Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks
Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making
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2.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks is the fascinating exploration of the contents of Agatha Christie’s long hidden notebooks, including illustrations, analyses, and two previously unpublished Hercule Poirot short stories. Not only will Christie’s legions of ardent fans find a treasure chest of new material from the author of such classics as And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and Death on the Nile, but Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks is also a must-read tutorial for writers who want to learn the intricacies of constructing crime novels.
This landmark work of literary history reveals:
Two Unpublished Hercule Poirot Stories: Read "The Capture of Cerberus" and "The Incident of the Dog’s Ball" for the first time ever, complete with author John Curran’s analysis of their creation.The Queen of Crime’s Writing Process: Explore seventy-three of Christie's private notebooks, filled with handwritten notes, plot variations, and character sketches that show her mind at work.Secrets of the Great Novels: Discover the original ideas and abandoned plotlines for classics like And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.A Masterclass for Crime Writers: Learn how Christie built her intricate plots, developed unforgettable characters, and mastered the art of misdirection in a must-read tutorial for aspiring mystery authors.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Curran, longtime literary adviser to the Agatha Christie estate, painstakingly describes and excerpts the private notebooks of one of the most influential names in detective fiction. Casual or even moderately well-versed fans of Christie may find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of minutiae Curran extracts from the 73 notebooks the author maintained. His effort, however, is admirable: the majority of the notebook entries lack dates and often jump between novels and stories written years apart, and Christie's handwriting is at times akin to shorthand. The most fascinating aspect of the notebooks is the rare glimpse they allow into the mind of a writer, especially one as imaginative as Christie, who, though not a prose stylist, was expert at devising intricate plots. For example, in the notebooks, she poses questions to herself ( how should all this be approached? Who is killed? and Someone shot or stalked at school Sports? ) while mapping out the novel Cat Among the Pigeons. The inclusion of two rare short stories featuring Hercule Poirot makes this an appealing read for Christie-philes. B&w photos.
