The Mysterious Affair at Styles / Agatha Christie

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I see that I didn't write a review of this novel when I first read it. I don't think I knew enough about Poirot, Hastings, or indeed Agatha Christie back then to analyze very much. I had only begun to appreciate Christie's fiction, just 3 short years ago. I have no idea what prevented me from reading her work long before then!

I cannot remember exactly what my first impressions of Styles were, but I awarded 4 stars. I'm sticking to that rating, but perhaps for different reasons. I love the way that Christie uses Hastings as the narrator of this story. We get to view the situation through his prejudices, which are many. Poirot is his friend, but is still a “foreigner.” He is easily distracted by attractive women. He wouldn't consider suspecting an old friend. He expects people of social standing to behave honourably. He is quite ageist, assuming that Poirot is old and over with. Basically, if Hastings thinks something, you should suspect it!

I am also amused by the contrast between the enthusiastic Poirot and the stiff-upper-lip-ishness of the Cavendish household and Hastings. At a couple of junctures the English folk look at one another and claim he has gone off his rocker because he expresses his emotion freely.

I was completely unaware when I first read this book that it was Christie's first novel. I think I am going to thoroughly enjoy reading her novels in chronological order and seeing how her characters and her style progress through time.


View all my reviews