Agatha Christie: An English Mystery

by Laura Thompson | Biographies & Memoirs | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 9780755314881 Global Overview for this book
Registered by BuilderBill of West Molesey, Surrey United Kingdom on 8/24/2009
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7 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by BuilderBill from West Molesey, Surrey United Kingdom on Monday, August 24, 2009
My mum got this for me to put in my NSS package for my partner - but this isn't the book about Agatha Christie from your wishlist - whoops! Hope you haven't already read this one and enjoy reading it.

Journal Entry 2 by Heaven-Ali from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thanks so much for a fabulous parcel containing so much stuff that I really like and will use - including this and another wishlist book, chocolate, a pen set, notebook, and positits.

Journal Entry 3 by Heaven-Ali from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, November 8, 2009
This is quite a big book, and so has kept me going all week. I am reading slowly at the moment I think too. But it has been a joyous companion to my first week back at work after that lovely break I had in the Lakes. I do love AC and this is a fascinating, and very readable book about all areas of her life. Laura Thompson does come down strongly on the side of Agatha, and although she does make references to the various criticisms and less favourable biographies of her life, she manages to quickly sweep their opinions to one side. I have no problem with that - not all opinions can or even should be balanced all the time, it's ok to have an opinion, and Laura Thompson, is quite obviously a Christie fan, and a knowlegable one at that. In this biography Laura Thompson brings the whole of the Edwardian period to life, the time when Agatha was a young carefree girl in Torquay. She also shows a vast and affectionate knowledge of AC's work, and the things she has to say about Agatha's more autobiographical novels under the name Mary Westmacott has made me want to read them. There are many spoilers to the detective novels in this book, but I suppose with them all now jubbled in my head I won't remember them and most of them were for books I had already read anyway. . I did enjoy Laura Thompson's often detailed exammination of Agatha Christie's books, and how they sometimes reflected parts of Agatha's own life. In a way the most fascinating, and the strangest part of the book, was the lengthy section dealing with that now infamous 11 day disappearance in 1926. Agatha Christie remained pretty tight lipped about this, and I believe (Although I have not yet read it) doesn't mention it in her own autobiography. Therefore Laura Thompson had to reley on pure conjecture. This section of the book, is quite novel like, although Laura Thompson does give us alternative theories to what happened. However I do really think, that, that is the one mystery Agatha Christie left us which cannot now be solved.


Bookring starting soon
katweeble - Uk (anywhere)
Hayes13 - Italy (anywhere)
darkpunkangel - canada (anywhere)
Bookworm-lady - spain (Eur)
lucy-lemon - UK (UK)
mafarrimond - Wales UK (UK)

Journal Entry 4 by Heaven-Ali at by hand, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, November 28, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (11/28/2009 UTC) at by hand, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Passing to katweeble at the Birmingham meet up.

Journal Entry 5 by Katweeble from Towcester, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thanks for this Ali, I am really looking forward to reading it

Journal Entry 6 by Katweeble from Towcester, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Monday, December 21, 2009
I found this an interesting read as it is the first biography of Agatha Christie that I have read. The way the author dealt with the mystery of her disappearance was a bit long winded, but the whole treatment was very sympathetic.PM ing Hayes 13 for her address.

Journal Entry 7 by Katweeble from Towcester, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Posting to Hayes 13 today

Journal Entry 8 by Hayes13 from Roma, Lazio Italy on Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Arrived this morning. Bigger than I thought it would be. Will get to it as quickly as I can.

Thanks for sharing this! It looks really interesting.

Journal Entry 9 by Hayes13 at Montréal, Québec Canada on Monday, January 25, 2010

Released 14 yrs ago (1/26/2010 UTC) at Montréal, Québec Canada

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Off to the next reader...

Hope you enjoy it!

Dental problems got in the way... will take to the post office tomorrow (Feb 2). Sorry for the delay.

Journal Entry 10 by darkpunkangel from Barrie, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Arrived today! Thanks Hayes13 for the postcard and passing this on. I think I can get to it fairly soon.

Journal Entry 11 by darkpunkangel from Barrie, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 8, 2010
Read this while I was in Germany and I really enjoy reading this. It was an interesting read.


Journal Entry 12 by darkpunkangel at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 8, 2010

Released 14 yrs ago (3/8/2010 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Sent today to the next person on the list. Thanks for setting up this ring, Heaven-Ali!

Journal Entry 13 by wingBookworm-ladywing from Madrid, Madrid Spain on Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thanks for sharing this one, Heaven-Ali, and thanks for sending it on, Darkpunkangel!
I am looking forward to reading this one; always a big fan of Ms Christie's!
Eva

Journal Entry 14 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Monday, June 4, 2012
No luck with LucyLemon; I will try and contact Mafarrimond next.
Sorry for stalling; this book will be soon on its way.

Journal Entry 15 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Currently reading it, and I've got Mafarrimond''s address.
I am enjoying it so far, I like the way in which the writer uses quotes from Ms Christie's novels to ilustrate what she is narrating.
Soon on its way back to U.K.

Journal Entry 16 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Released 11 yrs ago (1/2/2013 UTC) at Madrid, Madrid Spain

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A great biography, I really enjoyed reading it, and learned a lot about a writer I have always admired.
Lots of quotes to illustrate points in her life; all characters come to life, including her two husbands (apparently her relationship with Mr Mallowan was not as idyllic as we thought), and her daughter Rosalyn.
A hard worker who had to fight tax collectors all her life... it makes you feel identified!
I feel like re-reading all her novels, and have started by "Unfinished Portrait", written as Mary Westmacott, and considered to be quite autobiographical.
Thanks for sharing! :)


Sent today to Mafarrimond, last in bookray.
Sorry that I kept you waiting!

Journal Entry 17 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, June 15, 2013
I am a long time fan of Agatha's. I found the book really interesting and loved the accompanying exerpts from her books. There was a television documentry on recently which featured the book - presented by David Suchet (poiret). Brilliant book! Thanks for sharing it.

Released 10 yrs ago (7/1/2013 UTC) at Flintshire area Ambulance centre in Dobshill, Wales United Kingdom

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