Good review I'm struggling to finish this book. I'm on chapter 6. I found it to not be an easy read also with alot of words if never heard before. I didn't know what the book was about before I started and probably wouldn't be interested if I did know it was political. It was free so I grabbed it.

Another very perceptive review and you actually manage to make the novel quite fascinating. So far I have only read one short story by Hemingway, Cat in the Rain (American expat couple in Italy - indifferent marriage -lonely wife). I always had the idea Hemingway was over-rated but now you got me interested and I will try his longer fiction. Hope you have a good Christmas.

This is on my 2025 reading list. Thank you for such a great review!

Thanks man, this helped

I just heard about this book and will be reading it soon. Israel's goal is to take over Palestine completely, to make Greater Israel. Israelis have been attacking and killing Palestinians since 1948. Settlers from Europe claim Palestinian land and walk around with guns. Palestinians are an occupied and oppressed people. Free free Palestine 🇵🇸 from zionism!

I didn’t know what was bothering me so much about the writing, but you put it into words perfectly. It’s the author speaking through the character. I feel like the gruesomeness of the setting is repeated way too often through the thoughts of the main girl. And her realisations to situations are unnatural -so obviously planned out and useful in that moment for the story to progress.

Re: the Habsburgs, I remember reading an article in a scholarly journal about conditions in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria (the parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth annexed by Austria, minus Krakow, which was a separate entity). Exceptionally high infant and child mortality, recurring famines, pathtetically low literacy rates, and lack of infrastructure investment kept the region in a state of misery only alleviated by high emigration to places like the US and Canada. Even toward the end of the 19th century, the population suffered similarly to Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Famine. I've been reading more Ellery Queen and am currently working on The Egyptian Cross Mystery. Funnily enough, The it's technically a Christmas novel (the first murder takes place on Christmas). It's very different from the other nationality Queens and feels quite modern.

Hi MIke. I'm impressed with the range of your reading. I cannot remember how many times I've started and stopped W&P, so cool that you finished it. I'm sure it has done a lot for you in the process. The Lyotard book made me wonder about your philosophy of reading. Maybe in one of your videos you have talked about this? I'll take a closer look at your videos. Nice work. Patrick

I really enjoy listening to your reflections, even in the case of books which we have already discussed together. The flowing cascade of reflections, thoughts and after-thoughts, after reading a book is part of what makes reading so rewarding! There is no clear end-point to thinking about a book. I was just curious about when exactly was this video recorded! :D

Great review. I don't know what's wrong with me, I cannot enjoy this book.

Five little pigs was analysed by John Curran, Robert Barnard, Sophia Hannah, etc, and they conclude that this novel is PERFECT. Me too.

Hey, 2024 checking in with new fears. Your video is great and thoughtful.

Yes, I definitely agree Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” is a softer more accessible novel when compared to Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”. Jane Eyre is pretty much the foundational model on which the romance genre is based. Sharing thoughts on “Wuthering Heights” tends to make for a lively exchange of strong opinions among commenters. Many readers dislike all the characters in WH yet respect Emily Bronte’s vivid prose. I really enjoyed the realism of “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Bronte. It’s amazing that so much literary talent emerged from that vicarage in Howth.

Well, it's happening.

Listen to does not equate to reading !

Just finished. It's a 325 pp. book; the last 200+ a real slog. Too many threads. You will not get The Gentleman if you've decided to start over.

Merci beaucoup

Disgusting anti-communism. For shame.

Hope you read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys at some point.

I’m going through break up pain and getting back into novels would be very therapeutic right about now, because I’m depressed as fuck

Since "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" was my very first Agatha Christie, and has always been a favorite, I'm going to counter you a bit: They are visiting the father of the family, not the uncle. That detail is extremely important to the plot, and to all the dynamics that occur in the book, and your confusion makes me urge you to read the novel at leisure (perhaps not listen to this one, since you weren't able to catch this fact). The introduction and interactions that make up the first part of the book have always been one of my favorite bits: all the individual details, the perspectives of one person about another, the inner discussions of those characters. I loved that intricate, yet simple, attention given to these people by Christie - it made them extremely human and understandable to me, and the best Christie books excel at this sort of thing. The fact of it being Christmas is integral to the plot: it's because of the holiday that Simeon can initiate everything he plans; because of Christmas that the family consents to gather, especially in the case of David and Hilda. The idea of its being Christmas in regard to the events in this story strikes a particularly ironic and tragic note. There is really no other time of year Christie could have chosen to better initiate and play with for this one. So I happen to disagree with you on each of the points you made here about "Hercule Poirot's Christmas".

I agree with a lot of your assessments here. Some thoughts: "Roger Aykroyd " is famous because of that final twist, but though Christie pulls off that twist, the novel isn't as much fun as some of the others. There are too many perfunctory characters and somewhat of a dour, monotonous tone. I also rate "The A.B C. Murders" at the top of the list; for sheer pacing and excitement, it may be the best. I would rate "Five Little Pigs" much higher because it is her strongest book in terms of characterization. I think you may have too easily dismissed the solution as it is perhaps the fullest expression of Christie's obsession with themes related to adultery. I found "Lord Edgware Dies " very entertaining because of the theatrical milieu. (I loved the contrast between the diva personality actress and the chameleon-like actress) Very much on the same page with you on "Appointment with Death" : it begins superbly with a well dramatized, compellingly poisonous family dynamic but dips badly after the body is discovered. "Murder in Mesopotamia " is actually highly enjoyable, not least because it has an excellent first person narration. I also liked the way the setting was used in that novel. Unfortunately, it also has one element of the solution which is notoriously preposterous. Always enjoy your intelligent commentary.

Brilliant analysis. I am impressed by your talent for moving with enviable ease between the highbrow and middlebrow.

Awesome idea for a book giveaway!! I'll throw my hat in the ring! Love your videos.

I just didn't believe Mesopotamia. It's not even, that I made the assumption, that this couldn't be. In fact, I had it in the back of my head the whole time and hoped I was wrong, because I didn't want this to happen. I would have ranked Roger Ackroyd and After the Funeral higher. I think Funeral is a very clever play with the reader's assumptions.

Black Coffee was Agatha’s first play - novelized by Charles Osborne. He also did The Unexpected Guest (excellent play, in my opinion her best!) and Spider’s Web. Yes, the house in Folly is based on Greenway House, Agatha’s estate.

As you say, classifications like this are all very personal, tho one CAN be objective too. I am a bit surprised about some of your grading. Roger Ackroyd is an outstanding A* - it is a virtuoso performance in terms of concept, structure and narrative, quite sans pareil in terms of sheer boldness! Caroline Sheppard is a memorable character and the precursor of Miss Marple. Blue Train is C minus as it is bland and banal and padded-out. And the clue K on the cigarette case is for killer Knighton, which is not too clever, though she meant it to be as the K in Knighton is silent. The artificial black beard worn by Miss Howard pretending to be Alfred is unconvincing, so Styles is B. Links is the more intricate in terms of plotting. Orient Express is A* concept-wise - highly original like Roger A. Cards - 2 claims to originality: bridge scores as clues and 4 murderers- murders in the past leading to Shaitana’s murder in the present. The 4 murderers are very memorable characters. The psychological clues are very Interesting. It is an A. Sad Cypress, as a mystery, is so guessable as to be disappointing - Nurse Hopkins is indicated from the very start. And not many other suspects worth considering! It is a C. Evil Under is D Plus. Somewhat banal and plodding. (Triangle at Rhodes which precedes it and uses the same set-up and motive is better.) Flood is very intricate - at least a C. Mrs McGinty - interesting strategy of deception - you are meant to think it is a woman but killer is man - the name Evelyin being both male and female - curious relationship between Robin and Mrs Upward - not mother and son but protégée and patroness. Should be C. Hickory and the youth hostel - unconvincing in the extreme, annoying. But intriguing beginning with Miss Lemon’s sister and and interesting background of the killer. D minus. (Folly and Funeral are much better!) The Clocks - C minus/D plus yes. Tho Miss Pebmarsh is a good, unexpected killer. Third Girl is a C. (You are too generous.) About Curtain and the rest I quite agree.

I also have a soft spot for The Mystery of the Blue Train. It's ludicrously overstuffed with characters and side plots, but that makes it great for a chilly autumn afternoon re-read. My best case for bumping up Lord Edgware Dies is the brazenness of the opening. Christie supplies the reader with enough information within the first five or so pages to see what's really going on. I also just think it's neat that Peril at End House, Lord Edgware Dies, and Three Act Tragedy form a kind of funhouse mirrors triptych. Structurally they're all eerily similar, yet incredibly different novels. Cards on the Table is my favorite. Each detective is shown to have personal biases and limitations that either hinder or prevent them from solving the crime. The theme of bluffing, drawing from the game of bridge itself, is used throughout the novel. I don't even mind the Suchet adaptation's obsession with sexuality, since exploration of gender (especially masculinity) is woven into the story. And it gave us Ariadne, so it's indispensable in the canon. I'd bump up Five Little Pigs, After the Funeral, and Dead Man's Folly quite a bit. We have different lists for sure, but I can tell you had a great time reading these stories. Here's to more enjoyment in your future!

Hi Mike, Glad to have found your channel. I am a big fan of Agatha Christie. I am planning a review of the Clocks this weekend and found your channel. I agree the plot was not good but I loved the book. It was so much fun. I've been looking for mystery reader creators on the tube since we lost Janelle of @toofondofbooks. I subscribed. Aloha from Hawaii

Great tier list! The only ranking I would strongly disagree with is Five Little Pigs, as I consider that to be a 5/5 excellent Christie novel. The characters and the mystery are at such a high level in my opinion, but I also remember your review of it and feeling like you did have some solid criticisms of it. I guess I also disagree with the ranking of Death on the Nile because I personally don't enjoy it that much (I'd actually place it as a high C-tier because the mystery is very easy to guess and there are FAR too many characters in the book). But that's obviously a very unpopular opinion among most. Overall, great job!

Isn’t Putin following in Hitler’s footsteps? Wonderful review.

This is truly fascinating. Your most interesting - most personal, to state the obvious - review. All spot on. When I read Curtain, I still had about ten more Poirot novels to read - so it was a strange experience. Remember that Agatha, post Curtain, went on writing Poirot novels on and off for the next 30 years. Also it is odd to consider Curtain coming after the terribly weak Elephants.

Wonderful, well articulated review (as usual) but you clearly invested a lot into this one, and I really respect and appreciate your very personal insights.

Excellent video. I very much agree with you as well.

Congratulations on making it to the end, although you've got more videos to make. For as popular as Christie is, everyone has their own journey reading her works. Funnily enough, I was also in a pretty vexing place in my life when I started reading Christie, so I appreciated the comfort and distraction she brought me. For that reason, I haven't picked up Curtain, Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, and Nemesis since reading them, although I really appreciated them at the time and still do. You're right that Curtain is much more thematic and emotional than her more elaborate puzzle mysteries, but I think a little of it rubbed off on Five Little Pigs, which was probably written roughly around the same time. (Imagine putting a novel like Curtain in a bank vault and having the discipline to leave it there!) Beware Dark Marple! If you decide to travel with Marsh, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did. Christie is superior at crafting hooks and twists and keeping the prose uncluttered, but Marsh excels at character work and some truly grisly murders. And whereas Christie got to give her protagonists proper farewells, Marsh exited the stage herself with a novel that encapsulated her interests and life's work. Sayers for me was hit or miss, but I was a bit distracted when I read her mysteries. Josephine Tey and Christianna Brand are also waiting down life's long, winding path.

Amazing, Mike! Very much looking forward to the ranking-all-the-Poirot-novels video.

Great review! I just finished reading the book, I agree on all the points you made. This was the second book from Kristin Hannah that I read, I enjoyed reading The Four Winds much more. Thanks for reviewing The Great Alone, no pun intended but I’m glad I’m not alone in the thoughts and feelings I had about the book.

This sounds like a very intersting book. I was just trying to figure out which of her books I should put on my wishlist because I have never read any of her books when I came across your video. I do own Bad Feminist and it's been on my TBR bookshelf for about a year. I think I only read one essay in it so far. I now feel I should really read that book soon.

I just discovered Kristin Hannah.I find her books emotionally messy, and I like that. I also appreciate her interest in the 1970's. As a millennial I feel like it needs more attention, because honestly I don't know much about the 1970's. Anyway, I really appreciated your review though we didn't agree on everything, but I liked what you had to say. Here is my own review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqacaKiPiMuWnZY

You gained a new subscriber :-) I have a lot of books to read now!

Ah, Truman Capote, I adore him. I read no true crime, always seems worryingly voyeuristic to me, but Capote is breathtaking, opens you right up. I really enjoyed your considered review of this book - thank you.

I really look forward to following more of your bookish (& film) adventures!

Really excited to have discovered your channel via Ruben (at 'To Readers It May Concern'). Yes, these two films (with hopefully more are to come - please??!??) are absolutely stunning. They are certainly two of my favourite movies. Really enjoyed your considered review - brilliant you!

This was an excellent podcast. Your commentary is always intelligent and perceptive, and this particular review was enormously rewarding.

Thanks for such a valuable review! The book has been on my radar, though the length is, as you pointed out, quite intimidating. It was a really nice touch to introduce a different style when describing the realpolitik position(s). Both funny and helpful! I am surprised by the author’s attitude on Mussolini and his views regarding the Germany’s history and Luther.

I also recently finished The Rise and Fall (about a month ago). I'm about halfway through your video. Already, this is a phenomenal review!

Mixed feelings on the novel… thought the twist was pretty good. Characters could’ve been better. Book did have some excellent commentary on some serious themes. I prefer the book “Journey Under the Midnight Sun” by Keigo Higashino. I think that novel is excellent.

All great takes

I picked up this book randomly earlier this year, and I was so blown away by the act of reading a text so focused on language and communication. I’m definitely going to read Either/Or at some point in the near future!

Excellent review!