Let’s face it, Agatha Christie and her wonderful detective, Hercule Poirot, don’t need any introduction from me. Christie is one of the best-selling authors in the world – ever! And even if you haven’t read any of her books, chances are you’re aware of the amazing adaptations of the Poirot stories, starring David Suchet in the title role. I first discovered the little Belgian in my teens, around the time of the all-star film adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express” and I was instantly hooked. In the decades since then, I’ve collected and read everything by Christie, and she’s most definitely one of my favourite authors.
Until the LWT adaptations of Christie’s stories, Poirot had really not been well served by the film medium. Although I’d watched Albert Finney in “Orient” he was far removed from the written version of the character, and just about every adaptation featured a caricature Hercule, with stupid exaggerated mannerisms and cod accents. However, the advent of David Suchet in the role brought a sea change, and this book is full of his recollections of his life as Poirot – coming to the role at the start, his approach to acting and becoming the man, his quest to ensure the portrayal was accurate and his wish to bring all the Poirot stories to the small screen.
“Poirot and Me” (a lovely gift from OH at Christmas) is a beautifully easy and enjoyable read, brimming with anecdotes and memories. Suchet is meticulous in his approach to bringing the great detective to the small screen, determined that his portrayal will be of *Christie’s* Poirot, and it’s fascinating to watch the development process. He’s obviously put his heart and soul into the role, becoming the character to such an extent that he (and others!) often don’t know where Poirot ends and Suchet begins. He’s also a very astute interpreter, a true ‘character actor’ and he has some intriguing insights into Poirot’s nature and being. At the start of his career in Christie, he made a long crib of characteristics of the great man, which is reproduced at the end of the book and makes fascinating reading. Learning how he used his actors skills to get under the skin of the real Poirot was quite an eye-opener – being a proper actor isn’t a walk in the park. And Suchet filled in the gaps too, relating the other work he’s done between Poirot, and reminding us of the uncertainty of an actor’s life, going from job to job and not knowing where the future lies.
It’s a bit of a shock to realise that the first stories featuring the actor were back in 1989 and then you understand what a monumental undertaking it’s been for him to retain his grip on the character over all that time; not only improving and perfecting his portrayal along the way (which, let’s be honest, was pretty perfect from the start); but also digging down deeper into the nature of Poirot, highlighting his real character which has been somewhat buried over the years by the superficial public image. It’s a remarkable achievement which must have taken much from the actor, and he’s not afraid to show the emotions involved in this, whether positive or negative. The accounts of the filming of the final stories are moving, and I confess to having a tear or two in my eyes (I haven’t felt strong enough yet to watch “Curtain”!) We are really privileged to get a behind-the-scenes view of the creation of Hercule Poirot, so much of which is driven by Suchet himself
David Suchet comes across as a genuinely modest man, never anything less than generous about his colleagues, both in front of and behind the cameras. I have a great deal of respect for him, and as a fan of Poirot, also a great deal of gratitude for the way he’s brought the real detective to us in a way never done before. It’s an understatement to say he’s the definitive Poirot – he *is* Poirot! This is a lovely, lovely book and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone with even a passing interest in Agatha Christie and her great detective. Essential reading!
(As a side note, much as I love battered old paperbacks, this really lovely hardback was another reminder of why I don’t like ebooks. Thick paper, lovely colour photos of the filming of the series, the ease of holding and reading, the smell of newly printed paper – not much is better than that!)