And Then There Were None - Review

And then there were none – Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was rightly given the title ‘Queen of Crime’. Let me write a poem which is a key factor in this book of hers.

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;

A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself

And then there were None.

Frank Green, 1869.

Christie brilliantly laced the plot such that it goes according to the nursery poem which I’ve written above. Ten people, who are strangers among themselves were invited as weekend guests on a private island. The assortment of those strangers was very curious considering their diverse backgrounds. So, they were taken to this isolated island which was cut off from the rest of the world and you could find only one house in the entire island. Everyone were wondering about their guest, but no one ends up receiving them except the already assigned butlers. They eventually make themselves comfortable for that night and hit the bed. The next day, they encounter such an incident that everyone in the room will be exposed of their dark secrets that no one wants to reveal by themselves.

By the end of the week, one by one, they fall prey to the murderer and then there will be none.

The atmosphere of the island was so described that you would feel as trapped as the people on that island itself feel. One beautiful thing about mystery novels is that we all try to be Sherlock Holmes during the course of reading a book, which makes us get so involved with it. This book offers you so much fun in finding out who the murderer was that it will be too difficult to point your fingers at just one person. It’s a delicious way to exercise your neurons. But don’t worry, there is an epilogue written at the end of the book which was brilliantly written by Christie.

The characters are very wisely developed all the way through the book. The plot was clean and neat, you’d be bewildered and horrified by the perfectionism that Christie achieved in murdering the people on the island.

This is one Christie’s outstanding work and a masterpiece. A delight to mystery lovers.