tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post6893563903061989072..comments2024-03-24T11:34:36.903-07:00Comments on Bitter Tea and Mystery: Mrs. McGinty's Dead: Agatha ChristieTracyKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-51659612763593166412021-06-05T13:33:42.348-07:002021-06-05T13:33:42.348-07:00I found this one very enjoyable to read, Nancy. An...I found this one very enjoyable to read, Nancy. And I see from your most recent post that you liked it too. So it was a good first Agatha Christie for you to try.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-91782708505913185272021-06-05T01:54:29.464-07:002021-06-05T01:54:29.464-07:00The sun rises here at 0522 am…wide awake so I star...The sun rises here at 0522 am…wide awake so I started Mrs. Mcginty’s Dead.<br />I love it so far. I’ll read your review and all the comments when I finish the book!NancyElinhttps://nancyelin.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-9628124931306324272021-03-07T10:14:30.706-08:002021-03-07T10:14:30.706-08:00I agree, Peggy. Even when a book is not her best w...I agree, Peggy. Even when a book is not her best work, I always find something to like. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-23434647680182369922021-03-07T06:54:28.151-08:002021-03-07T06:54:28.151-08:00Never disappointed with a Christie! Great review, ...Never disappointed with a Christie! Great review, Tracy!Peggy Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00426356514707257708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-82258976190929732452021-03-05T21:05:50.169-08:002021-03-05T21:05:50.169-08:00Yes, Rachel, David Suchet is brilliant. We have wa...Yes, Rachel, David Suchet is brilliant. We have watched nearly all of the episodes, and have enjoyed them all. <br /><br />I don't do audio books, but I can see that the Agatha Christie books would work well in that medium. So maybe someday.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-24516125517114750372021-03-05T12:23:06.292-08:002021-03-05T12:23:06.292-08:00I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie! I've re...I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie! I've read most of her books, but years ago. I've been re-reading a few lately by audio and having so much fun. Poirot with his quirks always makes me smile. David Suchet is brilliant, right? Rachel @Waves of Fictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008473307411943476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-72112571643585049412021-02-23T13:35:10.694-08:002021-02-23T13:35:10.694-08:00I have been reading lots of Hercule Poirot mysteri...I have been reading lots of Hercule Poirot mysteries lately, Lark, about two or three a month. All of them have been good and fun, relaxing reads, some more than others. This one has lots of good points.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-59896357495300425072021-02-23T13:16:47.828-08:002021-02-23T13:16:47.828-08:00I love Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries. Th...I love Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries. This isn't one I've read yet, but I'm moving it higher up my TBR list. :D Lark https://www.blogger.com/profile/13777891312147377769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-48941734092565656172021-02-21T09:50:55.740-08:002021-02-21T09:50:55.740-08:00No, no need to add this one to your TBR pile. I am...No, no need to add this one to your TBR pile. I am not sure if there is a perfect Agatha Christie for you to read.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-69816213127119946162021-02-21T09:49:38.150-08:002021-02-21T09:49:38.150-08:00Dfordoom, I agree with all you say. Even though Po...Dfordoom, I agree with all you say. Even though Poirot is very self confident, he is not obnoxious about it. And he chastises himself when he (rarely) makes a mistake. <br /><br />We watched Murder on the Orient Express with Albert Finney last night for the fourth time, and I was watching Finney's portrayal of Poirot especially. He mainly only had the hair, mustache and clothing quirks and seemed more loud and brusque than Poirot was in the books. (We have watched a lot of Suchet's Poirot lately.) I may reread that book soon.<br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-10053981524615907482021-02-21T09:39:14.003-08:002021-02-21T09:39:14.003-08:00Constance, I haven't read They Came to Baghdad...Constance, I haven't read They Came to Baghdad, but I did like The Man in the Brown Suit. I liked that it had Colonel Race is in it, and the different structure. <br /><br />I used to prefer Miss Marple, but the more I read Poirot the better I like him. Tommy and Tuppence were a favorite when I was younger, but when I reread the first one, I did not like it so much the second time.<br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-51851495030948658572021-02-21T04:03:30.211-08:002021-02-21T04:03:30.211-08:00You haven't tempted me to add to my pile of un...You haven't tempted me to add to my pile of unread Christie's which is a good thing.col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-17917194475231207032021-02-20T19:07:54.613-08:002021-02-20T19:07:54.613-08:00I love Poirot's quirks. What I love most about...I love Poirot's quirks. What I love most about them is that Christie extracts humour from those quirks but without making Poirot seem ridiculous. We never forget that Poirot is a very formidable man and a very decent man.<br /><br />She doesn't make the mistake that so many later crime writers made of making her protagonist horribly flawed and contemptible. Poirot's quirks are not flaws. They're features, not bugs.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-51736791417235556572021-02-20T17:31:54.699-08:002021-02-20T17:31:54.699-08:00Nan, I checked out your post. You read some intere...Nan, I checked out your post. You read some interesting books that month. I especially liked your comments on the book by Rex Stout, Three Witnesses. I have been thinking about going back and rereading some of his novellas.<br /><br />I would not put this book in my list of top Christies, or even top Hercule Poirot books, but I am having lots of fun reading Hercule Poirot books now and it had a lot of the good points I look for. <br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-62071631547883250942021-02-20T16:08:04.769-08:002021-02-20T16:08:04.769-08:00I like the standalone books the best, especially T...I like the standalone books the best, especially They Came to Baghdad and The Man in the Brown Suit, but I do like Tommy and Tuppence and Miss Marple. Poirot is somewhere below although I do enjoy the books he is in and, as others have mentioned, Ariadne Oliver is a good character. Angela Thirkell also has a recurring character who is a writer, a sort of alter ego.CLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03595294217111602231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-66086335314405456832021-02-20T15:53:24.389-08:002021-02-20T15:53:24.389-08:00Margot, I wish I could remember which Christie boo...Margot, I wish I could remember which Christie book I read first. I do plan to do a list of my favorite Poirot novels when I have read them all (or most of them), and this probably won't be near the top, but it has many good characteristics and I would happily read it again someday. <br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-8018145589356849652021-02-20T15:23:17.684-08:002021-02-20T15:23:17.684-08:00Lex, Poirot is a wonderful character, Lex, and Dav...Lex, Poirot is a wonderful character, Lex, and David Suchet was perfect in the role. It amazes me that his performance was so consistent throughout the series. I have watched all the episodes (we have about 6 more to watch) but I have watched at least one from every season.<br /><br />I do love the part where he always has to explain that he is Belgian, not French.<br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-48781299651187077542021-02-20T14:23:21.621-08:002021-02-20T14:23:21.621-08:00Cath, I did not notice the humor so much when I wa...Cath, I did not notice the humor so much when I was first reading Christie's books. Now I look forward to the books for the humor.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-14856772631243797582021-02-20T14:20:18.581-08:002021-02-20T14:20:18.581-08:00Fiction Fan, When I first started reading Christie...Fiction Fan, When I first started reading Christie's books again after a long hiatus I was impressed by her skill at plotting, but it has been only recently that I have fully appreciated the humor in her books. I look forward to reading more books with Ariadne Oliver.<br />TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-91218202980505736542021-02-20T09:02:29.224-08:002021-02-20T09:02:29.224-08:00I was quite sure I had read this so looked it up o...I was quite sure I had read this so looked it up on the blog, and it was almost 10 years ago! I wasn't quite as appreciative as you. If you want to read it, you have to go through a few other little write-ups of other books. https://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/not-weekend-cooking-but-weekend-booking.html<br />I love Poirot's eccentricities. I like people with strong passions about such things as meal times! <br />Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15547916206007733970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-61516418665951275302021-02-20T08:51:04.850-08:002021-02-20T08:51:04.850-08:00I have a special connection with this book, Tracy,...I have a special connection with this book, Tracy, since it was my first Agatha Christie. I've always really liked it, even though not everyone says it's her best. I'm glad you enjoyed it, too. Margot Kinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08599589137890528065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-74616133666903478622021-02-20T03:51:46.482-08:002021-02-20T03:51:46.482-08:00Haha, I read that first part about food and quite ...Haha, I read that first part about food and quite forgot that Poirot wasn't French! Really, I keep imagining Suchet whenever I come across the last mention of Christie, and it just adds to the whole humor. Thanks for sharing the excerpts<br />~ Lex (lexlingua.co)Lex @ Lexlinguahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02251881629769380423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-82860232157643713562021-02-20T02:07:48.694-08:002021-02-20T02:07:48.694-08:00The humour is my favourite thing about Poirot, Chr...The humour is my favourite thing about Poirot, Christie really didn't get enough credit for this in my opinion. Loved reading the exerpts so thanks for including those. Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-22146995869902724572021-02-20T00:54:08.103-08:002021-02-20T00:54:08.103-08:00I love Ariadne Oliver - I always wish she'd ap...I love Ariadne Oliver - I always wish she'd appeared more often. I love the way Christie uses her to make fun of her own mystery writing problems, and that comes over really well in this one with all the theatre stuff. Maureen Summerhayes is a great character too. For me it's the humour that lifts Christie above the pack - no matter how dark the plot may be, she never forgets that mostly we read crime fiction to be entertained. I wish some of the gruesome, gory, harrowing contemporary crime writers would remember that occasionally...FictionFanhttp://www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-42982794556870566572021-02-19T16:37:44.716-08:002021-02-19T16:37:44.716-08:00Rick, In general I agree with you on continuation ...Rick, In general I agree with you on continuation books. I cannot really think of any that come close to the originals. I did like the first 7 books that Robert Goldsborough wrote continuing the Nero Wolfe series, in the 1980's and 90's, but not so much the more recent ones. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.com