And Then There Were None

This book has sold a staggering 100 million copies and is estimated to be the sixth best selling written work (of any kind) of all time.

It is ironic that her best selling work also is perhaps her most problematic. The problem centres upon the original title and the rhyme that had provided the inspiration. The book was originally published with the title "Ten Little Niggers" after a rhyme which was inspired by a Minstrel Song. The British edition of the book was published in 1939 at a time when a much less diverse British population had few cultural sensitivities. However, when it was published in the USA, a year later it was changed to "And then there were none" as the word "nigger" had long since been problematic in the United States.

The title was changed a number of times and appeared as "Ten Little Indians" as well as the now settled upon "And Then There Were None".

The plot centres on a group of eight people who receive invitations to go to Soldier Island off the Devon Coast. When they arrive they are met by a butler and house keeper, Mr and Mrs Rogers who inform them that their host, Mr Owen has been delayed and won't be joining them until later. After their first dinner, Rogers plays the gramophone as instructed and a voice reveals that each of those present is guilty of murder. And from that point onwards and one by one each of the people on the island begins to die. Each time they do so a figurine of a soldier disappears from the dining room. 

Ultimately everyone on the island is killed and when the police eventually arrive they are utterly at a loss to understand how it happened and who was responsible. It takes a helpful epilogue to explain the crime and in a stunning plot twist to reveal the killer.

Early reviewers of the book compared the quality of the book to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd which had been published some years before. Of the book Agatha Christie herself said:

"I was pleased with what I had made of it. It was clear, straightforward, baffling, and yet had a perfectly reasonable explanation; in fact, it had to have an epilogue in order to explain it. It was well received and reviewed, but the person who was really pleased with it was myself, for I knew better than any critic how difficult it had been... I don't say it is the play or book of mine that I like best, or even that I think it is my best, but I do think in some ways that it is a better piece of craftsmanship than anything else I have written"

The book also explores some interesting themes most notable of which is the punishment of those who seem beyond the justice system and get away with breaking the law; quite literally those who get away with murder. At a time when there is such a disconnet between the the police, the justice system and the bulk of the population, it is hardly surprising that this resonates with many people today. It is also interesting to see how the guilty approach their fate and ultimately face up to their guilt or not.

As you would expect there have been several adaptations of the story for the screen. The most recent UK version unfortunately was in the hands of the truly awful Sarah Phelps. Her version was visually stunning with a 1939 setting but always her great clod hopping approach stripped away any subtlety added in endless misogony, a little bit of homophobia, domestic abuse and suppressed Lesbian desires. Her time writing for Eastenders is so apparent none more so with the torrent of foul mouthed language the characters use (quite out of keeping for the time) and a weird cocaine fuelled party night enjoyed by the last few survivors before their own demise. It says so much about the life of Ms Phelps and so little about the magnifcent work of Agatha Christie. Given Ms Phelps's ability to murder Agatha Christie stories in her hamfisted adaptations one can only hope that she too will receive a letter summoning her to a a weekend house party on a lonely island off the cost of Devon.

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