Commentaires client les plus utiles
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Miss Lemon shocked Poirot by making errors and...., Jui 25 2004
revealing that she has a sister! Poirot had never before considered that his incredibly efficient secretary could be so human. Miss Lemon's sister was responsible for the errors as well, there were troubling things taking place in her life. There were thefts taking place at the youth hostel where she worked. Poirot decided to look into the matter as a favor to Miss Lemon and so he could restore the order in his own life.Poirot begins his investigation of the hostel and its residents but before he can solve the rash of petty thefts a murder occurs, a murder that is only the first of a series. The trail leads Poirot and the police into a world of smuggling with side trips through young love and family secrets. In typical Christie fashion the clues are all laid out for the reader to follow. There are red herrings to confuse the armchair detective - perhaps a few too many in this one - and of course, the usual Christie 'twist' at the end. It is often suggested that a writer should write about what they know and this book points out that Christie didn't know very much about unversity students in the mid-fifties. The characters do not come to life in this one they way they do in most of her other books. Keeping the various students/suspects sorted out it difficult because they really aren't very memorable. Also this one seems to suffer from too much - too much plot drug AND gem smuggling, too many red herrings and too many conincidences. It should be noted that this book was originally written in 1955 and certain parts are very much representative of that time. Stereotypes of Italians, blacks, Indians, Cockneys etc are all present and tend to make the 21st century reader cringe. Even though this is not one of Christie's masterpieces it is still an excellent read, thoroughly challenging and enjoyable.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Too many red herrings spoil the plot, Fév 6 2003
Hercule Poirot is startled when Miss Lemon, his "perfect machine" of a secretary, makes three mistakes in typing a simple letter. Clearly, something is amiss. Miss Lemon, on questioning, reveals that she is worried about her sister, Mrs. Hubbard. After spending her married life in Singapore, Mrs. Hubbard has returned to England a widow, where she is living as matron of a youth hostel in Hickory Road, an establishment that caters to an international group of students. It seems that things, "odd things," have been disappearing from the hostel, "And all in rather an unnatural way." Miss Lemon suspects it's something more than petty thievery or kleptomania, and Poirot agrees to meet Felicity Lemon's distressed sibling. Although the story starts strongly with a colourful description of the students in the hostel, it deteriorates rather quickly into a complex micmac of red herrings. It seems as though Christie herself is not sure of the outcome when plotting her story. Of course, it is always fun to meet our dearest detective Hercule Poirot, but the amount of mischief going on in the hostel imposes some strain on the reader's patience as well on Poirot's ingenuity. Clearly one of the weakest novels to feature Poirot.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Poirot Solves A Murder At A Youth Hostel, Jui 11 2001
Just as Poirot is noted for his love of order and symmetry, so is his secretary Miss Lemon. Therefore, Poirot is shocked when one morning Miss Lemon makes not one, but three mistakes. Poirot is at first mystified and then discovers that Miss Lemon is worried about her sister, Mrs. Hubbard. Poirot decides he must solve Mrs. Hubbard's problem so Miss Lemon can be her super-efficient self once more. Mrs. Hubbard, a widow who had previously been living in Singapore, manages a youth hostel at 26 Hickory Road. Youths from many backgrounds, both sexes, and various races have been living together in relative harmony, but suddenly a series of unusual objects begin disappearing from the hostel. After a visit from Poirot, one of the youths admits to the stealing, but that same youth is murdered the next evening. Trouble is just beginning as two more deaths occur. It is up to Poirot to figure out how a false passport, red hair clutched in a dead girl's hand, memories of a college dance, and stolen morphine can explain the strange happenings. Excellent characterizations and plotting, plus Poirot's brilliant detecting make this a classic.
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de Agatha Christie
de Christie Agatha
de Agatha Christie
de Agatha Christie
de Agatha Christie
