And then there were none by Agatha Christie

 

"I don't know. I don't know at all. And that's what's frightening the life out of me. To have no idea..."

Author: Agatha Christie

Editor: William Morrow (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Publication date: 1939

Number of pages: 233

Summary: Ten strangers are invited by a mysterious "U.N.Owen" to spend a few days of their summer vacation in an isolated island mansion by the Devon coast.

The first night at dinner, an unknown voice accuses each one of them of being guilty for murder. By the end of the night one of them is dead.

Slowly, as the days pass, haunted by a nursery rhyme, and trapped on the island by a violent storm, they begin, one by one to die.

Like Agatha Christie says: "Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?"

My opinion: I read this book at the end of the summer when I was obsessed with mystery novels (I still am). It is the first Agatha Christie book I read and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely read other ones she wrote ("Murder on the Orient Express" is the next one on my reading list ;) !

At the beginning when I just started reading it I have to admit I was a little lost with all of the characters. The first chapter of the novel is divided in a few parts where each of the characters are presented, for us to familiarize with them and learn a little bit of their backstory. I, because of the fact that their names wouldn't go inside my head, had to make myself a table to help memorize them . But as the story goes on and every one of them dies at some point or another, it's easier at the end to remember them, so don't worry.

The best thing I liked about And then there were none is that the criminal is really someone unexpected. Christie herself said it had been very difficult to think of everything without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer too obvious. In the end, she was really pleased with the result herself. No wonder why! She did such an extremely good job planning the whole murdering process that it didn't become for one second boring to read. For my part, I remember myself up all night finishing it because I couldn't let it go until I figured out the true story hidden by the murderer.

The least thing I liked about it, is that the deaths occur the same way and exact time as in the nursery rhyme quoted at the beginning of the book (see bottom of the page).

It is one of the things that I think had to be better thought of because before even reading the story it spoils everything that is going to happen... but Agatha Christie wanted it to be that way...

SO, if you want to enjoy your reading even more without any foreshadowing, I highly recommend you to not read the rhyme (DON'T LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE!!).

Overall it was a very good book, with a lot of suspense, action and not so difficult to read. I recommend it to those of you who, like me, are obsessed with mystery novels and are not afraid to read it in the dark before going to sleep ;).

Poem included at the beginning of the novel:

Ten Little Soldier Boys went out to Dine;

One choked his little self and then there were Nine. Nine Little Soldier Boys stayed up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were Eight. Eight Little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven. Seven Little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six. Six Little Soldier Boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were Five. Five Little Soldier Boys going through a door;

One stubbed his toe and then there were Four. Four Little Soldier Boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three. Three Little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were Two. Two Little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was One. One Little Soldier Boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself

And then there were none.

Frank Green, 1869