Seen & Read: A Different Sort of FO

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Don't follow the link if you haven't read the book

I finished reading this over the weekend. I don't often pick up mysteries these days, but it's always a pleasure to get wrapped up in a traditional cozy. I don't generally care for the more modern, bloodbath-type mysteries; I don't see the point in reading a novel when I can get the same story on the front page of the newspaper. I prefer my novels with a bit more fiction in them, thanks.

Christie was nearly kicked out of The Detection Club over this story; her contemporaries considered it a violation of the rules of fair play between author and reader. As a modern reader, I have to say that I didn't find the twist ending nearly as twisty as the initial readers might have, which I suppose only goes to show that she was the first to employ that particular device, but far from the last. Some modern authors *cough*Shyamalan*cough* who think they're pushing the envelope as far as what their genre can do might do well to brush up on their history.

While it doesn't rock the very foundations of literature anymore, Roger Ackroyd is a lovely read, and it was a pleasure to revisit a world where even murder is civilized.

Memoirs of a Geisha

My first Netflix movie arrived, safe inside its mangled envelope. This was visually stunning, but I do suspect the story lost something in the transition from book to movie. I haven't actually read the book, but I imagine some of the glaring omissions that bothered me were fleshed out more in it.

Yes, I did violate my rule of never watching the movie until I have read the book, but I thought the odds of my getting around to the book were pretty slim - there are so many others ahead of it in line. In all honesty, I probably won't read it now; the imagery in the movie was so strong, I think it would overshadow everything.

One thing that surprised me was how very sweet the story was. I think I'm accustomed to Asian costumey spectacles (please forgive the massive generalization here) more along the lines of Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell, My Concubine, so it was nice to have something didn't leave me sobbing.