they were still an enjoyable read. Having read a number of the lesser-known Golden Age authors it is clear why Christie is the Queen. One peculiar thing I noticed a few times-sometimes the narrator's voice would speak with a Poirot-ish inflection- or speech pattern-I'm trying to find an example but can't at the moment.