The adventure of the Christmas pudding : and a selection of entrées

by Agatha Christie

Paperback, 1960

Status

Available

Call number

823/.9/1

Library's review

Indeholder "Foreword by the Author", "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding", "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest", "The Under Dog", "Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds", "The Dream", "Greenshaw's Folly".

"Foreword by the Author" handler om at kokken for denne middag er Agatha Christie. Christmas Pudding og
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Spanish Chest er hovedretter, Greenshaw, Dream og Under Dog er forretter og Blackbirds er en sorbet. Og at der er minder fra at være 11 år og spise sig stopmæt i julemad. Så hun dedikerer samlingen til mindet om barndommens Abney Hall.

"The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" handler om at Poirot lader sig overtale til at holde jul på en stor herregård for at genfinde en stjålen rubin. Han finder den i en julebudding (som nok er en plumkage). Det ender godt for herregården har oliefyr og han ender med at stå under en mistelten og få et kys af en yndig ung pige. Tyven Dennis Lee-Wortley og hans kvindelige medskyldige bliver snydt.
"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" handler om major Charles Rich på 48 år, som har holdt et selskab for nogle af sine venner, mr Arnold Clayton på 55 år og mrs Margharita Clayton, mr Jeremy Spence på 37 år og mrs Spence og kaptajn McLaren på 46 år. Næste morgen opdager Richs tjener William Burgess at Arnold Clayton er blevet myrdet og anbragt i en spansk kiste i lejligheden. Rich bliver arresteret, og Poirot snakker med inspektør Miller om hvordan Rich er den eneste sandsynlige gerningsmand. Et telegram til Arnold om at han skulle tage toget til Skotland var falsk, men hvem sendte det og hvorfor? Poirot taler med Rich i fængslet men han er afvisende. Poirot har gemt tjeneren Burgess til sidst og han er meget mere samarbejdsvillig. Poirot finder et par underlige huller i den spanske kiste og tjeneren kan også fortælle at et skærmbræt i lokalet har været flyttet. Poirot gætter at Arnold selv gemte sig i kisten for at udspionere sin kone, drevet af jalousi. Og at nogen hviskede ham ting i øret, så han fik den ide. Kaptajn Jock McLaren har lagt en snedig plan, så både Margharitas ægtemand og hendes gode ven Rich bliver sat ud af spillet og så har han måske selv en chance. Men ikke nu, da Poirot har gættet det og fortalt det til Margharita.
"The Under Dog" handler om Lily Margrave, der opsøger Hercule Poirot og fortæller om at Sir Reuben Astwell blev myrdet ti dage tidligere og at hans nevø Charles Leverson er blevet arresteret. Lily er af Lady Astwell blevet pålagt at få Poirot til at tage sagen, men hun forsøger subtilt at få ham til at lade være, hvilket selvfølgelig har den modsatte effekt. Poirot ender med at bekræfte lady Astwells intuition om at det er sekretæren Trefusis, der har fået nok af sir Astwells ubegrundede overfusninger af ham og har slået den gamle mand ihjel med en tung negerkølle af træ. En hoven politiinspektør Miller bliver også sat på plads af Poirots succes, og det er på ingen måde Poirot imod.
"Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds" handler om en gammel sær mand Henry Gascoigne, der har en rig tvillingebror Anthony Gascoigne. Henry's nevø, George Lorrimer, har held til at arrangere Henry's død kort efter Anthony's død, men Poirot afslører ham fordi han spiser brombærtærte, hvilket Henry aldrig ville have gjort.
"The Dream" handler om den aldrende, excentriske og ubehagelige millionær Benedict Farley, der tilkalder Hercule Poirot og fortæller om en drøm hvor han begår selvmord. Poirot kan ikke hjælpe og senere begår Farley tilsyneladende selvmord. Poirot afslører det dog som et mord begået af Farleys unge kone og hans privatsekretær Hugo Cornworthy.
"Greenshaw's Folly" handler om miss Marples nevø Raymond West, der viser en bekendt Horace Bindler et rædselsfuldt hus kaldet "Greenshaws dumhed". Kort efter bliver miss Greenshaw myrdet med en pil gennem struben og med Raymonds kone Lou som vidne. Miss Marple afslører at det er Nat Fletcher og husholdersken i foreningen, der har dræbt hende for at arve hendes penge, De forsøgte også at få havemanden Alfred Pollock hængt op på det, men han holdt tidligt fri og giv på pub, så desværre for dem havde han et godt alibi.
"Døden i kirken" handler om en mand, der bliver fundet døende af et skudsår i en kirke af miss Diana Harmon, også kaldet Bunch. Kort efter opsøger et ægtepar Eccles præsten og får udleveret mandens tøj. Bunch går til miss Marple og de finder ud af at manden er flygtet fra fængslet for at give sin datter nogle ædelsten, som hans kone Mary Moss under kunstnernavnet Zobeida har fået foræret af en arabisk sheik. Skurkene bliver selvfølgelig fanget og sat fast.

Udmærket novellesamling.
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Publication

[London] : Fontana, 1963, c1960

Description

In this short story, Hercule Poirot is asked to attend a Christmas celebration in order to apprehend a jewel-thief who has taken advantage of an unwary Eastern prince. Full of English holiday tradition and plenty of intrigue, this holiday tale first appeared in the December 12, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

User reviews

LibraryThing member xicanti
A collection of six of Agatha Christie's short stories.

While this is marketed as a Christmas collection, readers should be aware that only the title story has anything to do with Christmas. Rather, this is a collection of some of Agatha Christie's personal favourites, intended as a sort of a
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present for her fans. In her introduction, she likens it to a chef's selection, complete with stories of varying lengths and weights. I'd tend to agree; this is a nice, varied collection that includes some longer, meatier tales as well as shorter, sweeter stories. They all appear in other collections as well.

The stories are all good ones, though I must confess that I'm getting a little tired of "Greenshaw's Folly." (It appears in at least three collections). The title story, in particular, displays a nice blend of mystery and family life. Dame Agatha takes evident pleasure in describing a big family Christmas, the dinner of which becomes an integral part of a criminal endeavor. The others are equally complex, inventive and enjoyable.

Recommended to Christie fans, especially those who haven't read many of her short stories.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
A collection of short stories - some of which have been published before. The title story is interesting - a precious ruby, intended for the wife of a prince, has disappeared, along with the prince's girlfriend. Poirot is on the case and as part of his investigation spends a traditional Christmas
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at an English country house - oh yes and of course he finds the ruby. But as I mentioned the other stories appear in other collections, so this really works as collection for those who haven't read too many of Dame Agatha's other collected short stories.
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LibraryThing member Teipu
Summary:
Five entertaining cases of Hercule Poirot (3 long, 2 short), featuring a Christmas Pudding, a Spanish Chest and blueberries amongst others.
And as a little extra Miss Marple solves the mystery of Greenshaw’s Folly.

Opinion:
Much better than "Poirot Investigates"
Poirot is a lot more likable,
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funny and the eccentric Belgian I imagined him to be. Also, the cases are a lot more refined and interesting, maybe also because Christie takes time to let them evolve. Only the last one “The Dream” was pretty predictable, but nevertheless nice.
“Greenshaw’s Folly” was my first meeting with Miss Marple and I like her right away. She likes knitting, so only that makes her awesome (I have some kind of liking for handicrafts of any kind). Also the case was very enthralling and I like it to get to know the characters before they are murdered. The atmosphere is totally different from the Poirot stories so I can’t wait to buy more books featuring Miss Marple.
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LibraryThing member mauveberry
This book is a collection of several Hercule Poirot short stories. There was also a Miss Marple short story, called Greenshaw's Folly, included in the edition I have. The stories were interesting, but I feel that they lacked the character development that I enjoy in Christie's full length novels.
LibraryThing member readingwithtea
"But Lady Chatterton was one of the brightest jewels in what Poirot called le haut monde. Everything she did or said was news. She had brains, beauty, originality and enough vitality to activate a rocket to the moon."

This is the first Agatha Christie I've read since I was about 14; a collection of
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5 Poirot short stories and one Miss Marple investigation as well. Poirot investigates a sinister note about a plum pudding, the discovery of a jealous husband in a chest, an overheard quarrel leading to murder, the mysterious changes in a dead man's eating habits, and a victim who dreamt of his own suicide. Miss Marple tags along for an investigation at Greenshaw's Folly.

As much as I loved the character of Poirot, the way he is a bit snobbish, a bit difficult, but generally is warm-hearted and lovable, I found his ability to solve a crime with clues which weren't passed onto the reader a bit frustrating.

And Miss Marple? I've never read any of hers (although I'm currently listening to an audiobook in which she stars) but she hardly seemed to take part in her own mystery! She let everyone work themselves all up and then suddenly everyone turned to her and she showed them the solution. A beautiful solution it was too, and I think that's why Christie is as famous as she is - the puzzles she sets are often simple and neat if you know the right way in.

I'm struggling to review this one. This was a pleasant enough read, each story engrossing and tightly told. Excellent airport reading.
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LibraryThing member FHC
Annual fave Agatha Christmas read. Love the English atmosphere and detailed settings of AC mysteries and this one always adds to my Christmas tradition reading enjoyment!
LibraryThing member johnclaydon
I wonder how "Greenshaw's Folly" became so famous and celebrated. I think it is one of her worst.
LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
A couple of longish short crime stories, followed by some shorter ones. Mostly featuring Hercule Poirot. I thought the longish stories were pretty good, but the short ones were disappointing - relying on guesswork rather than characterisation and logic. Agatha Christie does better with full-length
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novels, in my opinion.
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LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie - Good

This was a book of short stories, five Poirot, one Marple:
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
The Under Dog
Four and Twenty Blackbirds
The Dream
Greenshaw's Folly

As with all Agatha Christie's they are
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beautifully crafted, but in one or two of them there tended to be a bit of a 'rabbit out of the hat' aspect to they way the mysteries are solved as you can't really see the development of the solution the way you can in her full novels. Still, a nice set of stories to read over Christmas solely picked for the seasonal theme of the first one.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
This book contains the following six short stories, featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple ('Greenshaw's Folly' only):

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
The Under Dog
Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds
The Dream
Greenshaw's Folly

Not world literature and of varying quality
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(I thought the lead story particularly weak as it made such woeful use of Poirot's formidable little grey cells while 'The Under Dog' was cleverly done, even if Poirot does have to resort to getting a witness hypnotised, and it wasn't clear almost until the very end who'd done it), the stories nevertheless provide good old-fashioned entertainment and a little brain exercise as I tried to keep up with the respective sleuths' thought processes – quite impossible as some of the deductions are rather far-fetched (the idiom 'clutching at straws' comes to mind).
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LibraryThing member john257hopper
This short Hercule Poirot story takes rather a long time to warm up, though the resolution is quite funny. As a short (36 pages), it doesn't have time to develop the usual plethora of suspects and there are no red herrings to be caught. I was slightly confused at first by references to tape
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recorders and television in a short story published in 1923, but this is apparently an expanded version published some decades later.
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LibraryThing member NadineC.Keels
More than holiday cheer awaits Detective Hercule Poirot at a Christmas celebration when a jewel thief is in the midst. And Poirot may have to watch what he eats—for reasons beyond the gastronomical—in The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by author Agatha Christie.

This is the second Poirot
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short I've read recently, and I got a bit nervous in the middle of reading this one, unable to recall if it was supposed to be a murder mystery. While I do read murder mysteries from time to time, I have certain preferences concerning the tone of such stories, and I can't say that murder and Christmas are two ingredients that I'd be eager to mix.

Nevertheless, I'm so glad I read this tale all the way through. The old-fashioned English Christmas elements are downright charming, as are the little nods to romance. Even with the story's shortness, the mystery has got a good number of clever twists, and I'm all for the quirky-and-proper flavor I expected to find in a read like this.

I hoped to like this short holiday story, and I wound up loving it.
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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Hercule Poirot is called in for a delicate case involving royalty and a missing jewel; he contrives to get himself invited to the Christmas festivities of the suspect in order to crack the case.

This is my first time reading anything involving Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot, although I
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did watch the movie Murder on the Orient Express so I am somewhat familiar with the character. As with the other works by Christe I've read, she does express quite a bit of elitism and nationalism. The mystery here -- or rather its solution -- is incredibly contrived.

That all being said, I did enjoy this read as a light cozy mystery. The Christmas setting was especially nice for a quick read during the holidays.
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LibraryThing member Figgles
Five Poirots and a Marple make up this collection of short stories/novellas. Classic Christie - although published in the 1960s these stories have an earlier period flavour. Enjoyable.
LibraryThing member P_S_Patrick
Good selection of classic short crime mystery stories, mainly Poirot, but with one short Marple at the end.
LibraryThing member witchyrichy
A silly but fun audio book continuing my pursuit of all that is Agatha Christie featuring Hercule Poirot enjoying an authentic, if somewhat forced, English family Christmas including the ever-important pudding.
LibraryThing member starlight-glimmer
I've been enjoying a revisit to Agatha Christie lately, and this little holiday mystery was suggested by another avid Agatha reader. I am impressed by how much mystery and charm she packed into the story! It's a merry blend of Poirot, and English Christmas gathering in the countryside, a scoundrel
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or two, and of course the infamous Christmas pudding! As a bonus I learned a good deal about traditional Christmas meals in England. The presence of children in this mystery added an extra note of brightness! The audio is just a couple of hours, and it was a perfect way to spend a little time in December. Recommend!
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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
The standouts are The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and the Miss Marple story, "Greenshaw"s Folly". The other short stories are entertaining although they are ordinary. I was drawn to the Christmas Pudding story because Christie discussed it (briefly) in her autobiography.
LibraryThing member Romonko
I thought I had read every Agatha Christie book, story or play that she ever wrote, but I somehow missed this little gem. It's a Christmas story with the great Hercule Poirot, and it is an English country manor mystery like so many of Agatha Christie's stories are. Poirot is asked to attend a
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Christmas celebration at an English county manor in order to apprehend a jewel thief. Poirot is tempted to attend this family Christmas partly because he can never ignore a possible mystery, and partly because of the promise of central heating. At the manor he finds a large array of different people, and indeed all is not as it seems. Poirot waits and listens and uses his "little grey cells" to figure out who the thief is, and sets a trap to catch that person, Even in short story format, Ms. Christie cannot be beat in the mystery genre. There are many who have tried to match her skill, but few have ever achieved it. This was an enjoyable little story for this time of the year.
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
This is actually a collection of short stories, which are:
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
The Under Dog
Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds
The Dream
Greenshaw’s Folly


Poirot takes center stage in all but the last story, which features Miss Marple.

I have seen the BBC
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dramatizations, starring David Suchet as Poirot, of most of these stories, so the plots were vaguely familiar. Still, I didn’t always remember the culprit and was happy to read how Poirot and his little grey cells put together the clues to solve the case. I also enjoyed the subtle differences in plotting from the televised episodes to the original stories as written by Christie.

I’m less a fan of Miss Marple, and in this case she’s really in the background until she comes in and tells everyone how the murder REALLY happened and who the culprit is. Of course she (and Poirot in his cases) is right.

Agatha Christie is one of my go-to authors when I want a break from everyday life and heavier, more literary reads. I just plain enjoy them. I’m also a fan of short stories, and this fit the bill nicely for winter evenings … one story per night.
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LibraryThing member nordie
6 short stories (5 with Poirot, 1 with Marple) and most of which are well known. Didnt know Greenshaw's Folly or The Under Dog so they were new to me. First published in 1963, Poirot is getting old and tired, but it's still a while before the end of "Curtain".

The stories are short, and I think that
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some were perhaps a little too short - the denouement came too quickly and I wasnt necessarily convinced
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1960-10-24

Physical description

224 p.; 18 cm

Local notes

Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser lidt juletræspynt og en blodig daggert
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi

Similar in this library

Pages

224

Library's rating

Rating

½ (318 ratings; 3.6)

DDC/MDS

823/.9/1
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