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Hercule Poirot #47
While the Light Lasts
Some of Agatha Christie’s earliest stories – including her very first – which show the Queen of Crime in the making…
A macabre recurring dream … revenge against a blackmailer … jealousy, infidelity and a tortured conscience … a stolen gemstone … the haunting attraction of an ancient relic … a race against time … a tragic love triangle … a body in a box … an unexpected visitor from beyond the grave…
Nine quintessential examples of Agatha Christie's brilliance are contained in this collection of early short stories - including the very first one she ever wrote - and provide a unique glimpse of the Queen of Crime in the making.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1924
391 people are currently reading
11233 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,814 books75.1k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
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December 15, 2024
Looking for some strange tales?
I would say that there are some very good short stories in this collection, but I would only recommend this particular group to hardcore fans of Agatha Christie. However, these are also some of the least well known, so there is that.
I left a link to a slightly longer review for each individual story for anyone who is interested in a particular one.
The House of Dreams
This one is admittedly weird.
First published in The Sovereign Magazine in 1926, it's a mash-up of a psychological thriller with a bit of the paranormal, and it really doesn't work all that well.
A man has dreams of a white house and he also feels this love connection to a woman in the story with a family history of mental illness.
The Actress
A scuzzy dude attempts to blackmail a famous stage actress with her past.
We're never told who or what it was that he's blackmailing her with, but it's implied that it had something to do with some embarrassment in her past life. You know, something along the lines of a bad marriage or whatever else would make the 1920s crowd gasp.
Anyway. He had the goods on her!
Or does he?
The Edge
Outdoorsy, animal-loving, spinster Claire has always been in love with her neighbor. Everyone in their small parish assumed that they would eventually marry.
Then he met and married the beautiful Vivian and all of her plans were dashed. She managed to keep a stiff upper lip for years, until a chance encounter in a hotel gave away the fact that Vivian was having an affair.
Christmas Adventure
There are several adventures that Poirot had around Christmas time, but this one will probably feel more familiar than most to Christie completionists.
Why?
Well, this was later expanded into The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding aka The Theft of the Royal Ruby. And while there isn't much of a difference in the core mystery, there were a few definite changes made.
The Lonely God
A little statue of an unnamed god in a museum brings two lonely people together.
A man named Frank Oliver comes back to England after living abroad for many years and he realizes that he doesn't have any friends anymore. He wants to paint but ends up spending all of his time in a museum starting at this little statue that he thinks of as the lonely god because it has been forgotten just like he has.
Manx Gold
A predictable but fun treasure hunt story.
I wish there had been more of some kind of a twist at the end, but it was still decent.
Within a Wall
This is one of those you picked the wrong person stories.
Not my favorite, but still a Christie.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest
Poirot helps a young widow prove that the man she loves didn't kill her husband.
The moring after a house party, the butler discovers the dead body of a man stabbed to death in a chest that was hidden behind a screen. That party apparently went on around him while he died.
He was last seen going into his friend's house to let him know that he wouldn't be able to make it that night, but his friend (and now prime suspect) claims he never saw him.
While the Light Lasts
What if you had the chance to be with your first love again?
A woman who married wealth and security after her first husband was killed in the war has the chance to revisit her past.
This is something that I think anyone would struggle with so I really felt for her.
Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie.
I would say that there are some very good short stories in this collection, but I would only recommend this particular group to hardcore fans of Agatha Christie. However, these are also some of the least well known, so there is that.
I left a link to a slightly longer review for each individual story for anyone who is interested in a particular one.
The House of Dreams
This one is admittedly weird.
First published in The Sovereign Magazine in 1926, it's a mash-up of a psychological thriller with a bit of the paranormal, and it really doesn't work all that well.
A man has dreams of a white house and he also feels this love connection to a woman in the story with a family history of mental illness.
The Actress
A scuzzy dude attempts to blackmail a famous stage actress with her past.
We're never told who or what it was that he's blackmailing her with, but it's implied that it had something to do with some embarrassment in her past life. You know, something along the lines of a bad marriage or whatever else would make the 1920s crowd gasp.
Anyway. He had the goods on her!
Or does he?
The Edge
Outdoorsy, animal-loving, spinster Claire has always been in love with her neighbor. Everyone in their small parish assumed that they would eventually marry.
Then he met and married the beautiful Vivian and all of her plans were dashed. She managed to keep a stiff upper lip for years, until a chance encounter in a hotel gave away the fact that Vivian was having an affair.
Christmas Adventure
There are several adventures that Poirot had around Christmas time, but this one will probably feel more familiar than most to Christie completionists.
Why?
Well, this was later expanded into The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding aka The Theft of the Royal Ruby. And while there isn't much of a difference in the core mystery, there were a few definite changes made.
The Lonely God
A little statue of an unnamed god in a museum brings two lonely people together.
A man named Frank Oliver comes back to England after living abroad for many years and he realizes that he doesn't have any friends anymore. He wants to paint but ends up spending all of his time in a museum starting at this little statue that he thinks of as the lonely god because it has been forgotten just like he has.
Manx Gold
A predictable but fun treasure hunt story.
I wish there had been more of some kind of a twist at the end, but it was still decent.
Within a Wall
This is one of those you picked the wrong person stories.
Not my favorite, but still a Christie.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest
Poirot helps a young widow prove that the man she loves didn't kill her husband.
The moring after a house party, the butler discovers the dead body of a man stabbed to death in a chest that was hidden behind a screen. That party apparently went on around him while he died.
He was last seen going into his friend's house to let him know that he wouldn't be able to make it that night, but his friend (and now prime suspect) claims he never saw him.
While the Light Lasts
What if you had the chance to be with your first love again?
A woman who married wealth and security after her first husband was killed in the war has the chance to revisit her past.
This is something that I think anyone would struggle with so I really felt for her.
Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie.
December 7, 2024
The House of Dreams- 3,5/5
John Segrave is an unhappy man who dreams of a beautiful house in the country. But in the house of beauty, he can see a horribly vile thing.
It’s a short story with a hint of the supernatural as the protagonist’s dreams seem to be connected to the real world. It’s a story that doesn’t outright tell you what it’s about but rather gives you enough clues and lets you find the solution for yourself, which is very different from Agatha Christie’s usual murder mysteries.
The Actress - 5/5
Famous actress Olga Stormer is approached by a man who addresses her by her old name. He knows a deep dark secret of hers. And he intends to blackmail her.
While it isn’t explained what the actress is blackmailed with, it doesn’t really matter. This story is all about the character of the actress, and she’s intriguing to say the least.
The Edge - 4/5
Claire loves her neighbor Gerald, who is married to Vivien. Then Claire finds out that Vivien is having an affair with someone else.
It’s very interesting to note that Agatha Christie wrote this one right before her mysterious disappearance. So it can feel a little bit autobiographical in that regard. But the most interesting part is actually the ending. It’s a story about jealousy. But it’s also about how taking revenge might not be the answer you’re looking for.
Christmas Adventure - 4/5
Hercule Poirot stays in a country house on Christmas Eve. He has an interesting conversation with one of the other guests. He receives a mysterious note from the butler, warning him not to eat any of the Christmas pudding. And Poirot’s little grey cells do what they do best.
A short little Christmas mystery starring Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s most popular detective. It’s interesting to note that this story was later expanded and published under a different title.
The Lonely God - 5/5
Frank Oliver is a shy guy who’s returned to England after a life abroad and feels very lonely. In the British museum he finds a little statue of a god who looks about as lonely as he feels. He calls it the lonely god. And it turns out he’s not the only one who calls it that.
Such a curious and beautiful little story. Love the concept and sentiment. And the feeling of loneliness is actually more prevalent now than it was when this story was written, so it’s very easy to relate to the protagonist. Of all the short stories I’ve read by Agatha Christie so far, this is definitely one of my favorites.
Manx Gold – 3,5/5
Two cousins receive a letter a letter from their uncle after his death, informing them that he’s found a treasure. The uncle invites them and other distant relatives to search for the treasure based on the clues provided to them with the letter. And the treasure hunt quickly has the cousins searching all over the Isle of Man.
Agatha Christie wrote this little treasure hunt story to promote the Isle of Man as a tourist destination. There are actual clues to be found in this story, which led to the location of four snuffboxes that were hidden on the island, each of which contained a voucher for £100. So this story must have been even more exciting to read when it was published. And it’s clear Agatha Christie herself had a lot of fun looking for various hiding places on the island to incorporate in her story. Reading it now though, it can feel a bit straight forward in terms of plot.
Within a Wall - 3/5
Alan Everard is a struggling painter who is married to the money-loving Isobel. When Alan looks at the painting he made of his wife, he realizes it feels lifeless. A sketch he made of his daughter's godmother on the other hand feels full of life.
A solid little emotional love triangle story about art, love and sacrifice. It’s good but it’s just not my kind of story.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest – 3,5/5
The body of Mr Clayton was found inside the Baghdad Chest, after a small gathering of his friends. And all the clues point to the man Mr Clayton’s wife was having an affair with. But could it really be so simple?
A solid little Poirot mystery. I am definitely noticing a trend here in terms of love triangles in Agatha Christie’s stories.
While the Light Lasts - 3/5
George Crozier visits a tobacco plantation with his wife Deirdre. They just married but Deirdre still very much has feelings for her first husband who died in the war. Then it turns out her first husband is still very much alive.
Another short tragic love triangle story. Though it’s interesting to note that this same premise was used later in the full length book Giant's Bread, which Agatha Christie published under the pen name Mary Westmacott.
John Segrave is an unhappy man who dreams of a beautiful house in the country. But in the house of beauty, he can see a horribly vile thing.
It’s a short story with a hint of the supernatural as the protagonist’s dreams seem to be connected to the real world. It’s a story that doesn’t outright tell you what it’s about but rather gives you enough clues and lets you find the solution for yourself, which is very different from Agatha Christie’s usual murder mysteries.
The Actress - 5/5
Famous actress Olga Stormer is approached by a man who addresses her by her old name. He knows a deep dark secret of hers. And he intends to blackmail her.
While it isn’t explained what the actress is blackmailed with, it doesn’t really matter. This story is all about the character of the actress, and she’s intriguing to say the least.
The Edge - 4/5
Claire loves her neighbor Gerald, who is married to Vivien. Then Claire finds out that Vivien is having an affair with someone else.
It’s very interesting to note that Agatha Christie wrote this one right before her mysterious disappearance. So it can feel a little bit autobiographical in that regard. But the most interesting part is actually the ending. It’s a story about jealousy. But it’s also about how taking revenge might not be the answer you’re looking for.
Christmas Adventure - 4/5
Hercule Poirot stays in a country house on Christmas Eve. He has an interesting conversation with one of the other guests. He receives a mysterious note from the butler, warning him not to eat any of the Christmas pudding. And Poirot’s little grey cells do what they do best.
A short little Christmas mystery starring Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s most popular detective. It’s interesting to note that this story was later expanded and published under a different title.
The Lonely God - 5/5
Frank Oliver is a shy guy who’s returned to England after a life abroad and feels very lonely. In the British museum he finds a little statue of a god who looks about as lonely as he feels. He calls it the lonely god. And it turns out he’s not the only one who calls it that.
Such a curious and beautiful little story. Love the concept and sentiment. And the feeling of loneliness is actually more prevalent now than it was when this story was written, so it’s very easy to relate to the protagonist. Of all the short stories I’ve read by Agatha Christie so far, this is definitely one of my favorites.
Manx Gold – 3,5/5
Two cousins receive a letter a letter from their uncle after his death, informing them that he’s found a treasure. The uncle invites them and other distant relatives to search for the treasure based on the clues provided to them with the letter. And the treasure hunt quickly has the cousins searching all over the Isle of Man.
Agatha Christie wrote this little treasure hunt story to promote the Isle of Man as a tourist destination. There are actual clues to be found in this story, which led to the location of four snuffboxes that were hidden on the island, each of which contained a voucher for £100. So this story must have been even more exciting to read when it was published. And it’s clear Agatha Christie herself had a lot of fun looking for various hiding places on the island to incorporate in her story. Reading it now though, it can feel a bit straight forward in terms of plot.
Within a Wall - 3/5
Alan Everard is a struggling painter who is married to the money-loving Isobel. When Alan looks at the painting he made of his wife, he realizes it feels lifeless. A sketch he made of his daughter's godmother on the other hand feels full of life.
A solid little emotional love triangle story about art, love and sacrifice. It’s good but it’s just not my kind of story.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest – 3,5/5
The body of Mr Clayton was found inside the Baghdad Chest, after a small gathering of his friends. And all the clues point to the man Mr Clayton’s wife was having an affair with. But could it really be so simple?
A solid little Poirot mystery. I am definitely noticing a trend here in terms of love triangles in Agatha Christie’s stories.
While the Light Lasts - 3/5
George Crozier visits a tobacco plantation with his wife Deirdre. They just married but Deirdre still very much has feelings for her first husband who died in the war. Then it turns out her first husband is still very much alive.
Another short tragic love triangle story. Though it’s interesting to note that this same premise was used later in the full length book Giant's Bread, which Agatha Christie published under the pen name Mary Westmacott.
June 30, 2019
▪️3,5▪️
February 17, 2023
What if you had the chance to be with your first love again?
A woman who married wealth and security after her first husband was killed in the war has the chance to revisit her past.
This is something that I think anyone would struggle with so I really felt for her.
Deidre Crozier was engaged to her (now) husband but broke off the engagement to marry for firey passion and true love. And then he died.
Now she's married to the man she was originally engaged to, and quietly contented. He's wealthy and dotes on her, so while she isn't in crazy love with him, she can admit that she's quite happy. And maybe because of the creature comforts that she has now, she's even happier than she would have been eventually with her first husband had he lived.
And then her first husband pops up like a daisy!
Yup. There they are, touring Africa when he just kind of slides out of the shadows and back into Deidre's life. Where has he been?
And what will she ultimately choose to do about the knowledge that he isn't dead?
And that's the story of why she hates the smell of tobacco.
But seriously.
But I did really like this story. It's haunting.
And from what I understand this was the inspiration for the full-length novel, Giant's Bread, written under her pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
Read as part of the short story collection The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories.
A woman who married wealth and security after her first husband was killed in the war has the chance to revisit her past.
This is something that I think anyone would struggle with so I really felt for her.
Deidre Crozier was engaged to her (now) husband but broke off the engagement to marry for firey passion and true love. And then he died.
Now she's married to the man she was originally engaged to, and quietly contented. He's wealthy and dotes on her, so while she isn't in crazy love with him, she can admit that she's quite happy. And maybe because of the creature comforts that she has now, she's even happier than she would have been eventually with her first husband had he lived.
And then her first husband pops up like a daisy!
Yup. There they are, touring Africa when he just kind of slides out of the shadows and back into Deidre's life. Where has he been?
And what will she ultimately choose to do about the knowledge that he isn't dead?
And that's the story of why she hates the smell of tobacco.
But seriously.
But I did really like this story. It's haunting.
And from what I understand this was the inspiration for the full-length novel, Giant's Bread, written under her pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
Read as part of the short story collection The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories.
September 27, 2018
This is a nice collection of early Agatha Christie stories. Two of the stories feature Poirot – “Christmas Adventure,” and “The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest,” which also involves Hastings.
Some of these stories are fairly rare and not all are mysteries – there is one sentimental love story, for example. One of the stories, “The Edge,” is particularly interesting for fans of Christie, as it was written in 1926, the year she disappeared and involves Claire Halliwell, a hard working parish worker. Claire has long been in love with Sir Gerald, but he has married the glamorous city girl, Vivien. The story revolves around infidelity and jealousy, and it gives some insight into her tumultuous feelings in that most difficult year. Overall, a good collection with some very good, rare, stories.
Some of these stories are fairly rare and not all are mysteries – there is one sentimental love story, for example. One of the stories, “The Edge,” is particularly interesting for fans of Christie, as it was written in 1926, the year she disappeared and involves Claire Halliwell, a hard working parish worker. Claire has long been in love with Sir Gerald, but he has married the glamorous city girl, Vivien. The story revolves around infidelity and jealousy, and it gives some insight into her tumultuous feelings in that most difficult year. Overall, a good collection with some very good, rare, stories.
May 11, 2022
Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge
BOOK 39 :- FEB 2022
3 Stars ☀️
BOOK 39 :- FEB 2022
3 Stars ☀️
March 1, 2021
θαυμάσια διηγήματα της γνωστής συγγραφέας. Δυο τρία από αυτά μικρά διαμαντάκια.
April 26, 2015
This is another collection of short stories which were re-issued in this particular collection published in 1997, so not a compilation that Dame Agatha would have had a hand in compiling.
Nevertheless, there are some real gems amongst the stories. My personal favourites, the eponymous While the Light Lasts, The Edge and The Actress, are where AC shows some of the darker aspects of life, and she does it well.
The stories do not follow the usual formula of the who-dunnit and if that is what you are looking for you may as well pick one of her Marple or Poirot short stories. However, there are a couple that were later re-worked into Poirot adventures.
The stories contained in this volume are:
- The House of Dreams (first published in January 1926)
- The Actress (first published in May 1923 under the title of A Trap for the Unwary)
- The Edge (first published February 1927)
- Christmas Adventure (first published on 11 December 1923). This story was later expanded into novella form and was printed as The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (Poirot).
- The Lonely God (first published in July 1926)
- Within a Wall (first published in October 1925)
- The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (first published in January 1932). The story was later expanded into The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.
- While the Light Lasts (first published in April 1924)
- Manx Gold (first published in May 1930)
3.5* really, but not quite 4*.
Nevertheless, there are some real gems amongst the stories. My personal favourites, the eponymous While the Light Lasts, The Edge and The Actress, are where AC shows some of the darker aspects of life, and she does it well.
The stories do not follow the usual formula of the who-dunnit and if that is what you are looking for you may as well pick one of her Marple or Poirot short stories. However, there are a couple that were later re-worked into Poirot adventures.
The stories contained in this volume are:
- The House of Dreams (first published in January 1926)
- The Actress (first published in May 1923 under the title of A Trap for the Unwary)
- The Edge (first published February 1927)
- Christmas Adventure (first published on 11 December 1923). This story was later expanded into novella form and was printed as The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (Poirot).
- The Lonely God (first published in July 1926)
- Within a Wall (first published in October 1925)
- The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (first published in January 1932). The story was later expanded into The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.
- While the Light Lasts (first published in April 1924)
- Manx Gold (first published in May 1930)
3.5* really, but not quite 4*.
August 5, 2019
It is a collection of nine stories. One of these feature Hercule Poirot. So strictly speaking it is not a Poirot collection. There are some love stories with love triangles and some supernatural stories. But my favourite is Manx Gold, which was an unique attempt to promote tourism in the Isle of Man. Agatha Christie wrote this story on a commission and it was supplemented by clues published in newspaper promoting a treasure hunt. Unique idea.
February 1, 2021
There are nine short stories in this volume.Poirot appears in two stories,The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (about a crime of breathtaking audacity) and The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (which I found rather lukewarm).
The Lonely God and Within a Wall are not works of detective fiction but are romantic stories,from the earliest period of Christie's career.
Christie,rather surprisingly, wrote one of the stories,Manx Gold, for a fee of just 60 pounds,though she was an established author.It was about a treasure hunt.
The House of Dreams and While the Light Lasts have an element of the supernatural.Jealous lovers and the eternal love triangle are the subject of some of the stories in this volume.
(Christie had herself endured trouble in her first marriage and her husband Archie Christie married another woman).
Not all the stories are of the highest quality,but there are some very good ones among them,which compensate for the weaker ones.
3.5 stars,rounded up.
The Lonely God and Within a Wall are not works of detective fiction but are romantic stories,from the earliest period of Christie's career.
Christie,rather surprisingly, wrote one of the stories,Manx Gold, for a fee of just 60 pounds,though she was an established author.It was about a treasure hunt.
The House of Dreams and While the Light Lasts have an element of the supernatural.Jealous lovers and the eternal love triangle are the subject of some of the stories in this volume.
(Christie had herself endured trouble in her first marriage and her husband Archie Christie married another woman).
Not all the stories are of the highest quality,but there are some very good ones among them,which compensate for the weaker ones.
3.5 stars,rounded up.
August 23, 2022
First time ever reading for Agatha Christie, didn't regret it at all.
It was a good branch-out, but also a successful reading. I actually want to expand my Agatha Christie reading list
I liked the short stories, well made, simple yet interesting.
Ps: I read it in arabic, I wanna do more reading in both arabic & english x)
It was a good branch-out, but also a successful reading. I actually want to expand my Agatha Christie reading list
I liked the short stories, well made, simple yet interesting.
Ps: I read it in arabic, I wanna do more reading in both arabic & english x)
March 2, 2018
There are many stories in this collection which aren't related to Mr. Poirot but I enjoy most of them just the same! Ms. Christie's obvious talent shines through in these cleverly written and brilliantly plotted short stories of her!
October 9, 2019
I am not a big fan of stories in general, I also had the opportunity to read Agatha Christie's stories before and I was not particularly delighted with them. I definitely prefer her novels. The stories I found a bit boring. That's why I'm surprised that I rather enjoyed this collection of stories, despite the low ratings of other reviewers. Maybe I am just in the mood for something like that.
The stories are really short. And there are a lot of them in this collection. They are also very different from each other. From well-known criminal stories (including ones with Hercule Poirot) through romance to short sketches from the borderland of genres. I am not entirely sure if that is a good thing. The whole collection seems a bit random. Although maybe thanks to this it is also more interesting, and the stories are so short that even if one is not in your taste then you get the next one.
Two stories, both about Hercule Poirot, were published in other books in a slightly changed version. And so I had read them before. And although I don't remember all the details, when I read them now they weren’t as interesting to me. Was this a big problem? No, not necessarily. But if I didn't know them, they would probably be the most interesting stories in this collection.
The whole volume takes its title from the last story in the collection, which in my opinion is not the best or any particularly interesting. Nor is it a strictly crime story, typical for Agatha Christie's work (though not necessarily for this collection). I don't know where this decision came from. It is not even the longest story in this collection. And I am not particularly delighted with it.
But generally, the stories are nice. You read them very quickly, even if sometimes you can see that these are very early works of the author.
October 16, 2022
De negen verhalen in deze bundel zijn:
- Het huis van dromen
- De actrice
- De afgrond
- Kerstavontuur
- De eenzame god
- Manx' goud
- Binnen een muur
- Het mysterie van de kist uit Bagdad
- Zolang het licht is.
Kik vond niet alle verhalen goed. Eigenlijk lees ik liever de langere verhalen van Christie.
Het zijn ook niet allemaal detectiveverhalen. Ik heb al betere dingen van haar gelezen.
- Het huis van dromen
- De actrice
- De afgrond
- Kerstavontuur
- De eenzame god
- Manx' goud
- Binnen een muur
- Het mysterie van de kist uit Bagdad
- Zolang het licht is.
Kik vond niet alle verhalen goed. Eigenlijk lees ik liever de langere verhalen van Christie.
Het zijn ook niet allemaal detectiveverhalen. Ik heb al betere dingen van haar gelezen.
May 28, 2018
Επιτέλους, καινούριο "λυχναράκι"! Η θεία Άγκαθα και τη λίστα με τα ψώνια της να γράψει ενδιαφέρον θα 'χει, είναι βέβαιο. Αυτά είναι μερικά από τα πρώτα της διηγήματα, όχι όλα αστυνομικά - έχει και δύο με τον Πουαρό, που έπειτα τα έκανε κανονικές νουβέλες. Για καθένα έχει ένα κατατοπιστικότατο σημείωμα για το που και πως και πότε γράφτηκε. Συνολικά πολύ καλό, εξαιρετική η μετάφραση της Χίλντας.
Οι φανατικοί φαν θα το λατρέψουν, οι υπόλοιποι απλά θα περάσουν καλά :-)
Οι φανατικοί φαν θα το λατρέψουν, οι υπόλοιποι απλά θα περάσουν καλά :-)
June 3, 2016
"While the light lasts I shall remember, and in the darkness I shall not forget."
This short story was originally published in "Novel" (magazine, 1924). I've read it twice now and it still gave me chills. I think it's perfect as a short story, Dame Christie captures everything so perfectly, as well as including some dark and sinister ideas into the story. Well done once again :)
This short story was originally published in "Novel" (magazine, 1924). I've read it twice now and it still gave me chills. I think it's perfect as a short story, Dame Christie captures everything so perfectly, as well as including some dark and sinister ideas into the story. Well done once again :)
March 20, 2016
كنت قد قرأت قبل مدة كتابا من نفس هذه المجموعة ونفس الدار وغالبا لنفس المترجم، إلا أنني لا أذكر أنني كنت أعاني كل هذه المعاناة مع الترجمة
ترجمة سيئة ، حرفية في أغلب الوقت ومربكة حينما تجد الأسم وقد كتب بطريقتين ونطقين مختلفين فتظن بوجود شخصية مختلفة ثم بإعادة القراءة يتضح أنها غلطة ربما من المترجم أو مطبعية من الدار
مجموعة قصص قصيرة منها قصتين للمحقق هركيول بوارو ... رغم النبذة عن الكتاب والتي بدت لي مشوقة وجذابة إلا أنني لم أحب سوى قصة واحدة منها
في كتاب (داخل المكتبة خارج العالم) كان هناك نصا يحذر من البدء بقراءة أعمال مؤلفين معينين لأنهم يتعمدون الإشارة لكتابات أقدم ربما لم ولن يتسنى لنا قرائتها، لم تتضمن قائمة المؤلفين إسم أجاثا كريستي ولكنني أضمها إلى هذه القائمة بكل تأكيد فهي في القصة الرئيسية للمجموعة كانت طيلة الوقت تشير لمسرحيات ولم تكتب حتى أسمائها فقط تفاجأ بالبطلة تطلق على نفسها إسما مغايرا ويأتي شرحا مقتضبا أن البطلة مطلعة وتشير إلى مسرحية شهيرة!!!
عانيت كثيرا وأنا اقرأ وللأسف مازلت أمتلك أعدادا من هذه المجموعة فلا أدري هل تحسنت الترجمة بعد أكثر من عدد أم أنني في أول كتاب قرأته لم انتبه لكل تلك المشكلات؟؟!!
ترجمة سيئة ، حرفية في أغلب الوقت ومربكة حينما تجد الأسم وقد كتب بطريقتين ونطقين مختلفين فتظن بوجود شخصية مختلفة ثم بإعادة القراءة يتضح أنها غلطة ربما من المترجم أو مطبعية من الدار
مجموعة قصص قصيرة منها قصتين للمحقق هركيول بوارو ... رغم النبذة عن الكتاب والتي بدت لي مشوقة وجذابة إلا أنني لم أحب سوى قصة واحدة منها
في كتاب (داخل المكتبة خارج العالم) كان هناك نصا يحذر من البدء بقراءة أعمال مؤلفين معينين لأنهم يتعمدون الإشارة لكتابات أقدم ربما لم ولن يتسنى لنا قرائتها، لم تتضمن قائمة المؤلفين إسم أجاثا كريستي ولكنني أضمها إلى هذه القائمة بكل تأكيد فهي في القصة الرئيسية للمجموعة كانت طيلة الوقت تشير لمسرحيات ولم تكتب حتى أسمائها فقط تفاجأ بالبطلة تطلق على نفسها إسما مغايرا ويأتي شرحا مقتضبا أن البطلة مطلعة وتشير إلى مسرحية شهيرة!!!
عانيت كثيرا وأنا اقرأ وللأسف مازلت أمتلك أعدادا من هذه المجموعة فلا أدري هل تحسنت الترجمة بعد أكثر من عدد أم أنني في أول كتاب قرأته لم انتبه لكل تلك المشكلات؟؟!!
November 26, 2023
Esta es una antología de los primeros relatos de Agatha Christie que en su día los publicó en diversas revistas, aunque no es la mejor antología de la autora ha estado entretenida.
La antología está compuesta por 9 relatos y después de cada uno de ellos, nos dan información adicional, sobre dicho relato.
Curiosamente 2 de los relatos que más me han gustado son protagonizados por Hércules Poirot, y también ambos fueron ampliados e incluidos años más tarde en otra de las antologías de Agatha Christie, El pudding de Navidad, los relatos son los siguientes; La aventura de Navidad y El misterio del arcón de Bagdad, además de estos relatos también me han gustado bastante La casa de los sueños, El acantilado y Entre paredes blancas.
La antología está compuesta por 9 relatos y después de cada uno de ellos, nos dan información adicional, sobre dicho relato.
Curiosamente 2 de los relatos que más me han gustado son protagonizados por Hércules Poirot, y también ambos fueron ampliados e incluidos años más tarde en otra de las antologías de Agatha Christie, El pudding de Navidad, los relatos son los siguientes; La aventura de Navidad y El misterio del arcón de Bagdad, además de estos relatos también me han gustado bastante La casa de los sueños, El acantilado y Entre paredes blancas.
April 30, 2022
Este es el primer libro de cuentos que leí de Agatha Christie. Es una pequeña joya para los fans de la reina del crimen, porque contiene sus primeros cuentos, principalmente románticos. Destaco “El Dios solitario” como uno de los mejores, definitivamente. Además, el comentario histórico que acompaña a cada cuento es excelente.
June 30, 2017
كنت في المكتبة هذه المرة وأنا عازمة على عدم خوض أي تجارب قرائية محبطة ... كانت أغلب الكتب الموجودة اعمال جديدة ... ثم وقع بصري على ترجمات أجاثا كريستي ... سعدت بوجود إسم الرواية الأصلي بالانجليزية على غلاف الكتاب مما سهل مهمتي
جذبت اثنتين من الروايات التي قرأتها حديثا بالانجليزية ... كان معي ابني نائما على يدي فجلب لي صاحب المكتبة كرسيا فجلست عليه ... فتحت الكتابين لأتصفح الترجمة لغة وأسلوبا ... ويبدو انني أثرت ارتيابه فأرسل صبي صغير يساعده ليراقبني او ربما انني أثرت فضول الصغير ^^ شعرت أنني مطمئنة للترجمة فاخترت خمس عناوين منها هذا الكتاب
هممت بإضافة الكتاب لقائمة ما اقرأ الآن فاكتشفت أنني قرأته بترجمة اخرى ... واضح أنني كرهت الترجمة الأخرى ولكن واضح أيضا أن هذه النسخة مختلفة ... لم أشر هناك لقصة مس ماربل بينما هنا لم أجد قصتي بوارو ولا القصة التي اثارت حنقي هناك
واضح أنه إما المترجم أو الدار قام/ت بانتقاء بعض القصص من المجموعة لكن مازال الفضول يتملكني بشأن قصة مس ماربل الموجودة في هذه النسخة
الترجمة جيدة وسلسة باستثناء ولع المترجم بكلمة "قد" التي تأتي احيانا في غير موضعها وبعض الأخطاء المطبعية وغياب الفواصل بين فصول أو مشاهد بعض القصص لكن إجمالا فهي تجربة ممتعة ولربما اقرأ الكتاب أخيرا في نسخته الأصلية
جذبت اثنتين من الروايات التي قرأتها حديثا بالانجليزية ... كان معي ابني نائما على يدي فجلب لي صاحب المكتبة كرسيا فجلست عليه ... فتحت الكتابين لأتصفح الترجمة لغة وأسلوبا ... ويبدو انني أثرت ارتيابه فأرسل صبي صغير يساعده ليراقبني او ربما انني أثرت فضول الصغير ^^ شعرت أنني مطمئنة للترجمة فاخترت خمس عناوين منها هذا الكتاب
هممت بإضافة الكتاب لقائمة ما اقرأ الآن فاكتشفت أنني قرأته بترجمة اخرى ... واضح أنني كرهت الترجمة الأخرى ولكن واضح أيضا أن هذه النسخة مختلفة ... لم أشر هناك لقصة مس ماربل بينما هنا لم أجد قصتي بوارو ولا القصة التي اثارت حنقي هناك
واضح أنه إما المترجم أو الدار قام/ت بانتقاء بعض القصص من المجموعة لكن مازال الفضول يتملكني بشأن قصة مس ماربل الموجودة في هذه النسخة
الترجمة جيدة وسلسة باستثناء ولع المترجم بكلمة "قد" التي تأتي احيانا في غير موضعها وبعض الأخطاء المطبعية وغياب الفواصل بين فصول أو مشاهد بعض القصص لكن إجمالا فهي تجربة ممتعة ولربما اقرأ الكتاب أخيرا في نسخته الأصلية
October 7, 2021
This is a collection of nine short stories.
My favourites; The House of Dreams, The Christmas Adventure, Within a Wall and While The Light Lasts - on their own I would give them all 5/5 stars.
The Actress and The Lonely God, I’d give a 3/5 on their own.
Manx Gold and The Mystery of Baghdad Chest, were 4/5 for me.
I did enjoy the range of stories and the style in which their written. I also loved the afterward after each one for a bit of background on the story, when it was published etc. I found that bit too be of particular interest.
Overall and on balance I’m rating this a 4/5, just due to some of the stories not being my favourite…
My favourites; The House of Dreams, The Christmas Adventure, Within a Wall and While The Light Lasts - on their own I would give them all 5/5 stars.
The Actress and The Lonely God, I’d give a 3/5 on their own.
Manx Gold and The Mystery of Baghdad Chest, were 4/5 for me.
I did enjoy the range of stories and the style in which their written. I also loved the afterward after each one for a bit of background on the story, when it was published etc. I found that bit too be of particular interest.
Overall and on balance I’m rating this a 4/5, just due to some of the stories not being my favourite…
October 9, 2019
One of Christie's short stories that has nothing to do with crime and detective work. I'm just so used to that being her "genre" that I'm always surprised when I come across stories of this sort.
I didn't have any strong opinions about this tale. A woman is surprised to see a man she thought had died in the war. She still loves him, but she's married to someone else now. I was glad to read other reviews where people thought it poignant and beautiful, because I got nothing from it. It was more of a "whatevs" type of story for me.
I didn't have any strong opinions about this tale. A woman is surprised to see a man she thought had died in the war. She still loves him, but she's married to someone else now. I was glad to read other reviews where people thought it poignant and beautiful, because I got nothing from it. It was more of a "whatevs" type of story for me.
May 30, 2021
The House of Dreams - 3.5 Stars
The Actress (A Trap for the Unwary) - 5 Stars This story was first published in Issue 218 of Novel Magazine in May 1923, under the title A Trap for the Unwary.
The Edge - 4 Stars
Christmas Adventure (The Theft of the Royal Ruby) - 5 Stars
The Lonely God - 4 Stars
Manx Gold - 3 Stars
Within a Wall - 4 Stars
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest - 5 Stars
While the Light Lasts - 3 Stars
The Actress (A Trap for the Unwary) - 5 Stars This story was first published in Issue 218 of Novel Magazine in May 1923, under the title A Trap for the Unwary.
The Edge - 4 Stars
Christmas Adventure (The Theft of the Royal Ruby) - 5 Stars
The Lonely God - 4 Stars
Manx Gold - 3 Stars
Within a Wall - 4 Stars
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest - 5 Stars
While the Light Lasts - 3 Stars
April 11, 2020
Bu sefer 2 hikaye polisiye, geri kalan aşk, yalan dolan karışık konulardı..Poirot hikayelerinden birisinin ayrı bir kitabı var zaten "Noel Kekinin Gizemi (The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding)" aynı hikaye 20 sayfaya sıkıştırılmış.. Bildiğim için okumadım 😛😛
June 28, 2019
Christie’s gift is in her characters. Here we have a rich woman who travels with her husband to Rhodesia years after the war to check his tobacco plantations. She doesn’t seem to love her husband, merely tolerate him.
Deirdre IS remembering Tim and how much he loved Rhodesia; they were supposed to live there. She feels faint in the tobacco room and the manager asks a staff member, Mr Arden, to escort her back to the house. As they walk back, he reveals his identity.
Arden is Tim. He tells her that after months of convalescing he made it back to England, scarred and limping, and saw she had already remarried, so he left again. But now she’s here. [he sees it as some kind of sign.]
He still loves her, but she sees it as a quandary; does she leave her husband? Does she even tell him? They have committed a crime; accidental bigamy but still. George did buy her that lovely diamond. She keeps putting Tim off but agrees to meet him in town the next day.
A short story. No mystery, really.
But I can’t get it out of my head. I’ve thought about it all day.
Ted, the eternal gallant. Making her decision for her, as she delays and gazes at her pretty diamond. [Damn… Ted, you loved the wrong woman. She chose the money. She DID forget.]
And it ends with her realising that everyone smokes and she will never get away from the scent and the reminder.
I suspect it will make her insane.
5 stars
All these things George Crozier had not failed to point out to his wife, who had answered him with a monosyllabic lack of attention which irritated him.
‘Thinking of that fellow,’ he deduced wrathfully. It was thus that he was wont to allude in his own mind to Deirdre Crozier’s first husband, killed in the first year of the War. Killed, too, in the campaign against German West Africa.
Deirdre IS remembering Tim and how much he loved Rhodesia; they were supposed to live there. She feels faint in the tobacco room and the manager asks a staff member, Mr Arden, to escort her back to the house. As they walk back, he reveals his identity.
Arden is Tim. He tells her that after months of convalescing he made it back to England, scarred and limping, and saw she had already remarried, so he left again. But now she’s here. [he sees it as some kind of sign.]
He still loves her, but she sees it as a quandary; does she leave her husband? Does she even tell him? They have committed a crime; accidental bigamy but still. George did buy her that lovely diamond. She keeps putting Tim off but agrees to meet him in town the next day.
A short story. No mystery, really.
But I can’t get it out of my head. I’ve thought about it all day.
Ted, the eternal gallant. Making her decision for her, as she delays and gazes at her pretty diamond. [Damn… Ted, you loved the wrong woman. She chose the money. She DID forget.]
And it ends with her realising that everyone smokes and she will never get away from the scent and the reminder.
I suspect it will make her insane.
5 stars
July 14, 2018
Το «Όσο διαρκεί το φως» είναι μια συλλογή εννιά διηγημάτων σχεδόν ξεχασμένων, που χρειάστηκε στην κυριολεξία ανασκαφή για να βρεθούν και κυκλοφόρησαν πρώτη φορά σε βιβλίο από τη Harper Collins μόλις το 1998. Τα περισσότερα πρωτοδημοσιεύτηκαν σε περιοδικά από το 1923 έως το 1932 και έχουν ποικίλη θεματολογία: μυστήριο, υπερφυσικό, κοινωνικό κ. ά. Μάλιστα, σε δύο από αυτά («Το μυστήριο του μπαούλου από τη Βαγδάτη» και «Χριστουγεννιάτικη περιπέτεια») εμφανίζεται ο Ηρακλής Πουαρώ! Αυτές οι δύο αργότερα κυκλοφόρησαν ανεπτυγμένες ως «The mystery of the Spanish chest» και «The adventure of Christmas pudding» στην ομότιτλη συλλογή ιστοριών (στα ελληνικά κυκλοφόρησαν από το Λυχνάρι με τον τίτλο «Το κλειδί του μυστηρίου»). Το κάθε διήγημα συνοδεύεται από επίμετρο όπου καταγράφεται η βιβλιογραφική περιπέτεια των κειμένων και το γενικότερο χωροχρονικό πλαίσιο στη ζωή της συγγραφέως όταν τα έγραφε (η πηγή είναι κυρίως η «Αυτοβιογραφία» της).
Θα ξεκινήσω με το «Χρυσάφι του Μαν», μιας και χρησιμοποιήθηκε το 1930 κατά παραγγελία από τον τότε αντιδήμαρχο της νήσου Μαν Άρθουρ Β. Κρούκολ, για να έρθουν περισσότεροι τουρίστες στο νησί! Η Άγκαθα Κρίστι κλήθηκε να γράψει μια ιστορία-κυνήγι θησαυρού, που αντιστοιχούσε σε πραγματικούς θησαυρούς κρυμμένους στο νησί! Η ιστορία τυπώθηκε σε τουριστικά φυλλάδια και διετίθετο στα τουριστικά καταλύματα! Τα ξαδέρφια Φένελα Μάιλκαραν και Χουάν Φάρακερ λοιπόν, μετά τον θάνατο του θείου τους Μάιλς, αποκτούν την περιουσία του και μια επιστολή, στην οποία ο θείος τούς ανακοινώνει πως έκρυψε τέσσερα σεντούκια χρυσάφι σε αντίστοιχα σημεία του νησιού Μαν. Ταυτόχρονα με κείνους κάλεσε να ψάξουν και τον ανιψιό του, Γιούαν Κόρζεαγκ, και τον ξάδερφό του, δόκτορα Ρίτσαρντ Φέιλ, επομένως «την κούρσα την κερδίζει ο πιο ταχύς –και συχνά ο πιο ασυνείδητος» (σελ. 110). Το πρωταγωνιστικό ζευγάρι θυμίζει πολύ τους Τόμυ και Τούπενς Μπέρεσφορντ και ζουν κι αυτοί κάποιους κινδύνους, μιας και μερικοί άνθρωποι είναι αδίστακτοι!
Στη συνέχεια διάβασα τα διηγήματα με τον Ηρακλή Πουαρώ. Στη «Χριστουγεννιάτικη περιπέτεια», η συγγραφέας σχολιάζει τη διαφορετική συμπεριφορά της νεολαίας από εποχή σε εποχή («Οι νέοι δεν είναι όπως ήταν κάπο��ε», σελ. 68), ο αναγνώστης μαθαίνει για το έθιμο της πουτίγκας ενώ αναφέρεται ξεκάθαρα η νοσταλγία που νιώθει ο ντετέκτιβ για την παρέα του Χέιστινγκς που την περίοδο αυτήν είχε μεταβεί στη Νότια Αμερική. Μια πολυμελής οικογένεια λοιπόν γιορτάζει τα Χριστούγεννα παρουσία του Πουαρώ και όταν τα παιδιά της οικογένειας σκαρώνουν έναν φόνο-φάρσα για τον διάσημο ντετέκτιβ, τρομοκρατημένα διαπιστώνουν πως το πτώμα είναι αληθινό! Εξαιρετικές περιπλοκές, ωραίοι χαρακτήρες και μια αλήθεια στην οποία δεν πήγε ο νους μου!
Στο «Μυστήριο του μπαούλου από τη Βαγδάτη», που μας αφηγείται ο Χέιστινγκς, ένα πτώμα ανακαλύπτεται σ’ ένα πλούσιο σαλόνι και ένα πρόσωπο που εμπλέκεται έμμεσα καλεί τον Πουαρώ να αποδείξει την αθωότητα του κατ’ επίφασιν ενόχου. Εδώ γέλασα πολύ με τη φράση: «Αλλά υπάρχουν τρεις άνθρωποι, μαντάμ, στους οποίους μια γυναίκα πρέπει να λέει την αλήθεια. Στον εξομολογητή της, στον κομμωτή της και στον ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ της… αν τον εμπιστεύεται, φυσικά» (σελ. 165). Ο επιθεωρητής Τζαπ και ο Χέιστινγκς λοιπόν παρακολουθούν τις συναρπαστικές ανακριτικές μεθόδους του ντετέκτιβ και η αποκάλυψη της αλήθειας είναι μια μεγάλη ανατροπή!
«Το σπίτι των ονείρων» είναι ένα ανατριχιαστικό μεταφυσικό διήγημα, στο οποίο ο Τζων Σέγκρεϊβ βλέπει ένα πανέμορφο σπίτι στον ύπνο του κι αυτό συνδέεται μυστηριωδώς με την πανέμορφη Αλέγκρα Κερ, μέλος φρενοβλαβούς οικογένειας που φοβάται να παντρευτεί λόγω της κληρονομικότητας. Θα ολοκληρωθεί αυτός ο έρωτας; Πώς συνδέεται η ευτυχία του Τζων με το πεντακάθαρο και περιποιημένο σπίτι; Μια ιστορία εφάμιλλη με πολλές που είχαν ως θέμα την εδουαρδιανή ατμόσφαιρα και τα φαντάσματα! «Η ηθοποιός» είναι ένα πανέξυπνο διήγημα που περιγράφει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο απαλλάχτηκε μια γυναίκα από έναν εκβιαστή! Στη σύντομη μορφή του διαβλέπει κανείς τα βασικά μοτίβα της Αγκάθα Κρίστι: κινηματογραφική γραφή, ανατροπή των πάντων, παιχνίδι με την οπτική γωνία της αφήγησης, λύση στην τελευταία κυριολεκτικά σελίδα.
Στο «Χείλος του γκρεμού» στάθηκα στο τι έβρισκε κανείς ενδιαφέρον τη δεκαετία του 1920 σε ένα χωριό για να περνάει την ώρα του: «Δεν έδειχνε το παραμικρό ενδιαφέρον για τα ενοριακά θέματα, βαριόταν αφόρητα το κυνήγι και απεχθανόταν την εξοχή και τα υπαίθρια σπορ» (σελ. 46). Πέρα από αυτό είναι μια συναρπαστική ιστορία ανάμεσα σε δύο γυναίκες-αντιζήλους. Η Κλαιρ Χάλιγουελ, μια θρησκευόμενη και ηθική γυναίκα, ήθελε να παντρευτεί τον Τζέραλντ Λη, μόνο που εκείνος ξετρελάθηκε με τη νεότερή του, Βίβιαν. Τυχαία η Κλαιρ ανακαλύπτει πως η Βίβιαν έχει παράνομο δεσμό και το διήγημα αφορά την ένταση και την κορύφωση της σχέσης μεταξύ των δύο γυναικών με αφορμή αυτό το μυστικό. Δυνατό κείμενο, με ωραίες σκηνές και απόλυτη αληθοφάνεια στις αντιδράσεις των χαρακτήρων.
Ο «Μοναχικός θεός» είναι μια άκρως ρομαντική ιστορία ανάμεσα σε έναν απόστρατο αξιωματικό που επέστρεψε από τη Βιρμανία και σε μια νταντά. Αυτοί οι δύο άνθρωποι συναντήθηκαν στο Βρετανικό Μουσείο ατενίζοντας το έκθεμα ενός μικρού θεού. Η ιστορία τους έχει ωραία σκαμπανεβάσματα και αποπνέει όλη εκείνη την ατμόσφαιρα του μεσοπολέμου μέσα στην οποία θα μπορούσε να ξεδιπλωθεί μια ιστορία αγάπης ανάμεσα σε δυο αγνώστους (μήπως το διήγημα είναι ένας πρόδρομος για τα ρομαντικά έργα που έγραψε η Αγκάθα Κρίστι με το ψευδώνυμο Μαίρη Γουέστμακοτ; ). Πάντως η ίδια χαρακτηρίζει τον «Θεό» ως μια ιστορία «θλιβερά συναισθηματική» (σελ. 103). Εδώ βλέπουμε κάποιες πρώτες ενδείξεις για την αγάπη της συγγραφέως για την αρχαιολογία, χάρη στην οποία θα γνωρίσει και θα παντρευτεί τον δεύτερο σύζυγό της, Μαξ Μαλόουαν.
Στο «Μέσα σ’ ένα τείχος» διαδραματίζεται η ιστορία ενός ερωτικού τριγώνου, γραμμένο εντελώς διφορούμενα και γεμάτο υπόνοιες ως προς το πραγματικό φινάλε. Είναι ένα από τα πρώτα κείμενα της Άγκαθα Κρίστι και οι σκηνές που ζωντανεύουν, οι σχέσεις που χτίζονται, το ασαφές τέλος σχηματίζουν ένα εντελώς διαφορετικό διήγημα που μου έδειξε το μέγεθος και την ποικιλία της γραπτής δύναμης της συγγραφέως. Τέλος, στο ομότιτλο της συλλογής διήγημα, «Όσο διαρκεί το φως», μια γυναίκα ζει μια πρωτόγνωρη περιπέτεια με τον προηγούμενο σύζυγό της, που τον θεωρούσε νεκρό.
Η συλλογή λοιπόν αυτών των διηγημάτων είναι μια απαραίτητη προσθήκη στην εργογραφία της συγγραφέως και ένα πολύ σημαντικό απόκτημα για τους φανατικούς αναγνώστες της. Εκτός από την ποικιλία ύφους και θεματολογίας, σε αυτά τα κείμενα εμφανίζονται οι πειραματισμοί πάνω στους οποίους θα δοκιμαστεί και θα βελτιωθεί η μεγάλη αυτή συγγραφέας. Οι κεντρικές ιδέες, τα διαφορετικά στυλ γραφής, η ποικιλία των συναισθημάτων (από την ένταση και την αγωνία ως την τρυφερότητα ή ακόμη και την ασάφεια) έδειξαν από νωρίς πως η επιτυχία δεν ήρθε τυχαία. Η δεκαετία του μεσοπολέμου, οι κοινωνικές τάξεις, η νοοτροπία και οι αντιλήψεις είναι χαρακτηριστικά μιας κοινωνίας που η Αγκάθα Κρίστι παρατήρησε και πέρασε στα έργα της πότε υποδόρια και πότε ξεκάθαρα, δίνοντας μια αληθοφάνεια σε όλα της τα κείμενα. Μάλιστα, δεν πρόκειται για ανούσιες ονειροπολήσεις καλύτερων εποχών από μια γυναίκα που βλέπει το παρελθόν να περνά ανεπιστρεπτί και γκρινιάζει γι’ αυτό, αντίθετα, είναι χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα που ένα εξασκημένο βλέμμα και ένα κοφτερό μυαλό τα παρακολουθούν από κοντά, τα πλάθουν σε ένα φαντασιακό σκηνικό και υποδεικνύουν με τον καλύτερο τρόπο τις συνέπειες από τέτοιες αντιλήψεις. Το «Όσο διαρκεί το φως» είναι εννιά διηγήματα-πρώτα δείγματα μιας λαμπρής γραφής από μια διεισδυτική και οξυδερκή συγγραφέα.
Θα ξεκινήσω με το «Χρυσάφι του Μαν», μιας και χρησιμοποιήθηκε το 1930 κατά παραγγελία από τον τότε αντιδήμαρχο της νήσου Μαν Άρθουρ Β. Κρούκολ, για να έρθουν περισσότεροι τουρίστες στο νησί! Η Άγκαθα Κρίστι κλήθηκε να γράψει μια ιστορία-κυνήγι θησαυρού, που αντιστοιχούσε σε πραγματικούς θησαυρούς κρυμμένους στο νησί! Η ιστορία τυπώθηκε σε τουριστικά φυλλάδια και διετίθετο στα τουριστικά καταλύματα! Τα ξαδέρφια Φένελα Μάιλκαραν και Χουάν Φάρακερ λοιπόν, μετά τον θάνατο του θείου τους Μάιλς, αποκτούν την περιουσία του και μια επιστολή, στην οποία ο θείος τούς ανακοινώνει πως έκρυψε τέσσερα σεντούκια χρυσάφι σε αντίστοιχα σημεία του νησιού Μαν. Ταυτόχρονα με κείνους κάλεσε να ψάξουν και τον ανιψιό του, Γιούαν Κόρζεαγκ, και τον ξάδερφό του, δόκτορα Ρίτσαρντ Φέιλ, επομένως «την κούρσα την κερδίζει ο πιο ταχύς –και συχνά ο πιο ασυνείδητος» (σελ. 110). Το πρωταγωνιστικό ζευγάρι θυμίζει πολύ τους Τόμυ και Τούπενς Μπέρεσφορντ και ζουν κι αυτοί κάποιους κινδύνους, μιας και μερικοί άνθρωποι είναι αδίστακτοι!
Στη συνέχεια διάβασα τα διηγήματα με τον Ηρακλή Πουαρώ. Στη «Χριστουγεννιάτικη περιπέτεια», η συγγραφέας σχολιάζει τη διαφορετική συμπεριφορά της νεολαίας από εποχή σε εποχή («Οι νέοι δεν είναι όπως ήταν κάπο��ε», σελ. 68), ο αναγνώστης μαθαίνει για το έθιμο της πουτίγκας ενώ αναφέρεται ξεκάθαρα η νοσταλγία που νιώθει ο ντετέκτιβ για την παρέα του Χέιστινγκς που την περίοδο αυτήν είχε μεταβεί στη Νότια Αμερική. Μια πολυμελής οικογένεια λοιπόν γιορτάζει τα Χριστούγεννα παρουσία του Πουαρώ και όταν τα παιδιά της οικογένειας σκαρώνουν έναν φόνο-φάρσα για τον διάσημο ντετέκτιβ, τρομοκρατημένα διαπιστώνουν πως το πτώμα είναι αληθινό! Εξαιρετικές περιπλοκές, ωραίοι χαρακτήρες και μια αλήθεια στην οποία δεν πήγε ο νους μου!
Στο «Μυστήριο του μπαούλου από τη Βαγδάτη», που μας αφηγείται ο Χέιστινγκς, ένα πτώμα ανακαλύπτεται σ’ ένα πλούσιο σαλόνι και ένα πρόσωπο που εμπλέκεται έμμεσα καλεί τον Πουαρώ να αποδείξει την αθωότητα του κατ’ επίφασιν ενόχου. Εδώ γέλασα πολύ με τη φράση: «Αλλά υπάρχουν τρεις άνθρωποι, μαντάμ, στους οποίους μια γυναίκα πρέπει να λέει την αλήθεια. Στον εξομολογητή της, στον κομμωτή της και στον ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ της… αν τον εμπιστεύεται, φυσικά» (σελ. 165). Ο επιθεωρητής Τζαπ και ο Χέιστινγκς λοιπόν παρακολουθούν τις συναρπαστικές ανακριτικές μεθόδους του ντετέκτιβ και η αποκάλυψη της αλήθειας είναι μια μεγάλη ανατροπή!
«Το σπίτι των ονείρων» είναι ένα ανατριχιαστικό μεταφυσικό διήγημα, στο οποίο ο Τζων Σέγκρεϊβ βλέπει ένα πανέμορφο σπίτι στον ύπνο του κι αυτό συνδέεται μυστηριωδώς με την πανέμορφη Αλέγκρα Κερ, μέλος φρενοβλαβούς οικογένειας που φοβάται να παντρευτεί λόγω της κληρονομικότητας. Θα ολοκληρωθεί αυτός ο έρωτας; Πώς συνδέεται η ευτυχία του Τζων με το πεντακάθαρο και περιποιημένο σπίτι; Μια ιστορία εφάμιλλη με πολλές που είχαν ως θέμα την εδουαρδιανή ατμόσφαιρα και τα φαντάσματα! «Η ηθοποιός» είναι ένα πανέξυπνο διήγημα που περιγράφει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο απαλλάχτηκε μια γυναίκα από έναν εκβιαστή! Στη σύντομη μορφή του διαβλέπει κανείς τα βασικά μοτίβα της Αγκάθα Κρίστι: κινηματογραφική γραφή, ανατροπή των πάντων, παιχνίδι με την οπτική γωνία της αφήγησης, λύση στην τελευταία κυριολεκτικά σελίδα.
Στο «Χείλος του γκρεμού» στάθηκα στο τι έβρισκε κανείς ενδιαφέρον τη δεκαετία του 1920 σε ένα χωριό για να περνάει την ώρα του: «Δεν έδειχνε το παραμικρό ενδιαφέρον για τα ενοριακά θέματα, βαριόταν αφόρητα το κυνήγι και απεχθανόταν την εξοχή και τα υπαίθρια σπορ» (σελ. 46). Πέρα από αυτό είναι μια συναρπαστική ιστορία ανάμεσα σε δύο γυναίκες-αντιζήλους. Η Κλαιρ Χάλιγουελ, μια θρησκευόμενη και ηθική γυναίκα, ήθελε να παντρευτεί τον Τζέραλντ Λη, μόνο που εκείνος ξετρελάθηκε με τη νεότερή του, Βίβιαν. Τυχαία η Κλαιρ ανακαλύπτει πως η Βίβιαν έχει παράνομο δεσμό και το διήγημα αφορά την ένταση και την κορύφωση της σχέσης μεταξύ των δύο γυναικών με αφορμή αυτό το μυστικό. Δυνατό κείμενο, με ωραίες σκηνές και απόλυτη αληθοφάνεια στις αντιδράσεις των χαρακτήρων.
Ο «Μοναχικός θεός» είναι μια άκρως ρομαντική ιστορία ανάμεσα σε έναν απόστρατο αξιωματικό που επέστρεψε από τη Βιρμανία και σε μια νταντά. Αυτοί οι δύο άνθρωποι συναντήθηκαν στο Βρετανικό Μουσείο ατενίζοντας το έκθεμα ενός μικρού θεού. Η ιστορία τους έχει ωραία σκαμπανεβάσματα και αποπνέει όλη εκείνη την ατμόσφαιρα του μεσοπολέμου μέσα στην οποία θα μπορούσε να ξεδιπλωθεί μια ιστορία αγάπης ανάμεσα σε δυο αγνώστους (μήπως το διήγημα είναι ένας πρόδρομος για τα ρομαντικά έργα που έγραψε η Αγκάθα Κρίστι με το ψευδώνυμο Μαίρη Γουέστμακοτ; ). Πάντως η ίδια χαρακτηρίζει τον «Θεό» ως μια ιστορία «θλιβερά συναισθηματική» (σελ. 103). Εδώ βλέπουμε κάποιες πρώτες ενδείξεις για την αγάπη της συγγραφέως για την αρχαιολογία, χάρη στην οποία θα γνωρίσει και θα παντρευτεί τον δεύτερο σύζυγό της, Μαξ Μαλόουαν.
Στο «Μέσα σ’ ένα τείχος» διαδραματίζεται η ιστορία ενός ερωτικού τριγώνου, γραμμένο εντελώς διφορούμενα και γεμάτο υπόνοιες ως προς το πραγματικό φινάλε. Είναι ένα από τα πρώτα κείμενα της Άγκαθα Κρίστι και οι σκηνές που ζωντανεύουν, οι σχέσεις που χτίζονται, το ασαφές τέλος σχηματίζουν ένα εντελώς διαφορετικό διήγημα που μου έδειξε το μέγεθος και την ποικιλία της γραπτής δύναμης της συγγραφέως. Τέλος, στο ομότιτλο της συλλογής διήγημα, «Όσο διαρκεί το φως», μια γυναίκα ζει μια πρωτόγνωρη περιπέτεια με τον προηγούμενο σύζυγό της, που τον θεωρούσε νεκρό.
Η συλλογή λοιπόν αυτών των διηγημάτων είναι μια απαραίτητη προσθήκη στην εργογραφία της συγγραφέως και ένα πολύ σημαντικό απόκτημα για τους φανατικούς αναγνώστες της. Εκτός από την ποικιλία ύφους και θεματολογίας, σε αυτά τα κείμενα εμφανίζονται οι πειραματισμοί πάνω στους οποίους θα δοκιμαστεί και θα βελτιωθεί η μεγάλη αυτή συγγραφέας. Οι κεντρικές ιδέες, τα διαφορετικά στυλ γραφής, η ποικιλία των συναισθημάτων (από την ένταση και την αγωνία ως την τρυφερότητα ή ακόμη και την ασάφεια) έδειξαν από νωρίς πως η επιτυχία δεν ήρθε τυχαία. Η δεκαετία του μεσοπολέμου, οι κοινωνικές τάξεις, η νοοτροπία και οι αντιλήψεις είναι χαρακτηριστικά μιας κοινωνίας που η Αγκάθα Κρίστι παρατήρησε και πέρασε στα έργα της πότε υποδόρια και πότε ξεκάθαρα, δίνοντας μια αληθοφάνεια σε όλα της τα κείμενα. Μάλιστα, δεν πρόκειται για ανούσιες ονειροπολήσεις καλύτερων εποχών από μια γυναίκα που βλέπει το παρελθόν να περνά ανεπιστρεπτί και γκρινιάζει γι’ αυτό, αντίθετα, είναι χαρακτηριστικά γνωρίσματα που ένα εξασκημένο βλέμμα και ένα κοφτερό μυαλό τα παρακολουθούν από κοντά, τα πλάθουν σε ένα φαντασιακό σκηνικό και υποδεικνύουν με τον καλύτερο τρόπο τις συνέπειες από τέτοιες αντιλήψεις. Το «Όσο διαρκεί το φως» είναι εννιά διηγήματα-πρώτα δείγματα μιας λαμπρής γραφής από μια διεισδυτική και οξυδερκή συγγραφέα.
July 30, 2017
I will not pass any time on the two Poirot story included here, for one thing I have read them in other anthologies of Agatha Christie's work with different titles, but it is the same stories (or variations of, I'm not sure since I haven't read them right before and compared them). Update on first review : Curious as I am, I verified which versions they are and if they predated the other versions with other names. These included here are actually the originals : Christmas Adventure (the later expanded story - it's a novella - is The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding; The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest became in it's extended version The Mystery of the Spanish Chest. As I said earlier I won't compare the two versions against each other since I have read both extended counterparts in earlier readings; on the top of my head, I don't see a lot of difference, the basic ideas of the stories are complete in these shorter versions. Really I need to take a brake from Agatha Christie (always read more than one book when I start with her) because this is looking very much like a review of technicalities!!! Oh well, you have to be a fan of something else beside Doctor Who in life (as if it wasn't enough!).
The majority of the other stories are more in the vein of her writing as Mary Westmacott : character studies. I truly enjoyed
The House of Dreams about a man having a strange recurrent dream; The Edge about a woman become tainted by the power she has over her rival and I liked the simple romanticism of The Lonely God.
I think all the story included are good for different reasons. The only one that isn't really something that is a good piece on its own merits is Manx Gold because it is clues to a treasure hunt that happened on the Isle of Man in 1930. As a biographical anecdote and a glimpse in history it is worth reading though.
Maybe this anthology is more for avowed fans of Agatha Christie, but I think someone stumbling on it that isn't an aficionado of her work might enjoy it too.
The majority of the other stories are more in the vein of her writing as Mary Westmacott : character studies. I truly enjoyed
The House of Dreams about a man having a strange recurrent dream; The Edge about a woman become tainted by the power she has over her rival and I liked the simple romanticism of The Lonely God.
I think all the story included are good for different reasons. The only one that isn't really something that is a good piece on its own merits is Manx Gold because it is clues to a treasure hunt that happened on the Isle of Man in 1930. As a biographical anecdote and a glimpse in history it is worth reading though.
Maybe this anthology is more for avowed fans of Agatha Christie, but I think someone stumbling on it that isn't an aficionado of her work might enjoy it too.
November 9, 2017
Review originally posted in Abby's Shelves: https://goo.gl/ZjDRND
Ratings: 3/5
While the light lasts is an anthology of earliest short stories of the Queen of crime mystery Agatha Christie. First of all the titling of this book as Hercule Poirot #41 is misleading, only two of which are Poirot series. It is the second time this month I’m falling for such misleading titles that too with Agatha Christie.
Even though I didn’t enjoy all the stories as expected, there were some brilliant ones like While the light lasts, The Actress and The Edge. This book was more like a preview to look into the imagination of early AC and which eventually paved the way for the position of Queen of Crime Mystery. The majority of the stories in this book aren’t even mysteries. Now that may be a big disappointment to those looking for crime mystery, the plots are somewhat good with well-narrated scenes, but the slow-paced plot and less action ruins your high expectations especially if you are someone familiar with Agatha Christie’s work.
Recommended.
Ratings: 3/5
While the light lasts is an anthology of earliest short stories of the Queen of crime mystery Agatha Christie. First of all the titling of this book as Hercule Poirot #41 is misleading, only two of which are Poirot series. It is the second time this month I’m falling for such misleading titles that too with Agatha Christie.
Even though I didn’t enjoy all the stories as expected, there were some brilliant ones like While the light lasts, The Actress and The Edge. This book was more like a preview to look into the imagination of early AC and which eventually paved the way for the position of Queen of Crime Mystery. The majority of the stories in this book aren’t even mysteries. Now that may be a big disappointment to those looking for crime mystery, the plots are somewhat good with well-narrated scenes, but the slow-paced plot and less action ruins your high expectations especially if you are someone familiar with Agatha Christie’s work.
Recommended.
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