As long as there are libraries, you should — and likely will — have access to this book. Required reading for many middle and high school curricula, Agatha Christie’s (1890 – 1976) most famous novel And Then There Were None continues to weather the test of time. Widely considered to be the greatest mystery novel of all time, I’ve now read it three times — most recently as an audiobook narrated perfectly by Hugh Fraser. Fraser’s nuanced acting added many new layers of enjoyment to the story this time around.
Christie’s brilliance rests in offering the reader a perfect balance between revelation and secrecy. Ten seemingly unrelated characters are summoned to a house on a tiny island off the coast of England by a Mr. Owen. Upon arrival, it is discovered that none of the folks actually know Mr. Owen, who has not yet joined the party. Soon, one of them dies, although appearances point to mostly natural causes. An unfortunate beginning, they attempt to conclude. Their faith in such a conclusion is tested, however, when another guest dies under slightly less innocent circumstances…
How can a mystery novel provide the same, if not greater, thrills the third time you’ve read it? Once you know whodunnit, what is left to enjoy? Isn’t solving the crime the point of it all? True, with each chapter you are brought closer and closer to the explanations you long for. Yet, alongside this, through dark sub-plots which surround each character, Christie demands the attention of our consciences as well as our intellects. As the perceived innocence of the ten guests becomes harder to maintain, somehow, so does the reader’s — enough to make you feel like you might be on Indian Island right now…