This novel is written by Agatha Christie and it’s been published in 1939. Her career was long and productive: over 60 novels, short stories, scripts… Agatha’s works are very widely known, and respected. Her books have been sold over 2 billion copies. She really deserves her title: Best detective story writer in the 20th century.
And Then There Were None is detective story, and a very good one. It became classic right away it was published. Review of the book was positive and it became immediately best-seller. The reputation of the book travelled fast among people and they were excited about it, and they still do. The book amazes its readers over and over again, because the plot of the book is so unique and addictive. This kind of plot is called “Shutter Mystery”. It means that the criminal is one of the limited persons. These kinds of books are intense and absorbing. And Then There Were None is excellent case study of this theme.
I don’t want to ruin anyone’s reading experience, so I won’t tell detailed plot. I want, it surprises and overwhelms you just like it did for me. The main idea is well-known though not as simple as you might think. Eight persons are invited in the private Island. They don’t know who invited them. Everyone is blamed in murder. They got stranded in island. They start to die one by one or more closely murdered. One of them is the murderer and no one knows who. The plot of murders is based on old children poem and all the murders follow its verses.
The atmosphere is very tense, everyone is guilty. No one can be trusted. As an experience, the book is very distressing, but without its unique anxious tone, it wouldn’t be this addictive. Frog in one’s throat, heart beating like there wouldn’t be tomorrow, you just keep reading. One of most important factors is that you don’t know who the murderer is. Personally I love books and movies, where pieces click in right places and little by little you start to perceive a bigger picture. Well this is not one of those books. When there are only 2 persons left in island, and you still can’t figure out who is the murderer, you know that the book was successful.
But what the book wants to say? Maybe it wants to warn about concealed danger of a human mind. The main idea is too simple. What goes around comes around. Honestly I don’t know… But what I know is, it provokes huge flood of sentiments. You start to think how well organized the whole story was! First you feel astonished, then you understand genius of the story and last you feel huge appreciation towards the writer. What an imagination!!
I warmly suggest this book for adventurous persons. Warning! Don’t start reading this book during a school week because you will read it in one fell swoops. But that risk is worth taking! If you dare, don’t read the last 30 pages. I wished I wouldn’t have. Without those pages this book would have been perfect. So open your mind for this classic book and realize why people all over the world fell in love with it. ’Cause no great story has best before-date.