Christie, Agatha--Elephants Can Remember informal buddy read starts June 25, 2018

[Jammin Jenny]

I finally got my copy from the library so I'll be starting this book very soon.

[Sarah]

I finally finished - this was an easy book to read slowly, while reading other things at the same.

I agree with Cheryl and Apoorv, this isn't one of the better books by Agatha Christie. It was much too predictable. My teenage self would probably have agreed that this isn't a 'good' one, as (view spoiler)[I used to judge how good an AC book was by how many murders there were. This was very tame in that regard! (hide spoiler)]

But then again, even a 'dud' Agatha Christie is still worth a read, and I will still read and reread them.

[Jammin Jenny]

Sarah wrote: "I've started, read chapter 1 so far. This is a reread for me, but I remember nothing about it except that it was the first time I guessed an AC plot correctly (after reading nearly all of her books..."

That is very interesting Sarah. Thanks for posting that tidbit.

[Jammin Jenny]

I'm up through Chapter 4.

Mrs. Benton-Cox really is an odious woman as Mrs. Oliver points out. I am enjoying this read and will post more thoughts after I read my next chapters tomorrow!

[Michelle]

Right behind you, Jenny! Starting this one after I finish the one I’m reading now.

[Michelle]

Vicki wrote: "Chapters 1-5

Ariadne Oliver: I guess I haven’t read enough of Agatha Christie’s books to know this character. But so far I really like her.

The mystery she is investigating is [spoilers removed]..."

Finally got to this one, and I'm just through chapter 5 so I thought I would comment.

I do love Ariadne. She's so wacky, and I love her jumps in logic. Poirot pretty much just takes her in stride at this point in their relationship.

Mrs. Burton-Cox: why in the world would it matter what order it happened in? Waiting to see how that all plays out. She's awful either way.

[Mary X]

I think the order mattered to her because if it was the mother who killed the father and then herself then the daughter would be more likely to be like that. In Mrs. Burton-Cox's opinion anyway.

[Michelle]

Had an idea around the crime! About 58% complete with the book.
Posting to see if I'm right at the end.
(view spoiler)[Mrs Burton-Cox is the twin sister. So if the mother killed the father first, then herself, she would get the whole estate. If the father killed the mother first, then himself, she would not inherit and it would go directly to Celia and the little brother. (hide spoiler)]

I could be crazy, though. It might not actually work that way in real life.

[Jammin Jenny]

I am not going to look at your spoiler (I am not, I am not - okay I really am not) ... I never figure out an Agatha Christie novel so I hope this is the one I finally do!! Hoping to get to it today but am currently juggling about 10 books and letting the Randomizer tell me what to read next...

[Jammin Jenny]

I am through Chapter 8. I love Mrs. Oliver and her searching out elephants who remember. I still have no clue who did it though, or why or how. It is interesting (view spoiler)[ about the sister who was mad an in an asylum - I think maybe she comes into it somehow, but it could just be one of those red herring Dame Agatha loves so much. Looking forward to my next chunk of this book. (hide spoiler)]

[Michelle]

I was way off. Haha! You did it again, Agatha. I’ll be back to post my thoughts after work tonight.

[Jammin Jenny]

I am up through Chapter 15 and I still don't know who, how or why...(view spoiler)[I think the twin sister comes into it somehow - maybe her twin sister that was mentally deranged pushed Molly off the cliff, then wore Molly's wigs to try and pretend she was her sister because she was still in love with General Ravenscroft, but he found her out, then tried to talk to her on the walk, told he would never love her, so she killed him then shot herself (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

Yes I figured it out! that NEVER happens to me with Dame Agatha. I loved this book.

[Michelle]

I pieced some of it together but was way off on the rest. I enjoyed this one too, Jenny!

[Cat]

I just started.

I loved the opening scene, with Mrs Oliver trying on the best hat backwards! I love that she didn't care about what was "proper", if it worked for her!
And then she started sending her assistant on hunts in obscure places for books and things!

[Cat]

Michelle wrote: "I do love Ariadne. She's so wacky, and I love her jumps in logic. Poirot pretty much just takes her in stride at this point in their relationship."

The double act is great! I liked it when Poirot tells Miss Lemon to reply to Desmond, and she asks about mentioning elephants, and he's like "No! elephants are too big! Enough with the animals!"
especially after Ariadne mentioned swans to him earlier.

It's much much funnier than most of the others, I think.

[Michelle]

Cat wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I do love Ariadne. She's so wacky, and I love her jumps in logic. Poirot pretty much just takes her in stride at this point in their relationship."

The double act is great! I like..."

She always adds some extra humor when Ariadne is around, for sure. Those mysteries are fun. And she balances Poirot's smugness when they work together on a case.

[Cat]

Michelle wrote: "She always adds some extra humor when Ariadne is around, for sure. Those mysteries are fun. And she balances Poirot's smugness when they work together on a case. ."

Yeah. I generally prefer Poirot books without Hastings as narrator. He's so BOOOORING! but Ariadne is a breath of bonkers air!

[Michelle]

Cat wrote: "Michelle wrote: "She always adds some extra humor when Ariadne is around, for sure. Those mysteries are fun. And she balances Poirot's smugness when they work together on a case. ."

Yeah. I genera..."

Hastings! Oh my goodness, yes. I totally agree with you.

Other than Poirot, I really like the books with Superintendent Battle. He's a good cop and those mysteries seemed to have a different sort of twist to them.

[Jammin Jenny]

Cat wrote: "I just started.

I loved the opening scene, with Mrs Oliver trying on the best hat backwards! I love that she didn't care about what was "proper", if it worked for her!
And then she started sendin..."

Yes Mrs. Oliver is a riot! I loved her character. Does anyone remember which other Hercule books she is in?

[Cat]

Dead Man's Folly
Cards On the Table
Hallowe'en Party (iirc)

.... decided to turn to Wiki rather than continue taxing my little grey cells....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariadne...

[Amy the book-bat]

Just started this one... through chapter 2
I enjoyed the interaction between Poirot and Mrs. Oliver. I hope to get through more this weekend.

[Cat]

I finished last night. I confess I knew the answer, but I am not sure if that's because I've seen an adaptation or because the plot was easier / reused in other books...

I mostly enjoyed this for the double act bantz that was going on

[Amy the book-bat]

I have roughly 50 pages to go... I have an idea for at least part of the solution, so I am curious to see how much I have right.

Mrs. Burton-Cox is so awful. Can't stand her.
Would like to get to know Celia better.
I do like how Poirot and Mrs. Oliver play off of each other, but at times, I feel left out of their conversations.

[Amy the book-bat]

Finished!
It was pretty much as I thought. I didn't know that (view spoiler)[ the governess would be the one to provide the final piece of the puzzle.

It was easy enough to figure out when they mentioned twins and then all of the stuff about the wigs. It is such a standard trope nowadays that the twins basically did a swictheroo.

I had thought that maybe Mrs. Burton-Cox's son was the one that Dorothea may have killed in India and that Desmond was the replacement. If Dorothea was the one who had harmed her son, it would have been a great reason for her to not want Celia to marry Desmond. I guess the money motive is good enough though. (hide spoiler)]

[Tina ❣]

Okay. I sat down and finished reading this tonight. I did enjoy it!

I found the mannerisms in the way that they speak to be refreshing to read, honestly.

I agree with you guys that this wasn't the best of Agatha Christie, but I haven't read her books that much. I think I'll start to read more of hers after Tower Teams ends.

I really did like Mrs. Oliver in this book. I think I'll read the one's you've said she's in, Cat.

As always, Poirot is awesome. Love his work.

Mrs Buxton-Cox was indeed not a nice lady. I'm glad Desmond realised that.

Did we find out what happened to Edward? Celia's brother? Maybe I missed it

[Lauri]

This should be a fast one. I've been looking through the comments & see that this is not one of Ms. Christie's stellar works. I haven't read them all & I intend to at some point, so here goes!

Mrs. Oliver is delightfully wacky! I love her already. I want her to be a little less polite and show some backbone.

Mrs. Burton-Cox is indeed odious. What nerve she has!

M. Poirot is, as always, unflappable with tremendous insight.

Onwards!

[Lauri]

I feel sorry for Miss Livingstone! Who could ever hope to compare to the peerless Miss Sedgwick? I'm wondering now if Ariadne could be more than a little dotty?

We meet Celia Ravenscroft at last and learn that she hasn't any idea of what transpired with her parents. She was very young & most probably out of the country at the time. Or was she?

Why, oh why, would the odious Mrs. Burton- Cox expect any information from Mrs. Oliver? Love the way M. Poirot just charged right in to help...

The twists are improbable & there are some red herrings along the way, but all in all I did enjoy this & will continue on my quest to read all of Dame Agath's works...