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Loading... And Then There Were None (original 1940; edition 1939)by Agatha Christie (Author)
Work InformationAnd Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1940)
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And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie. This was an instant classic from the first printing more than 80 years ago and it is still a gem. If you have not read it, stop reading this now and rush off to pick up a copy. If you haven’t read this in a while, do yourself a favor and enjoy it again. If you only know this book by any of the movies drawn from it, you will find that the source material outshines the film versions every time. This is actually a simple story. Eight people are invited to be guests at a very modern home set on an island about a mile off the shore of south England. There to greet the guests are the butler and his wife, the cook. Except for the last couple, all the invitees are strangers, although their names in a case or two might be known to the others. The host, it is explained, has been detained elsewhere and the guests are to enjoy themselves in his absence. That evening, after dinner, a mysterious recording is played that explains the crimes of all ten. There is bluster and more talk as each denies or agrees with the charges, One guest appears to poison himself and the game is begun. By morning there are two dead and the guests suspect that neither was a suicide. They scour the small rock upon which the house sits but find no one besides themselves. And there is no where for a person to hide, either outside on in the house. Another one dies and suspicions abound. And another dies and another dies… and, finally, there are none. This is a beauty of a puzzle. Dame Agatha plays fair with the reader. Thee is no hidden killer, no dark boat in the middle of the storm to ferry the killer to and from the island. We start with ten living people and end with none. The penultimate chapter will leave you wondering as to what just happened. But don’t worry, there is an explanation for the events of the party, and it is far superior to any of the tacked on endings I’ve seen in the movies. This is what it means to be a classic from the “Golden Age of Mysteries.” Ten strangers are lured to a small island by various means and an unknown host, their secret past crimes are revealed, and then they are killed off, one by one. Who is this maniacal, justice-seeking host? Is it some eleventh person, somehow hiding on the island, or is it…one of them? Ooooh, this is now my second favorite Christie ever (after Murder on the Orient Express), and one of a few of hers that actually packs a bit of a scary atmosphere. Think Clue, but without the hilarity and with a lot more spookiness. I adored it. I faintly remember this book from when my mother read it to my sister because my sister had to read it for school, but I had honestly forgotten a lot of what happened. I decided to pick up the audiobook while I was cooking one day, and it then became what I looked forward to every day when it came time to cook. The audiobook I listened to was well narrated, and I was hooked from the start (albeit a little confused). The book keeps you guessing. It's impossible to figure out who is conducting these murders because there's always some small detail that makes it seem like any of them could be doing it. My guess was that maybe they were drinking something or eating something that made them slowly go mad and kill themselves. I, of course, was wrong. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a gripping story with suspense and mystery. I enjoyed the characters. I liked how at the beginning it was hard to tell them apart because their introductions were back to back and very fast, but by the end of the book, you could easily pick them out because you slowly found out more about each of them throughout the book. It was even better with the audiobook because the narrator gave them each their own voice. Christie is a master at writing, and I cannot wait to read more. Needless to say, this is my first 5 star novel of the year. every scene and piece of dialogue in this story works to consistently build anticipation and dread. the narrative does not lose focus for one moment. i think this economy of language in AC’s storytelling is one of the main reasons her work has maintained enduring interest (it’s certainly not the casual bigotry).
It is the most baffling mystery that Agatha Christie has ever written, and if any other writer has ever surpassed it for sheer puzzlement the name escapes our memory. We are referring, of course, to mysteries that have logical explanations, as this one has. It is a tall story, to be sure, but it could have happened. The mystery is foolproof. The solution is fair. It all fits together at the end. Belongs to Publisher SeriesAdey's Locked Room Murders (0442) Delfinserien (47) — 11 more Fontana (1727) Le Masque (299) Nova terra (48) Gli Oscar [Mondadori] (1518) SaPo (343) Scherz Krimi (969) En Zebra-bok (17) Is contained inMasterpieces of Murder: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, Witness for the Prosecution, Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Five Complete Novels of Murder and Detection: And Then There Were None / Peril at End House / The Murder at Hazelmoor / Easy to Kill / Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie 1930s Omnibus: The Sittaford Mystery, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, And Then There Were None, Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie Agatha Christie Crime Collection: And Then There Were None, Dumb Witness, The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie Christie Classics: And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Philomel Cottage, The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie And Then There Were None | At Bertram’s Hotel | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Great Mystery Books, 10 Volumes (Journey into Fear, The 39 Steps, And Then There Were None, Maltese Falcon, The Nine Tailors, The Doorbell Rang, The Confidential Agent, The Big Sleep, Assignment in Brittany, The Daughter of Time) by Eric Ambler Has the adaptationInspiredHas as a student's study guideDistinctionsNotable Lists
Ten strangers, each with a dark secret, are gathered together on an isolated island by a mysterious host. One by one, they die, and before the weekend is out, there will be none. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had been meaning to read more of Agatha, and so, when I was recommended to pick this one up (d/t the narrator) I was quick to do so.
I didn't guess the end at all! I loved all the twists and turns of it! ( )