Written by Agatha Christie
SUMMARY:
First published in the United Kingdom in 1997, this 213-page HarperCollins paperback collects nine Agatha Christie short stories dating back to 1923. Specifically, they are:
- “The House of Dreams” (1926): Young clerk John Segrave’s recurring dream of a mysterious house and who occupies it becomes a tragic obsession.
- “The Actress” (1923): A British stage actress resorts to desperate measures to rid herself of a scurrilous blackmailer.
- “The Edge” (1927): Troubled spinster Clare Halliwell contemplates exposing a self-involved wife’s infidelity for her own personal gain.
- “Christmas Adventure” (1923): Discreetly investigating a jewel theft case, Hercule Poirot receives an unusual ‘gift’ during the holiday season.
Note: This story was later modified into Christie’s “Adventure of the Christmas Pudding” novella. The novella’s alternate title is “The Theft of the Royal Ruby.”
- “The Lonely God” (1926): Two lonely souls spark an unlikely kinship inside a British museum where they are drawn to a small stone statue. Could this statue subtly be playing matchmaker?
- “Manx Gold” (1930): This newspaper serial is a murder mystery during a treasure hunt. Intriguingly, Christie’s commissioned tale was designed as a tourism publicity gimmick for a real treasure hunt on England’s Isle of Man.
- “Within a Wall” (1925): Celebrated artist Alan Everard’s creative struggles are further complicated by his demanding wife and, from afar, a devoted family friend, Jane Haworth.
- “The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest” (1932): Aided by Captain Hastings, private detective Hercule Poirot tackles a baffling murder case. Only the Belgian sleuth can decipher how a decorative chest displayed in plain sight could hide the victim’s corpse during a dinner party.
- “While the Light Lasts” (1924): A chance meeting years later at an African tobacco plantation years reunites two former lovers after a wartime tragedy, or does it?
REVIEW:
Christie’s perceptions re: human nature are readily evident with this decent compilation. What bolsters one’s read are some insights into Christie herself through Tony Medawar’s commentaries. For instance, the fact that “The Edge” was evidently written shortly before Christie’s high-profile December 1926 disappearance coincides with the tale’s themes of adultery and marital jealousy.
As a semi-mystery, “The Actress” is a fun little caper re: a blackmailer getting his just reward. The same applies to the delightful “Manx Gold,” which deploys some reliable clichés found elsewhere in Christie’s work. Romanticism is also a recurring theme, but this collection’s options vary as to likability.
For instance, “The Lonely God” has an appealing premise, but it’s hampered by too many contrivances and sappy dialogue that doesn’t age well. Darkening shifts in feminine psychology for “The Edge” are intriguing, even if a late plot twist is too conveniently dramatic. Still, its ironically wicked conclusion is fitting.
With its supernatural tinge, the morose “House of Dreams” offers some introspection re: obsessions. Even though this story drags on too long, its narrative is more intriguing than the tedious “Within a Wall,” where its self-absorbed characters offer little to readers.
The same applies to Christie’s unlikable “While the Light Lasts.” Frankly, an exotic African setting (reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway’s style) far overshadows its bland soap opera love triangle unworthy of reader sympathy. Had “While The Light Lasts” been expanded into a novella allowing more development of its superficial trio, this title story might have had some potential. For whatever this tale is, it’s drab by Christie’s standards.
Co-starring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, “The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest,” however, is a vintage whodunnit. The advantage this murder-mystery has over its later “Spanish Chest” alternate version is indulging fans who prefer reading Poirot, as filtered through Hastings’ point-of-view. Further, “Baghdad Chest” represents a classic Poirot tale, which balances the pendulum re: the Belgian sleuth’s disappointing holiday hijinks in this same book.
As its title implies a work-in-progress, Poirot’s “Christmas Adventure” falls short of “Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (aka Theft of the Royal Ruby).” Sporting different character names and unremarkable plot twists, this bland holiday caper reads like what it is: an early draft. One sign of how undercooked this mystery lies with Poirot’s condescending comments to a housemaid-turned-informant. Not only is Poirot conveyed as exceedingly sexist, this dialogue ends the story on a lousy note. “Christmas Adventure” is worth perusing, but, otherwise, it’s as appetizing as last year’s fruitcake.
Sporting several obscure Christie non-mystery tales, While the Light Lasts is a low-key diversion by the fireplace. To her credit, even Christie’s lesser efforts here explore some basic truths worth reflecting upon. The dilemma is that a few of these tales won’t merit more than a single read. Considering Light Lasts is nearly duplicated by 1998’s The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories, that other anthology is a better bet due to its stellar title story.
Note: Beside swapping out Poirot’s blah Christmas caper for Harley Quin’s last adventure, Tea Set also replaces “Baghdad Chest” with its eventual update. Specifically, “The Mystery of the Spanish Chest” replaces Hastings with Poirot’s secretary, Miss Lemon.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Including a two-page preface, Tony Medawar wrote some insightful background notes in 1996 on each story. Due to its complex background, “Manx Gold” requires a foreword and an afterword.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
