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Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?: The Mystery Behind the Agatha Christie Mystery by Agatha Christie
Features
Hardcover
Amazon.com
Penzler Pick, August 2000: Edmund Wilson, the famous literary critic, once inquired disdainfully (in an essay explaining his inability to develop the mystery-reading habit), "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" In a single sentence, with its reference to the notorious plot of Agatha Christie's sixth novel, Hardcover edition.
Reader Reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A Worthy Analysis, May 12, 2003
Reviewer:
Lisa J. Steele
from Bolton, MA USA
First, a warning, Bayard's book contains long discussions of the methods used by Christie to hide the answer in many of her books. As such, it is best suited for Christie readers who have already read those works, or who do not mind having surprises revealed. Otherwise, Bayard provides a good analysis of how Christie fools her readers, pulling back the curtain to reveal the magician's secrets. His taxonimy of the tricks is useful, although incomplete. This makes it a good guide for an aspiring mystery writer looking to see how Christie worked her magic. Bayard's psychoanalysis of the crime is a bit more speculative. One can nit-pick his facts and conclusions, but the exercise is itself useful. Appling critical analysis to Christie's solution seems no less absurd than Tey's re-analysis of Richard III in Daughter of Time, the endless books on Jack the Ripper's identity, or decades of English literature classes convinced that the author is the last person to understand the significance of his own works. In sum, worth reading for those who enjoy learning about the tricks of the mystery writing trade.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition
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