Last month I reviewed Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making where John Curran culled hundreds of fascinating facts from Christie’s notebooks to enlighten creative the process she used to create her masterpieces. In this second volume, Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making, More Stories and Secrets from Her Notebooks, John Curran focuses more on Christie’s short stories. I also found “How I Created Hercule Poirot” and “Agatha Christie’s Booklists” to be interesting. If you’re a Christie fan, this is a must-buy.
Even if you’re not a big Christie fan, it’s very interesting to see how her creative process worked and how she developed ideas. Of course, if you are a Christie fan (like me), these books by John Curran are absolute must-haves!
I totally agree, Deb. But I wonder how much more Curran can cull from those Christie notebooks. But if Curran finds enough to put out another book, I’ll buy it.
The first one was very interesting and I’m sure this one is too.
I like books like this, like the collections of Henry James’s notebooks.
I’m with you on this, Jeff. I love to see how the creative mind works. Reading a writer’s notebooks can be very illuminating. After reading these two Christie collections, I have a deeper appreciation for her work.
Be nice to see this sort of scholarship devoted to other authors. Rex Stout, for instance.
Maybe Art Scott or Steve Stilwell, the biggest Rex Stout fans I know, will attempt something like this, Evan.
I never got around to the first one, meant to get it from the library, and now here’s another. Time to get that first one!
By the way, my FFB finally is up, I goofed on the scheduler.
I’m heading over to your blog right now, Rick.