So sorry I did not send reminders about this weekend‘s discussion—you can tell when life is busy when you don‘t even have time to get on Litsy!
I have 5 questions posted as spoilers for our discussion of Seven Dials. You can find these on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 .
Next month we revisit Tommy and Tuppence in a collection of stories! More info tomorrow!
janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, Sparklemn, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, BookNook, AnishaInkspill, ChaptersofChaos5. As this is a sequel of sort to Chimneys, we revisit with Bundle and Superintendent Battle and other characters from Chimneys. We'll see Battle again as we continue our Christie journey, but the other characters do not come back. Why do you think Christie ended their story?
Are there any comments you wish to share about the characters? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
4. Definite spoiler ahead to those who have not finished...
One other major concern from reviewers was the reveal at the end. A few called the ending absurd. Others felt the ending did not fit with the story: says one reviewer, “There is no particular reason why the masked man should be the particular person he turns out to be.“
What did you think of the ending? Was this a believable conclusion? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
3. Christie herself liked this novel and found it very easy to write, as she did not need to deeply plan out the mystery. She called this novel a “light-hearted thriller type.“ Do you agree with Christie's assessment of the novel?
One modern-day reviewer noted that they could tell Christie did not really plan out anything in the novel, as the plot was “immensely tedious.“ What do you think? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
2. Let's dive into what her contemporary readers thought, which was not positive. Reviewers indicated a dislike for returning back to “Gothic romances“ and not the more deductive art of her mysteries (Poirot!) and “far below her standard“ writing.
We've compared Seven Dials to Chimneys, but let's take a broader comparison to her other mysteries we've read so far. Do you agree with the reviewers' assessments? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
1. Christie returns to the characters from The Secret of Chimneys in this novel. What did you think of the book overall? How does it compare to Chimneys?
We'll get to reception of the novel next! #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
Reading New Moon with a book club on discord, listening to All the Other Mothers Hate Me on my own, and just started The Seven Dials Mystery for discussion with #ChristiesCapers on 10/26. #weekendreads
so-soI'm starting to think that writers of fiction are even more prescient than I realized. This isn't a great Christie novel. It's her attempt at dystopian fiction, and it's disjointed, melodramatic, and weird, but there are some really interesting observations and commentary. It's got a bit of overlap with themes from A Clockwork Orange and Brave New World, but she never leans into those in a compelling way. Still, it's an interesting departure.
"...once people learn to love destruction for its own sake, evil leadership gets its chance."
Christie goes in a weird direction with this later in the book, but there are some very current-sounding pieces, especially as spoken by Great-Aunt Matilda.
She also says, "one can't help coming to the conclusion that politicians have a feeling that they have a kind of divine right to tell lies in a good cause."
pick
