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I am really excited about this. I don't know any of Sophie Hannah's work but I'm encouraged by the endorsement she has from the Christie estate. I LOVE Agatha Christie. I don't think her writing style is the best in the world but her stories keep me entertained from the first page to the last. I don't read much modern crime, but I adore cosy crime and Agatha has to be my favourite. Are you as excited as me?
It's easy to be sceptical when authors take on somebody else's creation, but I think it can be wonderful. Anthony Horowitz's new Sherlock Holmes novel, The House of Silk, was a book I greatly enjoyed and I've heard really good things about P.D James's crime sequel to Pride and Prejudice called Death Comes to Pemberley. I think if you take a character who has appeared in very many original stories (so there is a lot of material for the "new" author to use for research), add an author who is already established and popular, and finish off with the authorisation of the original author's estate, there's a good chance of getting something pretty special out of it. Have you ever loved or loathed an author's take on somebody else's characters?
It's got me wondering if there are any other characters I'd like to see resurrected. I know I was very frustrated at the ending of Gone With the Wind, but I think a few different people have ended up writing sequels already for that very reason! Perhaps I'd like somebody to write a new Famous Five or a sequel to The Secret Garden. Is there anybody you'd like to star in a novel once again?
I read about the new Poirot novel and wondered where it would fit in terms of the existing canon. (No spoilers here.) It's great that the characters continue to inspire and engage readers and authors.
ReplyDeleteIf it could be done well, I'd like to see a sequel to Nineteen Eighty-Four. I'm not looking for a deliberately upbeat ending, I'd just like to know what became of Winston and whether he reverted!
I actually think Poirot and Miss Marple are remarkably 2-D characters considering the number of novels they are in. Still love them though! (Poirot more than Marple obviously).
DeleteNo! 1984 might be my absolute favourite book and I love that you don't know. I'm sure he didn't revert but I'd hate for someone to prove me wrong!
This promises to be interesting. I like Agatha Christie mysteries, although mysteries have been better than others. I hope this book does well. Hmm. What characters would I like to see resurrected? I can't really think of any right now. Of course, as soon as I sign off, I'll probably think of a dozen. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, some are a little unsatisfactory and Hastings is seriously irritating, but there are some gems. I grew up listening to them on tape while I did jigsaw puzzles on wet weekend afternoons!
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DeleteI've got a few Agatha C's to read on my shelf! Must get around to them. I've not read any books where a different author takes on some famous characters - I MUST rectify this. How sheltered my life has been.
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