“And then there were none” is one of the best mystery novels of all time written by Agatha Christie. It was published initially with the name “Ten little nigger” in 1939 but then it was changed to the actual name in 1977.
The reason why the author chose that name in the first place was because of the place the story was set: in an island called “Nigger Island” for its form.
The main characters are Anthony Marston, John Macarthur, Emily Brent, Lawrence Wargrave, William Blore, Edward Armstrong, Philip Lombard and Vera Claythorne and they were all invited by the owner of this island, Mr. Owen. When they arrive there, they do not find the man from whom they received the letter, the island is completely deserted and the only thing they find is a big and empty mansion. Inside the house, they come across two servants, Ethel and Thomas Rogers, whom also did not meet the owner of the island. They collectively decide to stay until Mr. Owen comes back and they retire to their room, which are suspiciously the exact number as the guests. In each room they find a strange nursery rhyme: it is a story about ten little Indians that die one after the other in unusual ways. The situation keeps getting more suspicious and scarier when someone, in a robotic voice, blames those present for homicide, accusing them one by one for something personal. When they gather round in the living room to discuss this, Anthony Marston dies “accidentally.”
The story keeps getting increasingly interesting, leaving the reader holding their breath up until the very last moment, when the culprit is identified and the case is solved.
No wonder this book is the blueprint: not only the story was idealized perfectly, describing everything and every character clearly so that the reader is troubled to realize who the murderer really is, but it is written also very simply. In fact, it is a short novel that could be finished in a day, not only because it is short but also because it grasps the reader’s attention as soon as the investigation begins.
What I liked the most about it is not just the intriguing plot, but also how it was set: it is not like other ordinary mystery tells because, before Christie, no one ever wrote about the characters caged up in just a place where they must solve the mystery to get out of this situation. To do that, their personal stories, their interests are shown and with that, also their cunning plans to defeat their enemy.
Sharika Shamim 4N
