Agatha Christie's Offensive Masterpiece

Agatha Christie is one of the best selling English writers of all time. Although I read a few of her novels in my youth, my main experience with her until recently has been through TV, chiefly in the ITV productions starring David Suchet as her famous detective Hercule Poirot. Eventually watching the TV adaptations returned me to reading her novels and stories. I found her novels a sublime pleasure, even if the Poirot stories differed radically from the TV versions, and didn't feature such likable characters as the TV versions of Captain Hastings, Miss Lemon, and Inspector Japp. This love affair with her stories led me to visit cities and places strongly associated with her, such as London, Dartmoor, and Torquay, and the creation of a Poirot-themed blog as well.

Ironically, the first book of hers that I remember reading did not feature her famous detectives Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. It's her bestselling book of all time, the novel she considered her masterpiece, and the one she found hardest to write. While it was released in Britain as Ten Little Niggers, American publishers titled it And Then There Were None. Yet I read a copy of it bearing another title: Ten Little Indians. 

Photo courtesy of the Torquay Museum,
which has devoted a wonderful exhibit
to Christie's life and her stories.

Strangely, I don't remember being all that impressed by it, when I read it back in High School. At the time, it seemed formulaic, and the title (actually, any of the titles) leached any long term tension from the narrative. So it seems odd to me that the novel has been embraced so completely by everyone else in the world, instead of being criticized, lambasted, and universally hated for bearing such racially-charged titles. Given how people often find reasons to slam a work of art for any imaginable flaw, and even generate an uproar sufficient to destroy an author's career, everyone who has read the book must absolutely adore it. Either that, or they love her so much that they're willing to forgive her for such offensive, seemingly inexcusable titles.

Were I visiting Torquay today, I could attend the Princess Theatre. 

Princess Theatre, Torquay, England

There, in recognition of Christie's 125th birthday, I could see a live production of And Then There Were None. 

I could also attend a panel discussing, in part, the making of the forthcoming BBC adaptation of this novel. The production will feature Sam Neill, whom I first saw in the third Omen movie, and went on to star in Hollywood blockbusters like "Jurassic Park," "The Hunt for Red October," and "Event Horizon." It will also feature Miranda Richardson, who may be best known for her role as journalist Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter movies, but whom I shall always remember for her role of Queen Elizabeth the First, or "Queenie," in the "Blackadder" TV shows. Hopefully, the TV production will make its way over to the states soon.

In the meantime, perhaps I should reacquaint myself with Christie's novel. It's got to be infinitely better than my recollection of that High School reading experience, don't you think?