![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6VpJpQJqtA0u_kwahFQ-6krPhlhLfDf3idRrUXj5ZGcrSMkEhPBCrg-0yoabcHVeoQPit_6stAlPO9U5o7kRElyIfxVSc_ls94M6wZMGMWf7daX2VwJ6b_8wmGVZEnPoWubeMRqVVAPH/s320/And_Then_There_Were_None_US_First_Edition_Cover_1940.jpeg)
Ten characters stuck in a mansion on a remote island. One by one, they are killed off in accordance with the verses in a poem about “Ten Little Indians” (the book’s original American title), while trying to uncover the killer among them. Christie gives us a structure that sets a fairly predictable course for the action, yet uses this countdown like the ticking of a bomb to build suspense to a delirious heightened pitch. The clever methods of applying the poem’s gristly ends upon the victims – a tiny poisoned shot standing in for a bee sting, for instance – highlight her creativity. Though Christie’s reputation can tend seem a little stuffy and antique at times, the book is lively, dark fun.
The novel has found a niche as a blueprint for the trapped-in-a-mansion mystery. Its influence is visible in successors like Something’s Afoot, Clue, or – my favorite – this episode of Mathnet:
2 comments :
I saw this play when I was 11 and our whole class was positively blown away!
I'm curious to read Gretchen McNeill's Ten, a retelling of this. I am not sure anyone could retell Christie effectively!
Post a Comment