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scripsiSpoilers for the book under the cut!
Murder of the Orient Express (1934) was the second Christie I read, and the book that got me hooked. But the reason I read it was because I saw the 1974 movie. You know, some movies you remember more than just the movie, you remember what happened around it. I was twelve, it was Sunday evening, and it was bedtime, and the movie had just started. Something about it made me curious, so I sat down beside my mother on the sofa instead of going to bed. I was told to go to bed, and I said yes, and didn’t budge. I remember sitting extremely still and quiet so my parents would forget about me. They must have decided it was ok for me to see it, because I wasn’t told again, and when they made their evening coffee I got a cup of cocoa. At that point I realized I was going to be allowed to stay up, despite school the next day. And I loved the movie so much. The cast, the costumes, and the mystery. The very next day I realized we had the book, and this was the beginning of me falling in love with Agatha Christie. The movie also made me fall for 1930’s fashion, which has been an enduring love since then. Another thing it instilled with me was a burning desire to travel on the Orient Express myself, something I eventually did, and I can tell you it was an amazing experience!
The plot almost completely takes place at the Orient Express. A man is murdered, a man who has previously approached Hercule Poirot saying he fears for his life. Everything points to the murderer having left the train, but as the train unexpectedly has been stopped by a snowfall, Poirot quickly realizes the murderer must still be on the train. Then that the victim had a very shady past, and then, little by little, more and more of the passengers are revealed to have a connection to this past.
I think this book may seem tedious to some, as it’s pretty static. People are interviewed and reinterviewed, and a lot of information is repeated. And it’s also almost entirely taking place on the train, which gives you very limited scenery. Personally I like how Poirot slowly picks apart the various statements, but I can see it may be boring for others.
I mentioned the 1974 movie, with Albert Finney playing Poirot. It has an all-star cast, and to me particularly Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman shines. I still think most of the actors are very well-cast, but nowadays Finney’s Poirot grates on my nerves. He is shrill, aggressive, and shouts a lot. David Suchet in the 2006 adaption is great, but I find the rest of the cast very nondescript. I wish I could have the 1974 version with Suchet instead of Finney! There are a number of other adaptations, but I haven’t seen those, so I can’t comment on them.
Murder of the Orient Express is another of Christie’s novels where she did something new and unexpected. Not only is Ratchett killed by 12 people, the murderers also go free in the end! What I don’t think is talked about so much, is that it’s one of her bleakest books. Most of her victims are quite unpleasant persons that few mourn, but even when they are not, the trauma of the murder is rarely exploited. Ratchett himself is a terrible human being, but the reason why he is killed is because he kidnapped and murdered a small child, Daisy Armstrong, something which also led to the deaths of Daisy’s parents, unborn sibling, and a young maid. The people who decide to kill him are destroyed by losing their loved ones, and there is nothing that says they will live happily now that they have taken revenge. Christie, true to form, doesn’t dwell on the trauma, but it is there in the details. For example, Daisy's aunt, who was just a teenager at the time of the murder, is clearly in frail mental health, in need of heavy-duty sleeping drugs.
Christie very rarely used children as victims. I can think of only two more, and in those cases the children are older, and their own actions lead to their deaths. Not that this is an excuse to murder, but Daisy Armstrong is only a toddler with no agency at all, which makes her death completely heartbreaking. When I first read Murder of the Orient Express, I had not heard of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh which inspired Christie, and it’s a heartbreaking story too, even more so as it’s all too real.
When I first saw Suchet’s version, I disliked how dark it was, with Poirot struggling with his religion, as well as with the decision of letting the murderers go free. But after re-reading the book I changed my opinion. Yes, the book isn’t as dark on the surface, but when you really think of what happens, you realize it was there all along, under the surface.
Murder of the Orient Express (1934) was the second Christie I read, and the book that got me hooked. But the reason I read it was because I saw the 1974 movie. You know, some movies you remember more than just the movie, you remember what happened around it. I was twelve, it was Sunday evening, and it was bedtime, and the movie had just started. Something about it made me curious, so I sat down beside my mother on the sofa instead of going to bed. I was told to go to bed, and I said yes, and didn’t budge. I remember sitting extremely still and quiet so my parents would forget about me. They must have decided it was ok for me to see it, because I wasn’t told again, and when they made their evening coffee I got a cup of cocoa. At that point I realized I was going to be allowed to stay up, despite school the next day. And I loved the movie so much. The cast, the costumes, and the mystery. The very next day I realized we had the book, and this was the beginning of me falling in love with Agatha Christie. The movie also made me fall for 1930’s fashion, which has been an enduring love since then. Another thing it instilled with me was a burning desire to travel on the Orient Express myself, something I eventually did, and I can tell you it was an amazing experience!
The plot almost completely takes place at the Orient Express. A man is murdered, a man who has previously approached Hercule Poirot saying he fears for his life. Everything points to the murderer having left the train, but as the train unexpectedly has been stopped by a snowfall, Poirot quickly realizes the murderer must still be on the train. Then that the victim had a very shady past, and then, little by little, more and more of the passengers are revealed to have a connection to this past.
I think this book may seem tedious to some, as it’s pretty static. People are interviewed and reinterviewed, and a lot of information is repeated. And it’s also almost entirely taking place on the train, which gives you very limited scenery. Personally I like how Poirot slowly picks apart the various statements, but I can see it may be boring for others.
I mentioned the 1974 movie, with Albert Finney playing Poirot. It has an all-star cast, and to me particularly Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman shines. I still think most of the actors are very well-cast, but nowadays Finney’s Poirot grates on my nerves. He is shrill, aggressive, and shouts a lot. David Suchet in the 2006 adaption is great, but I find the rest of the cast very nondescript. I wish I could have the 1974 version with Suchet instead of Finney! There are a number of other adaptations, but I haven’t seen those, so I can’t comment on them.
Murder of the Orient Express is another of Christie’s novels where she did something new and unexpected. Not only is Ratchett killed by 12 people, the murderers also go free in the end! What I don’t think is talked about so much, is that it’s one of her bleakest books. Most of her victims are quite unpleasant persons that few mourn, but even when they are not, the trauma of the murder is rarely exploited. Ratchett himself is a terrible human being, but the reason why he is killed is because he kidnapped and murdered a small child, Daisy Armstrong, something which also led to the deaths of Daisy’s parents, unborn sibling, and a young maid. The people who decide to kill him are destroyed by losing their loved ones, and there is nothing that says they will live happily now that they have taken revenge. Christie, true to form, doesn’t dwell on the trauma, but it is there in the details. For example, Daisy's aunt, who was just a teenager at the time of the murder, is clearly in frail mental health, in need of heavy-duty sleeping drugs.
Christie very rarely used children as victims. I can think of only two more, and in those cases the children are older, and their own actions lead to their deaths. Not that this is an excuse to murder, but Daisy Armstrong is only a toddler with no agency at all, which makes her death completely heartbreaking. When I first read Murder of the Orient Express, I had not heard of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh which inspired Christie, and it’s a heartbreaking story too, even more so as it’s all too real.
When I first saw Suchet’s version, I disliked how dark it was, with Poirot struggling with his religion, as well as with the decision of letting the murderers go free. But after re-reading the book I changed my opinion. Yes, the book isn’t as dark on the surface, but when you really think of what happens, you realize it was there all along, under the surface.
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Date: 2025-09-10 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 12:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 11:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 12:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 12:34 pm (UTC)It's from a paperback series from the 60s. The first Christie I read was from that series, so they've always felt "extra" Christie for me.
Lauren Bacall is outstanding!
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Date: 2025-09-11 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-11 11:17 am (UTC)<i.I think this book may seem tedious to some, as it’s pretty static. People are interviewed and reinterviewed, and a lot of information is repeated. And it’s also almost entirely taking place on the train, which gives you very limited scenery. </i>
Sounds like it could be very hit-or-miss. I may try it. I will say I'm big on interesting characters and dynamics. I don't need a lot of scenery or description, though I have seen authors give too little, and that can also throw me off.
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Date: 2025-09-11 01:03 pm (UTC)