Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

This thread is open to discuss Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie.



Synopsis
Hercule Poirot is determined to solve an old husband and wife double murder that is still an open verdict! Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top. Here, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies -- a husband and wife -- shot dead. But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves back into the past and discovers that 'old sin can leave long shadows'

      ~ Buddy Style Reads ~
    Three Ways to Enjoy a Book!

At NRBC we use three styles of buddy reads. These will be indicated in the thread title as “Buddy Read”, “Relaxed Buddy Read” or “Informal Buddy Read”.

A “Buddy Read” has a discussion leader and a reading date is set to start the book. A reading schedule is posted prior to the start date and discussion questions are posted each day regarding that section of the book. More information about these types of reads is below. An example is here, showing a reading schedule here.

A “Relaxed Buddy Read” is similar to our usual “buddy reads” except there are less questions and break points. For example, a book may be split into three sections and those reading the book should pause at the end of the section to answer some discussion questions, make comments, or ask their own questions to other readers. An example is here.

An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book. An example is here.

A “Read and Watch Buddy Read” may be set up as any of the above, but we will also watch the movie or T.V. series - or even go to a play! - and make comparisons, discussing what has been left out or changed as well as the actors and actresses. There is a long debate of what one should do first: read the books or watch the movie? We usually read first, but it isn’t essential. Also, if you would like to join in, but don’t want to watch the movie, show, or play, but only read the books, that is fine, too. An example is here.


MORE UNDER SPOILER
(view spoiler)[

“Buddy Reads” (“BRs”) include:

• A reading schedule which can range from 50, 75, to 100 or so pages a day.

• Discussion questions posted daily by moderators and occasionally group members
   who help one of us out. If you want to be a Discussion Leader, let us know.

• If the book is really long, we'll plan a break day.

• Members do NOT have to answer every question, they are meant to stimulate
   conversations about the books AND allow us to glance back upon them when the
   sequels come out. This helps us to remember what exactly happened in the previous
   book.

• We find the buddy style of reading to be more fun than just posting one or two
   sentences about a book. We feel this is what distinguishes us as being a ‘book club’
   rather than just another GoodReads ‘group.’

• If you can NOT start the book on time, feel free to join in at a later date. They are
   set up to make it easy to do so.

• Moderators are people too, so occasionally we get sick, have to work late at our real
   jobs, or have something that keeps us from writing the questions. Please forgive us;
   we're only human and we don't get any compensation for what we do--not even
   free books!

• Discussions and questions are set up to make you think, analyze, and see things you,
   or even we, may have missed. Feel free to add your own thoughts at any time, if you
   think we've missed something.

• If you've read the book, feel free to let us know what you thought about the book.
   You can do so at the end of the buddy read, or, if you can't wait, add spoiler tags
   before you comment like:

   **************BEWARE! SPOILER FOR THE END OF THE BOOK**************

   Or insert a (view spoiler)[spoiler (hide spoiler)]. If you do NOT know how to do so, just check out our
   GoodReads 101 explanation on how to Insert a Spoiler.

• If you are looking for a reading buddy, post an inquiry in our Buddy read requests thread. Use that thread, if you want to have a repeat read of a BOM
    or buddy read, too.

• Have fun! We always do when more than one person joins in. And we look less silly
   if someone else discusses a book with us. (hide spoiler)]

res

ME! Love Agatha Christie. In for Team Draco.

Me too Michelle! Let's hope a lot of others join this BR.

I'll join you from team Minerva McGonagall

Yay! Thank you Mods!

I love Agatha - so looking forward to this read!

Love this author, and I think this book will work for one of the classes; however, I have to read for clarity before I decide definitively. Anyway, I'm in for Team Hermione Granger!

I can't walk by a Christie read. I'm in!

I'm in! (Team Tonks)

And have just started watching the show Poirot.

Hi Karishma! Poirot is my favorite from the Christie books. I just love him.

Michelle wrote: "Hi Karishma! Poirot is my favorite from the Christie books. I just love him."

Yes he definitely is !

Have you seen this series or And then there were none?

I haven't watched them yet, but I love the books! I should give them a try.

And then there were none is just 3 episodes and it is beyond brilliant.

David Suchet will always be Poirot to me
And I love that he narrates some of the audiobooks too :)

I'm really liking David Suchet as Poirot.

I'm only on the 9th episode now.

I really didn't like the guy who played Poirot in the new movie.

Agatha Christie! I'm in for Team Cedric Diggory.

David Suchet just is Poirot. It was a little weird seeing Kenneth Branagh play the character...

I haven’t seen the new movie and that is one of the things that puts me off.
Like I know that Suchet can’t be Poirot forever but he really has epitomised him for so long now that change is hard to take 😉

The David Suchet version of Murder on the Orient Express is wonderful. I loved the latest movie too but Suchet is Poirot. I think it was also more accurate to the book.

I am excited to read another Agatha Christie mystery!

Me too. Somehow I've never read this one.

It is always so enjoyable to read Agatha Christie! I enjoyed this one less than most of her books that I have read. Too much was too predictable. One of the great treats of reading Christie is her sleight of hand writing...she gets you looking one way and tricks you as she distracts you. This was not so much the case this time. I had most of it pretty much figured out fairly early on. I don't think it is because I am "on to" her tricks. She was just not as subtle on this one. I did enjoy Ariadne Oliver.

Has anyone started yet?

I will start today evening.

Starting tomorrow. Finishing up a different BR tonight.

I still have a few buddy reads to get through so hopefully I can start on Sunday! We shall see

I have 90 minutes left of an audio book for another buddy read and then I will start this one. Probably tonight or tomorrow morning.

I've just started. So glad Ariadne Oliver is in this story. She is just fab

I love her brand of craziness!

I started this morning. I recently watched the BBC version with David Suchet as Poirot. I had it in my head that this was set much earlier because I think that's what they did with the show. But then she said 1971 in the book.

Seems like the British upper crust like to make god-parents for their children out of people they don't know very well.

I've started, read chapter 1 so far. This is a reread for me, but I remember nothing about it except that it was the first time I guessed an AC plot correctly (after reading nearly all of her books, so it wasn't really an achievement).

I couldn't help but smile to myself at the opinions expressed by Ariadne Oliver so far - as she is a little bit autobiographical for Agatha Christie.

Wikipedia says this (beware possible spoilers for other AC books if you click the link):

"Further functions of Mrs Oliver are to enable Christie to discuss overtly the techniques of detective fiction, to contrast the more fanciful apparatus employed by mystery authors with the apparent realism of her own plots, and to satirize Christie's own experiences and instincts as a writer. Mrs Oliver therefore serves a range of literary purposes for Christie."

Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: "I started this morning. I recently watched the BBC version with David Suchet as Poirot. I had it in my head that this was set much earlier because I think that's what they did with the show. But then she said 1971 in the book. "

I think with the TV show they deliberately set them all in the 20s/30s, regardless of when the books were actually set. Usually the books are set in the time period that they were written, so the later ones are set in the 60s or 70s.

Sarah wrote: "she is a little bit autobiographical for Agatha Christie...."

I think that is quite cool. Maybe it is why I like her character so much!

Chapter 14

So I just finished this chapter and there is so much going on. I keep wondering if (view spoiler)[ Desmond and Celia are actually brother and sister. Just all the talk of children dying, and identical twins and how the families were so close growing up that my mind is wandering... And I am ALWAYS wrong with these books. LOL (hide spoiler)]

Just loving Ariadne and I find it interesting that in such a short time period (not even 50 years) society has changed. Even the fact that Mrs Burton-Cox wants Celia's parentage determined before Desmond marries her. I guess it is one of the reasons why I enjoy these books - they are like small time capsules

Sarah wrote: "I've started, read chapter 1 so far. This is a reread for me, but I remember nothing about it except that it was the first time I guessed an AC plot correctly (after reading nearly all of her books..."

Thanks for sharing that! It is a very interesting insight into Agatha Christie's writing. What a brilliant woman!

Karen, I was wondering the same thing.

I watched the TV version of this recently and the whole wig and twins thing makes me think I know what happened. But I'm trying to remember the episode. Plus I don't know what they changed from the book. The show seemed pretty faithful to them for the most part or so it seemed to me.

I will probably finish today. One thing I always loved about Christie is that she didn't need a lot of words to tell a great story.

Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: "Karen, I was wondering the same thing.

I watched the TV version of this recently and the whole wig and twins thing makes me think I know what happened. But I'm trying to remember the episode. Plu..."

Yes, I was wondering about the wigs too. I probably have seen the TV show at some point, but I don't remember it

The End

This was a nice quick one. As usual, there are loads of clues and potential plot lines, and although I mostly got there, I still didn't quite solve everything

(view spoiler)[ I had worked out the reason for the wigs, but I didn't work out Mrs Burton-Cox's motivation. As usual, it comes down to money!! (hide spoiler)]

Karen, I was in the same position about Mrs Burton-Cox's motive. Part of me wondered: (view spoiler)[If her son was the child that the twin killed or maybe Desmond was that child, who didn't die after all. Or something-maybe he was an unknown illegitimate son of one of the twins or the Colonel (hide spoiler)]

I finished last night. Another satisfying Agatha Christie.

Chapters 1-5

Ariadne Oliver: I guess I haven’t read enough of Agatha Christie’s books to know this character. But so far I really like her.

The mystery she is investigating is (view spoiler)[ odd to me that a stranger of all things would ask her about, especially since she asked her to ask Celia! How rude! If it were a generic question about crime in general I could see it since Ariadne is an author but that lady overstepped her bounds. (hide spoiler)]

Mrs. Burton-Cox (view spoiler)[ seems like a snob! She’s invasive asking about the murder/suicide. Is she just trying to protect Desmond? (hide spoiler)]

Celia (view spoiler)[ I would think being 14-ish when both her parents died would definitely want to know what happened. It seems wrong that it would have been murder or suicide since they were so happy, unless an unknown surfaces. (hide spoiler)]

Finally got my book from the library so I'll start reading this soon. I love Dame Agatha!

Vicki wrote: "Chapters 1-5

Ariadne Oliver: I guess I haven’t read enough of Agatha Christie’s books to know this character. But so far I really like her.

The mystery she is investigating is [spoilers removed]..."

Ariadne is quite fun :)
And yes, the mystery is a bit odd. But I guess it also shows societal change over the period since this was written (view spoiler)[ as I can’t imagine these days many mothers wanting to check the “breeding” of your potential spouse 😂) (hide spoiler)]

Karen, we’re on a road trip so I’m on my phone & can’t see your spoilers until later tonight.

Desmond (view spoiler)[I’m glad I finally met him! Lol I was wondering. And the plot thickens. So he was adopted. I got the feeling that he felt like his mother was trying to actually replace her son she lost. That’s bad. (hide spoiler)]

Zélie & Maddy (view spoiler)[ I hope these two can shed some light on what happened to the Ravenscrofts. If so, I wonder why they never spoke up. (hide spoiler)]

Celia (view spoiler)[ It must be scary wondering if a mental disorder has been passed down to you but I think Desmond’s mom is more worried about it. I have a bad feeling about her but can’t quite put my finger on it. (hide spoiler)]

I love Ariadne and wonder why she didn't get her own series.

I finally started this one tonight. I've had many buddy reads to get through. I'm up to chapter three and I like it so far. The plot has gotton underway quickly and I'm intrigued. I also admire Agatha Christie's ability to write so many books and keep them interesting and well written.

I read Sad Cyprus when I was in year 10 - 8 years ago and really enjoyed it! I loved Poirot.

Mrs. Oliver - I think she's great. I like seeing how her mind works when she was talking to Poirot

I think this will be a quick read for me

Finished

Molly & Dolly (view spoiler)[I'm glad that Molly continued to love Dolly in spite of her mental illness. I hate that Molly died at Dolly's hands but I love that she loved her enough to want to protect her. I feel bad for Molly's husband losing his wife like that and I understand how he didn't want to live. (hide spoiler)]

Team Gilderoy Lockhart

This was too quick and intriguing to stop in between and write posts here. Well, that's honestly Dame Christie, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Having said that, and having read a bunch of her books, I have to painfully admit that this was certainly not her best work, but it wasn't even closer to her better works. The plot was too thin and unfolded exactly as predicted. Especially in her Hercule Poirot mysteries, there seems to be a lot more active voice, as opposed to this book. (I sort of associate passive crime more with Miss Marple than Hercule Poirot.) Ms. Christie is the smartest mystery author I know off, and when I managed to understand her line of thought and solve the crime before she/her characters did, I actually felt bad.

To that point though, I constantly felt that I've read so many books (or watched a bunch of movies) with plot lines similar to this revolving around twins, only to realize that this must have been the beginning of it all. Published in 1972, I'm pretty sure this was the benchmark for a lot of those stories. Don't you think so?

Anyway, I did like the fact that throughout the entire novel, Ariadne could have very easily come off as nosy, prying, and possibly irritating as a character; but Ms. Christie deftly manages to keep her antics engaging without making them overtly curious. This was not my favourite Poirot performance though. This was literally the last case her ever handled (though not the last released Poirot book), so maybe I was expecting more of him and more of his cleverness. It just seems like he got the simple end of the deal here.

All in all, I was slightly disappointed, but Dame Christie bad is so much better than many people's good, so I'm still glad that I read it.