Veronique's Reviews > Death Comes as the End
Death Comes as the End
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Veronique's review
bookshelves: read2019, 20thc, agathachristie
Jun 13, 2016
bookshelves: read2019, 20thc, agathachristie
Read 2 times. Last read May 8, 2019 to May 10, 2019.
“Fear is incomplete knowledge”
Out of Christie’s huge writing output, Death Comes As The End is the only novel set in Ancient Egypt. While it still features murders, and quite a few of them (!), the description of life by the Nile, in all its intricacies, takes on the role of another character, and I’d even say the main one.
Archeology fascinated her, even before meeting Sir Max Mallowan (who became her second husband), and took a huge part of her life when she came to share his work and passion, spending months in excavation sites from Iraq to Syria. Much of her acquired knowledge was used in many of her more popular titles, such as Murder in Mesopotamia and Death on the Nile.
Having the same interest as her (although nowhere near the same amount of knowledge), I really enjoyed this story. The mix of portrayal of life thousands of years ago with a murder mystery worked really well! Having said this, I wonder if other readers will feel the same. Christie after all is known for her depiction of the early and mid 20th century, with her sharp gaze on that society, that it might be too wide a change? Still, I loved it :O) I’m even more resolved to find time to read her Come, Tell Me How You Live: Memories from archaeological expeditions in the mysterious Middle East.
Out of Christie’s huge writing output, Death Comes As The End is the only novel set in Ancient Egypt. While it still features murders, and quite a few of them (!), the description of life by the Nile, in all its intricacies, takes on the role of another character, and I’d even say the main one.
Archeology fascinated her, even before meeting Sir Max Mallowan (who became her second husband), and took a huge part of her life when she came to share his work and passion, spending months in excavation sites from Iraq to Syria. Much of her acquired knowledge was used in many of her more popular titles, such as Murder in Mesopotamia and Death on the Nile.
Having the same interest as her (although nowhere near the same amount of knowledge), I really enjoyed this story. The mix of portrayal of life thousands of years ago with a murder mystery worked really well! Having said this, I wonder if other readers will feel the same. Christie after all is known for her depiction of the early and mid 20th century, with her sharp gaze on that society, that it might be too wide a change? Still, I loved it :O) I’m even more resolved to find time to read her Come, Tell Me How You Live: Memories from archaeological expeditions in the mysterious Middle East.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
June 13, 2016
– Shelved
May 8, 2019
–
Started Reading
May 10, 2019
–
Finished Reading
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Cathy
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May 12, 2019 03:19AM
I‘ve had tea at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, where she stayed. Someone told me that she wrote Death on the Nile there. No idea if it‘s true...
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Regarding the change from 19th century England to ancient Egypt, I personally thought it liberating! She made people say how they feel and questioned the social roles more openly. I haven't read her other books in a while and it was my first time reading this book but it made me wish there were more like it.
Elly wrote: "Regarding the change from 19th century England to ancient Egypt, I personally thought it liberating! She made people say how they feel and questioned the social roles more openly. I haven't read he..."
I know what you mean. Have you tried her Mary Westmacott novels? No crime but the same analytical mind questioning everything. I’ve only read 2 - Unfinished Portrait, which takes a lot from her real life, and Absent in the Spring, which I LOVED :O)
I know what you mean. Have you tried her Mary Westmacott novels? No crime but the same analytical mind questioning everything. I’ve only read 2 - Unfinished Portrait, which takes a lot from her real life, and Absent in the Spring, which I LOVED :O)