I Am Not Alone

One reason I avoid book groups is because everyone has a different interpretation of what he or she reads. I'm okay with that. In fact, I view that as a plus. That's why I joined book clubs in the past, to hear all those different opinions. Unfortunately, so many readers believe that their interpretation is the only interpretation. Often, they back their opinion up with research in order to fortify their opinion, until it becomes indistinguishable to them from the truth. So when I put my spin on things, ostensibly for their benefit (as I already know my own opinion), they launched into me with their claws, or if you will, their daggers, with a seeming delight in slashing my inferior, if not flat-out-wrong opinion, to shreds.

I freely admit that my speculation regarding Arthurian influences in The Murder on the Links is just that: mere speculation. I'm by no means an expert with regard to Agatha Christie. Yet King Arthur is regarded an important mythological, and perhaps even a historical figure, in England. I imagine, in Agatha Christie's day, he was even more so than today. And closely associated with Arthur was his sword, given to him by the Lady of the Lake, or pulled by him from a stone. It's name, as you might recall, was Excaliber.

Perhaps I'm wrong about Agatha Christie's intentions on weaving Arthurian symbolism into the novel. But if I am, I suspect I am not alone in my speculations. Agatha Christie specified a very different looking knife to that which the production team used in filming the story for Agatha Christie's Poirot. They obviously made that change for a carefully considered reason. Is it possible that they also noticed the little clues I noticed, and thus transformed a plain looking, black-handled knife for this miniature sword with an elegant, dare-I-say kingly handle?

Believe what you will. By no means does their decision validate my suspicions as to Agatha Christie's intentions. But their decision on how to depict the murder weapon, or the murder weapons, leads me to one comfortable conclusion. Perhaps, just perhaps, in this matter, I am not alone.

That's a good feeling.

Dragon Dave