Appointment With Agatha discussion

Just a few days late! Happy summertime reading.

I'm 10% in to this. It has a fresh feel to it that I like. And then there's Bob the dog. But then, these books are often more interesting before Poirot turns up than afterwards.

I'm at 20% and I'm having a good time. This is pleasingly light and brisk. It's good to have Hastings back from the Argentine. He makes Poirot more engaging. It helps that, for once, Poirot is asking questions and not just watching people like a spider sitting in its web while making gnomic comments.

I love the setup. The old lady at the centre of it all is wonderfully robust. Bob the dog may be my favourite Christie character so far,

Bob and the dedication to Peter led me to a google search on Peter. This website says Christie was a lifelong owner of dogs, starting from her first dog given to her at the age of five, whom she named Tony, and her father named George Washington. Peter was a short-haired wire fox terrier and Christie's favourite dog, and the first edition of Dumb Witness had a photograph of Peter on the cover.

https://www.collectingchristie.com/po...

Maggie wrote: "Bob and the dedication to Peter led me to a google search on Peter. This website says Christie was a lifelong owner of dogs, starting from her first dog given to her at the age of five, whom she na..."

Thank you. What a great thing to know.

I think this book should be called "incident of the dog's ball". I have a large print edition from the library and there is a drawing of a dog on the cover. It would be cool to have that first edition.

Jessica wrote: "I think this book should be called "incident of the dog's ball". I have a large print edition from the library and there is a drawing of a dog on the cover. It would be cool to have that first edit..."

Jessica, that's a better title than "Dumb Witness," which I have never liked. It nicely echoes the famous line in the Sherlock Holmes tale "The Adventure of the Silver Blaze."

The alternate title for this book is Poirot Loses a Client. Still no mention of the dog.

Christine PNW wrote: "Jessica, that's a better title than "Dumb Witness," which I have never liked. It nicely echoes the famous line in the Sherlock Holmes tale "The Adventure of the Silver Blaze."".."

Do you think dumb witness refers to the dog? Or to Emily Arundell? Or both? I don't like that title either. That's why I was trying to rename it in my head :)

Rosemarie wrote: "The alternate title for this book is Poirot Loses a Client. Still no mention of the dog."

And yea "Poirot Loses a Client" is also a boring title.

https://agathachristie.fandom.com/wik...

Interestingly, Agatha Christie wrote an unpublished short story titled The Incident of the Dog's ball, which was later expanded and became Dumb Witness.

Maggie wrote: "https://agathachristie.fandom.com/wik...

Interestingly, Agatha Christie wrote an unpublished short story titled The Incident of the Dog's ball, which was later expan..."

I wonder how often she did that. She also had a short story that was expanded into "Death on the Nile."

Jessica wrote: "Do you think dumb witness refers to the dog? Or to Emily Arundell? Or both? I don't like that title either. That's why I was trying to rename it in my head :)."

I think that the word "dumb" in the title is referring to "unable to speak" not "stupid," so I vote that it refers to Bob the dog.

Klowey wrote: "I wonder how often she did that. She also had a short story that was expanded into "Death on the Nile."."

Triangle at Rhodes became Evil Under the Sun and Yellow Iris became Sparkling Cyanide. Also, Dead Man's Folly was originally a short story - and I think it shows a bit in the novel, which is a bit bloated.

Christine PNW wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Do you think dumb witness refers to the dog? Or to Emily Arundell? Or both? I don't like that title either. That's why I was trying to rename it in my head :)."

I think that the wo..."

Yes, that's exactly what it refers to! The old teminology was "deaf and dumb," by which they meant mute, not stupid. I'm sure using dumb to mean not-smart was part of the prejudice against the disability.

Both Dumb Witness and Poirot Loses a Client are weak titles IMO. Maybe Mute Witness would have slightly better? But surely there were better options?

Christine PNW wrote: "I think that the word "dumb" in the title is referring to "unable to speak" not "stupid," so I vote that it refers to Bob the dog.."

I thought of Emily Arundell being unable to speak because she was dead but I guess she did speak through her letter to Poirot. And "mute" is different than dead. So I'm going with dog. Although sometimes I think my dog can communicate telepathically. She seems to try really hard.

Haha, I had a rabbit that seemed to able to read my mind. All I had to do was decide it was bedtime and she would go on high alert, determined to stay free for the night!

Jessica wrote: "Do you think dumb witness refers to the dog? Or to Emily Arundell? Or both?"

I think that it is a pun (or at least it was when the title was chosen) and I think that it refers to, at minimum, Emily Arundel, who couldn't speak for herself because she was dead by the time Poirot comes on the scene, and to the dog, who could not speak at all.

Dumb, which comes to us from Old English, meant "mute" long before it took on the connotation of stupid. When you are struck dumb, you don't lose you intelligence, only your ability to speak in the moment.

The title might not work in today's world but it worked 90 years ago when the title was bestowed -- and that is all she had to work with.

Peregrina651 wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Do you think dumb witness refers to the dog? Or to Emily Arundell? Or both?"

I think that it is a pun (or at least it was when the title was chosen) and I think that it refers to, ..."

Ok so it is a pun. A "play on words" is what I was thinking but I couldn't quite come up with the phrase to describe it until you used the word pun. Thanks! I agree that the title doesn't work so well today but it's fun to figure it out.