Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie

 

Elephants can remember by Agatha Christie

published 1972

 

[excerpt] A tall girl was standing on the mat outside. Just for a moment Mrs Oliver was startled looking at her. So this was Celia. The impression of vitality and life was really very strong. Mrs Oliver had the feeling which one does not often get. Here, she thought, was someone who meant something. Aggressive, perhaps, could be difficult, could be almost dangerous perhaps. One of those girls who had a mission in life, who was dedicated to violence, perhaps, who went in for causes. But interesting. Definitely interesting.

comments: Oh dear oh dear – yes there was a reason why some of Agatha Christie’s books have not heretofore featured on the blog.

I have read all of them (some many times, some a long time ago), and am aiming to have a post on every book, so am filling in the gaps. In a few cases I was surprised by their absence on the blog (Murder on the Orient Express), in others the book was better than I remembered (Peril at End House).

In this case: neither. This is a terrible book. Ariadne Oliver is asked to look into a past tragedy: two people found dead on a clifftop, probably double suicide, but did the husband kill the wife or the wife kill the husband? She invites Hercule Poirot to join her in the sleuthing, - and that’s quite a good setup (though the lack of fingerprint evidence seems unconvincing).

HP and AO go off talking to people, who, unlike elephants, don’t remember properly at all. Two massive clues are dropped into the story, such that any crime reader is saying ‘Oh well it can’t be just that – can it?’

JJ has a spirited defence of this book on his Invisible Event blog here #485: “What I say is, is it wise or necessary to rake up things?” – Memory as Evidence in Elephants Can Remember (1972) by Agatha Christie | The Invisible Event

  - and I strongly recommend reading his post, and the 6 million fascinating comments beneath it. But even he cannot change my mind.

I disagree with him – yes, people ramble on and are forgetful in real life. But NOT in the way this is portrayed. Was it her, was it the other one, was it the child, who killed the child, what about the other child, who had cancer, who had a mental health problem. I can’t quite be bothered to check, but is there a child who completely disappears from the story, a close connection but no indication of their fate?

Mind you this child could be any age from about 20 to about 60. The ages and the years, as everybody says, are completely wild, no-one has bothered to check for consistency. Molly was supposedly 35 when she died, which makes no sense whatsoever, while her husband was close on 60. None of the stories add up as a result of this. But that is the least of the problems.

There is no convincing reason why Mrs Burton Cox sets off the investigation – there might be a reason why she wants to discourage her son from marrying, but I don’t see why she cares who killed whom.

There is a character called Moira in this – she looked terrible as a  bridesmaid at the Llewellyn’s wedding. Apparently.

Not much in the way of clothes, but as we all know (from good Christies and bad Christies alike) it is terribly easy to disguise yourself or impersonate someone – good wigs and hats are all that is necessary. And Mrs Oliver always likes a hat.

It is seen as quite normal that Celia, who might have been 12 (or 14, or… fill in any number) at the time of her parents’ deaths, knows next to nothing about it. But also as much better left like that. The conversation about it would be more appropriate to a discussion of, say, a bad holiday or a  car or a dog they once owned. ‘yes, no-one really knows or remembers, but no point in discussing it now.’ These were her parents. They died. Even with different child-raising theories (being discussed recently on the blog) this seems rather casual. 

Final verdict is: Not a great book, and unlikely I will read it again.

I’m glad to have this one out of the way – there are still a few left for me to do that I know I will enjoy blogging on. Better Christie to come.