The book cover of "And then there were None"
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Nina Lim
1. Synopsis
At the beginning of the book, eight people were invited to an Indian Land in the English coast for different reasons. These eight people were a governess named Vera Claythorne, an adventurer Philip Lombard, a ex-detective William Blore, a doctor Armstrong, Tony Marston, Emily Brent, General McCarthur and lastly Judge Wargrave. The moment eight of them arrive at the Indian Land, they were greeted by Mr. and Mrs.Rogers, the workers at the house who supposedly work for a men named “Mr.Owen.” After a nice dinner, a recorded voice announces murder each person committed in the past. They soon realize that there is no such person as Mr.Owen on this island. Right that moment, Tony Marston chocked to death by drinking poisonous whiskey, which frightens everyone. As each person goes back to their bed, they regret and feel guilty for what they have done in the past. Next morning, they find Mrs.Rogers dead on her bed. The guests decide to leave the island, but the boat that should carry them back to land never returns. By lunch time, Dr.Armstrong finds General MarcCarthur dead on the shore. Everyone gathers at the dining table to seek solution and they start to accuse one another as a murderer. The next morning, Mr.Rogers was found dead while chopping woods for breakfast. The survivors at this point realizes that the murder plot follows through with nursery rhyme that is hanged at the dining room. After breakast, Emily who has stayed by herself, is also found dead. Then soon after, Judge Wargrave is found dead wrapped in a curtain. The remaining Vera, Lombard, and Blore escapes to outside. But when Blore goes back to mansion in search for food, he dies from statue that has fallen from the top of the building. Vera and Lombard immedately head toward the ocean, where they find Dr.Armstrong dead. Vera suddenly suspects Lombard as the killer, and shoots him in the head. Vera, happy that she has survived, returns to mansion but eventually hangs herself by a strange force. After a while, the police starts to investigate the scene, but finds no particular evidence until they receive a manuscript from Judge Wargrave. This paper explained how Judge Wargrave planned all the murders because everyone that was invited to this island were never punished for their deeds. The book ends with his explanations of how he secretly carried out each murder.
2. Personal Response
I really really enjoyed this book because my favorite type of book is mystery or detective-related stories. The big twist at the end was worth the reading this long story. The fact that Judge wanted to punish those who didn’t receive the punishment they deserved was a likeable plot because in most other mystery story, innocent people are murdered. I also liked the fact that the author gave no clue who the murderer would be because this would encourge the readers to guess who the murderer might be and to pay attention to every detail. The setting, an Indian Island, which was isolated was another part of the novel I liked. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery novel, because this is one of the best mystery novel I have ever read.
3. Critical Analysis
By the time Christie began writing, mystery novels already had established rules. Edgar Allan Poe, who set up basic foundation of mystery novels, had many followers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In their novels, the story was told from detective’s perspective, who investigates and unreveals the murderer at the end. However, Christie’s writing didn’t follow this traditional line. For example, in her book The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the killer was the narrator. And also in this book, And then there were None, there is no detective and it is almost impossible to guess who is the murderer. This story was told in third person objective where the narrator knows only what’s apparently going on but not how each character thinks or feels. The auhor had intended to use this particular perspective so that the murderer is covered. However, at the end, when Judge reveals his hidden plan, it was told in first person perspective.
The author of "And then there were None," Agatha Christie (Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller)
4. Biological Information
Agatha Christie (Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller) was born in Torquay, England on September 5, 1890. She married Colonel Archibald Chrisite and had a daughter named Rosalind, but she soon got divorced. Chritie wrote her first book, “Mysterious Affair at Styles” which featured a famous character, Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, in 1920. Also in 1926, Christie wrote “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” which is considered one of the masterpiece in mystery genre’s history. After 13 years in 1939, she wrote “And then there were None” which became her most popular mystery novel. This novel was made into play and several films. In later years, she also wrote four non-fiction books and fourteen plays. In 1971, Christie was rewarded with “Dame Commander of the British Empire” from Queen Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, Agatha Christie died soon on January 12, 1976.
A movie poster of "And then there were None" in 1945, starring Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston
