Miss Marple - The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
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Review
‘The pieces finally drop into place with a satisfying click.’
Times Literary Supplement
‘Agatha Christie deserves her fame.’
Times Literary Supplement
Review
'The pieces finally drop into place with a satisfying click.' Times Literary Supplement 'Agatha Christie deserves her fame.' Times Literary Supplement
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This Christie mystery is really more simple and pleasant than some. The motive to the murder was legitimate and you feel almost sympathy with the murderer. The conclusion is summed up in a few words--nothing too complicated like One, Two, Buckle My Shoe or others. And you needn't feel confused or tied up in a tangle of evidence and clues--those are few and far between.
If you are a fan of the sinister or like your mysteries dark and complicated, this simply isn't your cup of tea. I have to admit, although I don't always like the simple, pleasant mysteries, that Christie knew what she was doing. Can you see Miss Marple chasing after a serial killer across continents wielding an assault rifle and going down in hand-to-hand combat? No, never. So Christie was wise and keeps her characters in their natural habitats doing realistic things. That way she knew her mysteries and her detectives would receive respect and credulity--quite important for the success of her books.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The 37th installment of The Agatha Christie Collection, The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, sees the return of Miss Marple as the title sleuth. The latest offering has a cunning twist but overall fails to leave a lasting impression.
The early part of the book spends a great deal of time "setting the scene", but the characters are mostly bland and 2-dimensional. The inevitable murder is a relief, because it means there will at least be some plot movement.
The recurring themes for the investigation are quickly established, the "Lady Shallott" look. Christie wisely avoids dwelling for too long on any character or interview, and instead keeps the investigations brief. Although the characters are mostly quite dull and their accounts repetitive, the swift progression from one to the next prevents you from getting bogged down.
The story comes into its own at the end, with the plot quickening and twists emerging as the body count suddenly soars. The latter parts of the book are much more like the Christie we know and love.
It must be said, while I have criticised the flatness of some characters, it does succeed in making the more memorable ones shine out all the more. The incredibly complex Marina Gregg is unravelled further and further, and the represetation of the TV scene is very well represented from Christie's quaint era. In particular, Gregg's frequent marriages and divorces together with showbiz melodrama makes Gregg a wonderfully parodied yet equally original central character.
Also worth mentioning is Miss Marple's hired help, Miss Knight, who backflips stereotypes of old and young people. Knight is incredibly funny combined with Marple's sharp wit and refusal to be patronised because she is older.
Disappointing is Dermot Craddock as the lead investigator in the case. Unlike Poirot, where he does the work and has an obligatory sidekick, it is Craddock who does all the investigating in this case, with Miss Marple in something of a supporting role until the end. Notwithstanding Craddock's own weaknesses - very little is shown of his analysis, thoughts, feelings or turmoil - it does seem a little misleading to class this as a Marple novel. Surely a character so famous of Miss Marple deserved more dialogue and action?
Overall, The Mirror Crack'd is a good read. It's one of Christie's shortest, which prevents the flatness of the plot and characters from being too defined. There are some great exchanges, and the solution - though very quickly revealed and forgotten in a rushed ending disproportionate to its importance - will leave you slapping your head for not working it out!
The early part of the book spends a great deal of time "setting the scene", but the characters are mostly bland and 2-dimensional. The inevitable murder is a relief, because it means there will at least be some plot movement.
The recurring themes for the investigation are quickly established, the "Lady Shallott" look. Christie wisely avoids dwelling for too long on any character or interview, and instead keeps the investigations brief. Although the characters are mostly quite dull and their accounts repetitive, the swift progression from one to the next prevents you from getting bogged down.
The story comes into its own at the end, with the plot quickening and twists emerging as the body count suddenly soars. The latter parts of the book are much more like the Christie we know and love.
It must be said, while I have criticised the flatness of some characters, it does succeed in making the more memorable ones shine out all the more. The incredibly complex Marina Gregg is unravelled further and further, and the represetation of the TV scene is very well represented from Christie's quaint era. In particular, Gregg's frequent marriages and divorces together with showbiz melodrama makes Gregg a wonderfully parodied yet equally original central character.
Also worth mentioning is Miss Marple's hired help, Miss Knight, who backflips stereotypes of old and young people. Knight is incredibly funny combined with Marple's sharp wit and refusal to be patronised because she is older.
Disappointing is Dermot Craddock as the lead investigator in the case. Unlike Poirot, where he does the work and has an obligatory sidekick, it is Craddock who does all the investigating in this case, with Miss Marple in something of a supporting role until the end. Notwithstanding Craddock's own weaknesses - very little is shown of his analysis, thoughts, feelings or turmoil - it does seem a little misleading to class this as a Marple novel. Surely a character so famous of Miss Marple deserved more dialogue and action?
Overall, The Mirror Crack'd is a good read. It's one of Christie's shortest, which prevents the flatness of the plot and characters from being too defined. There are some great exchanges, and the solution - though very quickly revealed and forgotten in a rushed ending disproportionate to its importance - will leave you slapping your head for not working it out!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is extremely readable, and, while the case itself is not one of Agatha Christie's most complex, the denouement is definately a shock and Miss Marple is delightful all the way through. The characters in this novel are not typical of the Miss Marple books: Marina Gregg, a famous film actress, is the most luminous character, hardly a likely addition to St Mary Mead. This novel can also be seen as an interesting social document, for we are informed of all the changes to which the village has been subjected in the 1960s, including "the development". However, the Marple atmosphere is retained almost intact, and the novel does not disappoint. The ending is interesting and unusual, too, though the reader would not be advised to attempt to work it out for himself, as clues are not in abundance. Not quite classic Christie, though as enjoyable as always.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Agatha Christie The mirror cracked from side to side complete and...
I did enjoy this Audio book once I cleaned the cds 2-3 times so that I could listen to it without interuption.
Published 14 months ago by Mannering
Mirror Crack'd
Excellent character development, kept me on the edge of my seat. Very mysterious atmosphere. Had a very unexpected ending. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Bruce Graham
Just one problem
I'm really enjoying working through the BBC radio dramatisations of Christie's works and have yet to find a 'dud'. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2010 by Iain C. Davidson
Return to Marple's hometown
This one has the return to Miss Marple's home of St Mary Mead that I've been desperately craving. The contrived ways she has become involved in some of her cases was getting on my... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2009 by J. R. Johnson-Rollings
maybe a bit too obvious?
The plot unfolds in Christies usual, ‘making it seem so easy to write mystery’ way! However, there is a feeling of slight disappointment when you find out who and how... Read more
Published on 4 July 2003
if you havent read this, youve missed out
Agatha Christie has really done her best with this juicy murder. As well as the usual hair raising stuff, shehas also added a bit of film glamour to this Miss Marple. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2000
THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!!!
This is an excellent book by Agatha Christie. I read And Then There Were None and I thought that was the best book I had ever read. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 1999
Jane Marple solves four murders in Gossington Hall.
Miss Jane Marple is the main character in several of Dame Agatha Christie's mystery novels. She is a small, old woman who lives in the village of St. Mary's Mead, England. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 1998
MEDIOCRE
While not a complete waste, this isn't the best of her novels. However, you won't be disappointed with the usual mind-blowing ending....you'll never guess it!
Published on 21 Jun 1998
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