CLOSED The Mysterious Affair at Styles - September 2010 BOM

[Carolyn F.]

A few of us are going to try and read through all the books in order starting with #1 The Mysterious Affair at Styles. We can discuss the book here. Probably will include spoilers. Ends September 30, 2010.

[Lushbug]

oooh im gonna join it ....'rushes out to library to get a copy'.

[David]

Are you mad?

[Carolyn F.]

Great guys. I'm going to try to read it again this week.

[Lushbug]

Ok has anyone started this then? thoughts so far? I havent started it yet-just finishing off a monster of a book
. I read on Wiki that this was her first published novel and the first to feature Poirot aka 'the famous detective'! As i have only read her later Poirots it will be interesting to see how he started out as a character-i find characters often change alot after the first few.

[Carolyn F.]

I'm starting it this weekend. I've read it a few times and watched the TV series version. Wonderful.

[jennifer]

I'm about ten pages in.

[Carolyn F.]

I'm halfway through and just loving it. I love how Hastings thinks he's so logical and has everything figured out. Cracks me up.

[Carolyn F.]

Okay finished it, wonderful book. Even though I've read it several times I still enjoyed it a lot. I love how Agatha Christie throws in some humor throughout the book so lighten it up.

[Carolyn F.]

Me too, Dianna, I'm throwing these in the middle of my other books. I've always wanted to do this, read them in order, but never followed through. Crossing my fingers that I do it this time.

[jennifer]

I was surprised by how polished Christie's writing was here. I guess because this was her first, I expected writing that was a little rough around the edges, but this had strong characters and great twists. I did notice that Poirot leaps and runs and gestures wildly here. I'm used to seeing him as a bit restrained in his movements.

[Carolyn F.]

It's been years since I read it too Jennifer and I was still engrossed and laughing throughout the book. You're right, for a first book she did a fantastic job.

[Lushbug]

he's a very different poirot to the later books. Hastings is still the same. it was chrities 50th annerversay or something according to google yesterday?

[jennifer]

I believe it was the 120th anniversary of her birth.

[Shirin]

jennifer wrote: "I believe it was the 120th anniversary of her birth."

yes it is!i read a paragraph about it in newspaper just today!

[Jolie]

I am in! I have Styles on audio (unabridged, of course!), my favourite way to enjoy Christie.

[Carolyn F.]

It'll probably only be a few of us, but it will be kind of nice to go through them all. One a month will take us a couple of years - but I don't have a problem. I have a ton of her paperbacks. She also wrote a very small autobiography, so we can either throw that in at the end or wherever. I think is is going to be a lot of fun (my husband would be rolling his eyes on my idea of fun).

[✿ Deni]

I just got it today from the library, so I'm in!... I always wanted to read all her books, so I'm glad we're doing this! Will we discuss it in this same thread?

BTW, Carolyn, my husband rolls his eyes as well when I spend my afternoons reading on the sofa :oD

[Carolyn F.]

Two of a kind.

[Manda]

A little late, but finally checking in on my old Goodreads account. Joining in on this for sure! I have a bunch of these, mostly Poirot as he was my favorite. Maybe this will get me to actually sit down and read her Miss Marples, too. Off to listen to 'Styles during work today. Love hearing David Suchet narrate it - Poirot reading Poirot is so much fun!

[Jolie]

Just finished the audio version, it was an earlier audio & the narrator was a woman, she didn't seem to command all that much attention. I found myself quite distracted! All other Poirot I have heard were narrated by Hugh Fraser who played in the TV series as Hastings. I may give it another go though, looks like my library DOES have the David Suchet narration.

[Carolyn F.]

Why would they have a woman narrate when most of the main characters are men?

[Jolie]

Carolyn F. wrote: "Why would they have a woman narrate when most of the main characters are men?"

I know! It was surreal.

[Manda]

I have several of the audiobooks, both with Hugh Fraser and with David Suchet narrating, and I enjoy them all. They both do an excellent job, though I would imagine it helps they have that little extra insight since they actually play the characters they're voicing. Gives it that little extra flair, especially for Suchet reading as Poirot. It makes me smile. On to this month's read, from the library this time. :)

[Carolyn F.]

I've listed October BOM for everyone to read (hopefully). I've pulled out my copy :)

[Martha]

Finally I finish this book the last weekend, and, still love it, the only thing that sometimes bother me (just a little) is how silly Hastings could be, but, the story, the characters, and, of course, Poirot, is excelent.

[Carolyn F.]

I like that Hastings thinks he's more clever than he really is and that Poirot never really calls him on the carpet for it.

[Fiona]

Only found this site a few months ago so joined in reading The Sittaford Mystery but have also gone back and just finished Mysterious Affair at Styles. Good going for a first book and whilst I could remember one bit of whodunnit couldn't remember the full story.

[Carolyn F.]

These are all kind of refreshers to me Fiona. I start some of the books and think "Have I read this already?" I've read all the books so far (I did miss a few months of these reads.) But sometimes it takes me about halfway through to remember that I had read it.

[Denise]

I joined more recently, so missed your earlier discussions, like this one. But I just reread this novel a few weeks ago for another group. I agree about how Hastings keeps thinking that Poirot is a bit past it and is lucky to have Hastings around! My favorite funny bit was when Poirot told Hastings that they would have to be so smart that the others would think they were not smart at all. He then said that Hastings would be a big help to him in that, and poor oblivious Hastings actually felt very flattered! LOL! But it did work out, because Poirot kept Hastings in the dark much of the time, and of course Hastings thought he knew everything that Poirot was thinking and would tell this person or that that Poirot believed in some suspect, and of course he was wrong, but it misled the real suspect(s)!

[Carolyn F.]

This was a great book Denise, some pretty funny parts.

[Renee]

Thanks to all of you, I am now reading all the books in order and slowly will catch up to you all lol! I am reading the monthly reads though, just catching up on my Christie that I missed :)

Christie did a great job for her first book! I also love how Hastings thinks he knows everything Poirot is thinking and he seems to suspect almost everyone throughout the book! I think my favourite part was when Hastings got upset that Poirot was busy investigating without him and decided not to go visit him again and wait for him to come up to the house. They seem to work well together though.

It's very interesting seeing how Poirot was first introduced as a character. I loved hearing of him running about in a fit of despair or getting excited about figuring something out and bouncing around.

My version had the original courtroom scene (which was changed before publication into the drawing room scene) where Poirot reveals the murderer. While the courtroom scene was good, I'm glad she changed it because I liked the drawing room scene better.

Now on to the next one!

[Luffy]

Hi Renee, I read this book more than a decade ago and it's the one I remember the most. Great mystery and greater outcome.

[Karen]

This is one of her best.

[Esther]

Well I am very late to the party. I have just started my chronology with The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
I have read most of Agatha Christie's mysteries many years ago but although some of the scenes were vaguely familiar I couldn't remember whodunnit.

To be honest it really didn't feel like a first book.
And I do like the way AC (through Poirot),uncovers romance as well as murders.
Hugh Fraser was Hastings in my mind from the beginning but I did find it strange trying to imagine Poirot as a younger man.

[Carolyn F.]

Or, you may be very early for the party. We're reading them in chronological order and then starting all over again.

[Erin]

I am also very late to the Christie reading party. I read this book in January and agree with previous comment - it didn't feel like a debut novel. I shall probably catch the group up somewhere along the sequence.

[Esther]

Odwyer wrote: "I am also very late to the Christie reading party. I read this book in January and agree with previous comment - it didn't feel like a debut novel. I shall probably catch the group up somewhere alo..."
I am reading a book or 2 a month in published order. You can join me if you like.

[Elizabeth]

this was the first book of hers I read last year and loved it.

[Carolyn F.]

This book will be our September 2017 book of the month read. Here is a link to that discussion. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...