Sep 15, 2011 10:33 AM
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So many reviews of so many books of Agatha Christie here on MS finally succeeded in alluring me to pick one of her book and that turned out to be “Death in the Air”(DITA) as I wanted to start with lesser known work. Now, when you start reading a book from an author such as Agatha Christie, expectations are very high and one is bound to be lot more critical (that’s the price a writer has to pay for being famous and renowned). So, did DITA provide me with enthralling tale and hair raising experience? Well, the answer is both YES and NO. Read the review for the answer of the most important word coming to your mind now: WHY?
ABOUT THE STORY: In an airliner called ‘Prometheus’, from Le Bourget (France) to Croydon (England) an unusual event occurs while flying over the English Channel. A woman named Madame Giselle is murdered coldly with the venom dipped dart of a South African blow-pipe. The event was unusual considering that that none of 12 passengers in the rear car, where the murder happens, noticed anything unusual that could provide some clue towards the murder. In addition, there're 2 stewards and they also are clueless about it. And the most unusual thing about the whole affair is that the master detective Hercule Poirot was sitting just 15 feet away from the victim.
Such are the circumstances within which begins one of the mystery tale of Agatha Christie’s (AC) : ‘Death in the Air’. After the murder, starts the investigation with joint effort of English and French police. Discovery of the blowpipe under the seat of Poirot raises early suspicion towards him, which inspector Japp of English police immediately discards for having known Poirot for so long. And this suspicion adds further to motivate Poirot to resolve the case and find the killer.
Madame Giselle turns out to be money lender who loaned money to rich people keeping their secret information as security. So the killer could be someone who might have borrowed some money from her. Now leaving, Poirot, there were 12 more persons on plane, including 2 stewards, who could have killed Giselle. With suspects from quite a varying professions and classes like : Famous French archeologist Duponts, father and son, English dentist Norman Gale; A Business Jesse Ryder, A Novelist Clancy; Lady Horbury or Veneta Kerr famous and rich ladies; Jane Grey the Beautician; Dr Bryant, a famous doctor.
Now, two things that were essential for anyone from the above list to have committed the murder. First is the motive (Why the murder is committed, whom it might benefit) and second is the chance (who could have the possibility of commiting it, considering their seat and movement in the plane). It turns out to be quite a difficult affair to solve for Poirot, but he succeeds (which of course he had to) though with lots of assumptions. And who turns out to be the killer and how he/she commited it? What’s the motive?,that’s for you to find in the book.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Within first 10 pages itself the whole affair, of committing the murder and discovery of it, is over and what follows in rest of the 240 pages is resolving the case and finding out clues to reveal the killer. The pointer of suspicion moves from one person to another with no significant evidences or hints and its only after 200 or so pages that reader is provided with some idea about who might be the killer. And since there are too many assumptions with which Poirot resolves the case it turns out to be quite an unfair business for the reader, as AC doesn’t provides much hints the whole way through. You feel Dejected, with thoughts like : How'd I've guessed that ? That's never been pointed out anywhere?
‘Is that so? How could I miss it? Why I didn’t think that way’ none of these emotions arose in me as I finished the book. What I had is, only the satisfaction of having my first take on AC’s work. I liked her style of writing and way she unveils everything in the end is quite commendable, I loved reading DITA from the writing perspective. So, I guess I have started, this business from the bottom and only thing that could happen now is moving up :)
With all said and done - leaving apart the mystery factor and cheating the reader to some extent - its a good book to read, and the intial interest raised by the first chapter is enough in itself to keep the reader glued till the last page. I only wish that the whole book was as interesting as the first chapter!
FINAL WORDS : DITA has a brilliant start and to some extent a satisfying climax, the problem lies in between, which forms 150 odd pages. It moves slowly in those pages, with lots of irrelevant things happening only to mislead the reader. I won’t say its exceptional story, but it’s good to read for once. And I do recommend it, heartly.
P.S. : Today - 15th September 2011 - marks the 121st Birth Anniversary of Agatha Christie. This review is my tribute to the Queen of Mystery on her special day.
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Take Care and Keep Writing
Vikky Gural
PYAR HUMEIN PHIR MILAAEGA...
