chocolate-chip chooky Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Are there any Agatha Christie novels that are suitable for a 12 year old? If so, do you have any particular recommendations? Also, I'm interested in anything biographical about Agatha Christie herself. Thanks heaps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 All of them. I can't think of anything unsuitable 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 At that age I particularly enjoyed the Miss Marple ones. YMMV, of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 I am a fan of Poirot and Miss Marple short stories and novels, but I find that earlier ones, written when she was a bit younger seem a little, well, lighter, for the lack of better word. The ones written when she was older seem, to me at least, darker. The villains are more devious and evil. I sometimes feel a bit down after finishing those, but I still enjoy them. Your experience may be different, of course. She wrote one novel that is set in Ancient Egypt, called Death Comes at the End or something like that. It is interesting because it is fairly historically accurate - her second husband was an archaeologist who spent a fair amount of time excavating in Egypt, and she accompanied him quite a bit. I tried listening to that one as an audio book, but did not like it. I preferred to read the words in print. Naturally, the writing is representative of the era. There are terms for different people groups that today we find offensive. It is an opportunity for a discussion with a 12-year old. Personally, I would start with the short story collections, such as the Thirteen Problems (Miss Marple) and Poirot's Early Cases (or something like that, I don't remember off-hand), and then work my way to novels. I just finished re-reading the Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple), which starts out with Miss Marple reading a trash novel given to her by her nephew who is trying to modernize her. She thinks about the various sex-related practices that the "young people" don't even know about that happen in her little village at home. A few are listed, and a quote from the trashy novel is included. It's not explicit, but I'm not sure how a 12-year-old will find it. It may just go over their head. This goes on for a page or two. After that, the novel does its normal British cozy thing. Enjoy! It is great literature. ETA David Suchet, who did a fantastic job as Poirot has a book called Poirot and Me, and there is also a video called Being Poirot. One of these includes Suchet's trip to Agatha Christie's house to interview her grandson and look at some of her personal items such as diaries and notes. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) My Dd liked the Tommy and Tuppence ones and Miss Marple best at that age. As a previous poster stated the earlier ones are going to be more appropriate generally. I am currently doing an Agatha Christie reread using this list http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/p/agatha-christie-perpetual-challenge.html that Robin at BaW has on her website. I just finished Partners in Crime which my Dd loved at 11. She also loved the Seven Dials.....both are quite meh now that I am not desperately hunting for preteen reading material. Lol Nothing in my reread sticks out as hugely inappropriate so far........ Dd also enjoyed a few from Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver series and Anna Katherine Green https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1940880.The_Leavenworth_Case which were kindle freebies. Both authors were Christie contemporaries sort of. Anna Katherine Green is author who Christie is thought to have gotten the idea for Markle from. Edited May 31, 2018 by mumto2 Correction to name 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 Mystery-loving DS#1 enjoyed: - Hercule Poirot's Casebook -- a fat volume of 50 short stories, Hercule Poirot - Murder on the Orient Express -- novel, Hercule Poirot - Death on the Nile -- novel, Hercule Poirot - And Then There Were None -- a stand-alone short novel, one-time characters DS and I enjoyed seeing a live local theatrical performance of The Mousetrap -- stand-alone story, one-time characters. Try and watch a live or film version, as it was written to be watched as a performance. And try not to read/hear anything about it in advance so you can enjoy the twist ending. Perhaps I just tried a "dud" story, but I did not care for the one Tommy & Tuppence novel I read (M or N) -- it was a slog, and at the end, I felt ripped off, as there would have been NO way of figuring out "whodunnit" -- the clue was so subtle and required special knowledge I did not have. Very disappointing, which is really odd, as the storyline has spy intrigue aspects which is a type of mystery I DO like... : ( ________________________ Other books/authors that mystery-loving DS#1 enjoyed in the tween/early teen years: - Sherlock Holmes short mystery stories, by Doyle - Case of the Baker Street Irregulars (Newman) -- and others in this series by Newman - Samurai mystery series by Hoobler - mini mystery collections (by Sobel, Conrad, and others) I adore the gentle No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Book 1 is a little rougher in writing and a bit darker in content, as the author was trying to get his feet under him. After that, the series smooths out and is charming and kind -- virtually all of the mysteries are NOT murders. :) And the very unique setting of Botswana Africa, with the major characters being native Botswanan people, with peoples of neighboring African nations showing up from time to time as clients of our wonderful detective heroine, Mma Precious Ramotswe. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberries Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 DS read And Then There Were None this year and enjoyed it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted May 31, 2018 Author Share Posted May 31, 2018 Thanks folks. This is all really helpful. I like the idea of the (fairly) historically accurate one or others that have some other interesting facts around them. My daughter really likes knowing things about the authors that she reads, so an element like an archaeologist husband will pique her interest for sure. She's also keen to know a bit about Christie's own disappearance. We read quite a bit of Conan Doyle last year. I think I read somewhere that Conan Doyle was somehow involved in the search for Christie. Something to do with a psychic? I can't remember when or where I read that, so I'm not sure it's true, but if so, this will certainly interest my daughter as well. She loves connections and quirky asides ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 My 12yo read Murder on the Orient Express last summer when he was 11. He loved it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Dd12 loves Poirot. She hasn't tried any of the other series. Ones she especially liked were Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and the ABC Murders. I think any of hers are suitable at that age, there really isn't any inappropriate content. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 On 6/1/2018 at 1:45 AM, Lori D. said: Mystery-loving DS#1 enjoyed: - Hercule Poirot's Casebook -- a fat volume of 50 short stories, Hercule Poirot - Murder on the Orient Express -- novel, Hercule Poirot - Death on the Nile -- novel, Hercule Poirot - And Then There Were None -- a stand-alone short novel, one-time characters DS and I enjoyed seeing a live local theatrical performance of The Mousetrap -- stand-alone story, one-time characters. Try and watch a live or film version, as it was written to be watched as a performance. And try not to read/hear anything about it in advance so you can enjoy the twist ending. Perhaps I just tried a "dud" story, but I did not care for the one Tommy & Tuppence novel I read (M or N) -- it was a slog, and at the end, I felt ripped off, as there would have been NO way of figuring out "whodunnit" -- the clue was so subtle and required special knowledge I did not have. Very disappointing, which is really odd, as the storyline has spy intrigue aspects which is a type of mystery I DO like... : ( ________________________ Other books/authors that mystery-loving DS#1 enjoyed in the tween/early teen years: - Sherlock Holmes short mystery stories, by Doyle - Case of the Baker Street Irregulars (Newman) -- and others in this series by Newman - Samurai mystery series by Hoobler - mini mystery collections (by Sobel, Conrad, and others) I adore the gentle No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Book 1 is a little rougher in writing and a bit darker in content, as the author was trying to get his feet under him. After that, the series smooths out and is charming and kind -- virtually all of the mysteries are NOT murders. ? And the very unique setting of Botswana Africa, with the major characters being native Botswanan people, with peoples of neighboring African nations showing up from time to time as clients of our wonderful detective heroine, Mma Precious Ramotswe. I'm not sure if it's the same one but one of the Tommy and Tuppence ones was written at the end of her life and there's some thought that she may have been suffering from dementia or some form of cognitive decline because the plot doesn't really make sense. I think some of the earlier Tommy and Tuppence ones make sense. theres only two I really hate and wouldnt give to kids because they feel so dark about human nature. One has a child murderer and the other is about a marriage breakdown and is semi autobiographical. Oh and I also dislike the way she ended the Poirot series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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