The Mousetrap And Other Plays (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
In this anthology of four plays, I've read two of them as novels. I always find it interesting to see what's been changed when stories are brought into a different format. And Then There Were None is one of the notoriously different stories on stage, since it was assumed that the novel's ending would be too depressing to a theatre audience. It read pretty well except for the odd subplot romance they stuck in. The Hollow had a quite a few things changed around to force the play into a single setting, the biggest change being that Poirot was written out entirely. One of the main scenes that sticks in my head from the novel was the swimming pool, which is also absent from the play. A couple of other details that stand out as essentially what made this story to me were removed for expediency, and of course quite a few red herring suspects were also easily removed from the investigations.I may have also read Appointment with Death in another form, since it felt slightly familiar. Christie seems to have a thing about both rich families, and families that are thrown into confusion by a murder within its midsts and how it affects the family when the murderer is likely to be unknown forever.The main play I got this collection for was, of course, The Mousetrap. I haven't seen it on stage at all or read before. And I have to say I was fairly disappointed. I know the experience of reading something is not quite the same as seeing it staged, and that the theatre magic will make something quite enjoyable that may not quite come to life on the page... but I was not at all surprised by the ending, which is apparently one of the best kept theatre secrets (I guessed pretty much in the second scene what the big reveal was). And the fact that there are huge gaping plot holes that just don't work at all when you think back on the character's motivations and movements is very disappointing considering Christie's usual in-depth detail work on any story. I know she found the experience of reworking stories to plays difficult (as evidenced by Ariadne Oliver's comments in some of the novels), so maybe this is the result of that kind of upset in the working relationship. Yet, this is the longest running stage play still. I felt the play was a very short read, considering it is a full length play. No matter, maybe one day I'll make sure to go and see it, to see if the plot holes are as evident live as they are in reading.
Perhaps the best thing about Christie plays is that they are short and quickly readable. Perhaps the worst thing about Christie plays is that they are almost inevitably the same, exact thing.Granted, the most popular and prolific crime mystery writer of our time is simply borrowing from the Bard in regurgitating devices over and over and over again. But it's the hackneyed ways in which she does them that gives a reader pause (while an audience might find delight).This volume contains two lesser known plays: Appointment with Death and The Hollow, both of which have their charms (an exotic locale rarely used on stage for one, and a beautiful string of red herrings in the other) but are hopelessly crippled by their overdependence on absurd devices. Everytime one person exits, the scene conveniently jumps off in another direction with different characters and a different conflict. Either these characters have the greatest sense of timing imaginable, or Christie was just too lazy to imagine large scale conflicts.The two more famous plays, the tightly wound And Then There Were None and the uber-hit, omni-present Mousetrap are more engaging. They have unique features that sets them apart from her more standard fare. Christie relieves the audience from the wrote predictability of Act I: introduction, Act II: one person is clearly disliked and bound to be murdered, Act III: Find the murderer. In the first play, murders come fast and furious from Act I through to the climax. In the second, the standard Act III deus ex machina of a hard working inspector is turned into a completely different tool all together.Unfortunately, Christie insists upon happy endings, even though they are completely unrealistic and turn otherwise white-knucked theaters into treacley vomitoriums of irrational behavior.She's the queen of crime, yet, she has to send the audience home happy? Come on, kill 'em all! Leave with a bang.
What do You think about The Mousetrap And Other Plays (2000)?
The title story of this collection of short stories takes place in a snowed in guest house -- snowed in with a killer who has an affinity for the song "Three Blind Mice." There is the young couple just starting on owning an inn and a cast of eccentric characters -- and neither a Miss Marple nor a Hercule Poirot to rescue the situation. The core of the story is the mistreatment of two children evacuated from London during the blitz and revenge so very long after. Agatha Christie continues to be a good read, but the plots are seldom memorable.
—Jo Ellen
I have very vague recollections of trying to read a Hercule Poirot book from almost a decade ago and hardly remember a thing from it. This was all the acquaintance I had with Agatha Christie. A colleague once when she received a pay raise went ahead and brought the entire collection of Miss Marple and I remember staring incredulously at her as she explained the different titles in the collection. After a while I come to know of the longest running play in Broadway and also of the 2003 film Identity which was inspired by the very enjoyable "And then there were none". May be it was all this hearsay that made me pick up this book.There were four plays in my edition of this book : And then there were none, Appointment with Death, The Hollow & The Mousetrap. Of these I sticked to the well known ones, the first and fourth. Even though the premise of Appointment with Death was a promising one, I was not much of a taker to it and neither did I finish The Hollow. Little wonder Agatha Christie is called the queen of crime fiction for she creates a heightened sense of tension and suspense throughout the narrative. The characters are interesting and the plots are colorful and amusing to say the least. Thankfully neither of the tales had a poirotesque detective jumping in with a "Aaha, I have cornered you, you fiend !!!". It is always the narrative that brings the culprit to the fore.These have been pioneers in the field of crime drama but they have been done to death now : the vulnerable characters, the usual suspects, the unlikely sleuths, the long drawn out plan for murder...and the works. If only such plots stayed fresh, one would have derive so much fun reading them.Recommended for those who love a good mystery....
—Arun Divakar
Short but brilliant. This seems so classic. All the suspicious parties ensconced in an old manor on the countryside during a snow storm. And a serial killer on the loose. I was pretty sure about the culprit early on, but nevertheless a very satisfying read.
—Tami (synchro from BL)
