Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge Published by Harper Collins on May 3, 2022 (first published November 12, 2020)
Source: Gift
Genres: Non-fiction, Biography, Literature
Pages: 513
Format: Paperback
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From the very first book publication in 1920 to the film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favourite fictional detective.
This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions.
Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the public eye ever since the 1920 publication of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. From character development, publication history and private discussion concerning the original stories themselves, to early forays on to the stage and screen, the story of Poirot is as fascinating as it is enduring.
Based on the author’s original research, review excerpts and original Agatha Christie correspondence, Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World is a lively and accessible history of the character, offering new information and helpful pieces of context, that will delight all Agatha Christie fans, from a new generation of readers to those already highly familiar with the canon.
I loved this book. But I adore Poirot and I do think you need to be a fan to want to read it. The book is broken down in decades, from Poirot’s first appearance in 1920 in The Mysterious Affair at Styles through Kenneth Branagh’s movies. Aldridge discusses the books, plays, films, television & radio stories in a straightforward way that can be a little dry at times. He summarizes each story, but but without giving away any spoilers. He includes excerpts from Christie’s journals and correspondence, and talks about the interactions between Christie and her publishers, which weren’t always positive. He also shares reviews from newspapers regarding the stories. There are a lot of illustrations, including book covers, movie posters, and photos of actors, but all in black and white.
For me, this was an absolutely fun book. It’s thorough and well-researched and was a joy to read.
About Mark Aldridge
Dr Mark Aldridge is Associate Professor of Screen Histories. At Solent, Mark teaches across the film and television degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as supervising PhD students.
Mark completed his PhD at the University of Southampton, with a thesis that explored attitudes towards early British television. His publications include the books Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (2020), Agatha Christie on Screen (2016), The Birth of British Television (2011) and T is for Television: The Small Screen Adventures of Russell T Davies (with Andy Murray, 2008). He is currently working on the book Agatha Christie’s Marple, to be published by HarperCollins.
He has discussed his research across a variety of media, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, PBS and many international broadcasters. His research has also been highlighted in publications including The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New European. Mark has presented his research at many events, including the international Agatha Christie festivals in both the UK and Tenerife, and he has also been a guest speaker for academic institutions including the University of Cambridge.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Isn’t it amazing that Poirot has been with us for over a hundred years and seems to get followers every generation?
Also, this is a great post to share with British Isles Friday, if you want! Agatha Christie shows up several times a year.