NOTE: Members of my book group read both or either one of these novels.
|
Facts/Real
People: Agatha
Christie Archibald
Christie – was having an affair with, and later married, Nancy/Theresa Neele Daughter
Rosaline She worked in
a dispensary during the war and learned about poisons Agatha did
disappear for 11 days and was found at the Harrogate spa, registered as Theresa
Nele She wrote
three letters before disappearing: one to secretary that was turned over to
the police, two others to Archie and her brother-in-law that were destroyed. Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle did get a glove and ask a medium for help. She claimed
she did not remember anything that happened. |
|
|
The Christie Affair |
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie |
|
Agatha and
Archie Christie Teddy –
daughter Honoria –
nanny and secretary Nan O’Dea –
mistress, narrator Genevieve -
baby with Finbarr given for adoption Sisters –
Coleen (deceased), Megs, Louisa Parents Finbarr
Mahoney Deputy Chief
Constable Thompson Inspector
Frank Chilton – called out of retirement, found Agatha on day 4 but did not
report it Sam
Lippincott - police, with Chilton in war Convent: Sister Mary
Clare Father Joseph
– rapist Nan (daughter
Genevieve) Bess (son
Ronan) – raped by Father Joseph Bellefort
Hotel and Spa – Harrogate Simon and
Isabelle Leech – owners, Lippincott’s cousin Mr. and Mrs.
Marston (Sister Mary Clare and Father Joseph) – murdered Lizzie (Bess)
and Donny Clarke Mrs. and Mr.
Race (Bess’ sister and husband) Finbarr Chilton Mrs. Cornelia Armstrong Nan
“Genevieve O’Dea” |
Agatha and
Archie Christie Rosalind –
daughter Charlotte
Fisher – nanny and secretary Agatha’s family: Mother Madge – older
sister (12 years), writer Monty -
brother Sam and Madge
Owens – golf friends Nancy Neele –
Archie’s mistress Deputy Chief
Constable Kenwood Superintendent
Charles Goddard Commander
Reynolds – Scotland Yard |
For Discussion:
NOTE – Page numbers are from hardback editions of novels.
The
Christie Affair – written from Nan’s point of view
1.
Was it logical that Finbarr kept showing up: at
Ballycotton when he was sick, a year later when he found Nan in London when war
ended, six years later he found Agatha when she crashed car, and then was at
the Bellefort Hotel?
2.
Did you like that there were two focuses on the
novel – Agatha’s disappearance and what happened to unwed mothers during this
time period? Do you agree with this
statement?
3.
Discuss your reading experience. Were you able to follow along, particularly
everyone who was at Harrogate and who they really were?
4.
Did you like the last paragraph and the way the
narrator spoke directly to the reader?
5.
Was the story believable? Does that matter?
The
Mystery of Mrs. Christie
6.
Agatha’s mother’s advised to always put her
husband first and do everything for his happiness, at the expense of herself
and any children. Do you think this was
typical of the 1920s?
7.
Archie was greatly changed when he came home
from the war. If this had not happened,
do you think the outcome of their marriage would have been different? Given the time, was there anything he or
Agatha could do?
8.
Archie’s excuse for ending the marriage was, “I hate
it when people are ill or unhappy. It
spoils everything for me. It spoiled us,
Agatha” (page 195). Was this a result of
his war experience or did you think he was always self-centered like this and
kept it hidden?
9.
Did you understand that the manuscript Agatha
kept referring to in Part Two was what you had read throughout the book? If she had released it, do you think it would
have had the intended result portraying Archie in a bad light?
Both novels
10.
Both novels have the same disclaimer on the
copyright page: “The characters and events portrayed in this book are
fictitious or are used factiously.” How
important is it for the reader to keep this in mind?
11.
Compare how Archie was portrayed in the two
books. His portrayal in the Marie
Benedict book was especially unflattering.
How fair is this to him if this is not true?
No comments:
Post a Comment