I picked this up in an airport bookstore on the way home from visiting my parents earlier this month. I really was in the mood for a mystery, but hadn't brought any with me, and this seemed like a perfect read for October, especially since I have been participating in the #AMonthOfMystery challenge on Instagram again this year.
What a wild ride this book is! I almost don't want to say too much about it because I didn't really know anything about the plot before reading it, and that was a perfect way to go into this book. All I knew was that it was a group of strangers who are on an island together, and then people start dying. Which sounded kind of like the movie Clue (1985), and I am pretty sure the makers of that movie were referencing this book in several places -- I will have to rewatch it to be sure, though.
Anyway! This book is thoroughly shocking, in the sense of making me think, "Holy cow, THAT happened?!?" over and over and over. I read it in a day and a half. Brilliant stuff -- I can see why it is generally considered one of Christie's absolute best.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-16 for some pretty violent and gruesome murders.
This has been my 20th book read and reviewed for my fourth Classics Club list, my 52nd book read from my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023, and my second read and reviewed for #AMonthOfMystery this year.
This book's title (and the poem/song the book is based on) have had a long and controversial history. Its current title is not the problem. When I read it 30 years ago, it was called "Ten Little Indians." Its original British title was even more distressing. Times change, thank goodness. This is a good example of where editing and revision help keep an otherwise good book in publication, despite itself.
ReplyDeleteDebra, yes, I did a bit of research on the title after I finished reading the book because my copy said something about "previously released as Ten Little Indians," and I was like, um, okay, huh? I do know that the British do not necessarily have the same fraught history and societal connotations for the specific word used in the original that we Americans have, but even so... this title is so much better!!!!!!!!!
DeleteAs much as I adore Christie, I have (shockingly) never read this one! I'm not really sure why, either. Maybe because it's one of her standalones that doesn't have an established detective like Poirot or Marple? But I generally like the standalones, so I should try it.
ReplyDeleteKatie, well, this one is a thrill ride, and I would not read it at night or when alone in the house, but it is definitely a Classic for a Reason.
DeleteYou read my less than enthusiastic thoughts 😳 but I wrote that ‘review’ in 2018 & I have read more of her books since then and have grown more appreciative. I didn’t like her Miss Marple books at first but now they’re some of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteCarol, isn't it interesting how our tastes and appreciation can change over the years? I occasionally revisit books and/or authors that I did not enjoy at some point, just to see if they appeal to me now. Sometimes they do!
DeleteThis book is so intense! It's one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteIvy, it is DEFINITELY an intense read! Wow! Not a favorite for me, as I didn't like any of the characters, but I can definitely admire the artistry of the writing skill it took to write it.
DeleteI read this a long time ago, and then more recently after seeing the most recent adaptation (which I hated the first time through, btw... then I re-watched it and it has grown on me), and it's really quite clever and good. And shocking!
ReplyDeleteCharity, yeah, this is really one where not knowing the ending makes it sooooo suspenseful. I can see myself reading it again sometime to study it, but the lack of likeable characters made it one I won't pull off the shelf for fun. But I can admire the craftsmanship!
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