This week I have recovered my earlier review of The Agatha Christie Collection as I am renewing my acquaintance with her work during my visit to Wallingford where Agatha Christie is being commemorated.
Agatha Christie, The Agatha Christie Collection (Kindle Edition)
The Agatha Christie Collection is a great ‘starter’ collection for readers new to Christie. It comprises an excellent overview of her work, including four novels and a short story collection. I have some criticism of the way in which the works are sequenced, but not with the variety: two Poirot and Hastings detections; a Tommy and Tuppence; and an independent story that featured none of Christie’s usual sleuths.
I wonder why The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the first Poirot case, was not placed at the beginning of the collection. To get the flavour of the Poirot /Hastings relationship I suggest reading it, and The Murder on the Links in sequence. In The Mysterious Affair at Styles we have the beginning of the important relationship between Poirot and Hastings, its development through the first case where both are relatively young. In The Murder on the Links Hasting’s departure from London upon his marriage takes place, preparing the reader for his more spasmodic involvement with the cases after this. Although the collection does not include any of the future partnerships Poirot enjoys, Hasting’s departure leaves the way open to those between Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, for example.
The Tommy and Tuppence story, The Secret Adversary, relates to their first case, an exciting amalgam of the lives of a post WW1 young couple who had made their mark during the war but are now finding it difficult to find employment. They are drawn into an adventure that includes spies, Americans, important British officials and romance. Including this novel shows Christie’s ability to not only produce her popular Belgian sleuth detective stories which revolve around a small group, Poirot’s unique detection of clues and red herrings, but a fresh young couple whose pace contrasts vividly with Poirot’s.
The independent story, The Man in the Brown Suit, does not rely on a major sleuth. Rather, the characters speak for themselves, with a range of comedy, romance and exciting locales.
Short stories are not my favourite, but Christie turns her mastery of clues and red herrings to effect in this collection.
I have posted the complete review here this time. However, there is more material about Agatha Christie, her books and books about her at Further Commentary and Articles about Authors and Books*
After the review: Agatha Christie statue in Wallingford; celebration of Agatha Christie in Wallingford; The Guardian coverage of the Agatha Christie statue; recycling initiatives; innovative play area in Cambridge; Secret London – 17 bookshops in London.
Agatha Christie Statue
I seem to be following writers on my travels around England. Last week I was at the Barbara Pym Conference at St Hilda’s. Now I am in Wallingford where Agatha Christie lived in nearby Winterbrook at the house that was to become known through its portrayal in The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Christie was not fond of the house, with its memories of Christie and her unhappy first marriage.
However, Wallingford is remembering Agatha Christie with the erection of a statue to her celebrated status. It is on the edge of the Kinecroft, a large expanse at which the annual Bunkfest is held. What Christie will think next year, as she sits quietly with her book on the sidelines, with loud music, 2000 visitors drifting around eating and enjoying the surrounds and their favourite bands I do not know. Sophie Hannah, who has written some new ‘Agatha Christie’ novels, might even find material for a new one in this environment.
The bookshop is also celebrating Agatha Christie, with new publications of her books, and books about her and her writing.
A local restaurant has used the title of one of Christie’s books, Five Little Pigs.
Despite Agatha Christie’s Five Little Pigs being associated with the poisoning of a larger-than-life artist, his mistress whom his painting, and his wife who is found guilty of his murder, the restaurant appears to be a lunch time favourite.
Walligford is a market town a bus ride from Oxford and is also the location for the filming of some of Midsomer Murders. It looks rather too for any of that quiet on my morning walk.
The interest in Agatha Christie is replicated by this article in The Guardian.
The Guardian
Agatha Christie statue takes seat on bench in Oxfordshire town
Memorial by Ben Twiston-Davies is sited in Wallingford, where the mystery writer lived for more than 40 years
Ella Creamer Mon 11 Sep 2023 12.45 BST
A life-sized bronze statue of Agatha Christie has been unveiled in the Oxfordshire town of Wallingford, near where the detective novelist resided for more than 40 years.
The statue depicts the writer holding a book and seated on a bench overlooking the Kinecroft, an area of open grassland. Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies – who also designed the Agatha Christie memorial in London – said in a YouTube video about the statue that it shows her “looking out as if she’s seen a clue for one of her stories”.
Christie bought Winterbrook House, located on the banks of the River Thames near Wallingford, in 1934. Many of her books were written at the house, and it remained her primary residence until she died there in 1976. She is buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, Cholsey, just south of Wallingford.
Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, unveiled the statue on Saturday. “This is a real honour and I am thrilled to be here. The family lived here for decades and at the time Agatha would not have welcomed this as she was very private,” he said, according to an ITV report. “But today I am sure she is looking down on all of us and delighted at this tribute. The local council and the artists have done an incredible job. It is a great day.”
Hundreds turned out to the weekend event, ITV reported. The statue is positioned near Wallingford Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition, At Home with the Queen of Crime, displaying photos and letters from the time the writer spent living in the area.
Being commissioned by Wallingford town council to create the statue was “music to my ears”, said Twiston-Davies. Making the figure was about “a year’s work”.
The sculptor added that statues should represent an “idea that we all cherish” and that the new Christie figure is “a little monument to the importance of imagination”.
New publications are displayed in the Wallingford Bookshop
The BBC played a dramatised version, in three episodes of Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? recently. A friend who is an astute reader and television audience member deemed it a worthwhile program, so I look forward to seeing it on Australian television in the future.
Two recycling initiatives
Seen in the Grand Plaza Cambridge – a child friendly initiative.
During shopping hours this play area is filled with children and carers comfortably ensconced in the deck chairs. I was there early so was able to take this photo – before I scurried away to have my morning coffee and read a book.
Secret London
17 Charming London Bookshops That Are Perfect For Literature Lovers
All wisdom can be found in a book – which makes these London bookshops pretty valuable places… Find your next thrilling read at one of these brilliant spots.
ALEX LANDON – EDITOR • 27 JANUARY, 2023
The creak of wooden floors. The hushed reverence of people browsing the shelves. The unmistakable scent of new books. There honestly is nothing like a good bookshop to while away the hours, losing yourself in the finest literature known to humanity. And you better believe that London has some winners – in fact, we’ve found a whole host of London bookshops that will satisfy anyone with a love for the written word. So, what better way to spend World Book Day than pottering around one of these beauties and picking up your next paperback.
17 of the best bookshops in London
1. Libreria
Where better to start than with a bookshop inspired by literature? Libreria was shaped by Jorge Luis Borges’ ‘The Library of Babel’, a short story about a library which holds all books. Mirrored walls and ceilings make this place seem huge, and the books are arranged in idiosyncratic categories such as ‘mothers, madonnas, and whores’. Leave the phone behind though, because this is a tech-free space. Find out more here.
65 Hanbury Street, E1 5JP
2. Walden Books
This little book shop near Camden High Street is perfectly hidden away from the hustle and bustle. In springtime, expect this bookshop to be adorned in flowers (making it all the more harder to find, just FYI) and offering up a wide selection of used and rare books. Prices range from 50p to £50, so you can pick up bargains or go for the pricey stuff if you’re flush with cash (you lucky thing you).
38 Harmood Street, NW1 8DP
3. Lutyens & Rubinstein
Bookshops and Notting Hill are a dream team, so we’re big fans of this spot. Charming, and stuffed to the rafters with an epic selection of literature, it’s a brilliant spot to while away the hours. You can head along for their regular talks and Q&As with authors, but for our money, your best bet is to find the right book and head up the road to Biscuiteers, to lounge around reading and munching biccies.
21 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU
4. Books for Cooks
Staying in notoriously foodie Notting Hill, you’ll find a bookshop and intimate eatery all in one. As the name suggests, Books for Cooks focuses on the wonderful world of food, with floor to ceiling shelves filled with cookbooks. Even better, they regularly trial recipes in their on-site test kitchen, meaning you’ll leave with both inspiration and a full stomach.
4 Blenheim Crescent, W11 1NN
5. John Sandoe Books
An endlessly charming, Dickensian-looking spot just off the Kings Road, John Sandoe Books has been fiercely independent for over sixty years. With over 30,000 titles in stock, you’d have to be insanely picky to leave here empty-handed – the stock is so large, there are even books stacked up the stairs!
10 Blacklands Terrace, Chelsea, SW3 2SR
6. Foster Books
Lying behind the highly ‘grammable green facade is a gem of a bookshop. Foster Books boasts a charming bow window, along with a stunning range of rare books. The shop regularly leads lifestyle bloggers on a pilgrimage to Chiswick, but they’d do well to stick around and browse once the posing’s done.
183 Chiswick High Road, W4 2DR
7. Daunt Books
There are multiple branches, but you all know the one we’re talking about. The original Marylebone branch of this bookshop chain features heavily on Instagram – hey, we’ve all done it – with the Edwardian features making for a picture-perfect bookshop. Books are arranged depending on their country (no matter what the genre), and will surely stir up a sense of wanderlust in the casual visitor. Find out more here.
83 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QW
8. Word on the Water
This one barges aside other competitors in the race for London’s best bookshop. Floating on Regent’s Canal, Word on the Water is easily the most buoyant of London bookshops. Whilst the novelty of browsing on a barge is a big draw, the boat’s range of talks, poetry readings, and musical performances make it one to visit. Read all about it.
Regent’s Canal Towpath, Kings Cross, N1C 4LW
9. Hurlingham Books
Owner Ray Cole opened Hurlingham Books back in 1968, and is still running things a half-century later. It isn’t the kind of place for window-shopping, purely because the windows are usually blocked by stacks and stacks of books. Between the shop and the nearby warehouse, this bookshop boasts over one million books – so if you can’t find something here, you’re no friend of books.
91 Fulham High Street, Fulham, SW6 3JS
10. Gay’s the Word
The UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ bookshop, Gay’s the Word has been a London institution since the 1970s. In the intervening years, they’ve faced down homophobia, Customs raids, and the rise of online booksellers to sell fiction and non-fiction to the good people of London, as well as acting as the headquarters of several gay rights movements. Long may they continue. Read more here.
66 Marchmont Street, Kings Cross, WC1N 1AB
11. Hatchards
For both longevity and prestige, Hatchards remains unsurpassed amongst London bookshops. They’ve been flogging fiction since 1797, making it the oldest bookshop in the UK – and one of the most trusted, too, with no fewer than three royal warrants to its name. In recent years, they opened up a St Pancras branch, but nothing matches the original for old-world charm. See more here.
187 Piccadilly, St. James’s, W1J 9LE
12. Alice Through The Looking Glass
Tucked away in charming literary haven Cecil Court, this is the most specialist of specialist bookshops. Alice Through The Looking Glass is (unsurprisingly) dedicated to all things Wonderland, a treasure trove full of gifts, memorabilia and rare editions of Lewis Carroll’s stories. There’s artworks! First edition books! Clothing! Stationery! Basically anything and everything Alice related. There’s also a mini museum featuring some extra special items that, unfortunately, aren’t for sale, but they do have a white rabbit called Harley as more-than-adequate compensation. You can read all about it here.
14 Cecil Court, WC2N 4HE
13. London Review Bookshop
The bricks and mortar shop of the London Review of Books sits a stone’s throw away from the British Museum. It’s a place to find everything you knew you needed, plus a load of books you definitely didn’t need but secretly coveted. Their coffee and cake shop is rather nifty, and it’s a frequent stop for writers publicising their newest work.
14-16 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, WC1A 2JL
14. Any Amount of Books
The name gives it away: buy as much or as little as you’d like from this bookshop. From their perch on Charing Cross Road, they’ve sold secondhand books to passersby of a literary bent – particularly those in the market for rare or hard to find treasures. It’s a sweet spot for a lovely bit of bargain hunting.
56 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0QA
15. Primrose Hill Books
Is there a prettier London neighbourhood than Primrose Hill? Once you’ve drunk in those magnificent views over the city, you can mosey on over to Primrose Hill Books for your next literary indulgence. The bookshop, which is run by a lovely husband and wife team, have got new and second hand books aplenty, so you’re not going to be leaving empty-handed.
134 Regent’s Park Road, NW1 8XL
16. Nomad Books
The London literati are a frequent fixture at this lovely little bookshop on Fulham Road, with author Michael Morpurgo and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark amongst the recent visitors. A beloved fixture in the community since 1990, the bookshop caters to all, and boasts a well-stocked children’s section that’ll make it a hit with the little folk in your life.
781 Fulham Road, SW6 5HA
17. Artwords Bookshop
Tucked into a little corner of Broadway Market, this east London bookshop is a palace of pleasure for all sorts of alternative titles that you might not find in many other places. Plus, if the books aren’t quite doing it for you at the moment, you can dive into their section of glossy magazines that should scratch an itch. Egg-cellent.
Once all you literary fiends have exhausted the bookshops, why not check out London’s most incredible libraries?
Also published on Medium.
Thank you, Secret London, for sending me these fascinating stories about London sights. I shall be visiting some of them soon.
Robin's Room 
Oh I will have to make my way back to London one day soon, to check out the Alice shop!
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