All About Agatha Christie
All About Agatha (Christie)
All About Agatha is a podcast all about, well, Agatha. Agatha Christie, of course: the Queen of Crime, a real-life Dame of the British Empire, and author of sixty-six mystery novels that spanned the Twentieth Century, defining a genre. For five years, Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan revisited these novels in publication order, ranking them according to pre-set criteria (plot, character, etc.). Tragically, Catherine Brobeck passed away at the end of 2021. Since then, Kemper has completed the podcast's ranking project, and now contents himself with celebrating the greatness of Christie by attempting to solve the ultimate mystery where she is concerned. Why Christie--and Christie alone--endures as powerfully as she does.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 19, 2017 • 26min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Lost Mine by Agatha Christie
There are so many things lost in this story: a mine; the papers pinpointing the location of said mine; the narrative facade whereby Hastings is supposedly the one telling us this story (more on this last point in our next episode).... But one thing we were sure *not* to lose was context, because boy is it necessary while wading through the colonialist Orientalism on display here.... So pull on your gaiters and wade with us. Along the way we get to hear Poirot call Hastings a "grumpus," so all is not lost.
May 12, 2017 • 9min
*Special Announcement* in re Agatha Christie: A Reappraisal (a.k.a. We're Going to Cambridge!)
We are heading to the University of Cambridge in June to present a paper on Agatha Christie! We wanted to share this news with you because 1) we are so excited; and 2) we encourage you to join us there if you can! (Check out http://www.agathachristieconference.com for more details.) Our regularly scheduled programming will resume next week....
May 5, 2017 • 55min
And Then There Were 56: The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
Well, this turned out to be rather a delightful read, despite a surprising number of unpleasant characters of the male persuasion. Perhaps that is the ultimate revenge of our plucky heroine, Emily Trefusis (not to mention Dame Agatha herself), in this, our very first standalone novel. So make yourself a hot cocoa (sans strychnine, please) and come enjoy with us the wintry wonders of Devon....
Apr 29, 2017 • 28min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Veiled Lady by Agatha Christie
Irish brides, Chinese boxes, Dutch murders... this mini-thriller masquerading as a Poirot short story has it all! Except for clues. But what it is lacking in clues it makes up for in FUN, particularly in the Suchet adaptation.... Woe to those who find themselves in a cell block next to "Mad Dog" Poirot. It's only a matter of time before he figures out how to make a shiv out of that mustache comb.
Apr 22, 2017 • 29min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Case of the Missing Will by Agatha Christie
It isn't often we're more critical than adoring of *both* a Christie story and its adaptation, but that seems to be the case here. I guess you could say where there's a missing will, there's a missing way. (Oof; just because you *could* say that doesn't mean you should....)We actually had a lot of fun exploring our different issues with each medium here. So put on your best suffragette-white outfit and come spend a spell with "new woman" Violet Marsh.
Apr 11, 2017 • 58min
And Then There Were 57: The Murder at the Vicarage (I.e. Our First Miss Marple!) by Agatha Christie
Introducing… Miss Jane Marple! We could not be more thrilled to have reached, at long last, Dame Agatha’s most celebrated amateur detective. Join us as we endeavor to untangle not just the rather traditional puzzle mystery we find in this novel, but the character of Miss Marple herself. Is she a cynical yet well-meaning old lady with a knack for problem solving, or is there something more devious, even sinister about her powers of observation and inference? Come take a listen before you too fall victim to “sleepy sickness” and turn into a completely different person. (No, seriously: that is a thing in this book. It’s very weird. And not at all a spoiler because it has nothing to do with... anything.)
Mar 30, 2017 • 30min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman by Agatha Christie
This one is a comely little Christie puzzle that is definitely not going to win any awards for ingenuity, but it's pleasant enough to read. And to discuss. Warning: you might not want to sit down to this one with a cup of coffee. Or a rice soufflé. Or any food, really.... (That's not a spoiler: when Hercule Poirot stares at the remains of a meal for as long as he does at the beginning of this story, you know the meal has to be significant.)
Mar 22, 2017 • 25min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim by Agatha Christie
This week's pleasing Poirot puzzle is noteworthy for a few reasons: 1) it features Agatha Christie's recitation of the different ways a person might disappear, written five years *before* her own disappearance; 2) the Suchet adaptation features a bit of delightful wordplay involving a parrot; and 3) that same parrot leads to perhaps the greatest Hastings putdown ever recorded. Poor, poor Hastings....
Mar 17, 2017 • 47min
And Then There Were 58: The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
Join us as we frantically dig our way out of the grand old estate of Chimneys (last visited in The Secret of), like cartoon convicts shoveling our way to freedom.... This is the last of the early Christie thrillers, and if you haven't had your fill of secret societies, happily-ever-afters, or clock masks, you're in luck. There are actually some bright spots here; this may be Christie's most Wodehouse-ian novel yet.
Mar 8, 2017 • 34min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Kidnapped Prime Minister by Agatha Christie
This one gets pretty political! (Because if there's one thing we're missing these days, it's politics....) However, it's at least OLD politics (also known as history), taken from four discrete periods: 1918(ish), 1923, 1936, and 1990. Join us as we two Americans attempt to speak somewhat intelligently about what's been happening across the pond all these years.... Also, this may in fact be our most Irish episode; even Liam Neeson makes a guest appearance!
