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The Burden: A Gripping Psychological Novel of Family Ties and Romantic Suspense
A newly reissued edition of Agatha Christie’s ‘Mary Westmacott’ novel, a Crime of the Heart novel about the destructive bond between two jealous sisters.
'Sometimes you haven't the right currency. And then someone else has to pay…' Agatha Christie
Laura Franklin bitterly resented the arrival of her younger sister Shirley, an enchanting baby loved by all the family. But Laura's emotions towards her sister changed dramatically one night, when she vowed to protect her with all her strength and love. While Shirley longs for freedom and romance, Laura has to learn that loving can never be a one-sided affair, and the burden of her love for her sister has a dramatic effect on both their lives. A story of consequences when love turns to obsession…
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1956
About the author
Mary Westmacott
29 books696 followersPseudonym used by
Agatha Christie
to write her dramatic novels about relationships.
Associated Names:
Мэри Вестмакотт (Russian)
Мері Вестмакотт (Ukrainian)
Associated Names:
Мэри Вестмакотт (Russian)
Мері Вестмакотт (Ukrainian)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
July 20, 2019
Is love a burden? Is it better to love than to be loved? Those are some of the questions this book asks. Overall the first two parts were better than the second half but still a really good look at human nature.
October 25, 2019
2.5 stars for the strong first half
At first I was really getting into The Burden. The chapters with Laura's childhood were engaging and well-written, and so were the chapters up to about the time Shirley met Richard. But after that point, the story suddenly shifts to the viewpoint of an apparently unconnected character, a famous preacher named Llewellyn Knox. He ends up being connected to the two sisters in a strange way, but up until then his presence in the story seems superfluous. With the arrival of this character the story progression slows and is replaced by a series of religious discussions, culminating in the story's unusual but poorly explained theme, the titular "burden". The ending feels confusing and not wholly satisfying.
The Burden has an excellent first half, but was let down by the rest of the story. I didn't hate this book, but for me it was mediocre and took a completely different direction than the beginning seemed to indicate. I may try more of Agatha Christie's work under the Mary Westmacott pseudonym, so hopefully this book is not representative of all of them.
At first I was really getting into The Burden. The chapters with Laura's childhood were engaging and well-written, and so were the chapters up to about the time Shirley met Richard. But after that point, the story suddenly shifts to the viewpoint of an apparently unconnected character, a famous preacher named Llewellyn Knox. He ends up being connected to the two sisters in a strange way, but up until then his presence in the story seems superfluous. With the arrival of this character the story progression slows and is replaced by a series of religious discussions, culminating in the story's unusual but poorly explained theme, the titular "burden". The ending feels confusing and not wholly satisfying.
The Burden has an excellent first half, but was let down by the rest of the story. I didn't hate this book, but for me it was mediocre and took a completely different direction than the beginning seemed to indicate. I may try more of Agatha Christie's work under the Mary Westmacott pseudonym, so hopefully this book is not representative of all of them.
February 4, 2019
The Burden is the first of the books written by Agatha Christie under her Mary Westmacott nom de plume that I've read, although it was the last one published. It was published in 1956, the same year she published Hickory Dickory Dock and Dead Man's Folly.
This is a very strange little book centered around Laura, the least-loved child in her family. Very early in the book, she has a younger, favored, brother who dies, and Laura hopes that her situation will change. Her younger sister, Shirley, is born, which puts her back in the position of being less.
She makes friends with a cranky local man who generally dislikes children, but sees something in Laura that is interesting. He remains a constant friend and fixture in her life. Initially, Laura's feelings about Shirley are decidedly negative - until she saves Shirley's life at significant risk to her own, when Shirley is around 2 years old. Laura becomes deeply protective of Shirley from that point on, and raises her once their parents die unexpectedly.
Agatha Christie sets this up as a contrast between dark - Laura - and light - Shirley. Laura gets short shrift with her own life, dedicated essentially to caring for Shirley. Shirley falls hard for a pretty awful man, whom she later marries. This becomes a significant source of tension, when he ends up significantly disabled by polio. This does not improve him.
I read this book very quickly, partly to just get it over with, I think. I really didn't like it - the decisions being made by all of the characters were confounding. The ending was just weird.
Even in the context of this book, which is described as a "psychological romance," Agatha can't get away from crime. In addition, I don't think that I agree that this is a romance, as that genre identifier is generally applied today. I don't think that Laura is capable of an HEA, given the level of trauma that she sustained during her life (at least not without a lot of therapy). She is restrained to the point of isolation.
I'm not sorry I read it, because Agatha. But I am hopeful that it is the weakest of her Westmacott books, because it's hard for me to imagine that they could be worse.
This is a very strange little book centered around Laura, the least-loved child in her family. Very early in the book, she has a younger, favored, brother who dies, and Laura hopes that her situation will change. Her younger sister, Shirley, is born, which puts her back in the position of being less.
She makes friends with a cranky local man who generally dislikes children, but sees something in Laura that is interesting. He remains a constant friend and fixture in her life. Initially, Laura's feelings about Shirley are decidedly negative - until she saves Shirley's life at significant risk to her own, when Shirley is around 2 years old. Laura becomes deeply protective of Shirley from that point on, and raises her once their parents die unexpectedly.
Agatha Christie sets this up as a contrast between dark - Laura - and light - Shirley. Laura gets short shrift with her own life, dedicated essentially to caring for Shirley. Shirley falls hard for a pretty awful man, whom she later marries. This becomes a significant source of tension, when he ends up significantly disabled by polio. This does not improve him.
I read this book very quickly, partly to just get it over with, I think. I really didn't like it - the decisions being made by all of the characters were confounding. The ending was just weird.
Even in the context of this book, which is described as a "psychological romance," Agatha can't get away from crime. In addition, I don't think that I agree that this is a romance, as that genre identifier is generally applied today. I don't think that Laura is capable of an HEA, given the level of trauma that she sustained during her life (at least not without a lot of therapy). She is restrained to the point of isolation.
I'm not sorry I read it, because Agatha. But I am hopeful that it is the weakest of her Westmacott books, because it's hard for me to imagine that they could be worse.
February 1, 2021
3.5*
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Although not as excellent and earth-shattering as A Daughter's a Daughter and Absent in the Spring, The Burden is another great psychological drama from Agatha Christie. Under the nom de plume Westmacott, she wrote six novels that were not crime mysteries, but stories where she could concentrate on analysing what made people ‘tick’, and topics that were of particular interest to her.
Once more, Christie portrays personalities at a crux in their lives while focusing on a theme, that of the ‘weight’ of being loved. I must admit I thought she was going into a completely different road, that of Fate and how your actions have far-reaching consequences. It was subtler than that however. I wonder if this was due to having several narrators (not just the sisters), and indeed narratives, which somewhat joined at the end. Still, the result left me perplexed. The characters, although well portrayed, felt weakened by these shifts in focus, but then maybe the journey was more important.
This is still a great read, showing Christie’s amazing understanding of the human condition, and power to convey so many emotions, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a first Westmacott.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Although not as excellent and earth-shattering as A Daughter's a Daughter and Absent in the Spring, The Burden is another great psychological drama from Agatha Christie. Under the nom de plume Westmacott, she wrote six novels that were not crime mysteries, but stories where she could concentrate on analysing what made people ‘tick’, and topics that were of particular interest to her.
Once more, Christie portrays personalities at a crux in their lives while focusing on a theme, that of the ‘weight’ of being loved. I must admit I thought she was going into a completely different road, that of Fate and how your actions have far-reaching consequences. It was subtler than that however. I wonder if this was due to having several narrators (not just the sisters), and indeed narratives, which somewhat joined at the end. Still, the result left me perplexed. The characters, although well portrayed, felt weakened by these shifts in focus, but then maybe the journey was more important.
This is still a great read, showing Christie’s amazing understanding of the human condition, and power to convey so many emotions, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a first Westmacott.
April 28, 2014
This has been sitting half finished on my e reader for a while, so I'm accepting that I may just not finish this (bizarrely, since I've had the e reader I've been finishing all sorts of dreck that I would have tossed aside if they had been in paperback form)
This book starts of as bleak & sinister, then turns into dull & mundane. Just couldn't work up the interest to keep reading & see if it goes back into sinister.
This book starts of as bleak & sinister, then turns into dull & mundane. Just couldn't work up the interest to keep reading & see if it goes back into sinister.
August 5, 2019
In this novel Agatha Christie, writing under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott looks at the complex relationship between two sisters. In many ways it is a psychological analysis of behavior and motivation of two protagonists- A doting but over bearing elder sister and her much younger care free sister. The end is quite un orthodox and you are left wondering if finally justice is delivered. Brilliant read.
February 2, 2022
I listened to this the first time in 2020 and gave it 3 stars. Recently I decided to give it another go and I was happy I did. If I hadn't known this was written by Christy I wouldn't have guessed it but as I knew it I could see settle similarities with her books under Mary Westmacott and her crime novels under her own name. The story was oddly compelling, can't really put a finger on why I enjoyed it more this time around.
April 14, 2026
هل حظيت يوماً بتجربة استثنائية في حياتك؟ إنها تلك التجارب التي تشعر معها بالتفاعل المطلق، كنزهة في يوم مشمس وقد انتبهت حواسّك وعاطفتك لكل تفصيلة تراها أو تسمعها، نسمة الهواء تداعب وجهك، صوت الهواء وهو يتخلّل ورق الأشجار، دفء الشمس وهو يغمرك. نعم كان ما حظيت به في هذه الرواية هي تلك التجربة "الانغماسية". أود أن أكتب الكثير ولكن لا تسعفني الكلمات، لربما في وقت لاحق بإذن الله، حين يخفّ وهج هذه الرواية مع الوقت.
January 28, 2021
A disappointment. I loved Absent in the Spring, Unfinished Portrait, and A Daughter's a Daughter. I recommend you spend your time reading those books rather than this one.
Oh! this book was dull. It starts ok showing us Laura’s childhood, then it picks up showing the lives and interactions between the sisters but, unfortunately, ends with some random guy, with whom I never connected, stepping into scene who somehow gets to know both sisters and then something happens here and there and the story ends. Blah....
Oh! this book was dull. It starts ok showing us Laura’s childhood, then it picks up showing the lives and interactions between the sisters but, unfortunately, ends with some random guy, with whom I never connected, stepping into scene who somehow gets to know both sisters and then something happens here and there and the story ends. Blah....
July 17, 2014
Since I was introduced to the wonderful world of Mary Westmacott by my Best Friend, I have always enjoyed reading her books, which of course made me, determined and want to read all six of her works. What is extremely delightful is the fact that a writer who wrote such intelligent and thrilling crime novels could also write such lovely books on human relationships. Everyone usually talks about how amazing a writer Agatha Christie was and that she is even today considered the Queen of Crime Fiction but hardly anyone ever talks about her Mary Westmacott novels and more is the pity as the readers don’t know what they are missing out on.
Her Mary Westmacott novels display her deep understanding of human nature. I think she would put even Freud to shame! What is most amazing in her novels is the fact that everything is grey with a capital G. There is no black and there is certainly no white. Morality is a matter of interpretation, as are matters of right and wrong.
This particular book deals with love, the various shades of love and how sometimes too much of love can also be a burden. In Shirley and Laura’s relationship we see the burden of love that Shirley has to carry as her sister smothers her with too much of love. While Shirley is further burdened by Richard’s love and Llewellyn feels the burden of God’s love and finally Laura starts feeling the weight of love for the first time. It is interesting to also see how Westmacott also tries to grapple with the eternal question of ‘How much is too much?’ Is it alright for someone to ‘interfere’ in a loved one’s life to the point of changing the course of their life? How can someone be a bystander when one’s loved one is not taking the right decisions, but the question is what are the ‘right’ decisions? ‘Right’ according to whom? Do we have the right to decide for the ones we love, what is right and wrong for them?
It is quite wonderful to see that Westmacott realizes that there are no easy answers to these questions and, that human relationships are extremely complicated and intricate and well, Grey. However, much as I enjoyed reading the novel and the questions it raised, I did not particularly enjoy a few things. The first being that I did not quite understand why she had to put in the character of Llewellyn in the novel. When the part on Llewellyn started, it seemed as if I was reading another book altogether, it seemed entirely disjunct and unnecessary from the rest of the novel. What was more unnecessary was to give a fairy tale ending to Laura. It seemed pretty melodramatic and soap- operatic (sic) to me. Sure, someone can have a ‘second sight ‘and have a clear vision as to who he/she loves but that does not mean the object of affection shall understand this kind of love or else respond in the first meeting itself. Suddenly the nun-like figure of Laura is transformed suddenly in to this lipstick wielding ‘Fatal Apple’ Laura.
Another contention that I have with the novel is the fact that it becomes a little too ‘action-packed’ (for lack of a better word) after the first part of the novel. Mary Westmacott’s novels are supposed to be an interrogation inside the inner recesses of the mind and are a journey into the deeper psychological processes of humans, case in point being her novel – Absent in the Spring. This deeper interrogation of the human psyche, as it were, is missing in this novel to such an extent and that is a tad disappointing as this is the defining point of her Westmacott novels and to have it missing in this novel was a definite letdown. We get to know more about what the main protagonists of the novel – Shirley and Laura are ‘doing’ rather than ‘thinking’. We don’t get a very clear picture of Laura and Shirley, as the novel is overcrowded with too many characters and that is why I have a particular grudge against the character of Llewellyn. Instead of giving us Llewellyn’s story etc. we as readers would have preferred to know more about the two sisters. Westmacott’s novels are always about the inner journey of the characters rather than their physical journeys which is sadly missing in this novel to a large extent.
A word here about the racism in the book. I love Mary Westmacott dearly and she has been and always will be one of my favourite authors, however, one cannot be blind to a writer’s faults. I never noticed her racism until I read this book. I quote (pgs. 133-136) ‘It had none of the exotic languor of the tropics.’ ‘There would be poverty here, and pain, and the various ills of the flesh,’ ‘The girls were beautiful with a proud dark beauty that would probably not outlast youth.’
I guess it is some Caribbean island that Westmacott seems to have described in the book; however the way she has described not only the place but the natives gives her away. The island and the inhabitants are clearly the ‘Other’ and the ‘East’ with all the stereotypical trappings of being not only exotic and sensual but also lazy and poor. Well, that made me obviously angry and upset that I have finally realized that (one of) my favourite author can also be a ‘mild’ racist, if ever there was a term for this. Food for thought.
If one casts that aside, then I must say it is an enjoyable read and it deserves four stars for it simply being a Mary Westmacott novel.p
Her Mary Westmacott novels display her deep understanding of human nature. I think she would put even Freud to shame! What is most amazing in her novels is the fact that everything is grey with a capital G. There is no black and there is certainly no white. Morality is a matter of interpretation, as are matters of right and wrong.
This particular book deals with love, the various shades of love and how sometimes too much of love can also be a burden. In Shirley and Laura’s relationship we see the burden of love that Shirley has to carry as her sister smothers her with too much of love. While Shirley is further burdened by Richard’s love and Llewellyn feels the burden of God’s love and finally Laura starts feeling the weight of love for the first time. It is interesting to also see how Westmacott also tries to grapple with the eternal question of ‘How much is too much?’ Is it alright for someone to ‘interfere’ in a loved one’s life to the point of changing the course of their life? How can someone be a bystander when one’s loved one is not taking the right decisions, but the question is what are the ‘right’ decisions? ‘Right’ according to whom? Do we have the right to decide for the ones we love, what is right and wrong for them?
It is quite wonderful to see that Westmacott realizes that there are no easy answers to these questions and, that human relationships are extremely complicated and intricate and well, Grey. However, much as I enjoyed reading the novel and the questions it raised, I did not particularly enjoy a few things. The first being that I did not quite understand why she had to put in the character of Llewellyn in the novel. When the part on Llewellyn started, it seemed as if I was reading another book altogether, it seemed entirely disjunct and unnecessary from the rest of the novel. What was more unnecessary was to give a fairy tale ending to Laura. It seemed pretty melodramatic and soap- operatic (sic) to me. Sure, someone can have a ‘second sight ‘and have a clear vision as to who he/she loves but that does not mean the object of affection shall understand this kind of love or else respond in the first meeting itself. Suddenly the nun-like figure of Laura is transformed suddenly in to this lipstick wielding ‘Fatal Apple’ Laura.
Another contention that I have with the novel is the fact that it becomes a little too ‘action-packed’ (for lack of a better word) after the first part of the novel. Mary Westmacott’s novels are supposed to be an interrogation inside the inner recesses of the mind and are a journey into the deeper psychological processes of humans, case in point being her novel – Absent in the Spring. This deeper interrogation of the human psyche, as it were, is missing in this novel to such an extent and that is a tad disappointing as this is the defining point of her Westmacott novels and to have it missing in this novel was a definite letdown. We get to know more about what the main protagonists of the novel – Shirley and Laura are ‘doing’ rather than ‘thinking’. We don’t get a very clear picture of Laura and Shirley, as the novel is overcrowded with too many characters and that is why I have a particular grudge against the character of Llewellyn. Instead of giving us Llewellyn’s story etc. we as readers would have preferred to know more about the two sisters. Westmacott’s novels are always about the inner journey of the characters rather than their physical journeys which is sadly missing in this novel to a large extent.
A word here about the racism in the book. I love Mary Westmacott dearly and she has been and always will be one of my favourite authors, however, one cannot be blind to a writer’s faults. I never noticed her racism until I read this book. I quote (pgs. 133-136) ‘It had none of the exotic languor of the tropics.’ ‘There would be poverty here, and pain, and the various ills of the flesh,’ ‘The girls were beautiful with a proud dark beauty that would probably not outlast youth.’
I guess it is some Caribbean island that Westmacott seems to have described in the book; however the way she has described not only the place but the natives gives her away. The island and the inhabitants are clearly the ‘Other’ and the ‘East’ with all the stereotypical trappings of being not only exotic and sensual but also lazy and poor. Well, that made me obviously angry and upset that I have finally realized that (one of) my favourite author can also be a ‘mild’ racist, if ever there was a term for this. Food for thought.
If one casts that aside, then I must say it is an enjoyable read and it deserves four stars for it simply being a Mary Westmacott novel.p
December 31, 2024
Possibly one of the weaker Westmacotts, but still compelling in spots.
November 6, 2019
This is my third Mary Westmacott novel (I've already read Absent In The Spring and Giant's Bread both of which I would recommend over this one) and sadly I have to say that if this had been my first encounter with Agatha Christie's psychological novels than I possibly wouldn't have bothered with reading any of the other five.
First of all: the synopsis for this book lies. If you are interested in the story about two sisters then it's better if you don't even start it, unless you want to be seriously disappointed. Secondly: it's very difficult to rate and review this book as a whole since most of its problems derive from the fact that it can be divided into two almost completely separate parts in the middle. The first part deals with the story of the two sisters: Laura and Shirley, and for this part I would gladly give four stars (maybe even five). The book starts in a surprisingly dark place and it has some of that raw and uncomfortable (yet not judging) sincerity that made me love Absent In The Spring so much. Towards the middle of the book the story gets a little bit too mundane but all-in-all I believe that if Christie had continued this story about the suffocating sisterly love, then we could have ended up with a very enjoyable read. If.
The second part of the novel (especially while considering the first part) for me is almost completely without merits. Out of the blue we are introduced to a completely new POW character who is not nearly as interesting or likeable as Laura or Shirley. The focus of the story is changed, so much so, that many significant events regarding the lives of the sisters happen between two chapters. The ending has very little to do with the issues presented at the beginning of the novel and it's soaked in that same cliche and unoriginal kitsch that makes me dislike the more metaphysical works of Christie so much.
I don't really understand what caused this sudden change of direction. I've read some other reviews who theorize that Christie intended the book to be much darker, similar to the opening chapters, but got scared of her own creation. While I believe that this is a possibility, I think that she may have intended the book to be an exploration of the different burden's of love: jelous love of a family member, self-distrtucting love for someone unworthy of it, the love of God etc. If this is the case then I think it would have been better if she told multiple plotlines parallel to each other with the sisters being in the center (similarly to how she did this in Giant's Bread) or if she wrote an anthology of short stories around the theme.
As a conclusion, I can't really recommend this book to anyone. As I said the first part is really good, but the second one is so insufferable that I admit, I had to skip some pages (something that I rarely do when I read something serious). It's like if someone took all of the strenghts and all of the weaknesses of the Mary Westmacott novels and placed it on the two trays of a scale. I hope the remaining three novels are better than this one.
First of all: the synopsis for this book lies. If you are interested in the story about two sisters then it's better if you don't even start it, unless you want to be seriously disappointed. Secondly: it's very difficult to rate and review this book as a whole since most of its problems derive from the fact that it can be divided into two almost completely separate parts in the middle. The first part deals with the story of the two sisters: Laura and Shirley, and for this part I would gladly give four stars (maybe even five). The book starts in a surprisingly dark place and it has some of that raw and uncomfortable (yet not judging) sincerity that made me love Absent In The Spring so much. Towards the middle of the book the story gets a little bit too mundane but all-in-all I believe that if Christie had continued this story about the suffocating sisterly love, then we could have ended up with a very enjoyable read. If.
The second part of the novel (especially while considering the first part) for me is almost completely without merits. Out of the blue we are introduced to a completely new POW character who is not nearly as interesting or likeable as Laura or Shirley. The focus of the story is changed, so much so, that many significant events regarding the lives of the sisters happen between two chapters. The ending has very little to do with the issues presented at the beginning of the novel and it's soaked in that same cliche and unoriginal kitsch that makes me dislike the more metaphysical works of Christie so much.
I don't really understand what caused this sudden change of direction. I've read some other reviews who theorize that Christie intended the book to be much darker, similar to the opening chapters, but got scared of her own creation. While I believe that this is a possibility, I think that she may have intended the book to be an exploration of the different burden's of love: jelous love of a family member, self-distrtucting love for someone unworthy of it, the love of God etc. If this is the case then I think it would have been better if she told multiple plotlines parallel to each other with the sisters being in the center (similarly to how she did this in Giant's Bread) or if she wrote an anthology of short stories around the theme.
As a conclusion, I can't really recommend this book to anyone. As I said the first part is really good, but the second one is so insufferable that I admit, I had to skip some pages (something that I rarely do when I read something serious). It's like if someone took all of the strenghts and all of the weaknesses of the Mary Westmacott novels and placed it on the two trays of a scale. I hope the remaining three novels are better than this one.
February 22, 2017
The Burden deals with a really dark plot revolving around the bond of sisters. The book had me engrossed from the beginning till the end. The characters were so well drawn up that I had no trouble believing in them, flaws and all! They were real to me throughout the book.
October 22, 2019
"Self pity is practically a full time occupation".
July 23, 2017
Agatha Christies große Menschenkenntnis erkennt man an der Gestaltung der Charaktere.
Schon der Prolog hatte es in sich. Mir gefällt die kompakte, nüchterne Art, wie alle beschrieben werden. Sie ist in ihrer Art zu schreiben ehrlich, unerbittlich und recht konsequent. In "Spätes Glück" fühlt man die komprimierte Essenz dessen, was man sonst in ihren Krimis recht ausschweifend zu lesen bekommt. Trotzdem bleibt Raum für Gedanken.
Schon der Prolog hatte es in sich. Mir gefällt die kompakte, nüchterne Art, wie alle beschrieben werden. Sie ist in ihrer Art zu schreiben ehrlich, unerbittlich und recht konsequent. In "Spätes Glück" fühlt man die komprimierte Essenz dessen, was man sonst in ihren Krimis recht ausschweifend zu lesen bekommt. Trotzdem bleibt Raum für Gedanken.
November 16, 2020
First part brilliant. Second part I cant finish I've persevered and decided its not worth it. Very frustrating. Maybe its the way of the world now
Might try again at another time
Might try again at another time
March 23, 2024
The books Agatha Christie published under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott, are very different from her mysteries. In The Burden, she tells the story of Laura Franklin and her complicated relationship with her younger sister, Shirley. The story opens when Laura is just a child and spans decades in the lives of these two women, chronicling their relationships along the way.
As is typical of Christie, the writing is fantastic. However, I could connect to any of the characters in the story and found them to be flatter than I would have expected. There was also a very skewed view of Christianity throughout the story, from the viewpoint of multiple characters. I had a glimmer of hope towards the end, but even a character who was once a prominent evangelist did not proclaim the true Gospel, but rather diminished the sacrifice of Christ by replacing it with a humanity-centric message.
I don't expect to see the Gospel in secular fiction by any means, but if this content is to be included, I would hope it would be accurate and point readers to Christ instead of themselves.
Format: Physical Book, Owned
Rating: 3 stars
Book 52 of 2024
As is typical of Christie, the writing is fantastic. However, I could connect to any of the characters in the story and found them to be flatter than I would have expected. There was also a very skewed view of Christianity throughout the story, from the viewpoint of multiple characters. I had a glimmer of hope towards the end, but even a character who was once a prominent evangelist did not proclaim the true Gospel, but rather diminished the sacrifice of Christ by replacing it with a humanity-centric message.
I don't expect to see the Gospel in secular fiction by any means, but if this content is to be included, I would hope it would be accurate and point readers to Christ instead of themselves.
Format: Physical Book, Owned
Rating: 3 stars
Book 52 of 2024
October 5, 2019
Το βιβλίο πέρασε από 2-3 διαφορετικά χέρια στην οικογένεια πριν έρθει στα δικά μου, απορριφθέν από όλους τους προηγούμενους.
Εμένα μου άρεσε. Μου άρεσε πολύ αυτή η ψυχογραφική προσέγγιση της Άγκαθα, σε πιο εξομολογητικό και προσωπικό τόνο, ίσως ημερολογιακό, πριν καταπιαστεί με το είδος που τελικά την ανέδειξε σε μετρ.
Ρεαλισμός που εμπεριέχει, όμως, πολλή ευαισθησία και μια γραφή που δημιουργεί συναισθηματικά ευφυείς και, σελίδα στη σελίδα, ώριμους χαρακτήρες.
~Νιώθεις ότι θέλεις να πάρεις μια αγκαλίτσα τους χαρακτήρες και να τους πεις ότι όλα θα πάνε καλά
Εμένα μου άρεσε. Μου άρεσε πολύ αυτή η ψυχογραφική προσέγγιση της Άγκαθα, σε πιο εξομολογητικό και προσωπικό τόνο, ίσως ημερολογιακό, πριν καταπιαστεί με το είδος που τελικά την ανέδειξε σε μετρ.
Ρεαλισμός που εμπεριέχει, όμως, πολλή ευαισθησία και μια γραφή που δημιουργεί συναισθηματικά ευφυείς και, σελίδα στη σελίδα, ώριμους χαρακτήρες.
~Νιώθεις ότι θέλεις να πάρεις μια αγκαλίτσα τους χαρακτήρες και να τους πεις ότι όλα θα πάνε καλά
May 25, 2022
Rating:I didn't liked it 😑
2022's ATY in 52 books: 31. A book published at least 10 years ago
This one started great, like a very interesting psychological thriller and then it became a snoozefest. Very disappointing.
2022's ATY in 52 books: 31. A book published at least 10 years ago
This one started great, like a very interesting psychological thriller and then it became a snoozefest. Very disappointing.
January 6, 2020
This book is rather sad. But I thought it was a wonderful study of how humans express love, and when we think we’re helping, we’re often doing the opposite.
July 26, 2025
"I wanted to show that I wasn't possessive. Just to prove that to myself, I let Shirley in for a lifetime of unhappiness."As Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie wrote six novels separate from her usual territory. I've now read four of them. The first one that I read ('Absent in the Spring' - which, so far, is my favorite) encouraged me to think that AC hadn't chosen a pseudonym in order to write 'romance fiction' in her spare time.
I still tend to think that's true, though 'The Burden' does what it can to break the reader of that thought. It does contain a rom-fic plotline... but only of a sort.
The main narrative concerns itself with the rather strong bond of a relationship between two sisters. (Think Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham-Carter in 'Howard's End'.) The strength of the tie results from a neurosis beyond sibling rivalry: the older sister privately wishes the younger one dead. When a fire breaks out in the home, however, it is the older sister who comes to the rescue, and the younger one lives.
(What Lady A. has to say about very young children is well-observed and I can't offhand recall those particular thought-waves being explored elsewhere in fiction, though they may have been.)
At that point, submerged in guilt, the older Laura becomes preternaturally devoted to (and protective of) the younger Shirley.
From there, what follows isn't all that unpredictable but - in line with that - Christie will have various things to impart re: the irksome patterns that humans can get themselves into; ones that can solidify, i.e.
"My very best friend was married to a woman who made his life hell on earth, nagged at him, bullied him, ordered him around, never a moment's peace, everybody wondering why he didn't take a hatchet to her. Then he had a bit of luck! She got double pneumonia and died! Six months later, he was looking like a new man. Several really nice women taking an interest in him. Eighteen months later, what has he done? Married a woman who was even a worse bitch than the first one. Human nature's a mystery."Fans of straight-on soap opera may not mind the entanglements that take up the bulk of the proceedings - but AC isn't content with that; she has a larger theme: what exactly *is* the nature of love (and its forms)... and what has it got to do with God?
So, in the last 75 pages, Christie pivots... taking us into W. Somerset Maugham-land, replete with spiritualism and a remote island. Everything becomes rather philosophical:
It all came back, perhaps, to Kant's three questions:~ and the search for 'answers' is slightly unwieldy... unless you trust the author enough in allowing her to get to her overriding point. ~ which she does.
What can I know?
What can I hope?
What ought I to do?
I probably admired this book more than I liked it (so my rating is a bit generous). It's true, it's a bit soapy. Still, I like what AC has to say about human frailty - and I did especially like the curmudgeonly Mr. Baldock, but I might have a thing for curmudgeons.
It appears that AC took the Westmacott name mainly in order to explore something she couldn't explore in mysteries: the avenues and depths of emotions.
September 23, 2021
Rekla bih da joj je ova najslabija knjiga koju je napisala pod pseudonimom.
Prvi deo mi bio zanimljiv, drugi deo dosadan i kao da je autorka pogubila konce.
U prvom delu dosta je akcenat na Lauri koja je kao dete bila večito u senci brata (koji je kasnije umro), pa onda mlađe sestre. U početku se nada pažnji roditelja, a kasnije prihvata da tako stoje stvari i odlučuje da ona treba da se posveti svojoj sestri Širli. Zatim, tu sledi prikaz njihovog odnosa, a onda se prebacujemo na Širlin život u braku sa Henrijem. I taj deo mi je bio okej, iako mi se već tu činilo kao udaljavanje od samog prikaza odnosa sestara i kako njihove odluke utiču na onu drugu.
Drugi deo je poprilično, po meni, nebitan i poprilično nejasno napisano. Sa sestara se prebacujemo najviše na novog lika, Luelina, koji je po meni, ne toliko bitan da mu se toliko posveti. Pritom, još više izostaje odnosa sestara. Tek na kraju dobijamo kao neko razjašnjenje stvari, ali mi nekako ispalo to traljavo i jako nedorečeno.
Sve u svemu, očekivala sam da će biti više i detaljnije opisan odnos sestara i kakve posledice njihovi postupci ostavljaju jedna na drugu. A s pojavom Luelina, očekivala sam da će on imati neku veću ulogu od one koju je dobio u knjizi. Iako smo dobili jasne naznake kakve uloge u knjizi ima, mislim da nije sasvim to i prikazano.
Uglavnom, solidna knjiga i kao što rekoh na početku, njena najslabija do sada. Ostale su, po meni, bile mnogo bolje i razrađenije.
Prvi deo mi bio zanimljiv, drugi deo dosadan i kao da je autorka pogubila konce.
U prvom delu dosta je akcenat na Lauri koja je kao dete bila večito u senci brata (koji je kasnije umro), pa onda mlađe sestre. U početku se nada pažnji roditelja, a kasnije prihvata da tako stoje stvari i odlučuje da ona treba da se posveti svojoj sestri Širli. Zatim, tu sledi prikaz njihovog odnosa, a onda se prebacujemo na Širlin život u braku sa Henrijem. I taj deo mi je bio okej, iako mi se već tu činilo kao udaljavanje od samog prikaza odnosa sestara i kako njihove odluke utiču na onu drugu.
Drugi deo je poprilično, po meni, nebitan i poprilično nejasno napisano. Sa sestara se prebacujemo najviše na novog lika, Luelina, koji je po meni, ne toliko bitan da mu se toliko posveti. Pritom, još više izostaje odnosa sestara. Tek na kraju dobijamo kao neko razjašnjenje stvari, ali mi nekako ispalo to traljavo i jako nedorečeno.
Sve u svemu, očekivala sam da će biti više i detaljnije opisan odnos sestara i kakve posledice njihovi postupci ostavljaju jedna na drugu. A s pojavom Luelina, očekivala sam da će on imati neku veću ulogu od one koju je dobio u knjizi. Iako smo dobili jasne naznake kakve uloge u knjizi ima, mislim da nije sasvim to i prikazano.
Uglavnom, solidna knjiga i kao što rekoh na početku, njena najslabija do sada. Ostale su, po meni, bile mnogo bolje i razrađenije.
October 19, 2025
4 stars
RTC
Happy Reading!!
RTC
Happy Reading!!
July 26, 2020
The Burden (1956) by Mary Westmacott is a wonderful romance with a touch of mystery and drama and a lot of family dynamics.
The novel follows the protagonist Laura Franklin who is unhappy when her younger sister Shirley is born. She can’t stand the new addition to the family but one night a fire breaks out in the house and she saves her younger sister’s life. After that, Laura becomes very protective to Shirley but finds that the love she has for her sister is obsessive and detrimental to the both of their growths and happiness. Then a man becomes interested in Laura. Can she throw herself into this relationship and give herself and her sister the freedom they need in their lives to find their own ways?
You probably gathered that this book is very psychological and it is. It is a portrait of human emotion and the elements that can make people react how they do. It’s a book about fear of yourself and the world wrapped in a family dynamic and romance story. It shows that being overprotective is not healthy for either but I love the backstory of why Laura is so overprotective of her sister. Everything in this book fits very well and there is no loopholes by the end. There is a touch of mystery to it where not everything is quite as it seems and I thought that was great. I didn’t see that coming at all. I think the pacing and build-up of everything is done very well. I think Westmacott managed to get across both the love between the sisters and the unhealthiness of Laura’s overprotective ways. Finding that balance I can imagine was a tough job and I think she done it very well. The romance element is there but it does very much play a secondary role to the relationship between the sisters.
I also love how there is a lot of debates and sections which are philosophical and deal with morals, religion, emotions and all sorts of issues. That was absolutely fantastic.
This is a great book, a must-read. And if you don’t know it already, Mary Westmacott is the pseudonym of the amazing Agatha Christie who wrote six romance novels under this pseudonym. I think maybe doing this gave her an opportunity to show other sides of her that she couldn’t as Agatha Christie and I’m very glad she did get that chance to because I love these sides of her just as much as her mystery writing.
The novel follows the protagonist Laura Franklin who is unhappy when her younger sister Shirley is born. She can’t stand the new addition to the family but one night a fire breaks out in the house and she saves her younger sister’s life. After that, Laura becomes very protective to Shirley but finds that the love she has for her sister is obsessive and detrimental to the both of their growths and happiness. Then a man becomes interested in Laura. Can she throw herself into this relationship and give herself and her sister the freedom they need in their lives to find their own ways?
You probably gathered that this book is very psychological and it is. It is a portrait of human emotion and the elements that can make people react how they do. It’s a book about fear of yourself and the world wrapped in a family dynamic and romance story. It shows that being overprotective is not healthy for either but I love the backstory of why Laura is so overprotective of her sister. Everything in this book fits very well and there is no loopholes by the end. There is a touch of mystery to it where not everything is quite as it seems and I thought that was great. I didn’t see that coming at all. I think the pacing and build-up of everything is done very well. I think Westmacott managed to get across both the love between the sisters and the unhealthiness of Laura’s overprotective ways. Finding that balance I can imagine was a tough job and I think she done it very well. The romance element is there but it does very much play a secondary role to the relationship between the sisters.
I also love how there is a lot of debates and sections which are philosophical and deal with morals, religion, emotions and all sorts of issues. That was absolutely fantastic.
This is a great book, a must-read. And if you don’t know it already, Mary Westmacott is the pseudonym of the amazing Agatha Christie who wrote six romance novels under this pseudonym. I think maybe doing this gave her an opportunity to show other sides of her that she couldn’t as Agatha Christie and I’m very glad she did get that chance to because I love these sides of her just as much as her mystery writing.
January 27, 2020
Loved it !!
October 17, 2020
Christie’s non-mystery novel started off good but then totally cut itself while introducing a brand new character out of theme with the rest.
January 17, 2021
This 1956 novel was Christie’s last offering as Mary Westmacott and, in my opinion, the most difficult to appreciate. In all of her previous works of ‘serious literature’, there had been penetrating psychological explorations of fundamental moral issues of personal integrity and honesty in interpersonal interactions. Her undoubted expertise as a writer in characterization had stood her in good stead throughout these works, but somehow seemed to let her down in this book. Possibly because she shifts focus through at least three major characters, none of them seemed to be presented with that depth of real personal angst, I had difficulty feeling I was vicariously experiencing something real.
Certainly, the stories were somewhat gripping: a daughter fights for attention from parents who love her older brother more. She later turns from jealousy against a younger sister to an almost total degree of self-abnegation in concern for her. An elderly scholar with a vitriolic dislike of almost all of humanity shows a surprising tenderness to the fate of a young girl, who proves herself incapable of looking out for her own happiness. A teenager goes against familial advice and marries the man of her dreams only to find herself still incapable of not loving him when his true fecklessness of character is revealed to her in several painful ways. A religious leader seeks solitude and an almost complete lack of volition on a tropical island after some unexplained professional trauma. An adventurous world traveller has an enthusiastic and impulsive nature when it comes to helping others, but a real and often fatal weakness in judging the moral worth of others.
The overarching theme Christie seems to have been trying to show was how fundamentally ineffectual are all human efforts to help other people. In character after character, fate seems to have been foreordained to severely limit any sense of palpable return on emotional investments in and for others. As the cynical Baldock observes to Laura: ‘You worry too much about happiness and unhappiness’. After all, one’s ultimate emotional fate seems to be beyond one’s individual control.
Though it was not until the concluding encounter between Llewelyn and Laura that I felt the novel’s variant threads come together into a cohesive thematic whole, this was done in such a satisfying way that the seemingly directionless developments which had previously occurred finally had a valid reason.
It is a shame that this was Christie’s last outing as Westmacott; her murder mysteries are, of course, very, very good, but these psychological analyses showed she was capable of so much more than a good whodunit.
Recommended.
Certainly, the stories were somewhat gripping: a daughter fights for attention from parents who love her older brother more. She later turns from jealousy against a younger sister to an almost total degree of self-abnegation in concern for her. An elderly scholar with a vitriolic dislike of almost all of humanity shows a surprising tenderness to the fate of a young girl, who proves herself incapable of looking out for her own happiness. A teenager goes against familial advice and marries the man of her dreams only to find herself still incapable of not loving him when his true fecklessness of character is revealed to her in several painful ways. A religious leader seeks solitude and an almost complete lack of volition on a tropical island after some unexplained professional trauma. An adventurous world traveller has an enthusiastic and impulsive nature when it comes to helping others, but a real and often fatal weakness in judging the moral worth of others.
The overarching theme Christie seems to have been trying to show was how fundamentally ineffectual are all human efforts to help other people. In character after character, fate seems to have been foreordained to severely limit any sense of palpable return on emotional investments in and for others. As the cynical Baldock observes to Laura: ‘You worry too much about happiness and unhappiness’. After all, one’s ultimate emotional fate seems to be beyond one’s individual control.
Though it was not until the concluding encounter between Llewelyn and Laura that I felt the novel’s variant threads come together into a cohesive thematic whole, this was done in such a satisfying way that the seemingly directionless developments which had previously occurred finally had a valid reason.
It is a shame that this was Christie’s last outing as Westmacott; her murder mysteries are, of course, very, very good, but these psychological analyses showed she was capable of so much more than a good whodunit.
Recommended.
February 7, 2024
На одному диханні. Так просто про таке складне. Мені ще буде потрібний деякий час, щоб оговтатися від цієї книги.
April 14, 2018
3.5
This book started out quite strong and good for me. In a style, with themes I am really drawn to: human fates, psychology, depicting dysfunctional families, emotions, personal relationships... and I really enjoyed the novel up to 2/3 of it. I loved the parts about Laura's childhood and her trying to realize the world around her, how to handle the fact that her parents clearly love her belated brother more, how to handle the birth of a new sibling, how to find someone to confide in. I also loved the parts about Shirley's teen years and getting in contact with young men and how her decision on whom to get cozy with is affecting her life and happiness.
Then it went downhill really fast when the character Llewellyn was introduced.
I am a non-religious person, and I am rarely into any plotlines in novels regarding religious philosophizing and how deeds of people are seen from a religious point of view. In this case, I found it done in a really boring way. I also was not a fan of the dialogues from 2/3 of the book... I don't mind moralizing and philosophizing as long as they can keep my interest sparked, but I got so bored so quickly.
I also did not find the ending justified on a lot of levels. I was intrigued by Laura's and Llewellyn's moral debates about how Laura's past deeds played a role in what happened later to people in her surroundings... but in this case, I sort of expect me, the reader, to have an "uh-huh!" sort of revelation moment, when I start thinking that "OK, from what I read about this and this person, this theory MAKES SENSE"... but here, I did not have that. I felt that either something is missing from the theory or the characterization of some characters in the beginning was not done effectively enough. I also found Laura's decision about how to live her life after what happened quite abrupt and uncalled for. Like, Llewellyn told her "you should do this" and she was like "Oh, OK, cool!".
(the cover is freaking stunning, though)
This book started out quite strong and good for me. In a style, with themes I am really drawn to: human fates, psychology, depicting dysfunctional families, emotions, personal relationships... and I really enjoyed the novel up to 2/3 of it. I loved the parts about Laura's childhood and her trying to realize the world around her, how to handle the fact that her parents clearly love her belated brother more, how to handle the birth of a new sibling, how to find someone to confide in. I also loved the parts about Shirley's teen years and getting in contact with young men and how her decision on whom to get cozy with is affecting her life and happiness.
Then it went downhill really fast when the character Llewellyn was introduced.
I am a non-religious person, and I am rarely into any plotlines in novels regarding religious philosophizing and how deeds of people are seen from a religious point of view. In this case, I found it done in a really boring way. I also was not a fan of the dialogues from 2/3 of the book... I don't mind moralizing and philosophizing as long as they can keep my interest sparked, but I got so bored so quickly.
I also did not find the ending justified on a lot of levels. I was intrigued by Laura's and Llewellyn's moral debates about how Laura's past deeds played a role in what happened later to people in her surroundings... but in this case, I sort of expect me, the reader, to have an "uh-huh!" sort of revelation moment, when I start thinking that "OK, from what I read about this and this person, this theory MAKES SENSE"... but here, I did not have that. I felt that either something is missing from the theory or the characterization of some characters in the beginning was not done effectively enough. I also found Laura's decision about how to live her life after what happened quite abrupt and uncalled for. Like, Llewellyn told her "you should do this" and she was like "Oh, OK, cool!".
(the cover is freaking stunning, though)
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