The Man in the brown suit - Agatha Christie
Finally, an Agatha Christie I liked reading. Most Agatha Christies that I end up reading, I do so only because I want to know what exactly will it end like, and not because I like the act.
Truth be told, reading her convoluted plots is almost torture, and that staid English she uses kind of freaks me away.
In the “Man in the brown suit”, AC attempts something that’s hardly her forte. A romantic, mystery/thriller.
And it is so plainly amateurish, you end up liking it.
AC even is funny at times, and some of her characters are so light-hearted and humorous, you keep looking at the cover to make sure you aren’t reading a P.G Wodehouse.
There is a certain Victorian prudishness in all of AC’s books. Everything is innocent, and the people are only “walking out”. Which was another thing in this book that surprised me. The open romance and almost hippie like love of the two lead people. The man wants to drag the woman away to a deserted island, and the woman is in love with the physical way the man treats her. Hmmm. Sidney Sheldon, anybody?
Of course, I don’t want the steaming vulgarity of Sidney Sheldon or Harold Robbins in all the books I read, but it is good to know that I ain’t reading a book that is possibly rated “G”. 
The plot’s simple enough, and certain places, AC does go off in a rambling, unnecessary tangent, but all together, it makes for a decent read, does the “Man in the brown suit”.
It being an AC book, I would give it a 4/5. Only because it is so unlike her others.
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August 12th, 2004 at 3:13 am
I used to read Agatha Christie a lot when I was in school. Have’nt read much of her in recent years, and that may affect my judgement. However I distinclty remember liking The Murder of Roger Ackroyd a lot. Do try to read that if you can.
August 12th, 2004 at 6:23 am
Hey, great blog!
Btw, I love AC and my fav book is one called ‘Cards on the Table’. Absolutely awesome how she manages to keep it riveting with only four characters and almost no action. A must read.
August 12th, 2004 at 8:37 am
Hi Ripples: I know of AC’s Mary Westmacott books. The thing is, even there, her English is kind of staid. And frankly, when you read an AC book that’s sold under the name AC and is supposed to be a thriller, you kind of expect her stale style of writing and the humour less characters in it. Which is why this book came as a surprise to me.
Hi Anya: I guess I’m of the set of people who have read most of AC’s books. I have read her “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” and liked it for the way it ends. Not for anything else. I consider Dead man’s folly one of her better books. Try reading that.
August 12th, 2004 at 12:42 pm
CC, AC has written very few romance / thriller novels under the pseudonym – Mary Westmacott. I feel quite the reverse about her novels, like the Poirot & Miss Marple ones more than the romantic types. I think she actually does a poor job with spy stories featuring her husband-wife sleuths Tommy and Tuppence.
May 7th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
yes that’s clever of you to find this book and think what you did. it is personally my christie favourite. Most people who’re into Poirot and Marple don’t know much about this one and aren’t too bothered.
i think its hilarious myself.