Renaissancecat22 > Recent Status Updates

don't know why I'm getting so emotional but it is earnest and lovely and so far YA appropriate. encouraging dreaming and hard work. yes, very religious but unless you're repelled by the word "god" it can also be read in a normal self-help way of trusting the universe. breezy read

Love the writing. Chapters get less dishy over time with fewer quotes from people involved in the movies. Does trail off towards the end but still worth reading... do wish chapters like Jennifer Lopez and Mindy Kaling were stronger and more developed. Appreciate the progressive politics.

Rewarding of multiple readings

Syntax is more confusing than I remember... have to reread to make sense of the overlapping clauses. But also funnier than I remember... more amusing to me in my old(er) age

INTRODUCTION
Obviously every cultural critic will be biased by what they consume but it feels like there are a lot of not harmful but baseless claims about the prevalence of certain kinds of thinking. In her experience, most people are cynical, men mostly write about love, no one thinks about X, etc.

RESTARTED

Almost too much distance. Very short "episodes." Breezy, matter of fact. Sketched out, not developed

Do like being inside Elinor's head. One of the more compelling Christie relationship depictions, Elinor's love not unrequited but knowing she can't show her true feelings. Mary is a little too saintly. Why do Elinor and Mary have the exact same eyes??

Starts off subtly antisemitic (Jewish nose) and then very classist (idea that Mary shouldn't have been educated). Interesting start in courtroom but doesn't really build sympathy, instead jumping back to establish relationship between main characters

Roddy is the killer, right?

Ch 13: Story where every character who comes up (father, Rex Sandford, Joe Ellis, Mrs. Bartlett) seems suspicious but knowing Christie's misogyny, it's pretty obviously Bartlett as soon as you meet her in the story. In a short story, it also helps to keep circling her character. Surprised to hear Clithering say "slut." Kind of picking an unusual minor character but also very much fits into "human nature" so fair.

Ch 12: Interesting way of relating this mystery as a plan of Jane Helier's she has yet to put into action. Impossible to guess because Jane is the missing piece (both alibi and motive). Brief mention of actress being married but never would have suspected actress' husband's ex-wife. Convenience of playwright but still seems shaky and mean to pin it on him. Misogyny about not trusting other women. Unreliable narrator

Ch 11: Really impossible to puzzle this one out, led astray by other suspects. Maud and Mrs. Carpenter did make a lot more sense. Sure, the argument for Sir Ambrose works at the end but it doesn't feel satisfying. Short story problem. Did enjoy Clithering and the switch of asking questions of the storyteller.

bit of a weird first chapter but fun character intro, old-timey slang

I am not someone who really "gets" poetry so translated poetry can be even more impenetrable. Some of these poems didn't work for me at all and I could tell I wasn't picking up on the metaphor or the true meaning

Some lovely drawings but a lot of very simple ones. Wouldn't just buy this for the quality of the illustrations

So far drawings are simplistic with simple messages but some are sweet. Written portions are okay but not deeply compelling as a narrative.

Story 10: One of the most entertaining so far. Lots of drama and suspense. Characters with personality. Definitely clear the husband was establishing an alibi but did not figure out the body switch, suspected the husband's friends instead. Works out once you know it but such a convoluted plan. Entertaining read, less satisfying mystery.

Sir Henry stories and Miss Marple stories seem to be the most interesting because you get more of Miss Marple's personality. But also written differently. better paced. Having them recounted is still a bit dry. Doctor story wasn't bad either

Story 9: Found letter suspicious because it was so weird. Didn't catch DEATH spelled out. Gardening catalogue and visit to Sir Henry didn't register as clues. Basically no motive. Any of the characters would have had the same motive i they were part of the Schwartze Hand.

Story 8: guessed by pg 14/30 that they switched places. Once it was revealed there was no body, knew she wasn't dead. Only didn't guess she was a poor relation