Poirot Buddy Read 28: The Labours of Hercules

[Judy]

Just opening up this thread for discussion so I can add the cover to the group bookshelf.

This month's book is a collection of short stories loosely based on the mythological labours of Hercules. No spoilers here please - there will also be a spoiler thread.

The stories are:

The Nemean Lion

The Lernaean Hydra

The Arcadian Deer

The Erymanthian Boar

The Augean Stables

The Stymphalean Birds

The Cretan Bull

The Horses of Diomedes

The Girdle of Hippolyta

The Flock of Geryon

The Apples of Hesperides

The Capture of Cerberus

[Jessica-sim]

Thanks! How did March sneak up on me? (I think I write the same comment every year ;-)).

So this month we have short stories ahead of us. That will be a bit divisive because not everyone is a fan of those... but it's again a different offering of Poirot. Never boring here! Enjoy :-)

[Susan in NC]

I enjoyed this, yet another Poirot collection I had somehow missed. I’ve seen a few of them dramatized, with David Suchet, but read by Hugh Fraser, this was a varied and interesting treat! A good collection, with an intriguing premise - that Poirot would solve 12 self-imposed “labors”, or puzzles, before retiring. The tie-ins to Greek mythology were a bit of a stretch in a few spots, I thought, but the puzzles were satisfying, moved along at an abbreviated clip, and I enjoyed the humor provided by Japp, Miss Lemon, the faithful Georges, and the various hosts/assistants Poirot employed along the way.

[Jessica-sim]

Glad you enjoyed it Susan!

I came here too say that the month of march is proving a bit too much for me. I have exams for music school and work is crazy with the corona stress (I work as a floor manager in a hospital). I cannot keep up my reading, so instead of stressing even more about that... I will see you all in april again!

[Judy]

Oh wow, you must be super busy with all that, Jessica. Here is hoping the exams go well and the coronavirus stress is soon over - something I'm sure we all hope. See you next month!

[Susan in NC]

I am so sorry! Take care of yourself and be safe and healthy. We will be here when you get back! Good luck with school and work.

[Jill]

Good luck with the exams Jessica, and hope the coronavirus is soon over for everyone.

[Sandy]

Jessica, hope all goes well in both hospital and school.

I've now listened to the first story and was amused. Like Tied up in Tinsel, this is a reread that I don't remember.

[Frances]

I've just finished and will head over to the spoiler thread. I do enjoy Christie's short stories, and the Poirot ones, while often dealing with more mundane or quirky problems, are still delightful. There is a bit of a surprise ending to the Capture of Cerberus-enjoy!

[Judy]

I have started listening to the audiobook of this - very enjoyable so far.

[Susan in NC]

I enjoyed it, too - Hugh Fraser is my favorite narrator!

[Sandy]

I'm also listening. I think I like short stories better on audio. In a book I tend to just keep reading them one after another; with audio I pace them out.

[Judy]

Definitely agree that short stories work well on audio. I think I often prefer short stories by Christie to her novels - as with Conan Doyle, the more outlandish plots work well in a shorter space.

[Tara]

Typically I don't enjoy short mysteries as much, as there is not sufficient time to develop plot and characters, but this collection is proving to be an exception thus far. They are tidy little puzzles that don't require more information to be solved in a satisfactory way. So far I have read The Nemean Lion and The Lernaean Hydra, and the fit with the myth has worked well. I'm reading the book, and also listening to the audio, just because listening to Hugh Fraser is such a treat!

[Judy]

I thought The Nemean Lion was really clever - I need to get on and listen to some more!

[Sandy]

I've listened to ten stories so far and like most of them. I also thought Nemean Lion was quite clever. Take note of the perpetrator: she reappears! I wish I knew the original myths. (I started Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold recently but haven't gotten very far.)

[Susan in NC]

I enjoyed these very much, and like Sandy, wish I knew more (or remembered more from my high school English study of Greek mythology). Thanks for the title, Sandy!

[Judy]

I enjoyed the second story, The Lernaean Hydra, which is like a mini-novel in its own right. I also think Hugh Fraser is brilliant as doing Poirot's voice!

[Adrian]

I’ve just finished the book and after marking each story I think this was a 4 star read. I was actually surprised I enjoyed some of the stories as much as I did, because normally I prefer Christie’s novels.

Just to echo other people’s comments, good luck Jessica, and take care.

[Tara]

Now that I have finished, I must say this is my favorite Christie short story collection I've read thus far. The various labors created a thread to tie them together, even if some of the connections to the myths they were supposed to represent were tenuous. Altogether, delightful!

[Jessica-sim]

Im doing well with catching up! Just three stories left to go.

It really surprises me how much I like the stories. I think the overlying theme of the works of Hercules works will tying them all together. Somehow I have more patience with these short stories then with those from the other collections we have read.

[Sandy]

I agree that this collection held my interest better than the others I've read.

[Judy]

You're ahead of me, Jessica - because I'm listening to this, it is taking me ages, and I'm only about halfway through. I am enjoying the stories, but taking my time.

[Judy]

I'm still listening to this intermittently (long gap while I listened to another book on audible!) and enjoying it a lot. I really liked The Cretan Bull.