Litsy

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Repost for @Mitch

#goldenagecrimeclub discussion is up and open to everyone who has read the tagged book. To join in the discussion head over to @mitch there are 5 discussion posts to participate in.

LitsyEvents #buddyread 1d

31 likes1 comment

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Thanks to all the #goldenagecrimeclub who‘ve started some fabulous conversations around the tagged book. Conversations will continue into the week so jump in whenever you‘d like. Come share you Christie stories, marvel at Miss Marple‘s feminist tendencies and remind yourself how fun Christie can be!

Julsmarshall Love the artwork! 2d

75 likes1 comment

erzascarletbookgasm

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

pick

“There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.”

A nice revisit to the first Miss Marple novel. There are a few too many sub plots, but the mystery is solid with plenty of red herrings. Not my favourite Miss Marple but I did enjoy the narrative.
#goldenagecrimeclub

Pic: Some interesting old covers I found.

Mitch

jlhammar Love seeing all those old covers! 2d

batsy Love those covers! 2d

Cuilin Those cover are great!! 2d

Ruthiella Love the creativity of all the covers! 2d

59 likes4 comments

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

And finally……. Final thoughts, anything we‘ve missed talking about??

#goldenagecrimeclub

LitsyEvents

AmyG I lived in a small(ish) town in NJ where everyone knew everyne else‘s business. So I oddly got a kick out of this town. Ifound parts to be so funny. And I was oddly fascinated by Griselda (what a Disney princess name!) and the Vicar….their marriage. When she said she knew Lawrence before she was married - ha, all I could think was it‘s Griselda???? NO. 🤣 2d

AmyG And thank you for doing this club. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book and look forward to reading Sayers. 2d

Mitch I hear you @AmyG now that I‘m living in a small village in the English countryside - I see Agatha Christie plots and characters at every turn! 2d

See All 18 Comments

Mitch @AmyG my very humble pleasure. The Sayers has some difficult bits - but super interesting! 2d

AmyG I read a few Sayers books as a teen, too. I loved mysteries and horror the most back then. 2d

Aimeesue Since I originally read the Miss Marple way back in the day before internets, I'd never seen a map of St. Mary Mead before. I was happy to find one because it was a BIG help in picturing what happened. 2d

batsy I liked that the vicar's own marriage seem to come under the microscope. The part where he questions himself in relation to Griselda knowing Lawrence before was very understated, but that fact sort lurked in the background and cast a shadow for a bit. But it was a well deserved happy ending for him! 2d

Mitch @Aimeesue what did you think of the maps in the story!? 2d

Mitch @batsy it was dark wasn‘t it …. I wonder how much of Agatha‘s own marriage ( that broke down after her husband had an affair with a younger woman) informed some of this …. 2d

Aimeesue @Mitch I listened to the audiobook, which was not a big help in that respect. 😉 2d

jlhammar I'm with @AmyG - I also found this to be so funny and delightful. Marple had some great lines. Vicar had some great thoughts, as well. And yes, the vicar and “I do hate old women“ Griselda made such an odd and interesting pair. This club was a great idea @Mitch - thanks so much for hosting. Look forward to our Sayers group read next month and to continuing on with Miss Marple! 2d

quietjenn I too always forget just how funny Christie can be. Beyond the things that have already mentioned, I appreciated her poking fun at the literati, via nephew Raymond. Looking forward to the Sayers and the other books we end up reading. Thanks for getting us going and hosting! 2d

Ruthiella Thanks so much for hosting. I‘ve loved revisiting this book. Despite the murder aspect, I find reading Christie to be very comforting. While reading, I was thinking about how some criticize her for writing stick characters with no depth, but at least in this one, I felt the characterization was very well done. 2d

Mitch @Ruthiella I agree. The characters are better formed than I remember and thanks for joining in - it‘s stretching my reading in new directions! 2d

Mitch @quietjenn she is funny ! I don‘t think as a teenager I got that! 2d

SamAnne It had so much more depth than I was expecting. Both funny and dark. A somewhat unexpected delight. 2d

Chrissyreadit I am so glad this was a pick- I enjoyed it more than I expected- I did not realize how funny Christie is. 2d

Aimeesue @batsy I liked that part too. It added some depth. And suspicion, of course ✉️🔍👀 2d

43 likes18 comments

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

What did you think of the ending - was it satisfying? Don‘t forgot to use the “spoiler” function if you need to!

#goldenagecrimeclub

LitsyEvents

IndoorDame It was satisfying for me because it was a possibility that occurred to me right at the beginning, but since I didn‘t figure out the how it was still as much of a surprise as anyone else would have been. 2d

Cuilin Very satisfying. I suspected everyone and dismissed them all too. 2d

AmyG I thought the ending made so much sense. Many times it‘s the most obvious person(s). 2d

See All 12 Comments

Aimeesue Very satisfying solution. So clever. You do want to cross suspects off the list once you've dealt with them and concluded they couldn't have done it - unless they've worked together! 2d

batsy Satisfying! Especially since I've read it before and forgotten 😂 2d

jlhammar I agree, I thought the ending really worked. And if not for Miss Jane Marple, none would have been the wiser! 2d

quietjenn Very satisfying. Another thing I like about Christie is she's never afraid to make the culprit a character that you like. And often the victim is someone you don't, so that's satisfying in a different way. (edited) 2d

Ruthiella Very satisfying! I remembered who done it but still was impressed with how Christie plotted it out and distracted the reader. 2d

Chrissyreadit I was very satisfied with the ending. And glad that Lettice was going to be with her mom. I did not really have sympathy for the victim or the killers, and felt everything tied up nicely. Except I hope Mary can get some more skills. 2d

Aimeesue @Chrissyreadit Griselda needs to get Mary a cookbook. 😂 2d

Chrissyreadit @Aimeesue 😆 2d

TheAromaofBooks @quietjenn - I was actually thinking the same thing - in many ways, we're led to to make the murderers very sympathetic characters. I think showing the plausibility/justification for why a murder was committed is an important part of her writing - in the eyes of the murderer, this is the ONLY way forward, and the readers have to feel that. 1d

43 likes12 comments

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was quite critical of her first Miss Marple book - “It has I think far too many characters and sub plots”
What did you think of all her Red Herrings?

#goldenagecrimeclub

LitsyEvents

Mitch I liked all the characters - and believed that every one of them, including the vicar, could have done it! Picking a victim who is universally disliked in a small community gives a good suspect pool! 2d

IndoorDame I also believed anyone could have done it, and I think it was more fun that way! 2d

Cuilin I was listening on Audible and it was harder to keep track of all the characters but it made village life seem fuller with all the side stories. 2d

See All 15 Comments

Mitch @IndoorDame agreed - it definitely kept me guessing right up to the end. For me - finding out who did it at the end wasn‘t where the enjoyment lay surprisingly - I was more interested in how Miss Marple was going to lay it out! 2d

Mitch @Cuilin There was a lot going on! 2d

AmyG I thought there were too many “old” ladies. I get them a bit confused. But I loved them all and their gossipy, entitled, nosy selves. I think at one point I suspected everyone except Miss Marple! @Mitch Ha, yes about the universally disliked character. (edited) 2d

Aimeesue I always think, with books like this where there are so many possible culprits, that it must be like that for police/detectives when a crime occurs. The possible suspects are. . . almost everybody. I did like the ending though, that the suspects who'd been suspected and cleared were actually the culprits. Bravo, Agatha Christie! 2d

batsy I liked it and found it like how it must mirror real life in a social setting. The village is a closed community so to speak, but with a lot of seething resentment and envy that don't quite get expressed. This felt a bit psychological, in a way, particularly because we get that perspective from the vicar. 2d

jlhammar I suppose there was a lot going on in terms of characters and subplots, but I didn't mind. @Cuilin I agree that it helped to paint a more vivid picture of village life. I'll be interested to see how this compares to future books in the series. I'm hoping to read The Body in the Library next month. 2d

Cuilin @Aimeesue I liked that too. Very clever. 2d

quietjenn I didn't mind so much either, although I did once or twice thing one of those “Cast of Characters“ list might be nice. 🙂 And I thought the red herrings were deployed pretty effectively - including one that I totally fell for. 2d

Ruthiella I didn‘t think it was too crowded, though I also typically read Christie uncritically. As others have stated, this does give the reader a good feel for village life and all its layers. I think Griselda shows up in a later book and I love that continuity in series. 2d

Mitch @Ruthiella wow- does she! I‘m going to read all the Miss Marple books in order this year - can‘t wait to meet back up with Griselda🤣 2d

Chrissyreadit @quietjenn I agree about cast of characters- I wish I had kept one in fact. 2d

Chrissyreadit I enjoyed the characters- and the copy of the book I have has illustrations- although I finished it via a digital library copy so now I‘m going to look and see what pictures I missed. I did not mind the sub plots either. It did feel more 3 dimensional to me. 2d

41 likes15 comments

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Miss Marples power lies in the stereotypes assigned to her. One character describes Miss Marple as “a white haired old lady with gentle appeal”.. what do you think of her and other characters assessment of her?
#goldenagecrimeclub

LitsyEvents

Mitch I love her! I love that she‘s fully in charge of that domestic space and uses that knowledge, human understanding and access in positive ways. She‘s quiet, but assured - something I aspire too! 2d

Mitch I was reading recently that Miss Marple uses her age and gender as a form of disguise. I like that was of thinking about how she works - although of course saddened that it is the case. 2d

IndoorDame I like that she‘s smart enough to work with what‘s available to her. And from watching the characters around her it seems to cut both ways. Half of them dismiss her and her position is a disguise, but some see her for who she is and defer to her, and she needs those people too to be effective. 2d

See All 19 Comments

Cuilin The older I get the more of a hero Miss Marple becomes. I love that she uses her age, sex and society‘s attitudes to them as tools rather than surrendering or fighting against them. 2d

Mitch @IndoorDame she‘s definitely got ‘status‘ in the village doesn‘t she! 2d

Mitch @Cuilin she oozes wisdom and confidence doesn‘t she that comes with age. 2d

Cuilin @Mitch Absolutely. It‘s inspiring. I like that the Vicar is aware and says not to dismiss her. 2d

AmyG Marple‘s power is that she is dismissed by others. Nobody pays too much attention to her which allows her to watch even more closely. Her mind! She IS so wise and quietly confident…and quite funny. She is fully aware 24/7. How can one not love her??. 2d

Mitch @AmyG she‘s alway ‘on‘ isn‘t she! You can practically here the cogs of her brain whirring! Agatha Christie had just turned 40 when she wrote this book - I wonder how that effected her vision ? 2d

Aimeesue @Cuilin Exactly! If people are going to stereotype you, you might as well use it to your advantage! And at the same time, while she uses age + class + gender, she doesn't fall into the trap of making assumptions about other people due to those things. 2d

jlhammar I thought this was such a clever way for Christie to introduce us to Marple. I liked the vicar as narrator and we really get a feel for how the village views her. Quite feminist (can't believe this was published close to 100 years ago!) to have all the characters who dislike, underestimate and stereotype Marple proven foolish (especially Inspector Slack). I love Marple and look forward to continuing with the series. 2d

batsy I like that she seems self-aware, and the vicar picks up on it too. There is a comment where he likes her better after she gently mocks herself because of her nosiness. It's interesting that it comes up a lot that people are dismissive of an "old cat"; the latent sexism and ageism at work. 2d

batsy @jlhammar It struck me as quite feminist during this reread, as well! 2d

quietjenn She's the bees knees! Really agree with what other people have said. Her power also lies in being a student of human nature and constantly on watch. I love how she makes her points by bringing up stories of seemingly completely trivial and unrelated stories of people, which bewilder people because they aren't smart enough to make the connections that she is. And yes, she is totally feminist and aware of her own foibles. 2d

Ruthiella Underestimating Miss Marple is a running theme in all the books that feature her. I loved it when the vicar said to Insp. Slack “Miss Marple is usually right. That‘s what makes her unpopular.” 😂 2d

Mitch @quietjenn I‘d forgotten her stories! It reminds me a bit of Columbo - when he mentions ‘just one more thing‘ as he goes to leave! 2d

Mitch @Ruthiella fab quote! I need that on a T! 2d

Chrissyreadit @Ruthiella I love that quote too! 2d

Chrissyreadit I was not sure what to think at first- I thought she would feature more in the book- and it turns out she does feature predominantly in the story- and I love how technically she was there all along. 2d

34 likes19 comments

Mitch

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Before we dig into some themes- initial impressions? Likes? Dislikes? Relationship with the book? Christie?

#goldenagecrimeclub

LitsyEvents

Mitch One of my book goals this year is to read the Miss Marple books in order. Some I‘ve read in my teens, some I‘ve seen on TV and some I‘ve never read - like this one! I enjoyed it! I was expecting Miss Marple to be centre stage though. 2d

Mitch I read lots of Christie as a teenager and I think I rather dismissed her - shockingly! But reading this now I can appreciate more of her politics, her subtlety and her writing. Glad to be revisiting 2d

IndoorDame This was my first read of this one too and I was also surprised to find she wasn‘t center stage. 2d

See All 29 Comments

Mitch @IndoorDame half way through I actually had the check online it was the first Marple - I was worried I‘d set us off on the wrong book! 2d

IndoorDame @Mitch 😂😂😂 2d

Cuilin I was surprised that Miss Marple didn‘t feature more though I did like the narrator. 2d

Mitch @Cuilin I liked him too! Although he also appeared high up in my list of likely suspects! 2d

Cuilin @Mitch and his wife, and his maid 😂 2d

AmyG I, too, read many Christie books in my teens. I found this to be so comforting. It brought me back to the days of reading in my childhood bedroom. I forgot, too, how little Miss Marple shows up in the story but manages to tie up the case with a lovely bow. Christie was my favorite mystery writer until I read Ruth Rendell. (edited) 2d

Mitch @AmyG I love how certain books / authors can instantly transport us to a time and place. Christie‘s does that for me too! 2d

Aimeesue I don't remember whether I'd read this one before or not, but there was definitely a different tone to the later Marple books- she definitely is more centered as the series goes on. Len and his asides about Mary were hilarious 😂 2d

erzascarletbookgasm I read lots of Christie books too when I was younger, and I must confess, I was more impressed and amused by the Belgian detective. Now on rereading some of them, I find there‘s more to Miss Marple than her eavesdropping and nosy interference. 2d

jlhammar This was actually my first time reading a Christie novel! My intro to Christie was watching the Poirot (David Suchet) and Marple (Joan Hickson) adaptations years ago. Loved them both. Shortly after I read and enjoyed a collection of Miss Marple stories. Then last year read Lucy Worsley's Christie biography (fabulous) and ended the year with Christie's Midwinter Murder story collection which I really enjoyed. I already ordered the second Marple! 2d

Mitch @Aimeesue agreed! They had some great one liners! 2d

Mitch @erzascarletbookgasm I think I‘ve changed sides too! I always thought Poirot had more fun and got to travel - but I‘m loving the complexity of the confines of the village (edited) 2d

Mitch @jlhammar 0-100 in a short space of time! The Lucy Worsley book was brilliant wasnt it - really helped me understand the spans of Christie‘s fiction and appreciate the decades in which is is situated. I think I‘d not really appreciated that before 2d

batsy I've read it before, but this time I paid attention to how Miss Marple is introduced. There's not much of her in this first one but she packs a punch. I sort of like how she was kind of discreetly in the background because the vicar always had her words in mind! This didn't use to be one of my favourites in the past, but I really enjoyed it this time around. The dislikes: the usual class snobbery re: domestic help with books in this era. 2d

Mitch @batsy I like her in the wings as well. She‘s not much on the page - but still a huge character in the book. 2d

quietjenn I went on a major Christie binge about 16 years ago, reading everything I could get my hands on, including this. I like that our introduction to Miss Marple is so subtle - at first she just one gossipy spinster amongst many and there's no indication that she will become as iconic as she eventually does. Having read and watched many more mysteries since that first read, I was way more aware of how formative this was, this time around. (edited) 2d

SamAnne I hadnt read Christie in years. This was great. I associate reading Marple mysteries with my mother. When we visited England when I was 13 (my Dad was stationed there in the AF for a few years and I was born there—my parents loved England!) We consumed Marple and Poirot mysteries on the trains! So wonderful to read the first one! Will have to read more. 2d

Ruthiella And Then There Were None was one of the first adult books I read at age 12. Now four plus decades later I‘m still a huge Christie fan. I‘d read this title a couple of times before. I definitely enjoyed the humor, which I‘d forgotten. 2d

Mitch @SamAnne I hope the reading experience took you back to those train journeys! 2d

Mitch @quietjenn subtle is a good word for it… for most of the novel any one of those women could step to the fore! 2d

Mitch @Ruthiella what keeps you coming back for more? 2d

Ruthiella @Mitch I love mysteries and I do think that Christie‘s title as the Queen of Crime is well deserved. In fairly short books she gives atmosphere, character and typically an ingenious plot. Plus the books are now also time capsules, which I love. 2d

Chrissyreadit I loved this- I had forgotten I read And Then There We‘re None years ago with my kids (we all enjoyed it) but I did not LOVE it- this was both charming and engaging, likable and unlikable characters and I really enjoyed The Vicar and Griselda so much. Do the other books take place in the same village? 2d

Ruthiella @Chrissyreadit A few further books do take place in St. Mary Mead, but most happen outside the village. However, Miss Marple always brings her background of village life to how she solves the mysteries. 2d

Chrissyreadit @Ruthiella thanks!! I‘m interested in more but it may be a little while. 2d

Aimeesue @Ruthiella Yes! She's always telling someone a story about something that happened "one time in St Mary Mead." 2d

34 likes29 comments

Cuilin

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

Seems an appropriate activity as I finish listening to tagged book. 🧶

62 likes

jlhammar

Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

pick

“If I were at any time to set out on a career of deceit, it would be of Miss Marple that I should be afraid.”

Quite right, Vicar! This was just a lot of fun. Love Jane Marple. Looking forward to our #GoldenAgeCrimeClub discussion!

Mitch

MuddyPuddle Another cool cover. 4d

Mitch Yeah! Looking forward to Sundays chat 👍🏼 4d

Tamra Life that cover! 4d

batsy It's a really good one! 3d

61 likes4 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books