Top Thirty One-Time Agatha Christie Characters (No Murderers or Victims): Part 1

[@konpulsiv]

I really like what Christie did with Roddy Welman. He's not likeable, but I always thought of his role in the novel as a very intriguing one. Can't wait for part two!

[@summationgathering]

Thanks!

[@lefuetthebaron1483]

This is such a cool idea of a top list! I think that this line "Wee wee wee" all the way home" is what a person was expected to think about Angela and what Angela was expected to feel about herself. She's disfigured and as a woman she must be miserable about it, must feel sorry for herself. She can't see with one of her eyes, and this must make her feel miserable, too. But she is a polar opposite to the idea. She's successful and quite confident. She's the only one to resist the nursery rhyme, and I think it's a nice touch actually.

[@summationgathering]

I still don't really get it. I know it's mentioned in the book but I still could do without it.

[@coffemuse]

This is a great stroll through the aspect of Christie that has always made her so great to me - the regular but fascinating people just doing their thing. One person I know won't make the list but always fascinated me - I can't even remember her name - but it's the sick young girl in The Clocks who is bored and looking out her window and notices the laundry van. I realise this use of an invalid noticing things is a bit of a cliche but I always wished I could spend more time with her. Also I would include the old lady from A Pocket Full of Rye... but she's probably coming higher up on the list...

[@summationgathering]

Geraldine Marsh. No, she didn't make the list but she probably is the most interesting character from that book. She actually gets a surprise shoutout in part 2 believe it or not.

[@Sebastian-lw5qb]

I would have included the Clements on the list. Yes, they have cameo appearances in other books, but Murder at the Vicarage is really the book, in which they get basically all of their characterisation. In this regard, they are one book characters. And I would have probably sneaked Mary Aldin from Towards Zero in as well, because I really like her. Other than this, I agree with most of your picks, though not necessarily the order. I tried to guess, who ist still to come, and these are my candidates in Order of book release, also going by what you said (for example no more characters from A Murder is Announced or Death on the Nile and all but Meredith from Five Little Pigs being on the list): Caroline Sheppard, Frederica Rice, Alexander Bonaparte Cust, Sarah King, Caroline Crale, Cecilia Williams, Henrietta Savernake, Lucy Angkatell, someone from the Cloade family; maybe Frances, Mr Entwhistle, Lucy Eyelsbarrow, Mickey Argyle, Miss Bulstrode, Mark Easterbrook, Jason Rafiel. I'm exited to see, which of my guesses are wrong. Edit: Just realised Rafiel technically appeared in two novels, so he's probably not on the list.

[@summationgathering]

I kind of regret not putting Meredith Blake on tbh. His absence is weird to me because he's the only one not on the list and it just feels incomplete. He was probably #31.

[@Sebastian-lw5qb]

I just realized I totally forgot Crooked House, even though there are still quite a few characters to come from this book. Brenda, Edith, Charles and Clemency maybe.

[@summationgathering]

@@Sebastian-lw5qb Pretty good picks on the whole.

[@dolinaj1]

Very well done and provocative. I was surprised and delighted because your intro had a sort of life-and-death seriousness that such an engaging project does not need. Bravo!

[@jannetteberends8730]

Subscribed! I am interested in the basic plots of Christie. Like the everywhere is the devil plot is recognizable in other books. Including the hat to hide the dead woman’s face in one of her short stories. But I never analyzed the characters. This is totally new for me. Sophia Leonides situation is similar to Suzan Banks. (Just read after the funeral) Both has a character that resembles the old man’s character. Sonia is recognized by the old man, Suzan isn’t. I’ve got a new perspective while reading the books. Thanks! And miss Hinchcliffe is one of my favorite characters. Especially because the grieve she has about her love contrasts so beautifully with her roughness. That the only time in an Agatha Christie book I felt sorry for someone.

[@summationgathering]

Thank you! I never really made the connection between Sophia and Susan but you're right! They are very similar.

[@nethansingbeil356]

I agree with you about "Five Little Pigs". That's one of my personal favorite novels, but I never cared for the nursery rhyme element, especially concerning Angela.

[@summationgathering]

The nursey rhyme elements is so cringe. If you have a copy under the title of "Murder in Retrospect", it doesn't have any of the nursery rhyme in it.

[@seto749]

I have not drawn up my own list, largely because I could not decide whether being mentioned in a subsequent novel was a disqualifier, which would eliminate from consideration Maureen Summerhayes and Cornelia Robson. I'd probably have Hilda Lee ahead of both Alfred and Lydia and I think I'd find a way to sneak Odell onto the list, giving him extra points for Poirot's good opinion of him. I like having the Farradays share a space, and I'd probably have done the same with the Griffiths. (I would put Brenda and Laurence together as well, looking ahead, though they seem to work individually.) As for the second part, the most interesting aspect turned out to be guessing the most deserving plausible omission from the list and HMs. I finished torn between Frances Cloade and Frederica Rice. Either one could be left off the list without causing an uproar, though neither would disappoint on inclusion.

[@summationgathering]

I think it is fine if they are mentioned in a future novel. A little behind the scenes here but the reason why I have the Farradays in one spot is because I accidentally missed one character when I was creating my list on the spreadsheet and I had already written most of the script so I just combined the Farradays into one spot instead of knocking off Gudgeon or Rosalie Otterbourne. I picked the Farradays instead of the Griffiths is because the Griffiths work much more independently as characters.

[@kithale316]

NOT Tea pots - KETTLES

[@summationgathering]

Fair enough. It is British-set. Tea kettle not teapot.