tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post2508928248188578944..comments2024-03-28T10:08:52.537+01:00Comments on Investigating Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Complete Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at StylesEirikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06440717274193966716noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-85654757077296214362022-02-09T05:10:14.149+01:002022-02-09T05:10:14.149+01:00AM SANDRA FROM CANADA, THANKS TO DR ONIHA WHO HELP...AM SANDRA FROM CANADA, THANKS TO DR ONIHA WHO HELP ME BRING MY HUSBAND BACK, MY HUSBAND LEFT ME WITH THREE KIDS, FOR ANOTHER YOUNG GIRL, FOR OVER TWO YEARS, I TRIED ALL I COULD TO SETTLED OUR DIFFRENCES, BUT IT YIELDED NO RESULT, I WAS THE ONE TAKING CARE OF THE CHILDREN ALONE, UNTIL ONE DAY, I CAME IN CONTACT WITH SOME ARTICLES ONLINE, CONTAINING HOW DR ONIHA HAS HELP SO MANY LOVERS AND FAMILY REUNION AND REUNIT AGAIN, AND I DECIDED TO CONTACT HIM, AND HE CAST HIS SPELL ON MY HUSBAND, WITHIN FIVE DAYS, MY HUSBAND RAN BACK HOME, AND WAS BEGGING ME AND THE KIDS FOR FORGIVENESS, IN CASE YOU ARE PASSING THROUGH SIMILAR PROBLEMS, AND YOU WANTS TO CONTACT DR ONIHA, YOU CAN REACH HIM VIA HIS CONTACT NUMBER, ON CALL OR WHATSAP +2347089275769 OR EMAIL DRONIHASPELL@YAHOO.COMclad hagelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526210164114077389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-67989095758000144262022-01-29T14:55:14.779+01:002022-01-29T14:55:14.779+01:00I haven't seen the movie. In the book, all the...I haven't seen the movie. In the book, all these points are addressed explicitly, maybe 1 less so. Here's how it works in the book:<br />1. Yes. Basically just yes. But he was also eager to write the letter because he was supposed to write the day before, so he may be overeager.<br />2. He didn't have time to think, or options to consider.<br />3. Didn't realize how imminent the danger was. She wrote to Evelyn after that, probably to get more info.<br />4. Because he would be searched by the cops. He knew that and deliberately hid it like that instead of carrying it out of the room.<br />5. He did plan to retrieve it, but Poirot had cops survey him 24/7.<br />6. Yes. In the book she's ugly, mannish, and has a deep voice. They're also related, which might add to similarities in gestures, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-84527824167899745342016-09-25T10:42:07.501+02:002016-09-25T10:42:07.501+02:00I won't give up! Thank you for the encourageme...I won't give up! Thank you for the encouragement though! I've actually been writing on a couple of drafts lately, so there might be a new blog post soon. These posts in particular, however, require extensive research and compiling of details, so I can't promise anything just yet. Suffice to say I haven't forgotten the blog :)Eirikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06440717274193966716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-64706229083583799112016-09-24T15:18:04.429+02:002016-09-24T15:18:04.429+02:00Please, if you ever find time, continue with these...Please, if you ever find time, continue with these amazing posts! Don't give up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-22762795740479094782015-11-25T20:41:31.935+01:002015-11-25T20:41:31.935+01:00Although great care was taken with this episode, I...Although great care was taken with this episode, I cannot believe nobody sees all the obvious flaws in the plot, which completely spoils my enjoyment of this story. For example:<br /><br />1. Why is the killer so stupid to write such a dumb, totally incriminating letter (after the intelligence needed to come up with such a masterful scheme?)<br /><br />2. Why lock it up in a place for which the victim also has a key?<br /><br />3. Why does the victim fall such easy prey to the plot even after learning about it and some of the details of it (ex. bromide)?<br /><br />4. NB: Why does the killer not SIMPLY JUST TAKE THE LETTER ALONG WITH HIM instead of taking the time to rip it into three pieces, roll it up, and putting it in the receptacle on the fireplace...?<br /><br />5. Why make no plan to retrieve the letter later while the room was locked?<br /><br />6. Are we really to believe that the woman Evelyn could successfully pose as Alfred by using a false beard and mustache? Even if the chemist didn't know Alfred well, Evelyn would have had to impersonate his deep voice too, or the chemist would have recognized at the inquest that Alfred was not the same person. Furthermore there were big differences in their builds.<br /><br />Did the novel also have these plot holes? It seems strange to me that such a novel could be lauded when it contains so many contrived 'suspension of disbelief' factors or glaring mistakes (#4).Stefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08951301352248202803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-37519521744071915322015-01-12T04:27:21.667+01:002015-01-12T04:27:21.667+01:00In Death in the Clouds I was surprised Poirot enjo...In Death in the Clouds I was surprised Poirot enjoyed surreal art. Wouldn't you think he'd bemoan the lack of order, method, or symmetry? <br /><br />In Cards on the Table, he doesn't care for the abstract art and Mrs. Oliver asks if it's "not symmetrical enough," but that's kind of a joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-185435617349869772015-01-03T23:40:46.287+01:002015-01-03T23:40:46.287+01:00It seems like everybody from a modern or even rela...It seems like everybody from a modern or even relatively modern era who interprets Poirot see Poirot as impatient with English social convention regarding showing emotion, interfering in other people's business, sharing personal matters, and speaking ill of the dead.<br /><br />I include in this Suchet and his fellow makers of the series, as well as Sidney Lumet and Albert Finney, (as Finney-Poirot deduces that Mary and the Colonel are in love and has a line asking why the English hide that); and also Sophie Hannah, as she gives Poirot several lines of dialogue that are direct criticisms of these English conventions.<br /><br />I wouldn't necessarily have taken that from Christie other than with regards to the "never speak ill of the dead" rule (and that's because that one makes his job harder, obviously.) And Suchet has also used the word "repressed" to describe Poirot in relation to his possible love interests. And some reviewers and watchers of The Double Clue and Labours have said Poirot didn't pursue the relationship further for all the usual literary reason - fear of being vulnerable; too constrained by propriety. Someone even said he let the Countess get away because he was "too set in his role" as the detective. Now, that doesn't quite make sense to me, because it seems like if he was really "set in his role" as a detective, he would have turned her over to the law. The fact that he didn't clearly means emotion won out. But I guess he felt that home life was incompatible with his work - or perhaps knew the relationship couldn't work because of her...tendencies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-86060547170181068972015-01-01T01:27:52.062+01:002015-01-01T01:27:52.062+01:00The series Three Act Tragedy discusses Poirot'...The series Three Act Tragedy discusses Poirot's dislike of divorce - obviously that goes along with the Catholicism but in the books there were a few occasions when he actually encouraged a divorce - one I clearly remember is the Horburys in Cloud.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-40165543114519814712014-12-31T04:04:27.068+01:002014-12-31T04:04:27.068+01:00Something else I think Suchet - or maybe the write...Something else I think Suchet - or maybe the writers - was/were a little inconsistent about was Poirot's attitude to fame. He always seems to want people to talk about how great he is, especially if they're introducing him. Remember in End House, when Hastings tells Nick that Poirot is a detective, and then Poirot rebukes Hastings for not saying how great he (Poirot) is. He could be influenced through flattery to take a case (Spanish Chest and Lord Edgware) - in the former, Hastings accuses him of going out with Lady Chatterton simply to enjoy her "buttering up" - and that seems to be correct on Hastings' part. And there, Hastings is upbraiding him for conceit in general.<br /><br />Poirot also spends most of Double Sin in a snit because Japp has been invited to give lectures on detection, and Poirot is afraid Japp will take credit for all the cases and he Poirot have solved together. And then his mood improves when Japp uses the lecture to express respect for him. But other times, he has let the official police take the credit. He is definitely NOT happy when Mr. Opalsen of Jewel Robbery uses him for publicity - but he doesn't mind that his celebrity brings publicity to Hastings' El Ranchero in Evil Under the Sun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-55877878911686913492014-12-30T18:45:12.870+01:002014-12-30T18:45:12.870+01:00Was Poirot supposed to have a war injury as of Sty...Was Poirot supposed to have a war injury as of Styles? He really should have been too old for combat, anyway (frankly, since Hugh Fraser is only four years younger than Suchet, in a way, this Hastings should have been too old, too.)<br /><br />Poirot could have been injured on the police force, but again, he would be getting old for active police duty.<br /><br />However, I believe that a civilian, or non-military person, could still have been a refugee from Belgium - I don't know exactly what happened, but I know Belgium was taken over by the Germans at some point - so it was probably unsafe for many people who weren't military - especially if they had government connections such as Poirot did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-78866373396057382892014-12-28T06:07:42.895+01:002014-12-28T06:07:42.895+01:00Christie gave Hastings a war injury so he could be...Christie gave Hastings a war injury so he could be at Styles, not off in combat (really, if you set a story during one of the World Wars, you almost had to give a young male character a disability to keep him at home!) but really, Hastings does not seem disabled (or emotionally scarred by the war) in any other episode. For much of the series, he is the one to carry out the physical actions Poirot needs done (i.e., chasing or subduing the criminal - though he doesn't always pull it off.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-74372548565714324982014-12-27T21:21:37.777+01:002014-12-27T21:21:37.777+01:00In the series it seems like Poirot's excitabil...In the series it seems like Poirot's excitability is one of the ways he's an outsider in England...<br /><br />There is a "Jekyll and Hyde" theme running through the book Poirot and Me, as Suchet admits to (among other things):<br /><br />- catching whatever illness Poirot was supposed to have, including catching cold while filming Hunter's Lodge<br />- "feeling lines between [himself and Poirot] blurring, particularly when Poirot is being dramatic and actor-like when making his denouements.<br />- not knowing whether he was himself or Poirot while greeting visitors while filming Folly<br />- collapsing from heat while filming Egyptian Tomb (granted, Poirot didn't collapse in that one, but it seems in keeping with Poirot's physical sensitivities to the elements and such)<br />- arguing with directors and producers when they wanted him to do or wear something he felt sure Poirot would never do or wear, and then making statements like, "I felt bad about interfering with a wonderful director, but I could not let Poirot down," or "I had to stand up for Poirot."<br /><br />Reading it, there are places you hear Poirot's voice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-11645353318249953972014-12-27T21:02:47.482+01:002014-12-27T21:02:47.482+01:00Suchet uses the word "repressed" to desc...Suchet uses the word "repressed" to describe Poirot's approach to his own love affairs, such as they are, but also says he dislikes the "restraint" of the English upper-class.<br /><br />Suchet refers to Poirot as "asexual" and "not existing from the waist down." I can't figure out if he is somehow classifying Poirot's feelings for Rossakoff or Virginie as romance without sex, somehow - it seems to me some degree of physical attraction is involved - especially when you consider that they both influence his actions as a detective - Virginie gets him to take a case, and he can't bring himself to turn Rossakoff in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-85372325387623794062014-11-02T12:07:27.410+01:002014-11-02T12:07:27.410+01:00This is a great place to put in my first comment t...This is a great place to put in my first comment to you, although I have been reading your blog for ages !<br />I have been a fan of Agatha Christie before I can remember.. So much so, that when I grew older and re-read the books, in some cases I found I had misunderstood some of the intricacies of the plots because I was so young. So for me, David Suchet as Hercule Poirot is one of my absolute heroes, he has breathed life into a beloved character and made him a beloved person, a life-long friend; I’m sure we all feel like we are Hastings in that regard.<br /><br />In honour of David completing the canon (I’m sure you remember the agony of wondering if it would ever happen, and David himself talking about budgets and the chances of it not happening…), and also my discovery of the book by Anne Hart (which is wonderful), I have begun reading the books in the ‘chronological order’ this year – which I got from the book, but I see the same as the one you’ve referenced here…<br />I just completed ‘Sad Cypress’, which is far and away my favourite episode of the ‘darker series’, and then as I usually do, I came and read-up your entry for it in the episode-by-episode list, because I really do love what you’ve done there, and read it as often as I read the books or watch the films.<br /><br />Interestingly the list is not perfect, I found a reference to one of the Labours in One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.., so that one seemingly occurred before.. but on the whole it is a great way to read the books, as all the references line up when Poirot refers to previous cases in passing ! Once I complete the list, I’ll watch all the entire series over the Christmas break, it seems like a great way to end the year.<br /><br />I’ll also be on the look-out for your posts, so I do hope you will keep writing, and then I can come in and comments like this one:<br /><br />“The is an episode where they show the small silver pot that Poirot keeps his cigarette ashes in, it’s a wonderful piece, and just shows how neat and precise both Poirot and David’s portrayal are. If I remember which one, I’ll come back and add it here”<br /><br />D.<br />D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-57341331096261502132014-08-08T18:12:56.449+02:002014-08-08T18:12:56.449+02:00I will, Danny, hopefully this weekend! :) Thanks f...I will, Danny, hopefully this weekend! :) Thanks for the encouragement!Eirikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06440717274193966716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-78298020991446741122014-08-07T15:20:21.284+02:002014-08-07T15:20:21.284+02:00Please do keep it up, I always read, or if i misse...Please do keep it up, I always read, or if i missed a few i go back and read your posts, unfortunatly i don't have anything to add to a lot of them so i refrain from commenting.Dannynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-69536742643147513492014-08-05T14:31:26.365+02:002014-08-05T14:31:26.365+02:00His display of emotions is inconsistent, I suppose...His display of emotions is inconsistent, I suppose. Hastings describes his embarrrassment on several occasions, but I'd possibly say that comes across better in the books than in the series (apart from the meetings/reunions I mention in the post). As to his anger - or reaction to the crimes - I would definitely argue that the adaptations highlight that more than the books, especially in later years. But then that's in keeping with the idea that Poirot is older and more world-weary in the later adaptations.<br /><br />His age and fame are certainly confusing. Christie admitted as much on several occasions though. I think the tv series tried to make that somewhat more believeable by never referring explicity to his retirement from the police force. In Clue, all he says is that he 'had to leave' because of the war. And they certainly attempted to make Suchet look younger for Styles, with a hair piece.<br /><br />Eirikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06440717274193966716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-71412346948298638652014-08-02T14:55:51.407+02:002014-08-02T14:55:51.407+02:00I shall miss him!I shall miss him!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04073334085750095286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-91634463058417612152014-08-02T01:54:07.446+02:002014-08-02T01:54:07.446+02:00The thing about Poirot never showing his emotions....The thing about Poirot never showing his emotions...actually, he embarrasses Hastings at times by being too affectionate by British standards. And he does act "excited' at certain developments in cases. I have begun to realize that in this series he often shows how he feels about the crimes (his anger with Jane Wilkson, for example.) And though he's very refined and gentlemanly in The Double Clue, he leaves no doubt about the emotions there.<br /><br />One of the confusing things about Poirot (and I'm sure eventually this annoyed Christie too), is where he is supposed to be in life: he is supposed to be retired as of Styles and already something of a legend. In the early short stories there are inconsistencies as to how famous he is - in "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" for example, he says he is unknown in England, but other places he seems to be a legend. In later books. he is described as famous, but just about every book refers to him being retired, or about to be...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-48918017244706191252014-07-29T09:06:16.281+02:002014-07-29T09:06:16.281+02:00Thank you! I will try to keep posting, but probabl...Thank you! I will try to keep posting, but probably not as frequently as I used to. It's difficult to find the time these days :) But I will certainly keep going, there's lots of stuff left to explore.Eirikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06440717274193966716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8555477445321605035.post-20273293263208113702014-07-29T06:53:37.269+02:002014-07-29T06:53:37.269+02:00Thank you for resuming your blog. I very much enjo...Thank you for resuming your blog. I very much enjoy your writings and look forward to more. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com