Murder on the Orient Express

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Murder on the Orient Express
Agatha Christie
1934

The Summary
Hercule Poirot, a mild-mannered Belgian man who moonlights as a detective, has solved yet another mystery and boarded the Orient Express.  With every intention of returning home for a well-deserved rest, Poirot settles into his cabin for a peaceful train ride.

But not all is safe and secure aboard the Orient Express.  During the night, the train stalls in a snow drift - and one of the passengers is discovered dead, mysteriously murdered in his locked compartment.

And time is running out, because, as Poirot has realized, the murderer is still among them.

The Good
As usual, Agatha Christie provides an incredible amount of detail in her novel.  She painstakingly chronicles Poirot's investigation and details every clue, every suspicious gesture, every bit of evidence her delightfully eccentric detective uncovers.  The reader has intimate insight into everything happening aboard the Orient Express, save Poirot's own private thoughts, of course.

More importantly, however, Christie lives up to her nickname as "the Queen of Mystery."  She crafts an incredible mystery and takes time to shape each twist in the plot with the greatest delicacy and care.  She will leave you guessing every step of the way - and she will thrill you with the great reveal.

Believe me, by the end of her story, your jaw will be on the floor.

The Bad
By the same token, the intricacy of Christie's novel results in a very slow plot development.  While you will love Poirot for his deliberate, methodical investigation, all the evidence he collects has no explanation.  You'll be left wondering how a pipe cleaner and a handkerchief fit into the equation - and Poirot certainly isn't telling.

He won't show his hand, until the very end.

So buckle up, because it's going to be a long ride.

The Ugly
Murder is always an unsavory business; however, Murder on the Orient Express will leave you wondering who exactly is the murderer, and who is the real victim?

The Princess Bride

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The Princess Bride
William Goldman
1973

The Summary
A tale of true love and high adventure (graciously edited by William Goldman), in which the daring young Westley strives to reclaim his beloved Buttercup from the vile clutches of Prince Humperdinck.

The Good
As Morgenstern promises, The Princess Bride is a tale of true love and high adventure like no other - that is to say, it's like nothing I've ever seen.

Goldman's work is primarily tongue in cheek and satire.  It's amusing and spastic with its humorous interjections and author anecdotes.  In particular, the parenthetical asides made by both the author and Morgenstern convey a liberal amount of sarcasm and wit that's humorous and enjoyable (when you have the patience for it, I might add).

The Bad
This novel, no doubt, appeals only to a certain type of audience with a specific kind of humor.

For instance, some interjections, while funny, are seemingly unnecessary.  I can appreciate Goldman's curious sort of humor by inserting his own "anecdotes" and offering information on the critiques he made of Morgenstern's work, his interjections can become tedious after a while.

And, all in all, The Princess Bride is completely ridiculous.  If you're looking for something silly and softly incriminating of fantasy literature, Goldman's novel may be just the thing for you.

If not, I don't recommend it.

The Ugly
Buttercup is a bit of a dullard - and somewhat annoying.  She embraces the damsel in distress stereotype and appears as more of a spoiled brat, or a nuisance, than an important character.  I suppose this choice was intentionally made by the author to mock the stereotypes of fantasy literature, but I find many other characters far more likable.

Take Wesley, for instance.  He is rather amazing and Buttercup...well, she's Buttercup and not quite so exceptional as her beau. Inigo Montoya or Fezzik, likewise, exhibit exceptional characteristics, which make them enjoyable, despite their flaws (the Spaniard is a drunkard, and the giant is timid as a mouse on certain occasions).

But Buttercup? Well, I'm still wondering what Westley sees in her.

Oh, and fair warning about the conclusion of Goldman's novel:  you may find his wit and interjections increasingly frustrating by the final pages.

I don't like reality intruding upon my fantasy, just saying.

This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn

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This is All:  The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn
Aidan Chambers
2006

The Summary
Written for her unborn child, This is All chronicles a short span of years in the life of Cordelia Kenn.  In compiling her journal entries and memories and seemingly random anecdotes, Cordelia shares a good portion of her life from adolescence to adulthood and offers a peek into mind of one daring, dynamic, and devilishly clever young woman as she learns to grow, to love, and to change.

The Good
Aidan Chambers creates a magnificently complex character in Cordelia Kenn.  She is deep, she is thoughtful, she is candid - and she is as real as any individual you may meet.

More than any mere diary, Cordelia's pillow book offers a glimpse into every facet of and thought in her mind.  It chronicles her memories, her experiences, her expressions and feelings on every conceivable topic from love to music, from literature to school, from poetry to trees, and everything which may come in between adolescence and adulthood.

You will love every part of her - the good and the bad - because everything she knows and everything she feels will, in some part, mirror you.

The Bad
Chambers' work is indeed immense. Comprised of five specific parts, or "books" as Cordelia appropriately names them, this novel holds all the stories of one life and it is a life rich with emotion, recollection, and experience. Cordelia bares all and tells all, which means This is All takes on some very grand proportions.

More importantly, in relating everything (and I do mean everything) about her life, Cordelia can strike upon some rather awkward subjects - that is, the subjects she broaches may leave the reader feeling awkward for peeking into her life. As I said, she shares everything, including her attempt to lose her virginity to William Blacklin, her first and truest love.

It makes you feel like a bit of a voyeur, if we're being honest.

The Ugly
Perhaps the worst part of This is All is the very end. Not to spoil anything, but, when everything is said and done and you reach the final book of Cordelia's story, I can almost guarantee you will hate to see her go.

And Then There Were None

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And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie
1939

The Summary
Ten seemingly unrelated individuals have been summoned to Indian Island, a private island off the coast of Devon, by a mysterious benefactor; however, when the group arrives at their destination they find themselves alone and entirely secluded from the rest of civilization.

And then the murders begin.

One among them is not who they seem.

The Good
Agatha Christie will keep you on the edge of your seat. When the murders begin, you will be guessing time and again with the remaining victims about who has committed such atrocities.

It will certainly keep you on your toes - which is obviously a good thing for a murder-mystery novel.

Additionally, Christie remains remarkably inventive with her story. The entire sequence of murders actually follows the course of an old nursery rhyme. Each individual on the island will face the fate of one of the poem's unfortunate characters. So, if you're looking for macabre sort of story, Christie won't disappoint.

But that, of course, leaves one question: who is the ever elusive and mysterious benefactor, U. N. Owen?

Well, the answer just might (and probably will) surprise you.

The Bad
Although Christie has a skill for weaving murder-mystery novels like no other author, And Then There Were None seemingly drags through the first few chapters.  Between providing the initial introductions and setting up the events on Indian Island, the opening chapters can become a real bore.

It isn't until the first murder occurs that the story really picks up the pace.

The Ugly
Well, murder obviously.

Christie sets the stage for unusual and inventive murders, not least among them through suffocation, poison, and crushing. It's amazing how one poem - an old nursery rhyme, in fact - can lead to such a macabre resolution.