WWW Wednesday

Today's post is WWW Wednesday, which is hosted by shouldbereading.wordpress.com
and I am answering these three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you'll read next?


What are you currently reading?

I am working my way through Agatha Christie: An Autobiography. When I first starting reading Agatha Christie's novels, someone recommended her autobiography to me. But I felt I didn't really know enough of her books, and I didn't want to learn about why she had written a certain book before I read it.

Considering she was writing books for a period of almost 50 years, I wanted to see how her style of writing changed for myself. The first book was published in 1924 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) and the last book she wrote was Postern of Fate in 1973.


Through reading her novels and short stories, I felt I could better appreciate the true scope of her work and just how well thought out and plotted each story was.


 
The autobiography itself (first published in 1977) is vividly written and full of wonderful anecdotes about her life. Society seemed so different, very formal and rigid compared to today. Her education surprised me, as well as the late start she had into writing. Certainly as a child, her aim was to become a famous pianist rather than a writer!

Agatha when young

I love reading about dating, and the formal 'courting' that went on which seems so different to how men and women behave now! Here is a short excerpt, describing romance and flirting when Agatha was a young woman in 1910:

Flirtation, as I have said, was an art carefully cultivated by girls of my generation. We knew the rules back to front. It was true that in France no young girl was ever left alone with a young man, but in England that was certainly not so. You went for a walk with a man, you went out riding with a man - but you did not go to a dance alone with a young man: either your mother sat there, or some other bored dowager, or appearances were satisfied by a young married woman being in your party. But having kept the rules, and having danced with a young man, you then strolled out in the moonlight or wandered into the conservatory, and charming tete a tetes could take place without decorum being abandoned in the eyes of the world.

What did you recently finish reading?

Simon Brett featured in my last WWW Wednesday (click here for post) and he has featured again!


I finished Bones Under the Beach Hut (2011) which is another in the Fethering mystery series. The whole series of books is based in the fictional town of Fethering, which is on the south coast of England. Two neighbours, Carole and Jude, somehow become involved in murder in this book after human remains are found under a beach hut Carole was renting.

This was the twelfth book in the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set on the seaside, it definitely made me fancy a trip to the beach.

I find the books in this series are very an easy enjoyable read; good plots with lots of twists and red herrings. Perfect after a hard day's work!

What do you think you'll read next?

I am trying to read some more non-fiction this year, but so far all that has meant is more books sitting on the bookshelf!

My aim is to read Max Hastings' book - Finest Years, Churchill as Warlord 1940-45. I got this book as a present almost a year ago and have never made it past the first few chapters!

Churchill visiting Coventry in 1941

I couldn't go without any fiction at all, so I also plan to read Dr. No (1958) by Ian Fleming. I love the film, so it will be good to see where the storyline came from and if the film resembles the book in anyway.

I will be blogging about this book, as it is #1958book month on Past Offences (link here).
Still plenty of time to sign up and read a crime book first published in 1958, if you want to join in!

 Sean Connery as Bond

Thank you for reading :) If you have a WWW Wednesday post on your blog, please leave the link as a comment below and I will check it out!

Agatha Christie- Graphic Novels

Have you discovered any of the graphic novels of Agatha Christie's works? Her crime novels, as well as being adapted into films, plays and on television, have been reworked into wonderful comic style books.

'Famed for her crime masterpieces, Agatha Christie's books have become the best-selling in the world, appealing to readers young and old for their ingenious plots and immediately recognizable characters.
The stories have also transcended the printed page, become bestselling audiobooks and award-winning films, plays and television series. Now words and pictures combine in an exciting new way of telling these stories -- full-colour graphic novels which enhance the original stories and offer a completely new way of enjoying some of the world's most popular and exciting mysteries.'
from agathachristie.com

Not all of her books have been adapted, but here is the list so far of graphic novels:

Hercule Poirot:

The Murder on the Links
Murder on the Orient Express
Death on the Nile
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Big Four
Murder in Mesopotamia
Hallowe'en Party
Peril at End House
Dumb Witness
Cards on the Table
Five Little Pigs
Dead Man's Folly
Evil Under the Sun

Miss Marple: 

The Murder at the Vicarage

Non Poirot/Marple:

The Secret of Chimneys
The Man in the Brown Suit
And Then There Were None
Endless Night
Ordeal by Innocence

Tommy and Tuppence:
The Secret Adversary
 
As you can see, the list is rather Poirot heavy, with only one Miss Marple adaptation. Perhaps she or the stories doesn't come across very well in this format? There are also many of the classic stories, such as And Then There Were None.

I think it is great that the books have been relaunched, and it is a good way of keeping them up to date. Younger readers will enjoy them, and perhaps then go on to read the full length novel. I feel that the stories are so iconic, the shorter version books can easily be read alongside the novel.

I particularly like the way they have captured Poirot, exactly as I would imagine him!

Murder on the Orient Express (left) and Death on the Nile

Of course, in order to shorten the books the dialogue has been simplified a little bit but none of the plot has been lost. I think the best versions are those of stories set in Egypt, such as Death on the Nile. I love the drawings of the famous monuments, and they add to the atmosphere.

The only complaint I have is that flashback sequences don't work quite as well as they do in the books.

If you are looking for another format of your favourite Christie story, then why not try one of these? I am shortly going to have a blog post comparing the two, starting with Dead Man's Folly (with my favourite Ariadne Oliver). Keep an eye out for it!




Do you think you would enjoy these books? Or do you think that it is best to read the full length novels? Please leave a comment and let me know!

What to read after Agatha Christie

Five Authors Similar to Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is the undisputed Queen of Crime. Her books have sold in their millions, even billions since the first one (A Mysterious Affair at Styles) was released in 1920.

But it would be worth remembering that the 1920s, 30s and 40s were full of fiction writers, many whom were celebrated and revered as highly as Agatha Christie.

This blog celebrates writing from the time known as "The Golden Age of Crime", and it is time to shine the spotlight on some of Agatha Christie's literary contemporaries.

If you are a fan of old fashioned whodunits, traditional locked room mysteries or classic mystery, why not give one of these authors a try!

1- Gladys Mitchell (1901- 1983)

Gladys Mitchell was best known for her series of books starring Mrs. Bradley,  who is described as a 'psychiatrist and consulting psychologist to the Home Office'. She featured in 66 books, all published between 1929 and 1975.

Mrs. Bradley is perhaps the polar opposite to Christie's Miss Marple. Gone is the image of a fluffy little old lady who wouldn't hurt a fly! Mrs. Bradley seeks out clues with her eagle eyes, bullying and cajoling along the way and striking fear into the heart of those on the receiving end of her questions.

Where to start? I recommend Death at the Opera from 1934. Although this is the fifth book to star Mrs. Bradley, it is one of the best and doesn't require knowledge from any previous books. Set in a school, it deals with the death of a young teacher during the school's opera production.


2-  Dorothy L. Sayers (1893- 1957)

 Dorothy L. Sayers is most famous for her creation of Lord Peter Wimsey, who featured in eleven novels and several short stories. He is the traditional gentleman detective, with a keen interest in sleuthing as well as several other hobbies including bell-ringing as among the most unusual.

The books are all set between the First and Second World War, and lovingly poke fun at the upper class aristocrats of the age.

A less well known creation is Montague Egg, who only features in short stories and no full length novels. He is very much the 'accidental' detective as he seems to fall into cases, rather than seek them out. He usually relies on his knowledge from his travelling salesman job to crack the case, with seemingly little effort.

Where to start? Hangman's Holiday is my favourite- it is a compilation of short stories featuring both Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg. It would make an excellent opening book, as you can then find out which detective you like the best!


3- G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Best known for the creation of priest turned detective Father Brown, Chesterton's books are the closest to Sherlock Holmes or even Agatha Christie's Poirot in my mind. There are several similarities, such as Father Brown talking to suspects about seemingly everyday matters to lull them into a false sense of security. The books are so cosy and cheerful, and I also really enjoyed the TV series that was previously on BBC.

 Father Brown uses his experience of living in a sleepy town and seeing much of human nature in his role as priest to solve mysteries. He often cracks cases before the police, much to their disgust!

There are five collections of short stories all featuring the priest, dating from 1911 to 1935.

Where to start? If you can find it, the Complete Father Brown includes all the short stories and is a fantastic reading. However, if you prefer to keep your books a bit lighter, then read The Innocence of Father Brown as it is the first and a fantastic introduction. My favourite is 'The Invisible Man'.


4- Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982)

Ngaio (pronounced as Nigh-oh, to rhyme with 'bio') Marsh was a New Zealand writer. She wrote 32 books, all starring the character Inspector Alleyn who is part of the London Metropolitan police. The stories are incredibly well-thought out and full of details not always caught on the first reading.

Watch out! Santa's got a gun!

Inspector Alleyn is another 'gentleman detective' who sometimes masquerades as a member of the public whilst investigating crimes. This adds another layer to the story, as it means he cannot ask too many questions without drawing suspicion.

These days the books are reprinted in collections of three, so it is quite easy to find them all in print.

Where to start? As a Christmas read, I like Tied up in Tinsel from 1972 (it is the twenty-seventh in the series). And just look at this fabulous  book cover!

A Man Lay Dead is the first, and is probably my favourite. It is a typical murder mystery, in which a guest at a party is murdered and the suspect list is limited to all the other guests.


5- John Buchan (1875-1940)

Perhaps not traditionally an author associated with the Golden Age of Fiction, I simply couldn't bear to leave him off the list!

I only discovered his most famous book, The Thirty-Nine Steps fairly recently when I happened to see it in the library. Once I read it, I was hooked and watched two film adaptations of it. One is from 1959, and there is another version from 1978.

Several of Buchan's books, including The Thirty-Nine Steps, star Richard Hannay. He has several years military experience, gained in both the Boer War and the First World War. His lifestyle is certainly not extravagant, but he lives comfortably well off in London. Richard Hannay features in five books, and Buchan also wrote several stand alone thrillers.

Where to start? The Thirty-Nine Steps is a classic of the early spy thriller genre, and its influence has extended to many writers such as Ian Fleming and perhaps the modern day Lee Child.

In terms of his other books, The Gap in the Curtain from 1932 is a fantastic read. It is perhaps more science fiction than crime, but has aged very well and is a gripping read.

I hope this post has given you some suggestions for some Golden Age crime novels, and maybe a few surprises! Please let me know if you have any recommendations of your own!

Do you think anyone can match up to Agatha Christie?