Five Little Pigs

Rating:
Summary: Review
Review: "The truth has a habit of making itself known. Even after many years"-a maxim that sums up Five Little Pigs (Agatha Christie, 1942), quite simply one of the best books she has ever written, combining the well-written "novel" of The Hollow or Taken at the Flood with the classic plotting of her books of the 1930s--producing a book as satisfying as Nicholas Blake at his best.

This book, the first investigation into a murder committed in the past (and one of the many nursery rhyme books, the rhyme inappropriate to the general tone of the piece), tells of the murder of Amyas Crale, apparently poisoned by his wife Caroline sixteen years before, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, dying in prison. Their daughter, also Caroline, believes that her mother did not kill her father, and hires Hercule Poirot to find out who did, on the grounds that "a case of murder is a case of murder whether it happened yesterday or sixteen years ago". Poirot is, of necessity, at his most cerebral here-as Caroline Crale II tells him, 'It's psychology that interests you, isn't it? Well, that doesn't change with time. The tangible things are gone-the cigarette-end and the footprints and the bent blades of grass. You can't look for those any more. But you can go over all the facts of the case, and perhaps talk to the people who were there at the time-they're all alive still-and then-and then, as you said just now, you can lie back in your chair and think. And you'll know what really happened...'

In an attempt to find out the truth, Poirot approaches the five survivors of the tragedy-Mrs. Crale's sister, the explorer Angela Warren; Crale's mistress, Elsa Greer, "a discordant shriek of triumph", whose youthful callousness and vibrancy are well-handled; Crale's boyhood friend, the stock-broker Philip Blake; his brother, Meredith, the local squire whose hobby is manufacturing poisons; and the governess, Cecilia Williams-and asks them to write for him their accounts of the tragedy, as he "genuinely want[s] to re-create the past, to feel and see the events that took place, to see behind the obvious and to visualise the thoughts and feelings of the actors in the drama". The five accounts of the tragedy offer a different perspective on the events, serving to round out the characters-Angela Warren comes across as youthful and innocent, Elsa Greer as passionate and selfish, Meredith Blake as verbose and meandering, Philip Blake as blunt and direct, and Miss Williams as rigidly intellectual-the various characters contrasting with each other to produce more varied characterisation than Christie's usual efforts, vivid though they are. Much depends on how the characters view the three characters at the centre of the triangle. Is Mrs. Crale "a cold, calculating woman, a scheming woman who planned ... murder ... and got away with it", or a "gentle creature", a martyr to her husband's adulteries? Is Elsa Greer "one of the loveliest, crudest most flamboyant bits of exciting colouring [Amyas Crale] had ever seen", "a predatory Juliet", or "vulnerable" by benefit of the "youth, the sheer blazing vitality" that attracted Crale to her? Only Crale himself is "a ruthless, selfish, good-tempered, happy egoist ... [who] was a full-blooded man and ... loved life"-cut short in the middle of it by a hand believed to be that of his wife.

Finally, after mulling through the accounts, and deducing from excellent clues of dialogue, physical clues, and symbolism, Poirot-for once not the centre of attention, but the five characters themselves-announces a very startling solution-an excellent reversal of events as the reader has been led to expect them-yet seeming inevitable, due to the skill of character-drawing, so that the solution is deeply moving. It is unlikely that the murderer will be arrested, as the punishment is self-inflicted.

Five Little Pigs is perhaps Christie's best book: the characterisation is vivid and affecting, the solution startling and moving, the clues well-chosen, and the atmosphere sorrowful and tender. This is Christie writing at the top of her powers.

Rating:
Summary: Too pity to miss...
Review: 'Five Little Pigs' is one of Agatha Christie's best works.I have rarely enjoyed reading a book this much.Here is,a perfect combination of mystery and drama,very clever hints,and refined details. I recommend this book to all Agatha Christie fans.

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Summary: As Always, Christie Pleases; With Style, Too
Review: A murder sixteen years ago, five possible living suspects, a convicted, dead, yet claiming innocence woman, and Poirot's little grey cells. Different from Christie's usual plot twists and suspense-building techniques (no further deaths, for example, of people who ought to have spoken out because they know something); as in her "Cards On The Table" Poirot's deductions must come solely from the suspects' statements and memories (with the addition of expected deficiencies after sixteen years). Naturally, he performs as required and proves the convict innocent.

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Summary: Old Sins, Long Shadows
Review: Although it is not as well known as many other Christie novels, THE FIVE LITTLE PIGS deserves to be ranked among the author's best, and in it Christie explores a theme to which she will return again and again: an old crime of long ago that reaches out of the past to color the present.

This particular crime comes to Hercule Poirot when a young woman asks him to find out the truth about her father's murder sixteen years earlier--a crime for which her mother, Caroline, was convicted. With all physical evidence gone and Caroline herself dead, Poirot must reach back in time through the memories of the five surviving witnesses in an effort to either confirm the original conviction or expose the true killer.

FIVE LITTLE PIGS is one of Christie's most intriguing novels, for the personalities of the murdered husband and convicted wife are evoked entirely through the memories of those who knew them--and to very powerful effect. The characterizations are extremely vivid, the story offers an unusual degree of atmosphere for a Christie novel, and the solution to the crime is among Christie's most astonishing and satisfying. Thoroughly enjoyable in every possible way.

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Summary: A masterpiece
Review: As the other reviewers have pointed out, FIVE LITTLE PIGS is probably Agatha Christie's sole display of literary merit. Beautifully written prose and complex, well-crafted characters, along with the usual ingenious plotting and structure, combine to form a pretty nice piece of work. The stunning solution will undoubtedly leave readers satisfied, but the whole story and the dark, rather moody atmosphere it carries evokes a sense of sorrow that may last for a long time. A powerful, haunting masterpiece, FIVE LITTLE PIGS is vintage Christie, and her only book in which she showed that she possessed talents beyond her ability to construct a detective novel.

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Summary: Wee, wee, wee loved it
Review: Christie was always known as a superb puzzle constructor, and this book shows that she was also capable of fine writing and rich characterization. The structure seems contrived and irritating: introduction, five interviews, five written statements, and a big whodunnit finale. In fact, Christie shapes the book with great skill, carefully interweaving the viewpoints and perceptions of the "five little pigs" as the story unfolds.

The puzzle, too, is quite fine without being in any way contrived. The solution is both satisfying and poignant, resolving the mystery while in some ways deepening the tragedy.

This is one of Christie's very best books, though it is probably not the ideal pick for a first-time reader. Try the entertaining _And Then There Were None_ or the classic _Thirteen at Dinner_ instead.

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Summary: One of the Best Poirot Novels
Review: Fans of Poirot will certainly not be disappointed, but "Five Little Pigs" is doubly pleasing because Christie's writing is even more gracious and effortless than usual. Enjoy!

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Summary: Not the real Agatha Christie
Review: Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie is a medicore novel in comparison to her other work. The weakest point is that the narrator is Hercule Poirot, the detective. This disables Christie from giving a personal point of view and also from better developing the characters. The characters needed more developing as Poirot isn't really a real person with predjudices and all, just a bystander. As a result the characters are just what they appear to be on the outside, not who they really are. Christie could have done what she did in her novel Murder in Mesopotamia, in which a nurse, who was a witness to the crime, tags along after Poirot. An alternative solution to this would be to have it narrated by different people as Poirot interviews them (even by the murderer)! Another weak point is it is practiqually all interviews with no actual conversations between two suspects. This would also better develp the characters. The book also isn't really suspensful. You don't have that 'I couldn't put it down' feelling, that you do with her other books. It isn't really a book you would read all at once. It is, however, an Agatha Christie novel, and that means that the murderer is the last one you would expect. You really have to read carefully to pick out the murderer. The reviewer gives it a two out of five. However in comparison to her other novels it is a one and a half out of ten.

Rating:
Summary: A fairly good book
Review: Five Little Pigs written by Agatha Christie, one of the most respected mystery authors, is about injustice. The question is wheather a wife and mother was wrongfully imprisoned for murdering her husband. The suspician points to a strong motive: her husband was having an affair. But when Detective Poroit takes another look at the evidence, he finds suspects. Poroit shows how people sometimes jump to conclusions to find an innocent person guilty. Although I am not a fan of mystery, I did enjoy this book. At the end of the book, With Poirot's coming to his conclusions of who is the murderer you can not put down the book. But the book also has long slow, parts in it, such as her descriptions of caracters, what they look like and what they are wearing. Another boring part is when Poirot asks questions that seemingly have nothing to do with case. In these parts of the book you may get an urge to fall asleep. There are few of these parts so you can enjoy most of the book. With all mysteries, you always have to read to the end to see who did it. When it comes to this kind of writing Christie is great. Christie makes you sweat to see the last page of the book (don't peak!) There is a great cast of characters, such as Poirot himself, and his French sayings are terrific. The story also has many humorous parts, which are essential, I might add. Five Little Pigs does provide some intrest and fun for anybody eleven and up.

Rating:
Summary: A somewhat good book
Review: Five Little Pigs, written by Agatha Christie, one of the most respected mystery authors, of all time is about injustice. The question is whether a wife and mother was wrongfully imprisoned for murdering her husband. The suspicion points to Caroline Crale, the wife, because she has a motive: her husband was having an affair. But when Detective Poirot takes another look at the evidence, he finds suspects. Christie shows how people sometimes jump to conclusions to find an innocent person guilty. Although I am not a fan of mysteries, I did enjoy this book. At the end of the book, with Poirot's coming to his conclusion of who the murderer is, you can not the book down. However the book also has some long boring, parts in it, such as Christie's descriptions of the characters, what they look like and what they're wearing. Another boring part is when Poirot asks questions that have nothing to do with the case. In these parts you may get an urge to fall asleep. There are few of these parts so you can still enjoy the book. With all mysteries, you always have to read to the end to see who did it. When it comes to this Christie is great. Christie makes you sweat to see the last page of the book (don't peek!). There is a great cast of characters, such as Poirot himself, and his French sayings are terrific. The story also has many humorous parts, which are essential, I might add. Five Little Pigs does provide some interest and fun for anybody eleven and up.