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Murder On The Orient Express;
by Agatha Christie.
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An older review, given here below.
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Another one from the writer that lends to a spectacular film - with the spectacular setting and the high profile story of a murder on the famous Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris, discovered while the snow has made the train stop, since a pass in the mountains in untraversable. There are a whole lot of charcters that could have done it - and the story unfolds to say what motive who had, as Monsieur Poirot happens to be at hand travelling on the train, willing and ready to conduct the investigation.
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Oct 18, 2008.
December 27, 2020.
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The classic film with a heavyli star studded cast including Ingrid Bergman and over half a dozen others, remains in memory.
Recently, there has been another film version. It spoils the original flavour a tad, by being judgemental, and worse, by making Poirot so; and, too, it deviates from the book for spectacular effects.
"“Snow?”
"“But yes, Monsieur. Monsieur has not noticed? The train has stopped. We have run into a snowdrift. Heaven knows how long we shall be here. I remember once being snowed up for seven days.”
"“Where are we?”
"“Between Vincovi and Brod.”"
But the recent film, unlike the original, shows the train stopped, not merely in a snowdrift, but in a steep mountainside bridge over a deep chasm. It deviates more, for a bit more sensation.
Interesting but curious, why the doctor disagrees so emphatically with the first solution given by Poirot, with a suspected stranger having done it during the Vincovci halt, having entered and exited via the door not watched? Of course, it's the solution selected at the end, in the book.
"Poirot looked at his friend.
"‘You are a director of the company, M. Bouc,’ he said, ‘What do you say?’
"M. Bouc cleared his throat. ‘In my opinion, M. Poirot,’ he said, ‘the first theory you put forward was the correct one—decidedly so. I suggest that that is the solution we offer to the Yugo-Slavian police when they arrive. You agree, Doctor?’
"‘Certainly I agree,’ said Dr Constantine. ‘As regards the medical evidence, I think—er—that I made one or two fantastic suggestions.’
"‘Then,’ said Poirot, ‘having placed my solution before you, I have the honour to retire from the case…’"
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One of the main attractions of this work, inherent in the title and the usage of the iconic Orient Express, is how much Agatha Christie has expanded from her usual base in England to include not only the continent of Europe and her not uncommon inclusion of characters from U.S., but a far more international nature of this, from settings to characters.
The story begins with Poirot travelling to Istanbul - referred to as Stamboul in the work - from deeper in West Asia, and other characters joining in having come from further East, from Baghdad and from India. Then there are characters French and German, Swedish and Russian, Italian-American and others from U.S., and of course, those typically British or English.
And there's even an argument, not depicted but referred to, about India, with the Englishman saying Americans don't understand, giving the firm set of loyalty of the author to the colonial subjection dehumanizing India. In this, Agatha Christie's attitude is, with that of her various contemporary authors, racist, consciously or otherwise - few then progressed beyond to see others as human on par, and usually gave preference to either Chinese or abrahmic cultures and races, often both.
Very few escaped the mindset heavily dominated by exclusive monotheism imposed by church during centuries of inquisition.
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May 12, 2021 - May 14, 2021.
Kindle Edition, 289 pages
Published October 14th 2010
by HarperCollins
(first published January 1st 1934)
ASIN:- B0046H95PO
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