The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Information

Goodreads: The Old Man and the Sea
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Purchased
Published: 1952

Summary

An older fisherman who has not caught a fish for over 80 days goes farther out into the sea to try his luck; there, he encounters an enormous Marlin, against whom he must test his skills.

Review

The Old Man and the Sea is one of those classics that I always meant to get to and yet never did before now — even though it’s incredibly short. Now that I have read it, I’m glad, though I have to admit this a book that falls squarely in the category of “Would I have enjoyed this as much if I hadn’t been told it’s a classic?”

I will be eagerly awaiting a random man who has never been on my blog before to come along and tell me that The Old Man and the Sea is a masterpiece, and if I don’t give it a raving 5-star review, it’s clearly because I am an idiot who didn’t get its genius. (This happens on nearly all the classic reviews we publish here if we profess any negative feelings about the classic at all. But if you are that random man, allow me to assure you I have an MA in English literature, and I know how to read.)

And I DO get that this books has some interesting themes. They’re what kept me reading. There’s the relationship the old man has with the sea and the fish he catches, the respect he has for the things he kills, the blurring of the lines between man and animal, the sense of contest and near-equality between them. There’s the relationship the old man has with the boy, one of the few people on the island who seems to truly believe in the old man and who sees the massive amounts of things the old man can teach a younger generation of fishers, even if he hasn’t been lucky in catching a fish himself for a while. There are questions of luck vs. skill, and whether the old man is lucky to have caught such an enormous fish, even if in the end he doesn’t get quite what he wants out of the catch. There’s a lot to think about here, and I appreciate that.

On another level, however, this is still a longish story about a man trying to catch a fish. It is told in a lot of detail, which certainly speaks to Hemingway’s knowledge of the subject. But, truly, I ask myself: If someone handed me this story and told me some author I had never heard of had published it last year, would I have given it a chance? Would I have been invested enough in reading about a guy fishing to keep going and see the themes underneath? Or did I only give the book a chance because I know it’s by Hemingway? And I don’t really know the answer. People complain about Moby Dick being too much about whaling, however, (and I like Moby Dick well enough), so I shall reserve the right to point out here that The Old Man and the Sea simply doesn’t have a lot going for it in terms of plot. Certainly Hemingway works to add some excitement in terms of challenges the man faces while fishing, including such things as circling sharks, but I’m not sure I was enthralled.

I like that the story left me with some things to think about, and I enjoyed the two main characters, the old man and the boy. This isn’t going to top my list of favorite classics, however.

Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym

Information

Goodreads: Jane and Prudence
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1953

Official Summary

If Jane Cleveland and Prudence Bates seem an unlikely pair to be walking together at an Oxford reunion, neither of them are aware of it. They couldn’t be more different: Jane is a rather incompetent vicar’s wife, who always looks as if she is about to feed the chickens, while Prudence, a pristine hothouse flower, has the most unsuitable affairs. With the move to a rural parish, Jane is determined to find her friend the perfect man. She learns that matchmaking has as many pitfalls as housewifery…

Review

Barbara Pym is an excellent commentator on society and human nature, and Jane and Prudence, while not my favorite of the Pym novels I have read, certainly highlights the author’s ability to represent people as they are in daily life. She has the gift of being able to write novels that are not “about” anything more particular than what ordinary people do going about their ordinary business and make their stories insightful. Sometimes Pym is sympathetic and sometimes she is gently mocking, but she is at all times thoughtful and engaging.

Jane is an interesting character because she’s a vicar’s wife who is well-educated and kind but can’t quite seem to carry off her role; she doesn’t pay quite enough attention to her appearance and what she’s wearing, and she admits she cannot pour tea and is not generally a charming hostess. She loves her husband and her daughter and enjoys her life, but she always has a little feeling she could have done “more.” She wrote one book of essays that was published, and she feels that if she simply had the time and opportunity, she could have been a writer. Yet, odd as she is, the people in her husband’s new parish do come to like and respect her; Pym excellently represents how people’s judgements and behavior change as they come to know other people better.

If there’s a “plot” to the book, it focuses around Jane’s hopes that her younger (though still a spinster at 29) friend Prudence will get together with the local eligible widower. Exactly why he’s so eligible eluded me a bit, as it’s clear from his first introduction that he cheated repeatedly on his first wife. This is perhaps an area where there is a disconnect between modern sentiments about this and sentiments of the time period; the local women certainly disapprove of his behavior, but no one seems to think it much of a reason they shouldn’t seek to become his second wife. There’s a sense they think things might be different with them, I suppose, that they believe his first wife just didn’t have the personality to keep him in line, and he’ll be a gem of a man if only he marries someone with a stricter hand.

Still, I use the word “plot” loosely. What I do love about Pym is that she can tell stories about average people doing generally unremarkable things: going to church meeting, sending their children off to Oxford, travelling up to London to go to the shops. Pym sees the little things in life and can make them interesting, and she can hit upon human emotions related to these things with a keen insight: characters’ frustration at the repetitiveness of household chores, their dismay at finding their child almost an adult, their surprise at finding themselves no longer young themselves.

I’ve only read three of Pym’s books so far, but I will definitely be looking to read more!

Every Living Thing by James Herriot

Information

Goodreads: Every Living Thing
Series: All Creatures Great and Small #5
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1992

Summary

In the final book in the All Creatures Great and Small series, James Herriot takes readers to the Yorkshire Dales of the 1950s. Familiar characters such as Tricki Woo return, while new favorites such as the eccentric, badger-carrying Calum Buchanan appear. Once again, Herriot delights with his gentle humor and humorous observations of both people and animals.

Review

The final book in James Herriot’s adventures as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales contains all his signature warmth and humor. Presumably knowing that this volume would indeed be the last, Herriot abandons the structure of his previous two volumes and returns to the strengths that made him famous. That is, he stops caring about fitting in parts of his life that are not related to veterinary practice in Darrowby, and instead just focuses on the animals. He even, finally, brings back Tricki Woo. Every Living Thing is a fitting and heartfelt conclusion to the series, though knowing that it is the last volume makes it feel bittersweet.

In a way, book five of the series feels closest to book one, which makes it, for me, one of the strongest in the series. Though Herriot is an established vet now, a partner with Siegfried in the practice, and a married man with two children, he recaptures some of the innocence of his early days by introducing some of the upcoming vets who come to train with him. First there is John Crooks, a more than capable vet who rises to become one of the leading men in the profession. And then there is the unforgettable Calum Buchanan, known for going everywhere–including on farm calls–with his pet badger on one shoulder. The assistants clearly make Herriot feel young again, even as he can bask in the security of his job and his loving family.

Other highlights of the book include the return of Tricki Woo, the reappearance of the eccentric Siegfried and his faulty memory, Herriot and Helen’s attempts to woo a pair of stray cats into their home, and the humorous incident of the “Cisco Kid.” There is a variety of stories here, showcasing Herriot’s keen skills of observation, as well as his ability to move seamless from amusing anecdotes to stories that touch the heart with their pathos. As always, Herriot’s book reminds reader that life is truly a wonderful and a wondrous thing.

All the warmth, humor, and joy are here again as Herriot takes readers on one final journey through time and the Yorkshire countryside he so clearly loves. Like many readers, I wish the journey never had to end. But I am comforted that I can always start again from the beginning.

You Might Also Enjoy

• All Creatures Great and Small
• All Things Bright and Beautiful
• All Things Wise and Wonderful
• The Lord God Made Them All
• TV Review: All Creatures Great and Small

The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot

Information

Goodreads: The Lord God Made Them All
Series: All Creatures Great and Small #4
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1981

Summary

After leaving the RAF, James Herriot returns to Darrowby, where he continues his veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales, and also makes a few trips as a travel vet.

Review

The fourth volume in James Herriot’s series about veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales brings readers back to Darrowby after Herriot’s short stint in the RAF during WWII. The familiar people and places return, interspersed with chapters of Herriot’s trips to Russia and Istanbul. While I enjoyed Herriot’s trademark humor and gentle observations on life, I admittedly found the anecdotes less entertaining than those in his previous books. And I thought the foreign travel chapters were misplaced. Still, one cannot go wrong with Herriot. It’s always soothing to follow his stories at the end of a busy day.

Regrettably, much of the drama that makes the first two volumes in this series so memorable are missing. Herriot is no longer a young vet from the city who needs to prove himself, but an established professional. He no longer is courting Helen and finding himself in awkward situations, but is happily married with children. Even Siegfried and Tristan have gone off and gotten married, with no explanation of how that happened or who their wives are, meaning that a great deal of humor has gone. Even the anecdotes and people here are less engaging than those of yore. How I miss Tricki Woo! Still, Herriot’s gentle way of laughing at himself and finding the joy in everyday situations kept me reading.

But what to do with the chapters on Russia and Istanbul? Herriot, apparently, traveled as a ship’s vet to Russia once to make sure their livestock arrived healthy, and then by plane another time to Istanbul. He seems to have realized, however, that readers really just want stories from Darrowby, so he cuts up his accounts of each trip into chapters that appear randomly throughout the book. The first time the chapter on Russia suddenly cut off and switched back to Darrowby, I thought the audiobook I was listening to had skipped, or perhaps was defective. Had the creators just…forgotten to record the rest of the Russia chapters? But then, lo! A few chapters on, Herriot is back in Russia. It is extremely confusing.

To me, it seems obvious Herriot should have left these chapters out. The books are not really comprehensive accounts of his life and everything that happened, but anecdotes about veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales. Thematically, Herriot’s attempts to write a mini travelogue do not belong. I suppose he could have published them separately, but I also wonder if he knew his readers probably would not want to buy something like that from him. And, truly, I’m not sure Herriot was meant to be a travel writer. His account to Russia spends a lot of time on what he ate on the ship and how he was never sea sick, then meanders on to a few not particularly illuminating observations of the country. His trip to Istanbul is more humorous since he gets stranded there, but, he does not really have a keen sense for describing new places to readers. His talents are best reserved for the animals and the people who care for them.

Still, Herriot’s books are comfort reads. I love looking forward to his misadventures each day and to his gentle sense of humor. While I miss the Siegfried and Tristan stories of old, readers still get fun stories about the pets and farm animals Herriot treats. And one really feels Herriot’s love for his work and for humanity. The world always needs a bit of warmth, and that is just what Herriot’s books provide.

All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot

Information

Goodreads: All Things Wise and Wonderful
Series: All Creatures Great and Small #3
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published:

Summary

James Herriot begins training in the Royal Air Force during WWII, but still finds time to visit his pregnant wife Helen and reminisce about his veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Hills.

Review

I was intrigued by the third volume in James Herriot’s series about being a vet in the Yorkshire Dales because I knew that Jim would be heading off to the Royal Air Force. What would this mean for his charming animal stories? Would the book become a WWII memoir instead? Would we ever see Tricki Woo again? The answer is complicated. The book switches between brief anecdotes about Herriot’s time in the RAF and his memories of Darrowby. Often, the parts about his time in the RAF are just a few sentences that lead him into a vet story instead of an RAF story. In the end, I have mixed feelings about All Things Wise and Wonderful. I suppose Herriot could not have left out his time in the RAF completely, yet these parts often seem tangential to the book, as if Herriot was well aware of what his readers actually wanted–the Yorkshire Dales.

In thinking about my reaction to All Things Wise and Wonderful, I did wonder how Herriot could have mentioned his time in the RAF and yet still made the book feel a bit less choppy. I even wondered if he actually needed to mention the RAF at all. His books typically skip through time, with Herriot telling stories about his vet adventures before he was married, and then returning back to his “present.” If he just mentioned some of his training and then spent longer sections on his visiting his pregnant wife and meeting his son, it seems rather like that would have been well and good. Just enough to let readers know what his “present” is, while still launching him back into of his veterinary past. Because the joke is that, after finally getting trained to fly, Herriot is asked to have a surgery that then disqualifies him from flying. And, because he is in a reserve profession, he is unable enlist in another part of the military. Herriot gets sent home! His time in the RAF seems relatively minor.

In some respects, Herriot seems to understand his time in the RAF was relatively minor, and he really does not dwell on it. Sometimes I wondered why he bothered to bring readers back to his present, or frame narrative, at all. A section, for instance, might begin with a few sentences on a fellow trainee being odd, with Herriot using his observation to launch into a remark that animals can be odd, too. Then off we go into another memory. Why bring up the odd fellow at all? Why not just tell the animal story?

Because the animal stories are where Herriot really shines. He has some amusing incidents to relate about his time in the RAF, such as getting a tooth pulled by an incompetent dentist, but, by and large, his best writing is reserved for his time in Darrowby. This usually pertains to the animals, but, of course, his anecdotes about his colleagues Siegfried and Tristan are always worth a laugh, as well. The only character in Darrowby that Herriot does not really make come alive is arguably his wife Helen. Typically Herriot brings out the humor of human nature, but Helen is always presented as kind, generous, loving, and supportive. The perfect wife. It probably made for a happier marriage, but her character is one of the duller ones in the books.

Though some of the transitions from frame narrative to memories are clumsy, All Things Wise and Wonderful still brings Herriot’s signature charm, humor, and warmth to his stories. Joy, heartbreak, and wonder all mix together in his vivid depiction of life as a rural vet making this third installment well worth the read.

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

Information

Goodreads: A Caribbean Mystery
Series: Miss Marple #10
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1964

Summary

While vacationing in St Honoré, Miss Marple learns of the death of a fellow guest. The authorities assume it was Major Palgrave’s health that gave out, but was Palgrave actually ill? What was it he was saying to her just the night before? Miss Marple tests her wits once again as she tries to uncover who wanted the Major dead, and why.

Review

A Caribbean Mystery adds a bit of novelty to the Miss Marple series by moving the amateur detective from her home turf of the village of St. Mary Mead to a tropical island. However, human nature, according to Miss Marple, is much the same everywhere. So when a guest at her hotel dies overnight, Miss Marple’s mind begins working. The authorities believe the death was natural, but Miss Marple believe something is wrong. Watching Miss Marple baffle the local police force is always rewarding, though, in this case, the culprit is unusually obvious from the start, making A Caribbean Mystery a bit more lackluster than other books in the series.

The fun of reading a Miss Marple mystery is, of course, that everyone overlooks Miss Marple because she is an elderly woman and they thus believe that 1) she is none too bright and 2) her gentle mind could never conceive of such shocking things as murder. The joke, of course, is that Miss Marple’s age is precisely what gives her the edge she needs. She has experience. She knows people. And she knows how the world works. Yes, some things change, and Miss Marple might lament the passing of old traditions, but human nature remains the same. And Miss Marple’s mind is as keen as ever.

Unfortunately, in A Caribbean Mystery I did not particularly feel like I needed Miss Marple’s keen mind. Though it feels gratifying to solve a mystery, often the best mysteries are the ones I could not figure out, but that seem inevitable once the solution is revealed. In this book, however, I knew who the murderer was right away. The rest of the book was just Miss Marple trying to figure it out, and I was baffled that she seemed so much less certain than herself than usual. One recurring theme through the series is that Miss Marple is pretty sure who it is, but wants further proof or to catch them in the act. Here, she does not seem to fully consider the true culprit until it is almost too late. Considering the nature of the crime she is trying to prevent, that seems odd because her options are more limited than usual.

Even so, a Miss Marple mystery always remains a pleasant read. I enjoy matching wits with Christie and watching Miss Marple confound the authorities time and again. I eagerly await Miss Marple’s next case.

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

Information

Goodreads: All Things Bright and Beautiful
Series: All Creatures Great and Small #2
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1974

Summary

The second volume of James Herriot’s account of life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales brings new experiences and new characters. Herriot is recently married, and enjoying it. However, his customers–both human and animal–continue to surprise and delight!

Review

James Herriot brings his signature charm and gentle humor to this second volume of stories collecting his experiences as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales. Recently married, he adds some stories about the bliss of married life. But the focus remains on his four-legged patients and the humans who own them–and the humans often prove the most difficult to work with! Readers who adored All Creatures Great and Small will rejoice to find that the story continues.

In many respects, All Things Bright and Beautiful captures the same elements that make the first volume so special. Herriot treats all his subjects with sympathy, so that even rude and ungrateful customers come across as a part of a bemused observation on the eccentricities of human beings. Herriot himself is always the joke, and never the people who put him through such trials.

Still, at times, I found myself that Herriot were not always presenting himself as the hapless victim of circumstance. For instance, three times he gets drunk at the hands of the hospital vet, becomes ill, and embarrasses himself in company. Herriot always writes as if he just could not help it–he had to drink all that alcohol to prevent offending his friend. After awhile, however this particular storyline was not amusing. I really wanted to shout, “Just say no!” at Herriot, and tell him he is not obligated to make himself ill to make his friend feel good.

I also found myself wishing for more stories of Siegfried and Tristan. Tristan does get a rollicking storyline involving the appearance of a local ghost. Otherwise, however, he is relegated to chief supporter of Herriot’s attempts to court Helen. (The book goes back and forth in time, so it covers both Herriot’s current marriage and his past dating experiences.) Siegfried, too, is notably absent, which is a shame since his larger-than-life personality added a great deal to the humor of the first volume. Helen gains more prominence instead. But, as Herriot always portrays Helen as kind, loving, and generous, she is not exactly as interesting as the unhinged Siegfried, even if she does sound like a wonderful person to know.

Altogether, however, All Things Bright and Beautiful is a charming and cozy read, the type of book one wants to open when the world seems harsh. It is full with a great joy in life and a great love for humanity, the type that seems absolutely contagious.

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side by Agatha Christie

Information

Goodreads: The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side
Series: Miss Marple #9
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Publication Date: 1962

Summary

Heather Badcock is meeting her idol, the film star Marina Gregg, when suddenly she seems overcome by an illness. In a few minutes, she is dead. Poison is the cause, but was it meant for Heather or for Marina? Miss Marple matches wits once again with a killer as she tries to uncover the real motive behind the murder.

Review

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side takes on a more somber tone than previous installments in the series, as Miss Marple finds herself aging and treated as a child by her disrespectful caregiver. Even though her mental faculties are as keen as ever, Miss Marple has to face the fact that her physical health is not quite what it once was. And that times are changing. Many of her old friends are gone, the village has grown with the addition of a new Development, and family-owned shops are being replaced by supermarkets. Miss Marple’s personal struggles receive almost equal weight to the murder mystery, adding a personal touch that is sometimes missing in other books, when her musings about the old days are treated a bit more like a joke. Indeed, I would say that Miss Marple’s aging gives the story more interest than the murder mystery, which lacks enough clues to make it truly engaging.

Miss Marple has always been a grand protagonist because she challenges stereotypes about the elderly. Ageism is rampant in many societies–despite the fact that everyone faces the possibility of growing old one day–and Christie’s Miss Marple books have always subtly challenged it by presenting readers with an old woman who whose wits are sharper than anyone else’s around her. But The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side is not subtle. In this story, Miss Marple is even older than previously–the book is full of wistful mentions of her former cases, her former friends. And she is, while not bedridden, practically forbidden to leave her house, and at the mercy of a caregiver who treats her like she no longer has the ability to think clearly or make decisions for herself. The worst of it is that, the more she is treated with contempt, the more Miss Marple seems to start to wonder if perhaps she is not a bit too old, if perhaps she ought to give in. Readers, of course, know that Miss Marple can still vie intellectually with the best of them. But Miss Marple, as an old woman, is not allowed to speak for herself; there is no one to listen. The others always know better.

All of this gives The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side a bit of a melancholy air, as if Miss Marple is ready to say goodbye not only to solving mysteries but also to life. I admit I was more concerned about her emotional wellbeing than I was about the mystery, which lacked enough clues to make it really intriguing. The police turn up plenty of possible suspects, but I knew who the culprit was from the first. I just could not figure out the motive–and I do not know that there were really enough clues that I could have figured it out. Readers need Miss Marple to explain it all at the end. But my favorite mysteries do not rely on the detectives pulling out some obscure knowledge at the end, to cause wonder and surprise.

Still, I think The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side will be one of my favorite Miss Marple stories for the sensitivity and empathy with which it depicts aging. Christie, at the time of publication, would have been 72, and perhaps feeling herself the doubts of those around her. How long could she keep going? Would her writing still be up to par? Not often do the concerns of the aging get so much attention in literature. It is refreshing to see Christie remind readers that Miss Marple, even if seemingly funny with her old-fashioned ways, is still human and still worthy of respect.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

Information

Goodreads: All Creatures Great and Small
Series: All Creatures Great and Small #1
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1972

Summary

Fresh out of college, James Herriot arrives in Yorkshire, England to act as assistant to the local veterinarian.  He quickly finds practicing medicine vastly different from what he had expected.  The job requires him to labor at all hours of the night and day, often in bad weather, and healing animals proves difficult, dirty, and sometimes dangerous.  Even so, Herriot grows to love the countryside, its inhabitants, and his work. In All Creatures Great and Small, he gives vignettes of life as a country vet, chronicling his defeats, his triumphs, and his never-ending wonder at the miracle of life.

Review

After enjoying the first two seasons of PBS’ TV series All Creatures Great and Small, I knew I had to return to James Herriot’s original book–which I had first read over ten years ago! Herriot brings such warmth and humor to his memories of vet practice in the 1930s, that even the difficulties of his profession seem minor when compared to the joy it brings both him and the people (and animals) he helps. Reading his stories feels like tucking into bed with a warm cup of cocoa on a fall evening–cozy, comforting, and altogether perfect!

Part of the delight of the stories stems from how the past and the present intertwine. Herriot gives many fascinating glimpses into a way of life that was fading even at the time of his writing–farms were changing, veterinary medicine was making advances that would make his old medicines and techniques seem charmingly quaint. But much of what Herriot experienced still feels relevant today–the eccentricities of a boss who would give conflicting instructions and make his employee out to be wrong either way, the struggle for a young professional (and outsider) to find acceptance in the community, the chance at finding love. Times may have changed, but Herriot’s struggles and triumphs are still relatable.

And he relates all of it with a gentle humor that shows just how much he loved his life, the Dales, and the people he met. Even when he has stories of dishonest, rude, and overbearing customers, Herriot always makes himself the target of the joke, the hapless young vet at the mercy of the public. He relates his stories with such fondness, it seems impossible for readers not to fall in love with the Dales and its way of life, too.

Fortunately, this is only one book of many stories that Herriot write based on his life as a country vet. So readers who enjoy this volume have many more heartwarming stories to look forward to!

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Information

Goodreads: Death on the Nile
Series: Hercule Poirot #16
Age Category: Adult
Source: Library
Published: 1937

Summary

Famed detective Hercule Poiret is approached by the young and beautiful socialite Linnet Doyle while on vacation in Aswan.  She wishes Poirot to stop her old friend Jacqueline de Bellefort from following her and her new husband Simon–previously Jacqueline’s fiance.  Poirot decides he can do nothing to stop Miss de Bellefort from appearing in the same public places as Linnet.  But then Linnet dies.

Review

Death on the Nile is one of of Agatha Christie’s finest works, a masterpiece of characterization as well as a truly clever mystery.  Fans of the genre will delight in the plot’s intricacies and red herrings, its myriad of suspects and potential solutions.  Even though I had already seen the movie directed by Kenneth Branagh before reading the book, Christie’s incisive prose and compelling narration kept me engrossed to the very end.  A must read for every Christie fan!

Much of the fun of this book comes from the glamor and the atmosphere.  The setting seems practically dripping in diamonds, and I am not one to turn down a mystery set among the scandalously wealthy.  There is just something especially compelling about secrets kept by the upper classes, try as they might to maintain that they are superior to the rest of humankind.  And there is something especially poignant, of course, about a young life cut suddenly short–a life that seemed to everything before it.  Branagh’s luscious setting and slick production features are really the perfect fit for this story, if you are interested in watching the film (which does differ slightly from its source material).

The setting is spellbinding, but the characters are gripping, too.  Christie is a master at describing human nature, and she spares no one from her perceptive wit.  I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous and wealthy heiress, Linnet Doyle, but was eventually  absorbed by all the supporting cast, from the overbearing and haughty invalid woman to her downtrodden niece to the grumpy doctor.  Most of the people on board the ship have a secret, and it is always great fun disentangling them all when the investigation begins.  Who is guilty and who is guilty of…something else?

Altogether, I was delighted by this offering from Christie.  The prose, the characterization, the setting, and the puzzle all combine to make a thrilling mystery.  I have not read many Poirot stories, but this one assuredly has made me keen to read the rest!