by Agatha Christie
reviewed by Campbell Buffington
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie is a murder-mystery novel about a young woman and her struggles with fate, as she soon finds out whilst onboard a luxurious boat on the Nile River in Egypt. On this boat, there are many different types of people: maids, doctors, the wealthy, and the poor. In particular, a young woman named Linnet Ridgeway, who now is Linnet Doyle, for she married a poor countryside man named Simon Doyle. Linnet is one of the richest people in England, and one of the most sought after. Without giving much away, those of whom were not in favor of her fortune would do anything to get either a hold of her or her vast fortune. As Hercule Poirot, one of the best detectives in the world, discovers whodunit and how, the audience perceives the actions of the murderer through Christie’s thorough details and imagery throughout the novel. For example, the author uses visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and olfactory imagery to convey what the detective sees, and if the reader can find out who committed the crime. As one goes on throughout the novel, other examples of dramatic irony and verbal irony are present as the detective questions each passenger of the boat. One can detect either of these types of irony in the way Christie describes (and later reveals) their misleading ways. A main theme of the novel would arguably be to not judge one by what one says, or in other words, to not judge a book by it’s cover. This is a common theme in most mystery novels because even the most innocent-seeming people can turn out to be vile and liars.
No comments:
Post a Comment