Agatha Christie: The Queen of Mystery

Overview

For full biography, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie Retrieved 3 May 2024 For educational purposes only.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which was performed in the West End from 1952 to 2020, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies. Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring detective Hercule Poirot, was published. Her first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child before divorcing in 1928. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons which featured in many of her novels, short stories, and plays. Following her marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930, she spent several months each year on digs in the Middle East and used her first-hand knowledge of his profession in her fiction. According to Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author. Her novel And Then There Were None is one of the highest-selling books of all time, with approximately 100 million copies sold. Christie's stage play The Mousetrap holds the world record for the longest initial run. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End of London on 25 November 1952, and by September 2018 there had been more than 27,500 performances. The play was closed down in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 1955, Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. Later that year, Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award for best play. In 2013, she was voted the best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the best crime novel ever by 600 professional novelists of the Crime Writers' Association. In September 2015, And Then There Were None was named the "World's Favourite Christie" in a vote sponsored by the author's estate. Most of Christie's books and short stories have been adapted for television, radio, video games, and graphic novels. More than 30 feature films are based on her work.

Recommended Media

Web Resources: Print

BIOGRAPHY: https://www.agathachristie.com/about-christieBIOGRAPHY: https://www.thoughtco.com/agatha-christie-1779787BIOGRAPHY: https://www.biography.com/writer/agatha-christieBIOGRAPHY (Britannica; subscription): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agatha-ChristieDISAPPEARANCE: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/books/agatha-christie-vanished-11-days-1926.htmlDISAPPEARANCE: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Curious-Disappearance-of-Agatha-Christie/OVERVIEW (The New Yorker): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/16/queen-of-crimeCHRISTIE BIBLIOGRAPHY: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie_bibliographyBBC OVERVIEW: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180907-agatha-christie-shaped-how-the-world-sees-britainTHE NEW YORK TIMES POIROT OBITUARY: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/08/06/archives/hercule-poirot-is-dead-famed-belgian-detective-hercule-poirot-the.htmlROSALIND HICKS (daughter): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Hicks ARCHIE CHRISTIE (husband No. 1): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Christie MAX MALLOWAN (husband No. 2): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Mallowan

Web Resources: Video

DOCUMENTARY (from TravelToob): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Ayc429LnEDISAPPEARANCE (CBS This Morning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHwlqIw3tAY100 YEARS OF POIROT AND MARPLE (BritTV Documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1xjezPXPxs

15 Interesting Facts

1. Agatha Christie's mother was against her daughter learning to read. Before becoming a bestselling novelist, Agatha Christie was in real danger of growing up an illiterate. Her mother was said to be against her daughter learning how to read until age 8 (Christie taught herself) and insisted on home-schooling the budding author. Mrs. Christie refused to let Agatha pursue any formal education until the age of 15, when her family dispatched her to a Paris finishing school.
2. Agatha Christie's first novel was written on a dare. After an adolescence spent reading books and writing stories, Christie’s sister Madge dared her sibling to attack a novel-length project. Christie accepted the challenge and penned The Mysterious Affair at Styles, a mystery featuring a soldier on sick leave who finds himself embroiled in a poisoning at a friend’s estate. The novel, which featured Hercule Poirot, was rejected by six publishers before being printed in 1920.
3. Hercule Poirot was based on a real person. The dapper Poirot, a mustachioed detective who took a gentleman's approach to crime-solving, might be Christie’s best-known creation. Christie was said to have been inspired when she caught sight of a Belgian man deboarding a bus in the early 1910s. He was reportedly a bit odd-looking, with a curious style of facial hair and a quizzical expression. His fictional counterpart's debut in The Mysterious Affair at Styles would be Poirot's first of more than 40 appearances.
4. Agatha Christie once disappeared for 10 days. In 1926, Christie—who was already garnering a large and loyal fan base—left her home in London without a trace. It could’ve been the beginning of one of her sordid stories, particularly since her husband, Archie, had recently disclosed he had fallen in love with another woman and wanted a divorce. A police manhunt ensued, although it was unnecessary: Christie had simply driven out of town to a spa, possibly to get her mind off her tumultuous home life. The author made no mention of it in her later autobiography; some speculated it was a publicity stunt, while others believed the family's claim that she had experienced some kind of amnesic event.
5. Agatha Christie wasn't big on violence in her work. While a murder is typically needed to set a murder mystery in motion, Christie’s preferred methodology for slaying her characters was poison: She had worked in a dispensary during wartime and had an intimate knowledge of pharmaceuticals. Rarely did her protagonists carry a gun; her two most famous detectives, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, were virtual pacifists.
6. Agatha Christie had an alias. Not all of Christie’s work had a mortality rate. Beginning in 1930 and continuing through 1956, she wrote six romance novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott. The pseudonym was a construct of her middle name, Mary, with Westmacott being the surname of her relatives.
7. Agatha Christie loved surfing. The image of Christie as a matronly author of mystery is the one most easily recognized by readers, but there was a time when Christie could be found catching waves. Along with her husband, Archie, Christie went on a traveling spree in 1922, starting in South Africa and winding up in Honolulu. At each step, the couple got progressively more capable riding surfboards; some historians believe they may have even been the first British surfers to learn how to ride standing up.
8. Agatha Christie didn't like taking an author's photo. Although not explicitly camera-shy—Christie took frequent photos while traveling—she appeared to dislike having her photo appear on the dust jackets of her novels and once insisted they be issued without a likeness attached. It’s likely Christie preferred not to be recognized in public.
9. Agatha Christie took an oath of detective writing. Founded in 1928 by writer Anthony Berkeley, the London Detection Club, or Famous Detection Club, was a social assembly of the notable crime writers in England. Members “swore” (tongue mostly in cheek) to never keep vital clues from their readers and to never use entirely fictional poisons as a plot crutch. Christie was a member in good standing and took on the role of honorary president in 1956 on one condition: She never wanted to give any speeches.
10. Agatha Christie tried her best to take up smoking. While it would shortly gain a reputation for killing its devotees, smoking was once so revered that it seemed unusual not to take a puff. Shortly after the end of the first world war, Christie was quoted as saying she was disappointed that she couldn’t seem to adopt the habit even though she had been trying.
11. Agatha Christie wrote a play that ran for over 27,000 performances. The curtain was first raised on Mousetrap in London’s West End in 1952. After 68 years, the “initial run” of the play was finally shut due to the corona virus pandemic. The play—about a group of people trapped in a snowbound cabin with a murderer among them—was originally a radio story, Three Blind Mice, that was written at the behest of Queen Mary in 1947.
12. Agatha Christie loved archaeology. After divorcing alleged cad Archie, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930 and joined him for regular expeditions to Syria and Iraq. In 2015, HarperCollins published Come, Tell Me How You Live, the author’s long-forgotten 1946 memoir of her experiences traveling. Although she assisted her husband on digs, she never stopped working on her writing: Their preferred method of transport was frequently the Orient Express, a fact that likely inspired her Murder on the Orient Express.
13. At least one of Agatha Christie's fictional "victims" was inspired by a real-life nuisance. When Mallowan married Christie, he was assistant to renowned archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley. This fact upset Woolley’s wife, who refused to let Christie stay in a Mesopotamia digging camp; Mallowan was forced to take a train into Baghdad every night to see her. Christie soon wrote Murder in Mesopotamia: The victim was the wife of an archaeology field director who was bludgeoned with an antique mace. Christie dedicated the book to the Woolleys, who never joined Mallowan on an expedition again.
14. You can rent Agatha Christie's old home. If you feel like inhabiting the same real estate as Christie is a bucket-list travel opportunity, her former home in Devonshire, England is available for rent. The centuries-old home was Christie’s summer getaway in the 1950s; portions of it are rented out to individuals or groups for $500 a night. Some furniture and a piano that once belonged to the author remain in residence.
15. The New York Times ran an obituary for Hercule Poirot when he "died." Like Arthur Conan Doyle before her, Christie eventually grew tired of her trademark character and set about having Hercule Poirot perish in the 1975 novel Curtain. The reaction to his demise was so fierce that The New York Times published a front-page “obituary” for the character on August 6. Christie died the following year.

Web Resources: "Best of" Lists

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) Hercule Poirot has retired to the village of King’s Abbot to cultivate marrows. But when wealthy Roger Ackroyd is found stabbed in his study, he agrees to investigate. A typical village murder mystery; or so it seems until the last chapter with its stunning revelation. This title would still be discussed today even if Christie had never written another book. An unmissable, and still controversial, milestone of detective fiction.
2. Peril at End House (1932) The impoverished owner of End House hosts a party where fireworks camouflage the shot that kills her cousin. Which of the other guests is a murderer? Perfectly paced, with subtle and ingenious clueing, and an unexpected but totally logical solution. Of its type, perfection; this is how the classic detective story should be written.
3. Murder on the Orient Express (1934) The glamorous Orient Express stops during the night, blocked by snowdrifts. The next morning the mysterious Mr. Ratchett is found stabbed in his compartment and untrodden snow shows that the killer is still on board. This glamorous era of train travel provides Poirot with an international cast of suspects and one of his biggest challenges. Predicated on an inspired gimmick, this is one of the great surprise endings in the genre.
4. The ABC Murders (1935) Despite advanced warnings, Poirot is unable to prevent the murders of Alice Ascher, Betty Barnard and Carmichael Clarke. Can he stop the ABC Killer before he reaches D? One of the earliest examples of the “serial killer” novel this classic Christie is based on a beautifully simple premise. But how many readers are as clever as Poirot?
5. And Then There Were None (1939) Ten people are invited to an island for the weekend. Although they all harbour a secret, they remain unsuspecting until they begin to die, one by one, until eventually … there are none. Panic ensues when the diminishing group realises that one of their own number is the killer. A perfect combination of thriller and detective story, this much-copied plot is Christie’s greatest technical achievement.
6. Five Little Pigs (1943) Sixteen years ago, Caroline Crale died in prison while serving a life sentence for poisoning her husband. Her daughter asks Poirot to investigate a possible miscarriage of justice and he approaches the other five suspects. This sublime novel is a subtle and ingenious detective story, an elegiac love story and a masterful example of storytelling technique, with five separate accounts of one devastating event. Christie’s greatest achievement.
7. Crooked House (1949) The Leonides family all live together in a not-so-little crooked house. But which of them poisoned the patriarch, Aristides? Murder in the extended family always provided fertile ground for Christie, and this was one of her own favourites. Another example of a sinister reinterpretation of a nursery rhyme with an ending that her publishers initially considered too shocking, even for Agatha Christie.
8. A Murder is Announced (1950) In the village of Chipping Cleghorn, a murder is announced in the local paper’s small ads. As Miss Blacklock’s friends gather for what they fondly imagine will be a parlour game, an elaborate murder plot is set in motion. This was Christie’s 50th title and remains Miss Marple’s finest hour. Notable also for its setting in post-war Britain (a factor vital to the plot) this is arguably the last of the ingeniously clued and perfectly paced Christies.
9. Endless Night (1967) Working-class Michael Rogers tells the story of his meeting and marrying Ellie, a fantastically rich American heiress. As they settle in their dream house in the country, it becomes clear that not everyone is happy for them. A very atypical Christie, this tale of menacing suspense builds to a horrific climax and shows that even after 45 years she had not lost the power to confound her readers. The best novel from her last 20 years.
10. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case (1975, but written during the Second World War)An old and frail Poirot returns to the scene of his first case, the country house Styles, now a guest-house. He summons his friend Hastings to help identify the killer he suspects is a fellow-guest. Christie uses every trick in the book to produce a unforgettable, yet poignant, swan song for the little Belgian. This novel was written during the Blitz and stored in a safe to be published after Christie’s own death. It was actually published in October 1975 (Christie died in January 1976) and Poirot received a front-page obituary in the New York Times. In a lifetime of literary tours-de-force, this is the biggest shock of all.

Web Resources: Plays

Web Resources: Gardening

Madge (sister)
Monty (brother)
Rosalind (daughter)

The Family, including Web Resources

See: Wikipedia, Britannica, and Agatha Christie Limited
Margaret 'Madge' Miller (1879-1950) was the sister of Agatha Christie. She was married to James Watts and the mother of Jack Watts. Madge Miller wrote several short stories and plays. Some short stories were published in Vanity Fair, including “The Sixth Ball of the Over,” “A Rub of the Green,” and “Cassie Plays Croquet." Her stage drama The Claimant is based on the Tichborne Case from the 1860s and 70s and enjoyed a short run in the West End at the Queen's Theatre from September 11 to October 18, 1924. It was produced by Basil Dean of the Royal Theatre and starred Leon Quartermaine and Fay Compton.
James “Jimmy” Watts (1878 - 1957) was the husband of Madge Miller and the father of Jack Watts. He was the brother-in-law of Agatha Christie. His family lived at Abney Hall and also owned another property just 14 miles away called Upper House. Agatha Christie visited and stayed at both places on various occasions when she visited her sister. Christie dedicated her novels The A.B.C. Murders (1936) and Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938) to him.
James "Jack" Watts (22 August 1903 – 7 July 1961) was a Conservative party politician in the United Kingdom. He was elected at the 1959 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Moss Side, but died in office two years later, aged 57. Dame Agatha Christie, who was his mother Madge's sister, dedicated several books to him, including The Secret of Chimneys (1925).---------------------------------------------Louis Montant “Monty” Miller (1880-1929) was the brother of Agatha Christie. Always referred to as "Monty" in the family, he was, like Madge, much older than Agatha. Monty was born in Morristown, New Jersey when his parents were there on a visit to the United States. Of Monty, Christie said: "In every family, there is usually one member who is a source of trouble and worry. My brother Monty was ours. Until the day of his death, he was always causing someone a headache. I have often wondered, looking back, whether there is any niche in life where Monty would have fitted in. He would certainly have been all right if he had been born [Mad King] Ludwig II of Bavaria."---------------------------------------------Rosalind Margaret Clarissa Hicks (formerly Prichard, née Christie; 5 August 1919 – 28 October 2004) was the only child of author Agatha Christie. Rosalind married Major Hubert de Burr Prichard (14 May 1907 – 16 August 1944), son of Colonel Hubert Prichard, in 1940 at Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales. Their only child, Mathew Prichard, was born in 1943. A year later, Rosalind's husband died in the Battle of Normandy. She remarried in 1949, to lawyer Anthony Arthur Hicks (26 September 1916 — 15 April 2005) at Kensington, London, England. They lived in the Greenway Estate until Rosalind's death on 28 October 2004, aged 85. She was survived by her son and husband, who died six months later.
Mathew Prichard (born 1943) is the son of Hubert Prichard and Rosalind Hicks, and the only grandchild of Agatha Christie. His son James Prichard is the current CEO of Agatha Christie Limited.
James Prichard is the son of Mathew Prichard, and thus the great-grandson of Agatha Christie. He is the CEO of Agatha Christie Limited. https://www.agathachristielimited.com/about/meet-the-team
Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie's works worldwide since 1955 when Christie set up the company. It is now chaired and managed by Agatha Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard. 64% of ACL is owned by RLJ Entertainment, a premier independent owner, developer, licensee, and distributor of entertainment content and programming primarily in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Agatha Christie’s family owns 36%. Agatha Christie Productions (ACP) is the production arm of ACL. ACP works with leading production companies to produce shows such as The Witness for the Prosecution and And Then There Were None.

Interviews