The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot)
Registered by erinacea of Friedrichshain, Berlin Germany on 6/9/2010
This book is in a Controlled Release!
This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
A few years ago I read Eco's "Im Wald der Fiktionen", in which among others he references "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". Apparently, it's quite famous and I was the only one who had never heard of it. Anyway, in the corresponding essay he gives away the ending, which didn't bother me then since I had no intention of reading the book. But once I knew the ending I also knew I'd like to read it one day, to see if it was really as great as Eco claimed to be the case.
A little more than a year later, I came across this book in my local second-hand English bookshop, and immediately decided to buy it for, apparently, 3.50 €.
One previous reader was one Alexandra Rodriguez who had owned the book in 2008, the same year I bought it. There are a few markings with pencil and yellow marker, mostly referencing M. Poirot and the nature of detective work. Outwardly, the book is in a good condition, except for a somewhat creaked spine and some spots on the bottom of the book. Blood? (No, sorry, that's what I always say if the book in question is a mystery story.)
Anyway, I finally got around to reading it sometime in February, and my main impression is that, yes, the book does live up to any and all expectations raised by Eco's review, even though I already knew who was the culprit. (Or maybe because of it, that's always hard to tell.) The whole situation reminded me quite a bit of "Murder on the Orient Express" which I'd also read after I'd already spoiled myself on the ending, precisely because I admired the unusual solution, and which I admired for the very same reasons. Actually, to tell the truth, with both books I did not know the details of the why and how (only the who, so to speak), so there were plenty of questions and puzzles to follow through the story. Also, M. Poirot is always delightful to read about.
I'm not entirely sure I mightn't have been bored by the story if I hadn't known the ending, but I guess that the twist at least would have filled me with awe and admiration, and then I'd have had to reread it anyway. I'm reasonably certain I would never have been able to arrive at the actual solution (that also holds for "Murder on the Orient Express"), though there were at least two instances in this story where I thought "Hold on, there's something missing here", that just might have guided me in the right direction if I hadn't known, but again I'm fairly sure I would have been thrown off the scent by a throwaway comment regarding one of the other suspects. It was a near enough miss often enough despite me already knowing the answer. ("Maybe Eco was wrong? Maybe I misremember. Maybe I've confused the book with a different one?")
And no, I'm not going to tell you "who did it". :p
Read it, it's totally worth it!
A little more than a year later, I came across this book in my local second-hand English bookshop, and immediately decided to buy it for, apparently, 3.50 €.
One previous reader was one Alexandra Rodriguez who had owned the book in 2008, the same year I bought it. There are a few markings with pencil and yellow marker, mostly referencing M. Poirot and the nature of detective work. Outwardly, the book is in a good condition, except for a somewhat creaked spine and some spots on the bottom of the book. Blood? (No, sorry, that's what I always say if the book in question is a mystery story.)
Anyway, I finally got around to reading it sometime in February, and my main impression is that, yes, the book does live up to any and all expectations raised by Eco's review, even though I already knew who was the culprit. (Or maybe because of it, that's always hard to tell.) The whole situation reminded me quite a bit of "Murder on the Orient Express" which I'd also read after I'd already spoiled myself on the ending, precisely because I admired the unusual solution, and which I admired for the very same reasons. Actually, to tell the truth, with both books I did not know the details of the why and how (only the who, so to speak), so there were plenty of questions and puzzles to follow through the story. Also, M. Poirot is always delightful to read about.
I'm not entirely sure I mightn't have been bored by the story if I hadn't known the ending, but I guess that the twist at least would have filled me with awe and admiration, and then I'd have had to reread it anyway. I'm reasonably certain I would never have been able to arrive at the actual solution (that also holds for "Murder on the Orient Express"), though there were at least two instances in this story where I thought "Hold on, there's something missing here", that just might have guided me in the right direction if I hadn't known, but again I'm fairly sure I would have been thrown off the scent by a throwaway comment regarding one of the other suspects. It was a near enough miss often enough despite me already knowing the answer. ("Maybe Eco was wrong? Maybe I misremember. Maybe I've confused the book with a different one?")
And no, I'm not going to tell you "who did it". :p
Read it, it's totally worth it!
Left on a table at my office as a free give away and presumably pocketed by one of my colleagues. Enjoy!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You've found a wandering book! Please leave a short (or not so short ;) ) journal entry, so I know that the book's well and safe in your hands. For example, you could write where you found it, how you like it, or what you are planning to do with it.
Thanks a lot!
erinacea
PS: While I enjoy writing these texts in English, there's no obligation for you to do the same. If you like, you could make an entry in German, or whatever your mothertongue may be.
(Einträge auf deutsch sind auch erlaubt. ;) )
You've found a wandering book! Please leave a short (or not so short ;) ) journal entry, so I know that the book's well and safe in your hands. For example, you could write where you found it, how you like it, or what you are planning to do with it.
Thanks a lot!
erinacea
PS: While I enjoy writing these texts in English, there's no obligation for you to do the same. If you like, you could make an entry in German, or whatever your mothertongue may be.
