Aug 19, 2021
This week, Scott and Karl read one of Agatha Christie's greatest mystery novels, Murder on the Orient Express.
The novel features Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective known for his shrewd intuition or "little grey cells." While this scrupulous sleuth may be the epitome of refinement and intelligence, Scott points out that he is no Sherlock Holmes.
Unlike Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character, Christie doesn't share Poirot's methods, just his conclusion. "She shares Poirot's reasoning but not how he got to his reasoning," Scott voices.
Still, the duo agrees that Christie's perfection lies in her advancement of the detective genre—the small place, the interrogations, the big revelation—which she used, fairly consistently, in her sixty-six detective novels published between 1920 and 1976.
By the end of the novel, Karl says, “You have the satisfaction of the puzzle box and the satisfaction of justice being served.” Tune in to learn more about what makes Christie one of the most widely celebrated and published authors of all time. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com.