Who is Agatha Christie? Only one of the greatest mystery authors of all time and one of my personal idols. Let's pay homage.
Christie's books have sold over two billion copies since first published in 1920 and show no sign of slowing down, even nearly half a century after her death.
Agatha Christie's Life (the very short version)
Agatha Christie (Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller) was a British author born the youngest of three into a well-off family. She was primarily home-schooled, although she attended boarding schools in Paris after the death of her father in her teenage years.
One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood. -Agatha Christie
Christie married Archibald Christie in 1914 but divorced twelve years later after he fell in love with his mistress. They had one child together. She vanished briefly after their divorce but soon returned to public life.
There is nothing more thrilling in this world, I think, than having a child that is yours, and yet is mysteriously a stranger. -Agatha Christie
She remarried Max Mallowan, an archaeologist, four years later and joined him on digs in subsequent years. She remained with Mallowan until her death in 1976.
I married an archaeologist because the older I grow, the more he appreciates me. -Agatha Christie
Although there is some evidence that Christie suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's in her later years, she passed peacefully in her home at the age of 85.
Christie worked in hospitals during both World Wars, caring for patients and learning much about chemicals, medicines, and poisons that would later make their way into her many works of mystery.
What Did Agatha Christie Write?
Christie's expansive career stretched over decades and included detective novels, plays, short story collections, and a memoir. She is best known for her classic "whodunnit" style, in which the reader joins an investigator in solving a crime.
Christie's well-loved characters have become nearly common knowledge throughout the Western world. Two such characters are Detective Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, both of whom use their deductive skills to solve crimes in their respective stories.
Her work has inspired over 30 feature films, some of which were released as recently as last year. Many movies inspired by her books have been remade for new generations.
Agatha Christie's most well-known titles include:
Murder on the Orient Express
And Then There Were None
Death on the Nile
The ABC Murders
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Murder at the Vicarage
The Mousetrap
Witness for the Prosecution
I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest. -Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie's Legacy
Christie left a legacy beyond over two billion copies sold, thousands of plays performed, and tens of feature films made. Known as the "Queen of Mystery," she significantly impacted the genre with her writing style and character development.
Christie's work generally follows a similar format: a murder happens in an unlikely setting, someone tries to solve it, and everyone else is a suspect. The story unfolds through the investigation as suspects are interviewed and new clues are discovered. It's the perfect fun-to-read formula that never gets old.
Personally, Christie's character development inspires much of what I do in my own writing, specifically in the Cove Harbor Mystery series. Every character is perfectly relatable yet unique. Every person is a suspect. Christie was the master of this framework, and it remains part of her massive legacy.
The happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves they don't give a damn. -Agatha Christie
Links to Learn More About Agatha Christie
Want to learn more? Here are the links I read through for this feature:
Analysis of Agatha Christie’s Novels – Literary Theory and Criticism (literariness.org)
How Agatha Christie’s Narrative Devices Changed the Murder Mystery Genre Forever | The Mary Sue
Agatha Christie - Books, Disappearance & Life (biography.com)
Reflecting on legacy of Agatha Christie, 100th anniversary first book (ew.com)
Agatha Christie: The world's best-selling author of all time - Agatha Christie
The Writing Style of Agatha Christie - The Queen of Mystery (bookishelf.com)
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