Agatha Christie is widely celebrated for her eccentric Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and his titular series of murder mysteries. Her books include several of my all-time favorites, such as Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and And Then There Were None. Thus, I thought it’d be nice to take a break from recommendations this month and instead look into Agatha Christie’s curious life of adventures across the globe, dramatic disappearance, as well as her fondness for archaeology. Comment your favorites by her below!
Agatha Christie as a child
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on September 15, 1890, to an upper-middle-class family in the English seaside resort town of Torquay. Since she was taught at home by her parents and older sister, Christie did not see many children her age. However, she amused herself with imaginary friends and pets, describing her childhood to be “very happy.” Even at an early age, Christie showed signs of her future writing career. She taught herself to read by the time she was five years old, devoured the books of Mrs. Molseworth and Edith Nesbit, and began to write poems and short stories.
Her first record poem, titled “The Cow Slip,” was written at age ten.
There was once a pretty cowslip
And a pretty flower too.
But yet she cried and fretted all
For a robe of blue.
Now, a merry little fairy,
Who loved a trick to play,
Just changed into a nightshade,
That flower without delay.
The silly little nightshade
Thought her life a dream of bliss,
Yet she wondered why the butterfly
Came not to give his kiss.
As Christie grew older, she suffered the loss of her father and subsequent financial struggles. Nevertheless, her family endured, and she was able to study piano in Paris and travel to Egypt for her mother’s health. Her stay in Cairo would later inspire her first novel, Snow Upon the Desert, which a literary agent rejected but suggested she try again. In 1912, Christie met her first husband, Archibald “Archie” Christie, and the two were engaged after three months. The beginning years of their marriage were spent during World War I, where Archie served as a colonel in the Air Ministry and Christie worked with the Red Cross.
Agatha and Archie Christie on their wedding day
It was around this time that Christie’s sister, Madge, made a bet that Christie couldn’t write a good detective story. This challenge led to the creation of her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was met with favorable reviews. Her experiences as a dispenser, like one of the characters named Cynthia, and with the Belgian refugees in Torquay further inspired her. Following its success, Christie continued to write well-received novels and create more characters, including Tommy, Tuppence, and Miss Marple. She also named a newly bought house in Sunningdale, Berkshire “Styles.”
Christie’s home, Styles
Christie’s seemingly happy life with her husband and only daughter, Rosalind Hicks, came to an end when Archie asked for a divorce in 1926. Later that year, she made international headlines for disappearing after a quarrel with her husband. A manhunt of over 1,000 police officers, 15,000 volunteers, and several airplanes went on for ten days. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes series, gave one of Christie’s gloves to a spirit medium in order to track her whereabouts. At last, she was found in a hotel under the surname of Archie’s mistress. The public was divided as to whether this disappearance was caused by memory loss, nervous breakdown, or revenge on her husband.
Daily Herald announcing Christie’s discovery
In 1928, Christie began traveling by herself. On one of these trips, she met archaeologist Max Mallowan and was soon remarried. Unlike her previous marriage, this one continued until Christie’s death, as the two happily traveled around the world for Mallowan’s work. All of these experiences lent to her later novels, from her riding on the Orient Express to her visiting archaeological digs. She once said:
“An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her.”
Agatha Christie and Max Mallowan
Christie died of natural causes on January 12, 1976 at the age of 85. She has had around 75 novels published, 66 being detective novels and 14 as short story collections. Many aptly call her the “Queen of Crime” during the “Golden Age of Detective Fiction,” as her works are said to be outsold solely by Shakespeare and the Bible. She was even made Dame in 1971 by Queen Elizabeth II. Critics and readers alike praise Christie for her well-written, compelling mysteries filled with suspense, clever crimes, and rich settings.
Works Cited
“About Agatha Christie.” The Home of Agatha Christie, https://www.agathachristie.com/en/about-christie
“100 Facts About Agatha Christie.” The Home of Agatha Christie, Sep. 10 2020, https://www.agathachristie.com/en/news/2020/100-facts-about-agatha-christie
Hardy, Liberty. “The Mysterious Affair at Styles and the Inception of Hercule Poirot.” Novel Suspects, https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/the-mysterious-affair-at-styles-and-the-inception-of-hercule-poirot/
Greenspan, Jesse. “10 Things You May Not Know About Agatha Christie.” History, Jun. 19 2019, https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-agatha-christie
Photo Credits
https://fourarts.org/event/agatha-christie/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/194006696432234345/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottamcnealy/4900269856
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie#/media/File:Christie_at_Hydro.jpg
