A Haunting in Venice movie vs book (no spoilers)

[@josephcossey1811]

The scariest thing about the new movie version is Kenneth Branagh's moustache!

[@jmariel6843]

I loved And Then There Were None! This one was more of a lazy quick read, and I definitely kept pronouncing the detective’s name as Parrot in my head 😂

[@WhytheBookWins]

I totally agree! The movie was so much more entertaining and the book made some odd choices. I loved how atmospheric the movie was! Great review of both!

[@jackthereader]

Great review! I liked Halloween Party, but it was probably the last one she wrote before losing her grip on things like narrative coherence. She was 79 when she wrote HP and probably suffering from encroaching dementia. If you read her books written after this, like Postern of Fate, they’re basically unreadable. Mrs Oliver’s apple fetish is a running joke in the books, as is Poirot’s pomposity. I didn’t like A Haunting in Venice personally, but I can see why others would. For me I just found it boring, dour, and quite asinine. (‘They say that in Venice, every house is haunted, or cursed…’ Okay?) Fun fact: HP is the only Christie novel to use the word “lesbian”.

[@tecweston]

I did that this week as well; read the book and then went to the movie. I agree, the movie's better, and I decided to watch the BBC version of Hallowe'en Party from about a decade ago, and couldn't get through it. The screenwriter of the new version made the right call to change it up.

[@sleestack13]

Not commenting on the book or the movie, but I LOVE that shirt.

[@rml5308]

I'm listening to your podcast while laying in bed, and its like you here with me. A secret lover whispering her stories in my ear.

[@Brutus0o]

First! 😂 Thanks for all the great content!

[@amandeep87]

Oh No. Don't get in the middle of Sherlock Vs Hercule debates. Keep them separate and don't compare them. The fans on either side are savage

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

I guessed the perp early on in And Then There Were None. Still didn't know HOW though till the end.. what a puzzle 😆

[@MediaAttorney]

You had me at "gothic." Now I want to see the movie.

[@wednesday06]

I completely agree! I hurry and read the book before the movie premiere and I liked the movie better. It was my first Agatha Christie read, so I’m going to try more of her books.

[@cloud42o58]

Hey, I stopped reading for a while. Your love of books is awesome and I enjoy your content. Have you ever seen RAW? I like foreign horror..a French film I think.

[@alanloewen4148]

I agree. Halloween Party is one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels despite its flaws. At first, I was discouraged by the film, as the book only shared the holiday setting, but the movie was terrific, and I loved the various twists. I wish they had divorced the story from the novel.

[@Reading975]

I highly recommend a author who’s books are all fantastic and their is no words wasted at all, JOHN CONNOLLY

[@Alex_0823]

Great comparison. Where’s that shirt from?! So cool!!!

[@MaliceInCandyland]

Apple bobbing is still important in the movie though. The book is set in England and I'm guessing a LOT of her books are so if you're going to change the story anyway might as well make it a different setting, a place known for its masks.

[@gailcbull]

I do agree that Halloween Party isn't Agatha Christie's best novel and the screenwriter is absolutely right that it isn't right for a film adaptation. There was an adaptation done of the story starring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot and it is a bit weird. But that leaves me with a different question: why was this the story chosen for the third film in the Branagh series? It's not like there isn't an absurd number of Poirot stories that would make good film adaptations to choose from. It seems like a really odd choice by Branagh and his production team.

[@brianjkinney]

I hate whenever publishers change a book's cover to reflect an adaptation, but from what you've described this one sounds especially egregious. I always wonder how much the new covers actually affect sales as opposed to people simply wanting to read the source material for something they enjoy. I've still yet to read any Agatha Christie but it doesn't sound like this is the one to start with. I may check out the movie eventually.

[@TheGreatDevlin]

I went into this movie blind, not knowing it was an adaptation or even a sequel to Death on the Nile. I had fun.

[@suzie_lovescats]

@@LittleonesmicrosanctuaryAgreed 😀

[@mybloodyworld01]

Great video as usual! I'm waiting so badly your bookshelf tour.

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

Do you investigate booktubers shelves during videos like I do? I'm always like, watchu got back there 🕵🏻😆

[@MadJustin7]

I saw it today. I certainly wasn't scared. The horror elements were a little half baked but I loved it none the less. The movie has a great creepy, gothic atmosphere to it. Setting a murder mystery in Venice, on Halloween in a creepy house in the middle of a thunderstorm is great.

[@ABDULLAH37917]

Hey from Knoxville

[@nicholasbuono8234]

Your shirt cracks me up!

[@suzie_lovescats]

The David Suchet version is better ❤

[@paulsciria8921]

Love the necronomicon shirt.

[@allancowley2254]

Coming late to the (Halloween) Party comments - but really, Hallowe'en Party is a mid range (at best)) Christie novel - as one of the other commentators notes below - Christie was in decline at this point, and the key plot twist regarding whodunnit and why seems bizarre for its own sake. That said, A Haunting in Venice is, nothing like Hallowe'en Party except for a couple of character names and dunking for apples. Sure, there is a party, but there are no murders until afterwards and the plot, (most of the) characters, motives and settings are all completely different. This looks to be a clear case of just attaching the Christie name to generic murder mystery,. I laughed at the comment by the screen writer that he retained the theme of Poirot hot footing it to a small sleepy town - what, like Venice ! This wouldn't really matter that much if it were a good film but (in my view) it really isn't - the film trailer covers all the interesting visuals and the rest is like a boring episode from a routine TV series (I do like Poirot's moustache though!)