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Loading... Poirot: The Big Four (original 1927; edition 2002)by Agatha Christie (Author)
Work InformationThe Big Four by Agatha Christie (1927)
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No current Talk conversations about this book. Agatha Christie was a masterful plotter of detective novels, but her thrillers (see her Tommy and Tuppence books, for example) are naive and not very good. While her detective novels feel like atemporal, this feels dated. Here, Poirot fights a ridiculous super-criminal organization (think Moriarty, only an alliance of four such people instead of just one). The book is at its best when it reads as independent detective short stories, where Poirot investigates and the solution turns out to be related to the Big Four organization. When the Big Four are in the foreground, it is not good. Hastings, of course, is as dim-witted as ever... This one is only for Agatha Christie completists. This early Poirot novel is pulp fiction and not really a whodunnit. Poirot and Hastings go on the hunt for the members of the Big Four, a criminal syndicate led by a Chinese man who is the master planner, an American industrialist who provides the wealth, a French woman who provides scientific know how, and a mysterious number 4, the Destroyer, who seems to be able to adopt almost any disguise at will. This syndicate is supposed to be behind every riot, labour unrest and political upheaval across the world, including the Russian revolution, and even behind some natural disasters using the French woman's expertise, aiming at world domination and the collapse of civilisation. Yes, four master criminals with thousands of agents supposedly in every country at their disposal. This is so ridiculous I could scarcely suspend my disbelief at points, but I guess was kind of enjoyable hokum. One contemporary review, in The Scotsman of 17 March 1927 sums it up perfectly for me: "The activities of Poirot himself cannot be taken seriously, as one takes, for example, Sherlock Holmes. The book, indeed, reads more like an exaggerated parody of popular detective fiction than a serious essay in the type. But it certainly provides plenty of fun for the reader who is prepared to be amused. If that was the intention of the authoress, she has succeeded to perfection". I normally find Agatha Christie to be a riveting read but this was pretty boring. It lacks the unity of plot of a proper novel. It is a series of episodes, only unified by the theme of Hercule Poirot investigating and uncovering the identity of one of the villains. Most Christie fans and scholars agree that The Big Four isn't her best. Kuddos to the Queen of Mystery for trying a different story out but this one was utterly a bore.
Belongs to SeriesHercule Poirot (4) Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inAgatha Christie Crime Collection: The Pale Horse / The Big Four / The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie 1920s Agatha Christie, Vol. 3: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Big Four, The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie Has the adaptationNotable Lists
Fiction.
Mystery.
HTML: Famed private eye Hercule Poirot tackles international intrigue and espionage in this classic Agatha Christie mystery. Framed in the doorway of Hercule Poirot's bedroom stands an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man stares for a moment, then he sways and falls. Who is he? Is he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what is the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his lifeâ??and that of his "twin brother"â??to uncover the truth No library descriptions found.
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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Purportedly, this format is due to Christie having reworked a series of short stories into a larger narrative to publish them as a novel. The new structure of having a new small mystery every few chapters is a nice change of pace. I don't think an entire series like this would be great, but I enjoyed it as a one off.
Hastings continues to be very dense and aggravating, but it was more tolerable when there was a new mystery for him to fail to have any insight into regularly. Overall a fun read. (