Thirty-five years after her first Hercule Poirot novel, Agatha Christie gave us Hickory Dickory Dock. Set in 1955, Poirot hasn’t really changed.
High Point: The development of the characters—students with common aspirations and hang-ups.
Low Point: The book sometimes reflects the common racial and gender attitudes of the 1950s.
Author: Agatha Christie
Publication Date: 1955
Genre: Fiction
Project Gutenberg: Not available
LibriVox: Not available
Movie/TV Adaptation: Poirot (TV series) (1989-2013)
Thirty-five years after her first Hercule Poirot novel, Agatha Christie gave us Hickory Dickory Dock. Set in 1955, Poirot hasn’t really changed with the times. But the other characters have, providing an especially interesting feature to the story.
Most of the action occurs in a student hostel, and Christie nailed the personalities and characteristics of her players. Each of the residents have unique aspirations, attributes and hang-ups that were common for young people trying to make their way in the 1950s—if you discount the idea that one might be a murderer.
You should be aware, though, that Hickory Dickory Dock sometimes reflects the attitudes of the 1950s regarding race and gender. But Christie generally treats those characters with respect. She ensures that if you don’t like those individuals, it’s not because of their race or gender. It’s because they’re jerks.
Christie provides the usual false leads and red herrings. You probably won’t figure out the killer.
That—and the way those authentic personalities influence the story—makes Hickory Dickory Dock another Christie page-turner.
