Character Afterlife

JS88

I wonder if anyone thinks about the life of the characters (not Poirot or any of the re occurring ones) once the novel closes. I first started thinking about this because of the end of Taken at the Flood (great story, abysmal end IMHO). I see Lynn Marchmont's marriage to the awful Rowley becoming rapidly controlling and abusive, until after a couple of decades of hell he finally
kills her in a rage but gets off lightly due to a misogynistic legal system.

Then there is the wonderfully disolute George from After the Funeral. Obviously he speeds through his inheritance, and by the early sixties decides to manage a four piece beat combo, absconding with the profits of their first pop hit.

Not to forget Jane Grey from Death in the Clouds. She goes off with the handsome young archaeologist and lives a very happy life, probably writing a load of extremely popular murder mystery novels.

Does anyone else do this, or have I got too much empty time on my hands?

JS88

Obviously too much time on my hands.

taliavishay-arbel

No! I love this! And I often think about it. For example in "Ordeal by Innocence", how will the three couples get along? I'm betting on the Mr. Argyle and Gwenda, I think Tina and Mike have a good chance - probably she'll manage his moods, but I'm not sure Hester and Mr. Calgary will make it. What with her insecurities and dramatization, he may find himself in a storm.

JS88

Having just finished Cat Among the Pigeons I now wonder how the school develops. It obviously gets back on track, but what direction does it take. Also what happens to the Upjohn girl and does the other one become a tennis pro, because although she is quite dismissed by Christie as insular and self centred, I quite liked her and think she had what it takes to excel at one particular thing.

taliavishay-arbel

JS88 said:

Having just finished Cat Among the Pigeons I now wonder how the school develops. It obviously gets back on track, but what direction does it take. Also what happens to the Upjohn girl and does the other one become a tennis pro, because although she is quite dismissed by Christie as insular and self centred, I quite liked her and think she had what it takes to excel at one particular thing.

Actually, we do get to know a little about the school, Meadowbank, after the end of "Cat among the Pigeons". In "Halloween Party" the School-head talks about it: ""It has changed a little nowadays. Different aims, different methods, but it still holds its own as a school of distinction, of progress, and also of tradition." So we don't learn a lot about how it has changed, but we do learn that it survived the shock of the multiple murders and the kidnapping. 

JS88

Excellent. Is the Head Miss Rich at that point?

taliavishay-arbel

JS88 said:

Excellent. Is the Head Miss Rich at that point?

It isn't said. I assume, since she talks about "Different aims, different methods" that Miss Rich is the head, since that is in line with her views in "Cat among the Pigeons".

Tommy_A_Jones

I would think the Daughter of the woman who knows the Murderer goes in to the Secret Service and The Girl does become a Tennis Pro assuming they aren't one and the same, I love wondering what happens to Characters after the books,

taliavishay-arbel

Tommy_A_Jones said:

I would think the Daughter of the woman who knows the Murderer goes in to the Secret Service and The Girl does become a Tennis Pro assuming they aren't one and the same, I love wondering what happens to Characters after the books,

They aren't - they are Julia Upjohn and Jennifer Sutcliff, respectively.

Tommy_A_Jones

Thank you.