The fear and pain in death, or rather the selfish desire to live, occupy the pages of “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. Christie’s mortifying plot leaves readers in a state of intense distress and dismay.
Ten strangers are summoned to an island belonging to their host, who nobody has seen or met before. The strangers all have one thing in common—murder. All have committed murder at some point in their lives. The strangers, however, are too late to pick up on what they share, for each criminal suffers a death similar to the murder he or she committed. Only ten people inhabit the island, and the killer happens to be one of them.
Christie’s brilliance is clearly reflected in how she is able to unravel the plot with tempo. She keeps readers in a state of excitement and curiosity through the entire duration of the novel. Nevertheless, Christie makes sure to keep readers thinking and guessing by limiting what she reveals in writing. It is astounding how efficiently the author behind the character is able to plan and carry out the murders without the slightest waver of sympathy and mercy. This story is blunt and runs straight for the denouement without breaks.
Not much light is shed on each individual character, for Christie’s characters always remain pragmatic and blunt. Once the inner-thoughts and feelings of a character are revealed, readers recognize universal human traits in the individual and begin to sympathize with the character. This, however, is not the reaction Christie is going for. Her character development is lacking so she can surprise readers with an unexpected ending. Excluding the thoughts of a character makes it harder for an audience to predict what is to come.
Agatha Christie, nevertheless, does acknowledge that all humans are capable of making mistakes and veering off the right path. The characters in her novel make mistakes in their lives that they refuse to admit. This brings things into the hands of justice, which reveals and convicts the guilty. Christie’s most important message, above all, is justice. Her passion to strive for what is right and fair is what has led to success in her mysteries and thrillers.
Christie once said, “Too much mercy often resulted in further crimes that were fatal to innocent victims who need not be victims if justice had been put first and mercy second.”
Hi Aileen,
This is a good review of an Agatha Christie book. I liked how you not only gave a summary of the book, but also included a direct quote by her to add to the story. Personally, I enjoyed reading this book and agree that there is much suspence. A direct quote from students or any of your friends who read the book will persuade the readers more to read the novel.