| Title | : | Halloween Party (Hercule Poirot, #32) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0007120680 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780007120680 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 1969 |
Halloween Party (Hercule Poirot, #32) Reviews
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Hi. Hello, bookish friend. Greetings, Ghouls and Gals!
Are you always looking for that perfect Autumnal read?
Maybe you aren't a fan of Horror, you don't want to be literally afraid, but still want the feeling of the Halloween season?
If this is the case, than this may be the perfect book for you. I read Hallowe'en Party a couple of years ago on Halloween night and I had a lot of fun with it.
This is a Hercule Poirot mystery. If you are a Poirot fan, his calm and efficient manner, than what are you waiting for?
Pick this one up!
The main plot revolves around a children's Halloween Party and what one child claims to have witnessed during that party.
A murder. ((dun dun dun)) Is this kid full of it or what?
The atmosphere is definitely Halloweenie, but without being frightening and intimidating.
Also, perfect for fans of Christie's classic 'whodunit' formula! -
I am a big fan of Agatha Christie. I love her writing and have read piles and piles of her books.
So I feel a bit queasy when my first review of one of her books is panning it.
But I can’t recommend this book to anyone—especially not to anyone who hasn’t read Agatha Christie before. You might get the impression that she is a hack, formulaic writer with cardboard characters who all spout the same dialog. You might read this book and think that Agatha Christie writes mysteries with predictable plots and too large of a social agenda.
You would be right if you based your judgement solely on this novel. In fact, there is a part of me that desperately wants to believe that this book is a forgery. Perhaps Christie decided to loan her irascible detective Hercule Poirot and the self-parodying Ariadne Oliver out to another author, an apprentice perhaps. That might explain the travesty that is this novel.
Yet, I look at the date of this novel—1969—and realize that perhaps one of my favorite mystery authors was simply getting tired of her characters and writing to meet a deadline. Perhaps she had used up all of her suspenseful endings and gripping characterizations. Granted, Curtain--a novel that ranks with her best works—was still to come, but I think this novel was part of the reason she was so ready to give Poirot his send-off.
The book begins slowly, pouring all sorts of irrelevant details and descriptions over us as if Christie hadn’t yet decided in which direction she was going to take the novel and what information would end up being useful. Even when the murder takes place—the murder of a 13-year-old girl at a Hallowe’en party—there isn’t a lot of drama.
The book gets worse as we have to listen to each and every character spew forth the popular drivel about criminals not being responsible for their actions and that the murder must have been committed by an insane person let out too early from a mental institution due to overcrowding. It wouldn’t have been so bad if only two or three people had proposed this as a solution, but to have every person interviewed jump on this bandwagon and speak almost identical dialog made for a boring read. Indeed, the only diversity in opinion came from Poirot himself, who maintained that this was a murder with a motive.
As the readers, we have no doubt. Dame Agatha does not write murders without motives. So it would have been nice if at least a few of the characters Poirot interviewed could have had a distinct voice.
I was also disappointed because typically Christie is able to produce an ending that is both surprising and memorable. In this novel, I was able to figure out who the murderer was when Poirot was first given a list of past murders. There was one slight twist at the end, but it was neither surprising nor interesting.
The ending of the book was nothing but painful. Christie labored at building suspense using all sorts of techniques to the point where the techniques got in the way and the reading was simply wearisome. She holds off on revealing who-dun-it until long after the reader has any doubts, making the denouement simply a relief that the book was almost over, rather than a delightful surprise.
Agatha Christie writes wonderful mysteries. I encourage anyone to read them. But don’t read this book. Try instead one of these novels:
Witness for the Prosecution
The Mousetrap
And Then There Were None
Death on the Nile
The ABC Murders
Murder on the Orient Express
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Verdict
The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side
All of those books are immensely satisfying and are wonderful examples of Christie’s craft. I may even go re-read some of those to get the taste of Hallowe’en Party out of my mouth. -
QUE ÓDIO.
4,5 ⭐ -
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot #39, Ariadne Oliver #7), Agatha Christie
Hallowe'en Party is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in November 1969.
At a Hallowe'en party held at Rowena Drake's home in Woodleigh Common, thirteen-year-old Joyce Reynolds tells everyone attending she had once seen a murder, but had not realised it was one until later.
When the party ends, Joyce is found dead, having been drowned in an apple-bobbing tub. Ariadne Oliver, attending the party while visiting her friend Judith Butler, calls on Hercule Poirot to investigate the murder and Joyce's claim.
With help from retired Superintendent Spence, Poirot makes a list of deaths and disappearances for the last few years in Woodleigh Common: Rowena's aunt, Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe, died suddenly; her au pair Olga Seminoff disappeared, when a codicil that favoured her in her employer's will was found to be a forgery; Leslie Ferrier, a lawyer's clerk, was stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant; Charlotte Benfield, a sixteen-year-old shop assistant, was found dead with multiple head injuries; and Janet White, a teacher at Elms School, was strangled to death.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «سیبهای آغشته به خون»؛ «جشن هالووین»؛ «مهمانی هالووین»؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز سی و یکم ماه جولای سال2012میلادی
عنوان: سیبهای آغشته به خون؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم جمشید اسکندانی؛ تهران، نشر روایت، سال1372؛ در542ص؛ موضوع داستانهای کارآگاهی از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده20م
عنوان: جشن هالووین؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: مجتبی عبدالله نژاد؛ تهران، هرمس، سال1390؛ در316ص؛ شابک9789643637569؛
عنوان: جشن هالووین؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: جمشید اسکندانی؛ تهران، نشر ثالث، سال1395؛ در444ص؛ شابک9789643801588؛
عنوان: مهمانی هالووین؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: سپیده حبیبی؛ تهران، موسسه نگارش الکترونیک؛ سال1395؛ در46ص؛ شابک9786008075929
داستان این کتاب ماجرای دختر نوجوانی است، که شبی در جشن «هالووین» مدعی میشود، که سالها پیش شاهد قتلی بوده است؛ هیچکس حرف او را باور نمیکند، و او با عصبانیت مهمانی را ترک میکند، اما چند ساعت بعد خود اوست که به قتل میرسد؛ حالا «پوآرو» باید قاتل را پیدا کند، قاتلی که احتمالاً بیش از یک قتل مرتکب شده است، و قتل دختر نوجوان را، برای پوشاندن رازی که نمیخواهد برملا شود، انجام داده است؛ در این داستان «پوآرو» تنها نیست، و دستیاری به نام خانم «آریادن اولیور» هم دارد، که نویسنده ی داستانهای جنایی و همکار «پوآرو» است؛ این دو نفر تلاش میکنند در کنار هم راز «جشن هالووین» را برملا کنند
خانم «آریادنه اولیور»، بنا بر درخواست دوستش خانم «جودیت باتلر»؛ چند روزی به منزل ایشان آمده بود، و امروز صبح همراه با میزبانش به خانه ی دیگری آمده بودند، تا آن خانه را برای برگزاری «جشن هالووین»، که برای بچه هاست؛ و قرار بود عصر همانروز برگزار شود؛ آماده کنند؛ زنها در رفت و آمد بودند، و میزها و صندلیها و گلدانها را جابجا میکردند، و کدوهای حلوایی را که دستشان بود در جاهای مورد نظر میگذاشتند؛ و ...؛
نقل از متن: (- ولی بهتر است موافق باشید وگرنه در آینده تاوانش را پس میدهید؛ هر سال که میگذرد، بدتر میشود؛ خانم «اولیور» جعبه مقوایی رنگارنگی را از توی بسته اش درآورد؛ سر جعبه را باز کرد، بخشی از محتویاتش را درآورد، و به دهان برد؛ انگشتانش را لیس زد، و با دستمال پاک کرد و با صدای نامفهومی گفت: نوچ است؛ - از سیب دست کشیده اید؟ قبلاً هر وقت شما را میدیدم، یا سیب دستتان بود، يا داشتید سیب میخوردید، یا پاکت پاره شده بود، و سیبها داشت روی زمین میریخت؛ - قبلاً که گفتم؛ دیگر نمیخواهم چشمم به سیب بیفتد؛ حالم از سیب به هم میخورد؛ شاید روزی دوباره وضع تغییر کند، و راضی شوم؛ ولی فعلاً دوست ندارم یاد سیب بیفتم؛ -الآن دارید چی میل میکنید؟ در جعبه ی رنگارنگی را که رویش عکس نخل خرما بود، برداشت و خواند: - خرمای سابقون؛ آها، خرما؛ خانم «اولیور» گفت: درست است؛ خرمای سابقون؛ خرمای دیگری در دهان گذاشت، و هسته اش را لای بوته ای انداخت، و به خوردن ادامه داد؛ «پوآرو» گفت: خرمای سابقون؛ جالب است؛ - چه چیز جالبی دارد؟ خیلی از مردم خرما میخورند؛ - نه، نه؛ منظورم خوردن خرما نبود؛ منظورم شنیدن کلمه «سابقون» از شما بود؛ - چرا؟ - چون بارها پیشآمده، که به همین شکل راه را به من نشان داده اید؛ حرفی زده اید، و با همان حرف، نشان داده اید که از چه راهی باید بروم، یا قبلاً از چه راهی رفته ام؛ الآن هم با گفتن کلمه «سابقون»، راه درست را به من نشان دادید؛ تا این لحظه نمیدانستم که «سابقون» چه اهمیتی دارد؛ - نمیفهمم سابقون چه ربطی به اتفاقهای اینجا دارد؛ منظورم این است که اتفاقی که در اینجا افتاده، ربطی به سابق ندارد؛ چهار روز بیشتر از آن نمیگذرد؛ - بله درست است؛ چهار روز بیشتر از آن نمیگذرد؛ ولی هر اتفاقی که الآن میافتد، گذشته ای دارد؛ گذشته ای که الآن دیگر با حال پیوند خورده، ولی چند روز، یا چند ماه، یا چند سال پیش بوده؛ حال، هميشه ريشه در گذشته دارد، یک نفر کشته شده؛ بچه ای شاهد آن ماجرا بوده؛ چون آن بچه، در تاریخ خاصی در بگذشته ها، آن قتل را دیده، خودش هم امروز به قتل رسیده؛ همینطور نیست؟)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 15/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 26/09/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
Ariadne Oliver and Poirot team up to find out who killed a really annoying child.
I know what you're thinking, Random Goodreader.
An annoying child?
What's wrong with killing one of those?!
But it is actually a crime to do away with children.
Even if they are of the obnoxious variety...apparently. Like you, I'm not 100% convinced of this, but let's go with the premise for now.
A little braggy girl swears loudly that she's seen a murder done years ago. No one believes her because she's known to be a bit of an ass that lies to make herself look better.
Next thing they know, she's floating face down in the bobbing-for-apples bucket.
Could it be that for once she was telling the truth?
Leave it to Poirot and his little grey cells to find out the answer to everything!
This is one that I've read multiple times, and I still mostly enjoy the twists and turns in the story. However, even with a bratty kid or two getting axed, this one is just missing that special something that makes most of her books 4 star reads for me, so it's not one of my favorites.
Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie. -
This is by no means my favorite Poirot novel, but it was fun immersing myself in the fall setting regardless.
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Thirteen-year-old Joyce Reynolds is murdered at a Halloween party. She was killed by being dunked in the bucket used for bobbing for apples. Earlier in the day, Joyce was telling everyone how she saw a murder some time ago. (Joyce is known for exaggerating and lying, so no one took her seriously at the time.) But now, with her death, maybe she was telling the truth. A lady author (Ariadne Oliver) that was at the party visits Hercule Poirot and asks him if he can look into this. He agrees. Will Poirot find out who the murderer is?
Enjoyable read, though there was barely any Halloween in this book, except for the Halloween party at the beginning of the story. It was slow at times, but I had fun trying to figure out who the murderer was. It’s always fascinating to see how Poirot figures out a case.
Another fine story by Agatha Christie. -
Na calma e esplêndida noite de sexta-feira, 12 de março do calendário gregoriano, editheus, vulgo Matheus Madeira de Souza, primeiro de seu nome e de Bel Rodrigues (assim espero), segundo de seu pai e sua mãe, termina de ler Noite da Bruxas da lendária Agatha Christie.
Após finalizar o livro, fiquei divagando em meus pensamentos sobre como a Agatha consegue me fazer de otário, como que um livro publicado em 1969 possui uma escrita tão atual e satisfatória. Quamquam, interim, etiam, este livro não me prendeu tanto na história, por mais que a temática de dia das bruxas seja de muito meu agrado. Achei uma história gostosinha para se ler, um livro que você pode lambear em um dia e então continuar tocando a vida vestindo sua fantasia de palhaço.
Outro ponto que fiquei muito em abalroamento foi o fato de a vítima ser uma adolescente, isso com certeza fez a história tomar um rumo mais pesado, pelo menos na minha perspectiva astigmática de 4 graus, quando envolve vítimas animais ou adolescentes, eu sempre sinto que o tiro é mais embaixo .
Minha conclusioni é de que fui com altas expectativas por ter me apaixonado por Morte no Nilo, entretanto dei de cara com uma história um pouquinho menos envolvente, o que pode ter quebrado toda minha experiência com o livro em si, recomendo muito que você leia e tire suas próprias conclusiones, esta é apenas a opinião de um ser humano humilde, noivo de uma crítica de sucesso e ainda em desenvolvimento de sua análise julgamental.
Logo, aqui, hoje, neste mês, neste ano, neste exato cativeiro, eu, homem fenotipicamente branco dou a nota de 3.8 edilikes.
Agradeço vossa atenção, me segue lá no meu servidor do mirc TeteuCritica e na comunidade do meu orkut “Agatha aff, de novo fui feito de otário?” e é isso pessoal um beijo a todos. -
3,5/5
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While some of Agatha Christie’s mysteries remain immensely satisfying, there are a few that just don’t work, whether from cultural shift or a more experimental approach. I was worried when I picked up Hallowe’en Party; I had been operating with a suspicion that her best work was earlier in her extensive career. However, it wasn’t long before my concern was dismissed as I settled into an engrossing tale of Hercule Poirot investigating a murder at a Halloween party.
Poor Joyce; thirteen and a bit desperate for attention, she’s become known for telling tales. Perhaps hoping to impress Mrs. Oliver during the preparations for a Halloween party, she claims to have seen a murder. When the Halloween party is over, Joyce is discovered dead, but only Mrs. Oliver connects the earlier boast to the death–the rest of the village is prefers to blame an anonymous unstable person. She calls on dear, aging Hercule. He concurs with her fine instincts and arranges to stay with retired Inspector Spence, coincidentally living in the same village.
Hercule focuses on Jane’s tall tale, convinced the solution lies in the past. He digs into the history of the village; a disappearing au pair girl, a wealthy widow who died unexpectedly, a forger who was stabbed, a man killed in a hit-and-run, a strangled girl in a gravel pit. As he talks with the villagers, the ominous atmosphere increases.
Almost everything about the book is lovely. The writing shines, the characters are complex. Christie can paint a portrait in only a few sentences: “His friend, Mrs. Oliver, sounded in a highly excitable condition. Whatever was the matter with her, she would no doubt spend a very long time pouring out her grievances, her woes, her frustrations or whatever was ailing her…The things that excited Mrs. Oliver were so numerous and frequently so unexpected that one had to be careful how one embarked upon a discussion of them.”
The atmosphere is sinister, and the setting feels fully realized, although I still don’t understand why snap-dragon would be the capstone to a children’s party. Once again Mrs. Oliver serves as a authorial voice, particularly when Hercule notes how an author tends to co-opt characters from real people. Her bits calling out Hercule are particularly amusing:
“The trouble with you is,” said Mrs. Oliver…”the trouble with you is that you insist on being smart. You mind more about your clothes and your moustaches and how you look and what you wear than comfort. Now comfort is really the great thing. Once you’ve passed, say, fifty, comfort is the only thing that matters.”
Straight from the mouth of a seventy-nine year old.
An excellent read, and well worth re-reading. -
What started out as a unique and interesting mystery soon turned into a rather tedious read with bland characters and a repetitive storyline. The resolution was acceptable yet disappointing as it seemed to be a jumble of happenings that an amateur detective (or reader) could not have pieced together. I was left feeling like there was absolutely no way I could have figured it out, like the clues were never given. Maybe they were there though as I found the book to be so disjointed that I was never interested enough to try and figure out the clues.
I chose this as a Halloween read but other than the murder occurring on Halloween, there is no Halloween element to the book.
The lack of suspense paired with the meandering plot warrants only a 2 star rating from me. It definitely didn’t grab me and in my opinion, it’s not one of Christie’s best works. -
It had been a long time since I'd read an Agatha Christie book, and I picked this one up on a whim. The plot felt repetitive and the characters were bland. While this story didn't necessarily make me want to read more in this series, I still enjoyed it overall. This was a good one for Halloween weekend 🎃.
Blog:
LucyKnowsThings.com -
What a fun Halloween read this one was! A fan of Agatha Christie, I've had this one on my TBR pile for too long. For the last three years I have checked this book out for Halloween with grand plans to read it. And something always comes up. Last year, my mother in-law snagged it from me and read it while visiting. This year I was determined and I'm so happy I finally finished it.
Hallowe'en Party tells the story of a Halloween Party thrown for some teenage kids where things go horribly wrong and one child ends up drowned in the bobbing for apples bucket. The child just earlier that evening had been boasting that she had seen a murder. Naturally, no one believed her. But then she is murdered herself. Low and behold, one of the guests at the part is a famous mystery writer who just happens to be friends with none other than Mr. Hercule Poirot. And from there, this wonderful storm just steamrolls through this haunting mystery. The town doesn't appear as idyllic as most think as Poirot finds as he begins his investigation....there have been other murders too. But the famous detective is on the case, which will soon be solved.
Oh I really enjoyed this one. I used to read Agatha Christie so long ago and frankly, I'm not sure why I moved away from her books. I really enjoy them. Which is odd as I'm not a huge mystery fan but always make an exception for Ms. Christie. Not being a mystery fan....but found it shocking that I pegged the culprit early on in the story. Probably just dumb luck on my part. Ha!
I listened to the audio version of this and it's great. The narrator, Hugh Fraser, does an amazing job building the atmosphere for this one, doing so many voices, sending one completely over the top, but so fitting for the character. I was so drawn into the narration that at times, I stopped paying attention to what tasks I was doing (I usually listen while I cook). A highlight of a read, eh listen for me. And a perfect Halloween story for the season. And now, on to my next Agatha Christie novel. -
You know i am still um-ing and ah-ing as to whether this is 4 or 5 stars. A really great detective novel, great plot and Poirot was on top form, and to cap it all he is ably assisted by Ariadne Oliver, so why am i still prevaricating as to why its 4 or 5 stars ?
I really don't know where to start, apart from repeating myself. I checked the reviews of this book, and the ratings average less than 4.0, so maybe it isn't just me.
It's good, its complex but simple, its well thought out, it doesn't rush, it doesn't dawdle, Poirot is in virtually the whole novel, and so is Ariadne Oliver. There's some great characters, a brilliant final deduction and its wonderfully believable, but still dash it all it is only 4 stars.
The story focuses on the death of a young girl at a Hallowe'en party, found drowned in a bucket of apples. Being a notorious fibber who had just boasted of seeing a murder to look good in the eyes of the special guest the famous detective writer Ariadne Oliver, people begin to wonder if she was murdered to keep quiet. Ariadne calls in Poirot as she feels there is more to the girl's death than meets the eye. He arrives and starts uncovering all sorts of skeletons from the cupboard, forged wills, missing opera (au pair) girls and a slightly dodgy dead lawyer. All this stemming from a boastful young girl's murder whilst bobbing for apples.
Oh I'm still undecided, at the moment its 4 stars, but who knows if I'll bump it up to 5. -
3.5 stars!
I had my hunches and finally figured out most of the mystery, with a 1/4 of the book left.
It can happen friends but is very rare with AC books! It’s so rare, it’s kind of like seeing a yeti for the first time. 😂
This was a fun book and an interesting ending.
Not one of her best books but still highly entertaining. -
Choose Your Own Adventure!
You are a truly annoying little girl. A busybody, a liar. Who can trust you? For the good of the community, a-bobbin' for apples you must go – like permanently. But death is not the end! From on high you witness the actions of a strange mustached man and his flighty authoress sidekick. Together they vow to avenge your murder and lay your lovely bones to rest. They believe in your tale of dastardly deeds and murder, the tale that brought you to such an untimely end; their quest for vengeance will lead them to all who once stood in judgment of you.
Unfortunately, your legacy remains that of an unrepentant liar and even your avengers soon grow weary of your string of lies and deception. Turn from the truth, little soul, fly away! But wherever shall you go?
If you decide to follow the demented authoress on a path filled with psychics, séances and black magic, choose
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
If you decide to follow the mustached weirdo in his never-ending quest for crème de cacao, choose
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... -
Read for my IRL book club. Based on the publisher's blurb that Dame Agatha's sales are exceeded only by Shakespeare's and the Bible, my failure to appreciate what the entire reading world cherishes no doubt speaks to some dark blot on my soul.
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The thirty-eighth Poirot novel. and the sixth of seven, in which his partner in the murder investigation is the writer, the author of detectives Ariadne Oliver, a somewhat ironic self-portrait of Agatha Christie. It is this lady who finds herself in the house where the murder took place on the evening when it happened, and it is she who turns to Hercule for help.
I'm not a fan of the Queen of Detective stories and this novel is no exception. The killer is calculated from the first third, everything else is perceived as a pile of unnecessary details and abstract reasoning. Psychological reliability tends to zero, although the story with the codicil is played out gracefully.
Well, that's why Lady Agatha and the Queen. We will read it. Regardless.
Бом-бом, дили-дили, в колодце кошку утопили
- Дети не всегда рассказывают дома о несчастных случаях на улице или инцидентах, связанных с насилием, свидетелями которых им довелось быть.
– Но матерям-то они все рассказывают.
– Я в этом не уверен, – покачал головой Пуаро. – Знаю по опыту, что дети утаивают от матерей очень многие вещи.
Тридцать восьмой роман о Пуаро. и шестой из семи, в котором его партнером по расследованию убийства выступает писательница, автор детективов Ариадна Оливер, некоторым образом ироничный автопортрет Агаты Кристи. Именно эта дама оказывается в доме, где произошло убийство в вечер, когда оно случилось, и именно она обращается к Эркюлю за помощью.
Богатое поместье, Вечеринка на Хэллоуин, куда приглашены окрестные дети. Подготовлены интересные развлечения. Одни с мистическим подтекстом, вроде гадания о женихах со свечами и зеркалами или Львиного зева с выхватыванием изюмин из горящего пунша. Другие просто веселые состязания на ловкость, как без помощи рук сгрызть яблоко, плавающее в воде. Вот утопленной головой в яблочном ведре и найдут тринадцатилетнюю девочку, которая в начале вечера сказала, что была свидетельницей убийства, но тогда не поняла, что это убийство, а теперь знает точно.
Прибывший на место преступления Пуаро не с ищет гипотетического бродягу, обуянного манией убийства - именно этого ждут от следствия местные жители ,а вовсе даже интересуется убийствами, смертями при странных обстоятельствах, исчезновениями людей. И внезапно выясняется, что таковых по соседству было немало: задушили учительницу, прирезали молодого человека из адвокатской конторы, машина сбила насмерть супруга владелицы поместья, где убита девочка (упс).
А еще была та мутная история со смертью госпожи Лоуэл-Стайл богатой тетушки этого самого задавленного лорда, впрочем, у нее было очень больное сердце, тут вопросов нет. Но после смерти, девушка из Восточной Европы, которая совмещала у нее обязанности секретаря и сиделки, предъявила кодицил к завещанию, согласно которому наследницей всего состояния леди становился не племянник (к тому времени уже почивший) с супругой, а она, Ольга Семенова. Бумага была признана подделанной, авантюристке грозило тюремное заключение, потому понятно, что она сбежала, впохыхах оставив половину своих вещей.
Конечно, эти, с материка. понятия не имеют о наших британских ценностях, о сдержанности и умении подчинять порывы страстей логике, упорядочивать хаос, создавать красоту. Вот леди Лоуэлл-Стайл, например, которая наняла знаменитого ландшафтного дизайнера, чтобы из бывшей каменоломни создать мистически-прекрасный Погруженный сад. А каков красавец архитектор, который сотворил это чудо, просто эльф!
Я не поклонница Королевы детектива и этот роман не исключение. Убийца вычисляется с первой трети, все остальное воспринимается как нагромождение ненужных деталей и отвлеченных рассуждений. Психологическая достоверность стремится к нулю, хотя история с кодицилом обыграна изящно.
Ну так, на то леди Агата и королева. Мы будем читать ее. Невзирая. -
I've only got handful of Poirot's left to read and thought this would be a perfect choice to enjoy over the Halloween weekend.
It's well known that Christie found writing the Belgian detective insufferable and it's certainly telling during the 1960's.
The introduction of crime writer Ariadne Oliver in the later books does bring a breath of fresh air to the series and it's her attendance at the Halloween party for young teens that calls Poirot into his latest mystery.
The opening was so good!
Definitely horrific as 13 year old Joyce boasts that she once witness a murder, but was too young to realise what she had witness at the time.
Once the party ends her body has been found in an apple-bobbing tub - truly terrifying!
The crux of the story sees Poriot trying to work out was guilty of a murder that had been committed a few years ago.
The thinking is that solving that will reveal who killed Joyce, the problem is that the plot starts introducing way to many characters and gets overly complex and confusing - not least the various plot strands that are left unresolved.
Christie is always a joy to read and even in the weaker novels theres still plenty to enjoy.
I guess I was hoping for more focus on the Halloween party setting itself.
One thing that is fascinating following her longest running series is the social climate of the time, with this being first published in 1969 Christie had plenty to say on the sexual revolution at the time.
I liked to be fooled by Dame Agatha but felt she was trying to add too many elements which inevitably dragged the middle section down.
It's still a worthwhile read, just not one of her best. -
Nothing like a Halloween murder in May. In retrospect, I should have waited until the proper time to read this gem. This is another Poirot classic. My first Adriadne Oliver book. I found her a bit underwhelming. She was more of a plot device to get Poirot involved than anything else.
I pat myself on the back for guessing the murderer around the 70% mark. Granted that was pure luck on my part. The reveal still took me by surprise as I didn't grasp all the details. Short, but sweet. -
Hallowe'en Party is one of the darker mystery stories in the Poirot series. The chosen subject matter and the victims of the story, especially the child victims produced an uncanny feeling throughout the story.
A child dies at a Halloween party setting in motion a past hidden crime. At least that is what Ariadne Oliver thinks when she summons Poirot, and Poirot's "little grey cells" are quite in agreement. The local police are skeptical whether the present crime has any connection with a past undetected one, but Poirot, being quite sure, pursues his own investigation in that line. Needn't say that Poirot is absolutely right and for the first time, so is Mrs. Oliver's intuition.
It was a good murder-mystery story. There is no argument about it. But the problem is that its full potential is realized only towards the very end of the story. This is both due to the presentation being monotonous and the writing being repetitive. It took half the book to make me interested in the story. But when I became fully engaged, I could overlook the flaws mentioned and continue with more ease.
What was most gratifying about this Poirot novel is that I was able to form the story before Poirot explained it to us. The criminal/s, the motive, the whys and the how's fashioned in my mind fairly easily notwithstanding Christie's efforts at misdirecting. Whether it is my genius of mastering Christie's mind or her lowering her creative standard is hard to say. :) Nevertheless, it is extremely satisfying.
I did enjoy the story as a whole, but it could certainly have been better engineered, for the story is pretty original. Had Agatha Christie styled up her writing to keep it more interesting from the very beginning, I would have generously said that Hallowe'en Party is one of her best works. -
"Toch was dit een aangenaam verhaal om te lezen tijdens de Halloween periode en is het zeker een verhaal dat je gelezen moet hebben van de Queen of Crime".
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2020... -
“I hate water”—Ariadne Oliver, once rescued at sea by a friend.
“I hate apples. I never want to see another apple again”—Ariadne Oliver
Hallowe’en Party, Hercule Poirot #36, the second to last Poirot novel, published in 1969, and the second to last written, since Curtain was written in the forties, ready to publish when the end would finally come about (which didn’t happen for more than a quarter of a century later!). To say this is better than you’d expect is no compliment, of course, but it is just is. I had little expectations except to be happily surprised at the cleverness of some aspects of the ending, as I always am, and in that respect was not disappointed.
Hostile 13-year-old Joyce, known to be a compulsive liar, tells everyone at a Halloween Party for “Plus Elevens” that she once saw a murder; when no one believes, she leaves in a huff and is promptly drowned in the tub for bobbing apples. This is the second of the Poirot books, both of them written when Christie was a grandmother, where children die, and almost die. An expression of grandparently worry?
Aside from the lively opening, in the spirit of P.G. Wodehouse, to whom the book is dedicated, the book descends for more than a 100 pages into a dull and somewhat needless side story about a forged codicil to a will. This is a Halloween story, can it not be a little scary? Can it not connect to Halloween more than just the opening?! We do have a woman, Mrs. Goodbody who plays a witch at the party, who also seems to have some actual (though underutilized) psychic capacity, and who presciently tells Poirot:
“Ding dong dell, A pussy in the well”— quoting a nursery rhyme [and can a reference to pussies in the pussy hat Women’s March generation ever again be only a reference to cats? It IS here! And in my house with three actual cats!]
But Christie is (largely) consistent; if you think a murder has to do with madness or magic, you are wrong. Sprites or drooling crazies are not generally killers in Christie. It is usually greed, at the base of things, in some way or the other. You need a reason to kill.
The killer in this tale kills for greed, but it is money s/he requires to create Beauty, to make Art. So s/he kills, in the manner of Agamemnon, who sacrificed his daughter Iphegenia so that he could get a wind to take him to Troy.
“There is always a brave world, but only, you know, for very special people. The lively ones. The ones who carry the making of that world within themselves”—Poirot.
This novel, set in 1969, includes several references to young men with raucous rock n roll voices and “piles of unruly hair.” Dame Christie and the sixties were not a match, let’s just say. There are water and apple references throughout this tale—one house that figures in is even called Apple Trees--but as Poirot points out,
“One always comes back to apples”—Poirot
It is "scatty” detective writer Ariadne Oliver that invites Poirot to help solve the murder(s), which do pile up near the end. She's a lively character, the best thing that came to the imagination of the later Christie.
Hallowe’en Party is quite good in places, it really is, overall, but it is uneven, including long passages of near irrelevance and boredom after a promising energetic and amusing opening, though it has, I’ll admit, a pretty satisfying conclusion. She didn't get to be the world's bestselling author because she is clue-less. It's not scary, not really at all, but it is for Halloween. -
Another block buster from the queen of crime writing. Once again Poiroit teams up with Mrs. Oliver to solve a crime where the characters have a sinister past. Slowly and skillfully the ace detective unravels the plot. Compared to her other novels, this is relatively shorter but not short on thrill
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While helping to decorate for an upcoming HALLOWE'EN PARTY a contentious thirteen year old comments that she once witnessed a murder, but when no one believes her, she high-tails it for home, and only a few hours later, after the party, she is found drowned in the apple-bobbing tub........hence another murder mystery to solve for ole Hercule Poirot with his manicured to perfection mustache, too tight patent leather shoes and never-ending search for the truth.
Really enjoyed this one! (perhaps bc of the Hallowe'en setting, but more likely bc I actually figured out the evil murderer this time.)
(Note: No Spoilers here, summary of drowning on back cover of my edition)
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Not really feeling much of a review for this one. Just an ok read for me, perhaps because I am on vacation at the beach for a month. But an ok read from Agatha Christie is still pretty good.
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3.5*
Or a surfeit of apples :O)
Our beloved Ariadne Oliver attends a Halloween Party held for children, and would you believe it, one of the kids is killed, drowned in the apple-bobbing bucket, after having mentioned earlier that she had witnessed a murder ages ago... Naturally, Ariadne turns to Poirot to uncover the murderer.
Christie always has a lot of fun with that character, and the result is that she leaps off the page with her eccentricity and humour (I absolutely love her). Here, it felt like Agatha went all the way into making fun of her predilection for apples, something they both shared. As for Poirot, as expected, he does 'his thing’ perfectly, solving the mystery, a suitably horrible one dealing with the death of a child. Bonus is that for once I got the identity of the killer (‘yippee' - but not the exact motive).
For some reason, I always expect Christie’s stories to be set in the first half of the 20th century, and most are, but she did write till her death in 1976. This one, published in 1969, mentions elements of that time, particularly a change in social mores and behaviours that must have been jarring to someone who had been born in Victorian times. That clashing effect is sometimes felt in the narration, which is understandable.
And to end, I just had to give the last word to Ariadne ;O)
"Put that in your mustache and smoke it.” -
I've been wanting to read this book for ages, just for the title alone. Luckily, it lived up to its name, featuring a Halloween party, with all kinds of themed games, and of course, murder. And who doesn't love a book that features Ariadne Oliver? I just adore her, and I wish Christie would have either written more books with her included, or featured some with her alone. She's just a peach!
This book had a lot of atmosphere, and some philosophical musings on beauty, both in people and nature, as well as the role of reform versus punishment in criminal justice. A quite interesting book that has enough meat to ponder over long after you've read it. -
🍬 Halloween 2020 🍬
Страхотна и супер подходяща да се чете сега точно около Хелоуин. Има необходимата атмосфера, има интригуваща мистерия, има добре изградена фабула, има и вълнуващо разплитане на случая. Беше изключително приятно и развлекателно четиво, а самата загадка е поднесена много умело.
I like it. 😋(Update: 10/2022 ➡ След филмите „Убийство в Ориент експрес“ и „Смърт край Нил“ Кенет Брана ще се завърне за трети път и ще влезе отново в образа на Еркюл Поаро с филма „
A Haunting in Venice “ – адаптация на тази книга. Очаква се да излезе през 2023. Обявиха го наскоро – казвам го, ако случайно сте пропуснали тази новина. 😉) -
This is very much a later Christie novel – written in 1969 and virtually one of the last Poirot novels she wrote. Poirot is very much, like the author I suspect, feeling his age. We meet him bemoaning the fact that a friend is probably cancelling a visit and contemplating another dull evening, when he gets a call from his old friend, Mrs Ariadne Oliver. Mrs Oliver, a crime author, had been visiting a friend and helping with the organisation for a joint Halloween/11+ party for some children. During the preparations, one girl, Joyce, boasts that she once witnessed a murder. Her words are not believed, but, later that same day, she is found murdered and now Mrs Oliver turns to Poirot for help.
This book reunites Poirot both with Mrs Oliver and the, now retired, Superintendent Spence from “Mrs McGinty’s Dead,” as he lives nearby. There is a little personal complaining from the author about the modern world – boys hair, children’s behaviour and a little repetition, which does show that Agatha Christie is not quite at the peak of her powers. However, even with a few flaws, this is still a very enjoyable novel. Poirot delves into the past to find out who, and why, a murderer would kill a child. As such, this is very much a more ‘modern’ novel – Poirot is constantly told by characters how many unbalanced characters abound, there is no longer a death penalty and the world seems a more dangerous place. As such, it is an interesting novel for Poirot fans, as a glimpse of Christie’s views of the permissive society and, as such, of how Poirot viewed the modern world.
Rated 3.5
