Hallowe'en Party

Last updated

Hallowe'en Party
Hallowe'en Party First Edition Cover 1969.jpg
Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition
Author Agatha Christie
LanguageEnglish
Genre Crime fiction
Publisher Collins Crime Club
Publication date
November 1969
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages256 (first edition, hardcover)
Preceded by Third Girl  
Followed by Elephants Can Remember  

Hallowe'en Party is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club in November 1969 [1] and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. [2] [3] This book was dedicated to writer P. G. Wodehouse. It has been adapted for television, radio, and most recently for the film A Haunting in Venice (2023).

Contents

The novel features Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver. A boastful girl at a Hallowe'en party tells Mrs Oliver she once witnessed a murder; the same girl is later drowned in an apple-bobbing bucket, and Poirot must solve a two-pronged mystery: who killed the girl, and what, if anything, did she witness?

Synopsis

While visiting her friend Judith Butler in Woodleigh Common, Ariadne Oliver assists the neighbors in planning a children's Hallowe'en Party at wealthy Rowena Drake's house. Upon meeting Mrs Oliver, 13-year-old Joyce Reynolds claims she once witnessed a murder, though at the time she was too young to recognize it as such. Though no one appears to believe her, Joyce is found drowned in an apple-bobbing bucket after the party; distraught, Mrs Oliver summons Hercule Poirot to solve the case.

With help from retired Superintendent Spence, Poirot makes a list of recent deaths and disappearances in the area of Woodleigh Common. Of these, three stand out as significant:

Interviewing the townsfolk, Poirot learns a few interesting facts:

Leopold is found dead. Rowena informs Poirot that she had seen him in the library the night of the party, and she believes he witnessed his sister's murder.

Poirot advises the police to search the woods near the quarry. The search finds Olga's body in an abandoned well, stabbed in the same manner as Ferrier. Fearing another murder, Poirot sends a telegram to Mrs Oliver, instructing her to take Judith and her daughter to London.

Miranda meets with Garfield, who takes her to a pagan sacrificial altar, intending to poison her. However, he commits suicide when two youths recruited by Poirot save Miranda's life. Miranda reveals that she was the one who saw Garfield and Rowena drag Olga's body through the quarry garden, and she secretly told Joyce. Miranda had not been present at the preparations for the party, so Joyce tried to seek famous Ariadne's attention by claiming Miranda's story as her own.

Poirot lays out the solution to Mrs Oliver and Mrs Butler. Rowena began an affair with Garfield while her dying husband was still alive. Disgusted by this, Rowena's aunt wrote a codicil that left her fortune to Olga. The lovers then plotted to discredit Olga's claim, hiring Ferrier to replace the codicil with a deliberately clumsy forgery to ensure Rowena inherited everything; the real codicil has now been found by the police. Both Olga and Ferrier were murdered to conceal the deceit, but Rowena suspected someone had witnessed the disposal of Olga's body. Rowena killed Joyce when she claimed she had witnessed a murder, unaware that Joyce had appropriated Miranda's story. The dropping of the vase, which Mrs Whittaker witnessed, was to disguise the fact that Rowena was already wet from drowning Joyce. Leopold was murdered because he asked Rowena for money, and she suspected he knew something.

Poirot muses that Rowena likely would have shared a similar fate to Olga, as Garfield's motivation for the murder was his obsession with constructing a second, more perfect garden. Once he had Rowena's money, he would soon have no more need of her, as she had already provided him with a Greek island.

Poirot also reveals that Judith is not really a widow. She once had a brief affair with Michael Garfield, and Miranda is the child of that union. The Butlers met Michael again by chance years later; though fond of Miranda, Michael was willing to kill his own child to satisfy his need to create. Satisfied with Poirot's help, Judith thanks him.

Characters

Literary significance and reception

Contemporaneous reviews were largely negative, though tempered by an appreciation of Christie's advanced years. Author and academic Robert Barnard, who in 1980 wrote a monograph on Christie, stated, "The plot of this late one is not too bad, but the telling is very poor: it is littered with loose ends, unrealised characters, and maintains only a marginal hold on the reader's interest. Much of it reads as if spoken into a tape-recorder and never read through afterward." [4] Christie did sometimes use a dictaphone when writing. According to her grandson, "She used to dictate her stories into a machine called a dictaphone and then a secretary typed this up into a typescript, which my grandmother would correct by hand." [5]

Robert Weaver in the Toronto Daily Star of 13 December 1969 wrote "Hallowe'en Party...is a disappointment, but with all her accomplishments Miss Christie can be forgiven some disappointments...Poirot seems weary and so does the book." [6]

Critical reassessment in more recent years has led to more favorable reviews, however. In Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, a 2020 non-fiction study of every Poirot novel for the character's centennial, [7] Mark Aldridge describes Hallowe'en Party as "a highly memorable and intriguing novel that makes a lasting impression on the reader." While commenting on the novel's flaws, such as unresolved story threads and an "unusually underwritten murderer", Aldridge writes it has "an energetic and exciting opening, one excellent clue hiding in plain sight, and a tone of grim fascination towards the murder throughout." He notes how Christie was downbeat about what she perceived as rising cruelty and criminality in the wider world and that she read reports on current crime as a part of her inspiration.

References and allusions

References to other works

References to actual history, geography and current science

Publication history

The novel was first serialised in the weekly magazine Woman's Own in seven abridged instalments from 15 November to 27 December 1969, illustrated with uncredited photographic montages.

In the US, the novel appeared in the December 1969 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Adaptations

Radio

Hallowe'en Party was adapted for radio and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 30 October 1993, featuring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot, with Stephanie Cole as Ariadne Oliver. [10]

Television

British

The novel was adapted as part of the twelfth series of Agatha Christie's Poirot with David Suchet, with Zoë Wanamaker reprising her role as Ariadne Oliver. Guest stars include Deborah Findlay as Rowena Drake, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Michael Garfield, Amelia Bullmore as Judith Butler, and Fenella Woolgar as Elizabeth Whittaker. Charles Palmer (who also directed The Clocks for the series) directs this instalment, with the screenplay written by Mark Gatiss (who wrote the screenplay for Cat Among the Pigeons ; he also appeared as a guest star in the adaptation of Appointment with Death ).

The television adaptation shifted the late 1960s setting to the 1930s, as with nearly all episodes in this series, and changed a number of the fates and details of the characters, but is otherwise faithful to the novel.

French

The novel was adapted as a 2014 episode of the French television series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie .

Graphic novel

Hallowe'en Party was released by HarperCollins as a graphic novel adaptation on 3 November 2008, adapted and illustrated by "Chandre" ( ISBN   0-00-728054-8).

Film

The novel was loosely adapted by Kenneth Branagh in 2023 for his third Poirot film, [11] re-titled A Haunting in Venice and relocated from England to the titular city. The film followed Branagh's previous Poirot adaptations Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022). [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Cards on the Table</i> 1936 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Cards on the Table is a detective fiction novel by the English author Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 2 November 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00.

<i>Lord Edgware Dies</i> 1933 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Lord Edgware Dies is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1933 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of Thirteen at Dinner. Before its book publication, the novel was serialised in six issues of The American Magazine as 13 For Dinner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Hastings</span> Only close friend of Hercule Poirot, the fictional detective of Agatha Christie

Captain Arthur J. M. Hastings, OBE, is a fictional character created by Agatha Christie as the companion-chronicler and best friend of the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. He is first introduced in Christie's 1920 novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles and appears as a character in seven other Poirot novels, including the final one Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (1975), along with a play and many short stories. He is also the narrator of several of them.

Ariadne Oliver is a fictional character in the novels of Agatha Christie. She is a crime fiction novelist, the creator of the fictional Finnish detective Sven Hjerson, and a friend of Hercule Poirot.

<i>The Hollow</i> 1946 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

The Hollow is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United States by Dodd, Mead & Co. in 1946 and in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club in November of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.50 and the UK edition at eight shillings and sixpence (8/6). A paperback edition in the US by Dell Books in 1954 changed the title to Murder after Hours.

<i>Curtain: Poirots Last Case</i> 1975 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie, written early 1940s

Curtain: Poirot's Last Case is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1975 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year, selling for $7.95.

<i>Dead Mans Folly</i> 1956 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Dead Man's Folly is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in October 1956 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 5 November of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.95 and the UK edition at twelve shillings and sixpence (12/6). It features Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver.

<i>Elephants Can Remember</i> 1972 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Elephants Can Remember is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in 1972. It features her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the recurring character Ariadne Oliver. This was the last novel to feature either character, although it was succeeded by Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, which had been written in the early 1940s but was published last. Elephants Can Remember concentrates on memory and oral testimony.

<i>Three Act Tragedy</i> 1934 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Three Act Tragedy is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1934 under the title Murder in Three Acts and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in January 1935 under Christie's original title. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6).

<i>Mrs McGintys Dead</i> 1952 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Mrs McGinty's Dead is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1952 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 3 March the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.50 and the UK edition at nine shillings and sixpence (9/6). The Detective Book Club issued an edition, also in 1952, as Blood Will Tell.

<i>The Clocks</i> 1963 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

The Clocks is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 7 November 1963 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. It features the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The UK edition retailed at sixteen shillings (16/-) and the US edition at $4.50.

<i>Third Girl</i> 1966 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

Third Girl is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1966 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at eighteen shillings (18/-) and the US edition at $4.50.

This page details the books featuring the fictional character Hercule Poirot, created by Agatha Christie.

<i>Black Coffee</i> (play) Play by the British crime-fiction author Agatha Christie

Black Coffee is a play by the British crime-fiction author Agatha Christie which was produced initially in 1930. The first piece that Christie wrote for the stage, it launched a successful second career for her as a playwright. In the play, a scientist discovers that someone in his household has stolen the formula for an explosive. The scientist calls Hercule Poirot to investigate, but is murdered just as Poirot arrives with Hastings and Inspector Japp.

<i>Thirteen at Dinner</i> (film) Television mystery film

Thirteen at Dinner is a 1985 British-American made-for-television mystery film featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Adapted by Rod Browning from the 1933 Agatha Christie novel Lord Edgware Dies, it was directed by Lou Antonio and starred Peter Ustinov, Faye Dunaway, Jonathan Cecil, Diane Keen, Bill Nighy and David Suchet, who was later to play Poirot in the long-running television series entitled Agatha Christie's Poirot. The film first aired on CBS Television on October 18, 1985.

<i>Dead Mans Folly</i> (film) Television mystery film

Dead Man's Folly is a 1986 British-American made-for-television mystery film featuring Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It is based on Christie's 1956 novel Dead Man's Folly. The film was directed by Clive Donner and starred Peter Ustinov as Poirot.

In Agatha Christie's mystery novels, several characters cross over different sagas, creating a fictional universe in which most of her stories are set. This article has one table to summarize the novels with characters who occur in other Christie novels; the table is titled Crossovers by Christie. There is brief mention of characters crossing over in adaptations of the novels. Her publications, both novels and short stories, are then listed by main detective, in order of publication. Some stories or novels authorised by the estate of Agatha Christie, using the characters she created, and written long after Agatha Christie died, are included in the lists.

Lists of adaptations of the works of Agatha Christie:

Hercule Poirot is a series of full cast BBC Radio drama adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels and short stories adapted by Michael Bakewell, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1985 and 2007. With the exception of the first two adaptations, the series stars John Moffatt as Poirot.

<i>A Haunting in Venice</i> 2023 film by Kenneth Branagh

A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 American supernatural mystery horror film produced and directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, loosely based on the 1969 Agatha Christie novel Hallowe'en Party. It serves as a sequel to Death on the Nile (2022) and is the third film in which Branagh stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The ensemble cast includes Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.

References

  1. ↑ Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon. Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions. Dragonby Press (Second Edition) March 1999 (p. 15)
  2. ↑ John Cooper and B.A. Pyke. Detective Fiction – the collector's guide: Second Edition (pp. 82, 87) Scholar Press. 1994. ISBN   0-85967-991-8
  3. ↑ "American Tribute to Agatha Christie". home.insightbb.com.
  4. ↑ Barnard, Robert (1990). A Talent to Deceive – an appreciation of Agatha Christie – Revised edition. Fontana Books. p. 194. ISBN   0-00-637474-3.
  5. ↑ "How Christie Wrote". AgathaChristie.com. Agatha Christie Limited.
  6. ↑ Weaver, Robert (13 December 1969). "Unknown title". Toronto Daily Star . p. 58.
  7. ↑ Aldridge, Mark (12 November 2020). Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0008296612.
  8. ↑ Bunson, Matthew (2000). The Complete Christie: An Agatha Christie Encyclopedia. Simon & Schuster. p. 69. ISBN   978-0671028312.
  9. ↑ Lee, Amy (7 February 2003). Agatha Christie: Hallowe'en Party. The Literary Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "Hallowe'en Party". BBC Genome. 30 October 1993. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  11. ↑ Massoto, Erick (3 March 2022). "A Third Hercule Poirot Film Has Been Written, Says 20th Century Studios President". Collider. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Kenneth Branagh's Third Hercule Poirot Film 'A Haunting in Venice' Casts Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh and More". Variety. 10 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.