The Call of Wings: Mysteries

by Agatha Christie

A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.

After a close encounter with death, a materialistic man becomes entranced by strange music. Torn between the freedom he craves and the money he loves his behaviour becomes erratic. He attempts to track down the man without legs who plays the music…

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction, Classics

29 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2013

About the author

Agatha 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)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A morality tale. And not a terribly good one.
I've always found those the rich must give away their money to find true happiness stories a bag of bullshit.
Should you do good things for others if you have more? Yes. If you are in a position to help, then help. I don't think that means you need to feel guilty for having money, though. Unless you are unscrupulous and are harming people to get it, then you're just a lucky bastard and you should enjoy.



The story revolves around a rich man who has worked his way up from the bottom. He now has all the security that he craved when he was young and hungry. And he's pretty darn happy about it!
Until he sees a man die in front of him. He soon after runs across this musician without legs. This character turns out to be some version of Pan that has cut off his 'evil' and is now some sort of Happy Hobo.



The whole damn thing is weird, to be quite honest.
The rich man keeps hearing some sort of angelic sound of wings and feels like he can almost fly up to it, but never quite gets there. By the end of the story, he's sleeping on his roof to try and capture the feeling.
You can well imagine what he has to do in order to finally feel free.
He gives all of his money to the poor, via his pastor friend, and then sets off to become a homeless traveler.
He immediately comes across someone who has fallen onto the railroad tracks and saves their life by sacrificing his own and THEN he hears the sound of wings.
Ew. No.

This was originally published in The Hound of Death and Other Stories in 1933. Kinda odd because these shorts were usually published in magazines first.
Read as part of the short story collections The Golden Ball and Other Stories & The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silas Hamer is a happy man. He's made a fortune and has the sort of life he wants. But, when he witnesses a death, he starts wondering if he really has what he needs. Death could take it all from him. Then, he hears a street musician playing a song and his outlook, and his fate, is strangely changed.

This story was first published in The Hound of Death story collection in 1933 (UK). It wasn't published in the US until 1971 (The Golden Ball and Other Stories).

I found this story interesting as it raises some questions about the human condition -- does money bring happiness? Can a person be truly happy with no thought or belief in spirituality? Can a selfless person truly be happy? Very complex concepts wrapped up in a very odd story... I have to be honest and say the story is well crafted, but I didn't like it. It's just.....odd and depressing. I understand the point and the nuances, but by the end I just didn't care for this one. Not every story is for every reader (even those written by my favorite author!)....and this one was just a bit much for me.

Odd. Weird. Depressing. But....a good story. My feelings as this story came to a close, I think, were the very feelings Agatha Christie wanted her readers to feel after this strange little tale.

I listened to an audio version of this story from The Golden Ball and Other Stories (HarperAudio). The tales from The Hound of Death were read by Christopher Lee. His voice is so low and he speaks so slowly that his reading supernatural or bizarre stories just seems perfect somehow.

On to the next!

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story mixes Christianity and Paganism and more than implies that bad things = Paganism and good things = Christianity. Apparently you must ‘cut off’ your ‘Pan’ Pagan (evil) so you can find Jesus (and die). It’s a gross Christian take and I did not appreciate it. Agatha really should have left religion to her priest.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an extremely short story at only 26 pages and I listened to the 39 minute audiobook narrated by Christopher Lee. Although the narration was great, with distinct voices for each character, I found that this wasn't as interesting to me as Agatha Christie's mystery stories. This felt more like a moral tale and was more spiritual than I expected.

Overall I wouldn't necessarily recommend this but if you're looking to read all of Agatha Christie's work then I'd recommend this one on audiobook as the narration was the only thing that kept me engaged to be honest.

[Ruchika Pahwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that Agatha also wrote spiritual fiction, but it's a very fine story. Getting the life's essence to such depth is beautiful. Without being awakened, it's not possible for someone to get the true essence of what she wants to explain through this work. Reading her stories in different genres, I came to know that Agatha wasn't just a mystery/crime writer as I had assumed, even though I don't believe in assigning categories to people's multiple talents.

[Pamela Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second story I'm reading from this era that refers to Pan. Its a rather sad story about how Silas Hamer changed from a man who loves wealth to a man who saves his soul by giving away everything and his life. Its a rather metaphorical book to me. Could be interpreted in many ways. Unusual for an AC novel.

[As You Wish · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but to lose his soul? I think this story is Christie’s attempt to answer that question. Just wow. What a portrayal of the spiritual plain in contrast to material comforts!

[Adelina Ghebaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit unusual for AC, interesting premise tho

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost can’t be bothered to write a review of this it was so pointless. A rich man meets a man with no leg playing a flute of a street corner. He is haunted by this song and it consumes his thoughts. He seeks the man out again and he says that in order to find peace he must give up all material possessions. So he goes and donates his entire estate to an East End charity. Then he falls off a platform and onto the train track and dies.

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed many of Christie's short stories, but this one is different and not a favorite. That might be because I'm not sure I really understood it. Rather than a murder mystery, this was more of a morality tale that leads the reader to reflect on spiritual themes of life, death, and where true happiness/contentment lie. Like all of Christie's stories, The Call of Wings is well written with a lot of complexity packed into a few pages. Still worth the read overall.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although not one of Agatha Christie’s strongest novels, still an interesting premise. The story revolves around a millionaire, who, after a meal with friends witnesses a tragic accident. Whilst processing this he has a life changing epiphany whilst listening to a musician. Is money everything? Is just handing over money enough? Do you need to do more?

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

the Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[A.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

After witnessing an accident, a millionaire meets a tramp with no legs, but the music he plays on his odd flute transports the listener. He becomes obsessed with freeing himself of material possessions.

Another in the weird fic genre for Christie.
2 stars

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it possible to give something zero stars? After listening to this I did not have the slightest clue as to what the story was about. I completely zoned out on the narrator's droning on and on.

Audiobook
About 37 minutes

[Berit Lundqvist · Rating 1 out of 5]

A legless and homeless man plays a strange melody on a peculiar instrument in an alley.
A passing millionaire with death anxiety gets some kind of spiritual awakening when listening.

What a weird story. I can’t even …

[Selah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does this short story about a mythological creature / mental illness count as diverse reading?

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very strange story

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and unusual short story!

[Margaryta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this story to be a mystery, but it is like a moral tale.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 ⭐

This takes subtle steps into mythology

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 2020

[nic p · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[John Gambino · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan of Christie’s short story collection. Very different from her usual mysteries, which is why I read her novels! Some seem to like them, but not for me.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A millionaire decides to hoof it.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short story

[Joop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik heb getwijfeld maar toch 2 ipv e sterren. Een wat minder verhaaltje van AC.

[Watchdogg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Call of Wings: A Short Story by Agatha Christie

Thumbnail -
After a close encounter with death, a materialistic man becomes entranced by strange music. Torn between the freedom he craves and the money he loves, his behaviour becomes erratic. He attempts to track down the man without legs who plays the music....

My thoughts -
I don't have much to say about this one. It just never grabbed me. Sort of a morality story wherein a rich character transforms himself by giving away his wealth and ultimately sacrificing his life to save another, all in pursuit of a spiritual epiphany.

[Emily G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silas Hamer, a self made millionaire and materialist, has a spiritual awakening after witnessing a death on the street and thinking about his own mortality..

I have seen comments about how religion might play into this story, and they might have a point, but I like the idea that Silas’s visions come from the beautiful Pan-like character. 3 stars

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

eponymous sentence:
p14: He knew now clearly the two forces that were tearing at him, the warm composite strength of materialism that enclosed and surrounded him, and, opposed to it, the clear imperative call--he named it to himself the Call of the Wings.

This is deep.

Read as part of the collection the Hound of Death and Other Stories.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if 80 percent of this story was a dream... or not. Is a character from beyond good... or bad? Is it all a con to get a rich man's money? I just don't know. But does this really stick in my head? Yes. In a good way? Yes. Will I read this again? Yes.