ВУЗ:
Составители:
Рубрика:
59
more metaphysical regrets: a longing for the peaceful Eden, with bar-
bered golf courses and cheery village streets, that predated the first mur-
der.
Modernity – defined by one of her primmer characters as the habit
of "sing freely in public the most unpleasant words you can find in the
dictionary" – induced an abrupt fall. In Passenger to Frankfurt, a fascist
crone incites revolution by subsidising "modern philosophy, modern
thought", with its agenda of dissent and destruction.
Christie knew all about the modern mental revolt, which murdered
God and assassinated all other sanctities. In Ordeal by Innocence, a local
amateur company puts on Waiting for Godot a year or two after the
play's premiere. The woman killed in Murder in Mesopotamia has been
reading an introduction to relativity, and Hercule Poirot derives his fo-
rensic method from Einstein's physics, considering crimes from all pos-
sible angles. Murder on the Orient Express and Witness for the Prosecu-
tion arrive at relativistic solutions, since truth is always partial and sub-
jective.
Freud also haunted Christie. A character accuses herself of wishful
matricide, and confesses "I'm often very violent in dreams". Once the
lights are out and the reason dozes off, we are all potential murderers.
The curate in The Murder at the Vicarage, while carving tough beef and
masticating a doughy dumpling, wishes one of his obnoxious parishion-
ers dead; almost at once, God – who, if he still exists, enjoys lethal prac-
tical jokes – answers the unChristian prayer.
Technically, Christie shared the modernist fascination with sym-
bols, ciphers, arcane structural puzzles. The ABC Murders takes its se-
cret code from the alphabet; other books use telltale quotations from
Shakespeare, or mnemonic motifs from Wagner's operas.
Poirot, seeing through appearances, treats reality as Picasso did.
"Take the abstract point of vision," he recommends in Appointment with
Death. "Then the absolute logic of events is fascinating and orderly."
60
Elsewhere he remarks on an innocent bystander's "great natural ingenu-
ity", which gives him "the makings of a very fine criminal". It is the
highest, the most amorally Nietzschean of compliments.
During a discussion of Christie at the NFT in July, the novelist
H.R.F. Keating wrongly called her "an extremely ordinary person –
bright, shrewd, but not intellectual". She may have cultivated this dowdy
camouflage, but we should not be taken in by it.
Christie, as Keating went on to say, is "one of the world's best-
selling brands", and brand recognition depends on familiarity. Every
year her publishers used to announce "a Christie for Christmas" (as if
admitting the deadliness of the sanctimonious holiday). Like The Mouse-
trap, which next year celebrates a half century in the West End, she
seems always to have been with us – except for 10 days when, suddenly
and inexplicably, she was not. In December 1926, she disappeared. After
a national search, she was found, befuddled by amnesia, at a hotel in
Harrogate. She had bolted after the collapse of her first marriage; though
she recovered her memory, she preferred to forget the incident, and left
it a blank in her autobiography.
The episode makes it clear that Christie herself was a mystery. We
can only speculate about her motives, as Michael Apted did in his 1979
film Agatha. Vanessa Redgrave here plays a distraught Christie who,
while apparently planning to murder her husband's trashy mistress, de-
vises her own suicide, ritualistically preparing to electrocute herself dur-
ing a session of massage.
The surmise had a poetic plausibility. Christie more than once
identified the writer as a guilty party, who conspires to alter and perhaps
destroy reality. The narrator in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, whom we
instinctively trust, turns out to be the killer, and in Death Comes as the
End – a detective story set in ancient Egypt – a scribe contemplates his
papyrus and balefully warns against the spread of literacy.
more metaphysical regrets: a longing for the peaceful Eden, with bar- Elsewhere he remarks on an innocent bystander's "great natural ingenu-
bered golf courses and cheery village streets, that predated the first mur- ity", which gives him "the makings of a very fine criminal". It is the
der. highest, the most amorally Nietzschean of compliments.
Modernity – defined by one of her primmer characters as the habit During a discussion of Christie at the NFT in July, the novelist
of "sing freely in public the most unpleasant words you can find in the H.R.F. Keating wrongly called her "an extremely ordinary person –
dictionary" – induced an abrupt fall. In Passenger to Frankfurt, a fascist bright, shrewd, but not intellectual". She may have cultivated this dowdy
crone incites revolution by subsidising "modern philosophy, modern camouflage, but we should not be taken in by it.
thought", with its agenda of dissent and destruction. Christie, as Keating went on to say, is "one of the world's best-
Christie knew all about the modern mental revolt, which murdered selling brands", and brand recognition depends on familiarity. Every
God and assassinated all other sanctities. In Ordeal by Innocence, a local year her publishers used to announce "a Christie for Christmas" (as if
amateur company puts on Waiting for Godot a year or two after the admitting the deadliness of the sanctimonious holiday). Like The Mouse-
play's premiere. The woman killed in Murder in Mesopotamia has been trap, which next year celebrates a half century in the West End, she
reading an introduction to relativity, and Hercule Poirot derives his fo- seems always to have been with us – except for 10 days when, suddenly
rensic method from Einstein's physics, considering crimes from all pos- and inexplicably, she was not. In December 1926, she disappeared. After
sible angles. Murder on the Orient Express and Witness for the Prosecu- a national search, she was found, befuddled by amnesia, at a hotel in
tion arrive at relativistic solutions, since truth is always partial and sub- Harrogate. She had bolted after the collapse of her first marriage; though
jective. she recovered her memory, she preferred to forget the incident, and left
Freud also haunted Christie. A character accuses herself of wishful it a blank in her autobiography.
matricide, and confesses "I'm often very violent in dreams". Once the The episode makes it clear that Christie herself was a mystery. We
lights are out and the reason dozes off, we are all potential murderers. can only speculate about her motives, as Michael Apted did in his 1979
The curate in The Murder at the Vicarage, while carving tough beef and film Agatha. Vanessa Redgrave here plays a distraught Christie who,
masticating a doughy dumpling, wishes one of his obnoxious parishion- while apparently planning to murder her husband's trashy mistress, de-
ers dead; almost at once, God – who, if he still exists, enjoys lethal prac- vises her own suicide, ritualistically preparing to electrocute herself dur-
tical jokes – answers the unChristian prayer. ing a session of massage.
Technically, Christie shared the modernist fascination with sym- The surmise had a poetic plausibility. Christie more than once
bols, ciphers, arcane structural puzzles. The ABC Murders takes its se- identified the writer as a guilty party, who conspires to alter and perhaps
cret code from the alphabet; other books use telltale quotations from destroy reality. The narrator in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, whom we
Shakespeare, or mnemonic motifs from Wagner's operas. instinctively trust, turns out to be the killer, and in Death Comes as the
Poirot, seeing through appearances, treats reality as Picasso did. End – a detective story set in ancient Egypt – a scribe contemplates his
"Take the abstract point of vision," he recommends in Appointment with papyrus and balefully warns against the spread of literacy.
Death. "Then the absolute logic of events is fascinating and orderly."
59 60
Страницы
- « первая
- ‹ предыдущая
- …
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- …
- следующая ›
- последняя »
