I did enjoy this book, however I feel Christie is a much better storyteller when in long form. I will probably read another short story collection in I did enjoy this book, however I feel Christie is a much better storyteller when in long form. I will probably read another short story collection in the future, but for now I'll stick to her novels.
The Adventure of "The Western Star" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the longest story in the book, and one of the most memorable. I did have to reread the ending to make sure I fully understood what had happened, but when I did I saw the quick clues I had missed.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This took an unexpected turn at what you would think is the end, and David Suchet gets 5 stars for his audio performance alone. I legitimately cackled at one point. It was glorious.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat - ⭐⭐
To be honest, I didn't care for this one. I don't like being confused for a tale's entirety. Poirot had a lot of information that wasn't revealed to Hastings (and therefore the reader) until the end. I'd rather have a piece of the plot here and there as the story goes on. Instead it was a bunch of random choices and actions that made no sense being taken until the very end. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge - ⭐⭐⭐
While I did like this story, I felt it would've been better if it was longer. I loved the premise even though we as readers were once again missing information. I would've liked more detail about the murder itself, and the suspects, but all in all it was an interesting story.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was one of the more enjoyable ones for me. Granted it wasn't particularly exciting, I still rated it highly due to it's conciseness. There weren't 50 people to keep track of, and none of the clues or epiphanies were far-fetched. Poirot's breakdown of the case was very logical and easy to follow, and Hastings' obtuseness was quite comical. I hope more of the remaining stories are like this one.
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one had an intriguing premise--I mean, who doesn't love an Egyptian curse, am I right?--but unfortunately it fell short of the mark. It was mostly a bunch of name dropping--about a dozen altogether, way too many for me to keep track of anyway--and next to no clues. The saving grace of this story is that I'm listening to the audiobook. David Suchet's voice acting is simply superb. All the voices were distinct, and I especially loved hearing all the different accents he can do.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I actually really liked this one. The story was interesting and had a good pace. The group of people involved was small, making it easy to follow. The clues were there without being too obvious. Of course, Hercule Poirot had a couple tidbits of information we didn't have but when does he not. It probably would've earned another star had it not been wrapped up in a neat little bow by Poirot without Hastings, and therefore the reader, being present.
The Kidnapped Prime Minister - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly I didn't love or hate this one. If anything I would say it was mediocre, and a little on the boring side. It started off interesting, but with most of the case solving happening in Poirot's head--and with practically no dialogue and little narration--it simply lacked anything to entice or keep me interested.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was absolutely fantastic! I was engrossed the whole time. There was a lot of dialogue between the three main characters as they discussed the case, and I loved the sporting competition between Japp and Poirot. We knew all the same clues that Poirot did and none of his conclusions were far-fetched for once. It had everything I could ask for, and was easily my favorite tale from this collection.
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started out interesting but lost its momentum pretty quickly. This case was more about what wasn't there than what was. A lot of the clues were clues of omission, so they were hard to pick up on, except by Poirot of course. It wasn't a bad story. I just wish it had more oomph.
The Case of the Missing Will - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one could've been better. The clues didn't really make sense and the end was underwhelming. It honestly had the feeling that it was either over edited or unfinished. There simply wasn't enough meat on the bones in this one.
The Veiled Lady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story threw me off at first. I'm listening to the audiobook, and suddenly Poirot barely had an accent. I don't know if it's a different narrator or if they were just recorded at different times, but I did find out that the last three stories weren't in the original UK version of this book. The switching voices made it difficult to concentrate and follow who was talking at first, but the story itself was interesting, to the point, and kept a good pace.
The Lost Mine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was told as Hercule relating a story to Hasting. It was decently hard to follow due to all the name dropping of companies and suspects alike, and the conclusion--while believable--wasn't really discernable from the text. I'll also point out that it was pretty offensive to people of East Asian decent, but when reading something written in this time period, I sadly expect to see that kind of overt racism.
The Chocolate Box - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a fantastic story to end on! This was one of my favorites. Another tale recounted as a story to Hastings, it tells of Hercule's only failure, back when he was a policeman. I loved being able to actually follow Poirot and his thought processes as he investigated the case for once. This definitely ended the book on a high note.
*I listened to the audiobook with David Suchet as the narrator. For most of the stories, his voice as Poirot was perfection. Unfortunately something was different for the last three stories, and Poirot's accent all but disappeared. I don't know why this happened, but it made listening to those stories a little off-putting. I much prefer the strong Belgian accent to the barely French one....more
Another collection of spooky tales, Scary Stories 2 is not quite as good as the original but I love it anyway. I really only remembered a few stories Another collection of spooky tales, Scary Stories 2 is not quite as good as the original but I love it anyway. I really only remembered a few stories from this one, so most of the stories were new to me this go around.
This is a very beloved book from my childhood, along with it's prequel and sequel. I'm still not entirely sure why I love something so much that gave me several serious complexes that continue into adulthood, but I guess I'm just twisted like that.
I chose to reread these books due to the Scary Stories movie that came out recently. Needless to say the stories didn't scare me like they did when I was a kid, but I still found that I was a little creeped out going to the bathroom in the dark, so to me that's a win for any book or movie, because fiction doesn't scare me easily.
It's filled with mostly creepy short stories, with a chapter dedicated to spooky yet humorous stories to make you laugh instead. This edition has newer pictures, but the original illustrator's drawings are intensely creepy, and unmistakably recognizable. It's perfect for kids 10 - 12, teens 13 - 15, or people 16+ that scare really easily and can't handle hardcore horror....more
This is a very beloved book from my childhood, along with it's two sequels. I'm still not entirely sure why I love something so much that gave me seveThis is a very beloved book from my childhood, along with it's two sequels. I'm still not entirely sure why I love something so much that gave me several serious complexes that continue into adulthood, but I guess I'm just twisted like that.
I chose to reread these books due to the Scary Stories movie that came out recently. Needless to say the stories didn't scare me like they did when I was a kid, but I still found that I was a little creeped out going to the bathroom in the dark, so to me that's a win for any book or movie, because fiction doesn't scare me easily.
It's filled with mostly creepy short stories, with a chapter dedicated to spooky yet humorous stories to make you laugh instead. This edition has newer pictures, but the original illustrator's drawings are intensely creepy, and unmistakably recognizable. It's perfect for kids 10 - 12, teens 13 - 15, or people 16+ that scare really easily and can't handle hardcore horror....more
This book is a classic and there is absolutely nothing I can say that hasn't already been said by countless reviewers. You really can't go wrong with This book is a classic and there is absolutely nothing I can say that hasn't already been said by countless reviewers. You really can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss, and there's a reason people from all generations are familiar with this book. This book is, put quite simply, just tons of fun to read. It doesn't matter if you are a child or an adult. Almost all of the words are sight words, so it's easy enough to read for beginners. The story is wonderfully silly, and there's a great rhythm to the rhymes that is characteristic of Dr. Seuss' books. I would highly recommend this for children 4 to 8, but it's also great practice for older kids who need help recognizing and learning rhythm in poetry....more
I honestly love this book. It's been one of my favorites for a long time. It was passed down from my oldest daughter to her sister; both read and rereI honestly love this book. It's been one of my favorites for a long time. It was passed down from my oldest daughter to her sister; both read and reread it over and over. The story is lovely with a father and a son actually going out into the snow to try to spot an owl. I never did this as a kid but I think it's a wonderful idea. I honestly wish we lived near woods because I would do this as a family with my children. It makes me remember when I was young and we would do fun things that didn't involve a TV or computer screen. The art is hauntingly beautiful. I love the contrast of the colors with the white of the snow and the dark of the forest. It was quite striking. I highly recommend this to children ages 8 to 12. Children younger than this would benefit more from it being read to them due to word count....more
I get the feeling that this book is going to stay with me for a very long time.
There's so much to say but at the same time: spoile"Here is the house."
I get the feeling that this book is going to stay with me for a very long time.
There's so much to say but at the same time: spoilers, so I think I'm going to focus on why I rated this a 4 star instead of a 5, and what I would've done differently.
I will start by saying that I loved 80% of the book. Morrison's prose had a calming effect on me--I just wanted her to keep on telling me the story. The only sensation I can think of that feels similar is being at home, warm, wearing soft socks, and snuggled under a blanket. Some parts are difficult to read, as most people are aware, but I never felt she did so distastefully or in too graphic a detail.
The story is supposed to be about Pecola Breedlove, but I felt that was oversimplifying it. It was really about the three children's experiences--Claudia, Frieda, and Pecola--as a whole, being poor African-Americans in a mostly white state during segregation.
The book is split into 4 parts--Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer--and takes place in Lorain, Ohio in 1940-41. It starts in the main characters' present, with flashbacks throughout, and switches POVs between Claudia MacTeer's 3rd person narrative, and that of an omniscient 3rd person for the flashbacks and stories where Claudia isn't present. This is one of the first things I would've changed. I loved Claudia's voice--the naivete and innocence of it--and I missed it when it wasn't there. Maybe it could've been completely written in Claudia's voice, as a child for the present, and as an adult for the flashbacks and epilogue. It might've even taken some sting out of some of the rougher material, making it easier to get through. Granted it could've been done in the omniscient 3rd party throughout, but I think that would've taken some of the heart out of the tone.
I would've also changed the order the flashbacks happen in, and I would've taken Soaphead Church completely out--or reworked him entirely. I probably would've written him as a snake-handling preacher. As is, he was a completely unnecessary character, let alone worthy of as many pages as he was given.
I did truly enjoy this, and I feel like I learned a lot about the African-American experience post-slavery but pre-civil rights. I highly recommend picking this up at your local library or bookstore. Trigger warnings for this book should include--rape, child rape, physical, verbal, mental, and emotional abuse, racism, bullying, and animal cruelty.
"At least on the edge of my town, among the garbage and the sunflowers of my town, it's much, much, much too late."
*I also listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. Her voice paired nicely with the words on the page, helping to add some emotional depth. However, I did notice that she pronounced some things strangely, but I'm not sure if it was wrong, or just a dialectal difference....more
I felt a slight disconnect with this. I think I might need to read it again to fully appreciate it. Luckily it's a short o"It was a pleasure to burn."
I felt a slight disconnect with this. I think I might need to read it again to fully appreciate it. Luckily it's a short one so it only takes a few hours to read through. To be continued...
Similes, hyperboles, and metaphors oh my!
So I tried to read it again, but I just can't focus on the words. The author uses so much symbolism and figurative language that I couldn't make heads or tails of it half the time. My brain zoned completely out every time the characters went on a tangent--which was almost every other paragraph--and when I'd come back to, I'd have no idea what just happened. I needed to read passages agonizingly slow or repeatedly and that was only marginally helpful. I understood why the author chose that writing style for this particular story; it just didn't work for me.
On the other hand, it was a very intriguing story with interesting themes, albeit frightening ones. A quick slide into fascism or another form of oppressive society isn't as far-fetched as most people think it is; the thought is terrifying to me. So while this book is technically a dystopian sci-fi, it felt more akin to a horror novel.
I honestly never thought I'd say this, but I think I would've enjoyed this more had it been more cut and dry. I feel like the ranting had its place in one of the character's dialogue, but other than that, it wasn't necessary and didn't add to the book except in word count. I do recommend it though, considering its importance as a classic and as a warning of what could be if humanity goes down the wrong path and allows fear to control them. Hopefully you enjoy it more than I did.
Ok. Let's get down to business. This is an old fashioned British mystery novel. So much information! Trying to keep it all straight in my head was extOk. Let's get down to business. This is an old fashioned British mystery novel. So much information! Trying to keep it all straight in my head was extremely difficult. My brain was all over the place but that's what makes a good mystery, in my opinion.
This is the first book starring the world famous Hercule Poirot and his friend Hastings. Poirot is an eccentric detective from Belgium who fled to England during WWI. Hastings is a little on the dramatic side, always jumps to the wrong conclusions, and never catches on to the hints that Poirot throws his way. It definitely helps inject some humor into what would normally be very dour subject matter.
The first part of this book (other than the murder of course) is a little slow due to character building, so for about the first 100 pages. After that, Scotland Yard gets involved and that's when things start to get a bit more interesting. The investigation heats up. There are six suspects. People start being cleared or becoming suspicious. At this point it could be anyone. Everyone in this book seems a little shady for one reason or another. The servants seem to be the only ones you don't suspect. Also this book has a lot of dialogue. You have the suspects talking to each other, Poirot interviewing people for information, and Poirot explaining clues, and of course when he reveals everything at the end of the book.
I might be a little biased because I love David Suchet as Poirot in the TV show but I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and it was intricate and interesting enough to keep my attention. If you enjoy an old fashioned mystery but have never read Agatha Christie before, this one is a good place to start :)...more
I have to be honest. I'm shocked by the amount of negativity this book got in the reviews. It's just downright silly. This is obviously about a young I have to be honest. I'm shocked by the amount of negativity this book got in the reviews. It's just downright silly. This is obviously about a young rabbit, who is angry about something--probably being told to clean his room or the like--not a teenage rabbit who wants to go out and enter the world. The message here is that the mother will always be there to love him and protect him, even if that means saving him from himself, since he is too young to understand the consequences of his actions. And before you assume that I'm a helicopter parent, I assure you, I am quite the opposite, so my parenting style has no bearing on my opinion of the matter. Honestly, to me at least, this book had the same vibe as I'll Love You Forever, which is my husband's favorite childhood book. The edition I got from the library had black and white pictures with the text and then a full two page spread of color depicting what was said on the previous pages, and it was all beautiful. I highly recommend it to kids of all ages, especially the stubborn ones....more
Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was fantastic! I mean, what can I say? Agatha Christie was a genius. So is David Suchet who narrated the audiobook (aWell, ladies and gentlemen, that was fantastic! I mean, what can I say? Agatha Christie was a genius. So is David Suchet who narrated the audiobook (and played Poirot in the TV show).
This story is set on a filled to capacity train, heading from Stamboul (Istanbul) to London. It's the middle of winter and the snow has built up on the tracks and forced the train to a standstill on its way through Yugoslavia (an area that is now in Croatia). This is when the murder is discovered, which luckily for me (I can be impatient) happens within the first 50 pages.
There are so many characters in this. It was a little difficult to keep them all straight but Suchet's voices helped. Let's start with the characters who aren't suspects. We have, naturally, Hercule Poirot, detective extraordinaire, Monsieur Bouc, the Wagon-Lits director, and Poirot's old friend, Dr. Constantine, a doctor on the train, Pierre Michel, the conductor of the Stamboul-Calais coach, and Ratchett, the victim. Bouc is the one more quick to jump to conclusions whereas Poirot is very methodical and waits till he has all the information and all the clues fit before committing to the assignment of guilt.
Now for the possible murderers. Of course, all of the passengers on the train are suspects. We have Hector MacQueen, Ratchett's secretary, Edward Masterman, Ratchett's valet, Mrs. Hubbard, Greta Ohlsson, Princess Dragamiroff and her maid, Hildegarde Schmidt, the Count and Countess Andrenyi, Colonel Arbuthnot, Mr. Hardman, Antonio Foscarelli, and Mary Debenham. There are lots of interviews, collecting of evidence, and taking notes. I liked how Poirot, Bouc, and Dr. Constantine kept going over the evidence with each other. The repetition of the clues helped me keep track of all of them. With so many suspects the evidence kept going in circles and making my head spin. I had a few theories but for the first time ever one of them was right! I didn't know why I was right until Poirot started to piece things together but once he did the answer was quite clear. I felt like the conclusion was the proper way to end the story as well.
Agatha Christie never fails to impress me with her ingenuity. I plan on reading many more of her novels in the near future. As Poirot would say, I pray you, join me....more
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