Began reading: 5.6.2017
Completed reading: 6.6.2017
Overall rating: 4 stars
The famous Orient Express, thundering along on its three days’ journey across Europe, came to a sudden stop in the night. Snowdrifts blocked the line at a desolate spot somewhere in the Balkans. Everything was deathly silent.
“Decidedly I suffer from the nerves,” murmured Hercule Poirot, and fell asleep again. He awoke to find himself very much wanted. For in the night murder had been committed. Mr. Ratchett, an American millionaire, was found lying dead in his berth – stabbed. The untrodden snow around the train proved that the murderer was still on board.
Poirot investigates. He lies back and thinks – with his little grey cells…
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is a classic fictional mystery novel. I admit, I’m ashamed that I had never bothered to read an Agatha Christie novel before this one. The only reason why I decided to pick up this book was because I saw the trailer for the 2017 version of the movie. It made me so curious that I had to rush to my library and grab a copy so I could find out who the murderer is. I wasn’t disappointed by the story, and I’m so excited to see how this year’s adaptation will twist this classic.
A little after midnight, the Orient Express halts to a stop after being surrounded by snowdrifts. Poirot is awakened by a cry and a loud thump by his compartment door. He quickly learns that there has been a murder in the room next to his – the evil-looking Ratchett has been stabbed twelve times in his bed. After a thorough examination of the crime scene, Poirot deduces that the room had been locked and that it was impossible for the murderer to leave the train after committing the crime. This means that one of the passengers on the train is responsible for Ratchett’s death. Following interviews with each of the passengers, Poirot discovers more evidence and that nearly every person has an alibi, making things more difficult to solve. Poirot cannot rely on anything but his detective skills to solve this crime, but when too many things occur for it to be coincidence, Poirot’s skills are going to be put to the test – how can he solve a mystery when nothing seems to add up? Surely, someone saw something that helps identify the murderer!
The book was well-written, especially structured perfectly. I liked how each part of the novel was separated, based on what was happening in that particular part of the narrative. The use of literary techniques in the book was on-point, too. My favourite was the foreshadowing – Mr. Bouc’s statement about a group of strangers travelling together. Other literary techniques included tone, suspense and humour. There were also a couple of great quotes that I made a note of. There are:
‘[…]it lends itself to romance, my friend. All around us are people, of all classes, of all nationalities, of all ages. For three days these people, these strangers to one another, are brought together. They sleep and eat under one roof, they cannot get away from each other. At the end of three days they part, they go their several ways, never, perhaps, to see each other again’ (pp. 29-30).
‘Show me how the impossible can be possible!’
‘It is a good phrase that,’ said Poirot. ‘The impossible cannot have happened, therefore impossible must be possible in spite of appearances’ (p. 155).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I believe that the book had an interesting and unique plot. Keep in mind, I haven’t read any of Agatha Christie’s novels. There was something about having a group of people trapped on board of a train, unable to escape or leave, and they’re all suspects to the murder. There are similar plots out there, but this is a classic and I hadn’t come across anything like this one before. Maybe I should read more mystery novels…
The range of characters is very important in a text because they are just as important as the plot. It’s important to have characters we love, as well as characters we love to hate. This book had a mixture of both. There was a great range of characters with diverse nationalities and personalities. Each character behaved in a unique way, and it was interesting to see their reactions to the murder and Poirot’s questions. They each acted in a mysterious way, making them just as suspicious as the others. I think that Christie did an awesome job of creating her characters because each of them had an element of likeability that I couldn’t ignore.
I only briefly mentioned suspense earlier, but let’s explore that a bit more now. Throughout the novel, we were trying to solve the mystery alongside Poirot, which was exciting. The suspense began when Ratchett’s body was found, but it was resolved in the end. While Poirot was conducting interviews with passengers, we considered what they said and how the behaved. When we reached the conclusion, the suspense built, as we wondered how the person responsible for the crime would react and how Poirot would deal with them. I was on my toes throughout the entire book, and I found it very difficult to put down. Any writer who can hold such power of the reader deserves a good book rating, which is why I gave the book four stars.
The conclusion of a book should leave a lasting impression on readers, and provide closure regarding the characters and the plot. This book definitely did this – it was unexpected but left me feeling satisfied. I thought that the conclusion was great for a standalone book, and made sense after everything that had gone down in the text. It is definitely a memorable scene, and I cannot wait to see how this how be portrayed in the film. Usually, I get bored when one character has a lengthy monologue; but in this case, Poirot kept me intrigued because he was not 100% sure of what had gone down, but the way he spoke captivated me. I was hooked until the final word!
The only issue I had with the narrative was that it could be dull at times. I was hooked on every page of the novel, but I did find myself kind of tuning out when MacQueen or Hardman talked – not sure why. Also, I don’t speak French, so I skipped over those lines pretty quickly. When the scenes felt bland, the plot felt slow-paced. However, if I were to read the book over again, I would most likely find that the plot was decently-paced. I suppose that some things were difficult to understand or relate to, which could be why only a couple of things were boring. Overall, the book was enjoyable.
My favourite character was Mary Debenham, as she was the most mysterious, reserved, aloof, and imposing. She was introduced from the very beginning of the book, so I had more time to get to know her. Her back-story was also interesting, which is why I liked her the most. Poirot is a notable character.
Of course, each character acted suspicious at one time or another, but Count and Countess Adrenyi were the most suspicious. The Count was very aggressive and intimidating, but looking back, I understand why he behaved the way he did. While I was watching the trailer, I never suspected him but his revelation was surprising. Note: I’m not saying he’s responsible for the murder. I just found his character very interesting.
My favourite part of the book was Poirot’s confrontation with Mary. It was full of tension and her refusal to answer his questions made her a serious suspect. I was dying to know what her statements at the beginning of the story meant, as Poirot did, but I knew that we weren’t going to find out in that scene. Her behaviour was cold and detached, which somehow made me like her even more.
Recommendation time! If you like In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon, and Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay and Stephan Booth, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Nonstop, Murder on the Orient Express (1974 version), Death on the Nile, The Lady Vanishes, and Silver Streak.
Happy reading!
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