In this virtual movie the crime writer Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976) discusses her two best loved detective characters Miss Maple & Hercule Poirot. The sound recording comes from recently discovered audio tapes she dictated whilst writing her biography in the mid 1960's.
Agatha Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920 and introduced the long-running character detective Hercule Poirot, who appeared in 33 of Christie's novels and 54 short stories.. Her other well known character, Miss Marple, was introduced in The Tuesday Night Club in 1927 (short story), and was based on women like Christie's grandmother and her "cronies".
Recordings made almost half a century ago have offered a rare insight into one of the most mysterious of mystery writers.
Agatha Christie, who was born in 1890, dictated the tapes on a Grundig Memorette machine in the mid-1960s to help write her autobiography. They lay unnoticed in Christies Devon home until her grandson Matthew Prichard stumbled upon the 27 half-hour tapes in a cardboard box.
The autobiography was published posthumously in 1977 but the recordings of Christies distinctive voice reveal greater detail of her literary life than the book divulged.
Christie admitted that she had never planned for Miss Marple to become one of her great characters.
I have now no recollection at all of writing Murder in the Vicarage, she said. I dont even remember why it was that I selected a new character, Miss Marple, to act as a sleuth in the case. Certainly, at the time I had no intension of continuing her for the rest of my natural life.
I didn’t know then that she would become a rival to Hercule Poirot. People never stop writing me nowadays to suggest that Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot should meet but why should they meet? I’m sure they would not like meeting at all.
Hercule Poirot, a complete egoist, would not like being taught his business or having suggestions made to him by an elderly spinster lady.
Only one or two recordings of her voice were previously known to exist, including a 1955 interview for the BBC and a 1974 recording for the Imperial War Museum sound archive in which she recounts her experiences in World War I.
The tapes, however, give no insight into one of the most intriguing parts of her life. In 1926 she disappeared, disguising herself as Mrs. Neele, the name of her husband’s mistress, and spending 12 days in Yorkshire while police hunted for her fearing the worst.
While the media embarked on their own nationwide search Christie was secretly performing with a dance band in her Harrogate hotel.
There are some insights into her family life in the tapes and she explains that Miss Maple shared many characteristics with her own grandmother.
Christie said of her grandmother: "Although a completely cheerful person, she always expected the worst of anyone and everything. And with almost frightening accuracy [she was] usually proved right."
Her grandmother would say "I shouldn't be surprised if so-and-so was going on," Christie said. "And although with no grounds for these assertions, that was exactly what was going on."
Christie wrote 80 detective novels mostly featuring Poirot or Marple and it has been suggested that only the Bible and Shakespeare’s canon have outsold an estimated 4 billion copies of her books.
Her play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest opening run in the world; it began at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on 25 November 1952 and after 23,000 performances is still on in the West End.
Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, England. She was an English crime writer of novels, short stories and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but is best remembered for her 80 detective novels and her successful West End theatre plays. Her works, particularly featuring detectives Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple, have given her the title the 'Queen of Crime' and made her one of the most important and innovative writers in the development of the genre. (Jim Clark)
Agatha Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920 and introduced the long-running character detective Hercule Poirot, who appeared in 33 of Christie's novels and 54 short stories.. Her other well known character, Miss Marple, was introduced in The Tuesday Night Club in 1927 (short story), and was based on women like Christie's grandmother and her "cronies".
Recordings made almost half a century ago have offered a rare insight into one of the most mysterious of mystery writers.
Agatha Christie, who was born in 1890, dictated the tapes on a Grundig Memorette machine in the mid-1960s to help write her autobiography. They lay unnoticed in Christies Devon home until her grandson Matthew Prichard stumbled upon the 27 half-hour tapes in a cardboard box.
The autobiography was published posthumously in 1977 but the recordings of Christies distinctive voice reveal greater detail of her literary life than the book divulged.
Christie admitted that she had never planned for Miss Marple to become one of her great characters.
I have now no recollection at all of writing Murder in the Vicarage, she said. I dont even remember why it was that I selected a new character, Miss Marple, to act as a sleuth in the case. Certainly, at the time I had no intension of continuing her for the rest of my natural life.
I didn’t know then that she would become a rival to Hercule Poirot. People never stop writing me nowadays to suggest that Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot should meet but why should they meet? I’m sure they would not like meeting at all.
Hercule Poirot, a complete egoist, would not like being taught his business or having suggestions made to him by an elderly spinster lady.
Only one or two recordings of her voice were previously known to exist, including a 1955 interview for the BBC and a 1974 recording for the Imperial War Museum sound archive in which she recounts her experiences in World War I.
The tapes, however, give no insight into one of the most intriguing parts of her life. In 1926 she disappeared, disguising herself as Mrs. Neele, the name of her husband’s mistress, and spending 12 days in Yorkshire while police hunted for her fearing the worst.
While the media embarked on their own nationwide search Christie was secretly performing with a dance band in her Harrogate hotel.
There are some insights into her family life in the tapes and she explains that Miss Maple shared many characteristics with her own grandmother.
Christie said of her grandmother: "Although a completely cheerful person, she always expected the worst of anyone and everything. And with almost frightening accuracy [she was] usually proved right."
Her grandmother would say "I shouldn't be surprised if so-and-so was going on," Christie said. "And although with no grounds for these assertions, that was exactly what was going on."
Christie wrote 80 detective novels mostly featuring Poirot or Marple and it has been suggested that only the Bible and Shakespeare’s canon have outsold an estimated 4 billion copies of her books.
Her play The Mousetrap holds the record for the longest opening run in the world; it began at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on 25 November 1952 and after 23,000 performances is still on in the West End.
Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon, England. She was an English crime writer of novels, short stories and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but is best remembered for her 80 detective novels and her successful West End theatre plays. Her works, particularly featuring detectives Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple, have given her the title the 'Queen of Crime' and made her one of the most important and innovative writers in the development of the genre. (Jim Clark)
