And we’re OFF!!! Yes, the #1930club kicks off today, for a week of reading, discovering and discussing books from that year. As I mentioned a couple of weeks back, I found that I had a surprising amount of books from 1930 already in the stacks, including a number I’ve not read. However, I was *really* tempted to start off with a re-read, and the great Agatha Christie was calling. There are a few choices from 1930, but I ended up picking “The Mysterious Mr. Quin” – and what a joy it turned out to be!
My copy of “Mr. Quin” is from 1982, and I reckon I probably picked it up in that decade, as I was making a concerted effort to read and collect everything Christie had written. I probably haven’t revisited it in a very long time, but I recall having a great fondness for it – and I still do. The book collects together 12 short stories featuring the elusive title character and his side-kick, the very entertaining Mr. Satterthwaite. The latter is an ageing bachelor – described by his author as oddly elf-like, he is comfortably-off, a lover of art and fine living, and something of a snob. His friendships with the rich and titled give him great pleasure, and he has a keen interest in those around him, being one of life’s observers. Mr. Quin arrives into his life in the first story, “The Coming of Mr. Quin”, which is set on New Year’s Eve. Mr. Satterthwaite is a house-guest (he’s a constant presence at any gathering worth attending) and there are unspoken tensions amongst the family with whom he’s staying. He and Quin develop an instant bond, and between them discover what’s causing the discord, setting things right before tragedy takes place. This sets a kind of template for what follows, although each story is individual and cleverly constructed – and in fact the whole set-up of the relationship between the two men is quite brilliantly done.
“Oh yes – I answer for Mr. Quin.”
Before I dig a little deeper, it has to be said that these stories are incredibly entertaining, and I found the book quite unputdownable. I’ve always found Christie’s writing utterly compelling and I absolutely loved reading these tales again. However, this time round I think I appreciated her sheer artistic achievement more, and I was aware of a number of elements in the book which I particularly love in her writing. For a start, many of the stories feature Christie’s favourite trope of looking back and resolving a mystery from the past; as Quin regularly points out, you can often see things better with perspective, picking up on things you might have missed at the time. It’s one of the things I’m most fond of in her books.
“That is a curious idea of yours,” said Mr Satterthwaite slowly. “That one sees things better afterwards than at the time.”
“The longer the time has elapsed, the more things fall into proportion. One sees them in their true relationship to one another.”
The Quin/Satterthwaite stories also allowed Christie to combine her three kinds of writing: crime, romance and a touch of the supernatural. Certainly, some of the stories gave me a spooky kind of shiver down the spine! Quin and Satterthwaite often act as nemeses (another Christie trope) and are on the side of the lovers, the dead and those at the end of their tether. Christie’s strong sense of justice always came through in the books and it’s wonderful to watch her characters solve probles and avert catastrophe.
“I have a certain friend – his name is Mr Quin, and he can best be described in the terms of catalysis. His presence is a sign that things are going to happen, because he is there strange revelations come to light, discoveries are made. And yet – he himself takes no part in the proceedings.”
Interestingly, although Harley Quin is the title character of the book, it’s very much Mr. Satterthwaite who takes the central role; perhaps as the male equivalent of Miss Marple? Quin is described by Satterthwaite as a catalyst, helping the latter to take action – he acts as Quin’s ’emissary’. And Mr. Satterwaite himself is a fascinating creation, containing elements of both of Christie’s great detectives. Like Miss Marple, he is an observer of life, but that tendency has given him insight and he sees similarities everywhere. And like Hercule Poirot, his detection is mostly detection of the mind; he too uses his ‘little grey cells’ to puzzle out the solution to a problem, egged on by the elusive Mr. Quin. All three of these protagonists of Christie’s are single; spinster or bachelors; and interestingly both of her male characters have strong female characteristics, of which the novelist reminds the reader regularly. Satterthwaite himself has moments of anguish, even despair, as he thinks he’s had a wasted life; but Quin often reassures him that he has seen life and is making a difference.
“You have seen much of life,” said Mr. Quin gravely. “More than most people.”
“Life has passed me by,” said Mr. Satterthwaite bitterly.
“But in so doing has sharpened your vision. Where others are blind you can see.”
As the stories progress, Mr. Quin himself becomes more and more elusive, and a slightly darker character, until in the final tale “Harlequin’s Lane” he becomes almost sinister. I’m not going to discuss the individual stories, because I don’t want to give anything away. But suffice to say, each story contains Christie’s signature twists and sleight of hand, and I found myself marvelling at her incredibly fertile mind!
You might have seen Simon’s recent post about the Charles Osborne book “The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie”; it’s a book I’ve had in my collection for decades (in fact, I think Mr. Kaggsy may have bought it for me in our early years together). Despite the Internet being handy, I always go back to Osborne when I read a Christie; his insights and thoughts are always spot on. “Mr. Quin” allowed Christie and her characters the room to philosophise a little; and as Osborne points out, her writing is superb in places, something she’s not always given credit for.
The characters initially only appeared in this one book together, although Mr. Satterthwaite also appears in “Dead Man’s Mirror” (part of the “Murder in the Mews” collection) and “Three Act Tragedy”. However, as my burrowing into the Osborne book revealed, there are actually another two uncollected stories featuring the detecting duo. This triggered a frantic rummage in my Christie shelves to see if I had them, and indeed I have; in a later anthology “Problem at Pollensa Bay”.
“The Love Detectives” is from 1926, so could slot into the original collection (but maybe nobody wanted to have 13 stories…); it involves Quin and Satterthwaite solving an obscure murder whilst saving a pair of lovers from the gallows. “The Harlequin Tea Set”, intriguingly, is later Christie, published in 1971. It’s a longer short story, and Christie makes reference to her dynamic duo having last met in the final story of the original collection. The writing is perhaps not so sharp, and the narrative maybe more fanciful than her early works; nevertheless, it’s a gripping and involving tale of Satterthwaite and Quin, and allows them to make a welcome final return visit.
So my first read for the #1930Club was a wonderful one! I’ve said before that I could happily sit down and spend a month reading all of Dame Agatha’s books from start to finish, and every time I dip into one that feeling is reinforced. The main problem I have at the moment is that instead of reading other books from 1930, I’m desperately drawn to pick up at least the two Christies above… ;D
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As you’ll see, there’s a page here on the Ramblings where I’ll put links to other posts, and my co-host Simon will be doing some linking too – make sure you check his blog out for more #1930Club loveliness! And do leave a comment with a link – we’re so looking forward to seeing what everyone else reads! 😀
BookerTalk
Oct 14, 2019 @ 07:08:22
This will be one for my sister who is the Christie fan in our family. I’m sure she’s never read it. I wouldn’t ever have associated Christie with the supernatural but I’m not as familiar with her body of work as you are. Is that a one off in this collection or does it appear elsewhere in her books.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 10:27:14
Oh, well your sister is in for a treat then – I love these stories. She does allow hints of the supernatural to sneak into her work – “The Pale Horse” if I remember correctly has that kind of element – although it’s always explained away. Adds a frisson to the reading!
Liz Dexter
Oct 14, 2019 @ 07:29:31
A good read! I am not sure I’ll be able to participate in the week, given my TBR, but I am going to check the older books in it in case they match the year! Happy reading and sharing!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 10:26:05
It was indeed – I loved my Christie revisit! Not to worry if you can’t join in, hopefully there will be plenty of interesting posts for you to read!
JacquiWine
Oct 14, 2019 @ 07:32:43
What fun! I read quite a lot of Christie back in the day, but not this one. (At least I don’t think I’ve ever read it as the Quin-Satterthwaite dynamic doesn’t ring any bells.) It’s interesting to see your comments on the appreciation of Christie’s artistic skills and achievements. I often wonder how I would find her now, especially as it’s several years since my last encounter with her work…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 10:25:29
It was indeed – such an enjoyable read. I get very cross when people dismiss her writing. I think it was excellent!
Brian Joseph
Oct 14, 2019 @ 08:49:17
I must confess that I have not yet delved into Agathe Christie. I really need to. My wife has read a fair amount but she says that she has not read these stories. These stories sound good but I will probably start with the novels.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 10:24:32
She’s a wonderful author in my view. I *would* suggest starting with one of her classic novels, but once you’re hooked you’ll want to read everything!! 😀
Cathy746books
Oct 14, 2019 @ 11:55:36
I do love linked short story collections and this sounds very entertaining!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 15:08:14
It really is, and it’s lovely to watch the relationship between the two main characters develop!
Jane @ Beyond Eden Rock
Oct 14, 2019 @ 12:34:31
I remember reading – and loving – this many years ago. I am so tempted to look for a copy to re-read.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 15:07:44
It was such a joy to read; I should revisit Christie on a more regular basis! Hope you track down a copy… ;D
Tredynas Days
Oct 14, 2019 @ 13:19:14
I’m another who’s not read AG – I’m not keen on the crime genre, though I enjoy the TV & film versions. As for 1930: I’m still wading through vol.2 of Uwe Johnson’s Anniversaries so May not get to participate. But I’ll check the shelves and see if there’s anything relevant lurking
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 15:07:14
Hope you can find something appropriate – maybe a nice slim novella to contrast with Aniversaries? ;D
heavenali
Oct 14, 2019 @ 14:34:05
Ooh currently reading and enjoying this, so I have Skimmed your review. Glad to see that you enjoyed it.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 15:05:47
It was marvellous – such a good book! Look forward to your thoughts! 😀
Reese Warner
Oct 14, 2019 @ 15:25:24
I haven’t read the Mr. Quin stories, but I’ll have to check those out!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 16:18:36
They’re marvellous – definitely highly recommended! 😀
literarygitane
Oct 14, 2019 @ 16:21:14
Anything by Dame Agatha is marvelous! What a great review! Pure nostalgia! Apart from crime fiction, she wrote some interesting books of a very different nature under the pen name of Mary Westmacott- books exploring love, life and relationships.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 18:56:24
She was a wonder, and this was so enjoyable! I own all the Westmacotts but can’t be surely exactly which I’ve read (if any) – so there’s a possible project!!
Jane
Oct 14, 2019 @ 16:25:13
I hope you don’t mind me asking but how do you choose the year? Is it just a random thought or do you put years in a hat and pick one? Thanks!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 18:54:17
It depends! 🤣Sometimes it’s whatever year takes our fancy, once we had nominations and this time it was because we hadn’t actually gone for the first year in a decade before. We might look to see whether a particular year has interesting sounding books, or just decide we haven’t been to a particular decade for a while. It’s kind of random, but that’s half the fun!! 😁
TravellinPenguin
Oct 14, 2019 @ 18:53:19
I really need to participate in this selected year you and Simon do for reading. I always seem to be travelling when this happens. Spring and autumn is when I like to travel as kids are in school and not where I am. I will participate one of these days. Agatha is a great choice.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 18:57:12
Not to worry- maybe next time! I was very happy with my first choice for the week – you can’t go wrong with Agatha! 😁
Simon T
Oct 14, 2019 @ 19:16:41
Lovely review! One of Agatha’s that I haven’t read, as I’ve always steered towards her novels rather than her stories, but you – and Osborne! – make this sound really good.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 19:17:28
It’s a really good one, Simon, and because the stories are linked and kind of sequential you could treat it as a sort of novel… ;D
Helen
Oct 14, 2019 @ 20:23:19
I read this earlier in the year and enjoyed it too. I’ll have to look for the other stories with Mr Quin and Mr Satterthwaite.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 14, 2019 @ 20:43:52
They’re such fun, aren’t they, and I was so happy to read the extra 2 stories. Hope you can find them! 😀
madamebibilophile
Oct 15, 2019 @ 09:22:31
This sounds fab! I’ve never read any of the Quin/Satterthwaite stories. You’ve definitely started the week on a high, despite that horrible cover 😀
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 15, 2019 @ 09:53:23
It really was a brilliant book, and a great way to start the week. But yes – the cover is quite vile (many of the 1970s/1980s editions were nasty). Ali is reading a much prettier copy! 😀
chrisharding53
Oct 15, 2019 @ 16:26:44
Lovely review. I swear I have this somewhere, although I’ve never read it, but can I find it? Of course not. So I re-read Murder at the Vicarage, and enjoyed it very much. I’d forgotten how good Christie can be.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 15, 2019 @ 19:03:45
Excellent – I shall link to your post. I did cosider Vicarage but I felt like a revisit to Quin. Yes – she really *is* good! 😀
chrisharding53
Oct 15, 2019 @ 19:15:27
Thank you – it was cobbled in a bit of a hurry. Was at Mum’s last week, then spent a three-day weekend (if there is such a thing) at a drawing and stitching workshop.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 15, 2019 @ 19:22:05
Oooh – sounds fun! 😀
buriedinprint
Oct 15, 2019 @ 19:31:33
How fun that you’re not the only reader who slipped this one into the 1930 stack (Ali, perhaps others too?).
My book just arrived via inner-city loan on Saturday so I haven’t yet begun reading. I’d best get busy!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 15, 2019 @ 19:35:07
LOL! I hope others pick this one up too, as well as Ali, as it’s such a good read!
Look forward to hearing about what you read! 😀
WordsAndPeace
Oct 16, 2019 @ 16:48:23
I’m shocked that this title doesn’t even ring a bell, Which makes me think that I should really read all of Agatha Christie, just as I recently read all novels and stories related to Sherlock Holmes, I mean, by Conan Doyle
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 16, 2019 @ 18:24:48
Reading Christie from start to end is one of my retirement goals! I’ve read them all at some time in my life but immersing myself in her books would be such a great! 😁
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