No not that
Queen! But the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie! What self-respecting
mystery writer (or reader) doesn’t acknowledge the Queen of Mystery? No one! She did many great things during her prolific life. For example, she is the third bestselling author
of all time, with the Bible and Shakespeare earning the first two spots! That, in and of itself, is a major
accomplishment, especially considering she was a woman. Another Christie accomplishment is that she
is the most popular playwright! She has
had more of her plays performed than anyone else! Although, you may be surprised to know that she
contributed so much more than just her writing to the world! And that her contributions are still being enjoyed
by the current generation and will be around for future ones.
First things, first
though. There is an elephant in the room
that I’d like to address.
I am sure that some have
heard the big debate that has happened over the last few months involving
Christie and her works. There are some that think that Christie’s
work is out of date and that it contains offensive language. That
her stories need to be “softened.” They also have called her
true character and purpose into question. Others vehemently disagree, saying that her original works should be left alone. That she wrote what
she wrote on purpose. That her works showed ALL areas of life
honestly: it was the good, the bad, and she even represented the
ugly. That it tells of another time, but that it CAN
still be relevant today, if we are careful.
No matter which side you
are on, this debate has caused Christie fans not only to be in an uproar but it also has caused much damage within the Christie community itself. What
was once a very diverse set of people, from literally all over the world, who were only first unified by their love for Christie’s contributions has resulted in a major division. Some fans have left groups because of
this division. As a huge Christie fan, this is my first and foremost
reason for delving more into Christie, right now. I had intended to
wait and reveal another author, but I feel too strongly about this matter to
wait any longer. While I enjoy a healthy debate, I am heartbroken at
the anger and discord that this debate has caused within an otherwise once
loving and acceptable community of her fans. Although Christie
cannot defend herself nor can she answer our questions, I am
learning about her to find out the answers to our
questions. Or at the very least, to seek answers to ease the tension
and create a healthy debate. Do we fellow
Christie fans not owe it to her, as well as ourselves, to find the truth (or at
least attempt to find the truth)? Personally,
I think Christie would want more from us as fans. Let’s face it, Poirot and Miss Marple would seek to find the truth and
not wrongly accuse someone of anything without those facts. I hope you will join me on this Christie
adventure!
Some of the questions I
will seek answers to in the following weeks are as follows:
How much do we actually know about her: specifically, her life and her writing?
What motivated her to
write? Especially what she wrote?
Did she write what she
wrote from experience, prejudices, etc?
How did she influence the
mystery genre?
Why is she considered the “Queen of Mystery”?
How did she help change the
roles of women in the early 19th century?
Is it true that poison was
her favorite means of murder and if so, why?
What are the “Christie
clues”?
Do you think you know the
answers to these questions? Or, do you have your own questions that
you just absolutely HAVE to have the answer to? Did I miss asking a
major question in this debate? Drop me a comment and let me know. If
I can answer your question, I certainly will!