That is an impossible question, some Poirot's are better than a couple of Marples and a few Marple's are better than some Poirot's as people they are even
They're both great. Each one has a different style. Poirot has a lot of manias, he's funny in a certain way. Miss Marple is more like your grandmother, soft, smooth. I don't have a favourite. It's depends on the book.
I love them both. Miss Marple is a very charming old lady, very gentle and clever. She's always alert, watching and thinking. Poirot is an observer too, also always pays close attention on things and people, always listens and figures out the solution. But I think I prefer Poirot, I like his books more than Miss Marple's books. In general (not always, of course), Poirot's plots are more stimulating than Miss Marple's plot, because they've more twists.
Miss Marple got a raw deal I think, only one of her books has Characters which appear in non-Marple books and she isn't given a Side-kick, but I think I prefer her as Poirot is in too many books so you could get fed up of him but Miss Marple appears in either a little too few Books or just the right amount with only one which isn't not as good as the others but the more you have with a Character the more chance there is of a bad one but that is a matter of Opinion as to which it is.
I like Poirot, and think he is better; however even though I struggle with Miss Marple I will keep persevering with her; mainly because they are both different in their own ways. By the way they can be both cosy in their own ways.
I am glad you are going to persevere with Miss Marple, There is a Magical Quality to most of the Books she appears in, I am currently re-reading 4.50 From Paddington and am loving it all over again
This is a tough one! I think I prefer Miss Marple, but I don't really know if there is a special reason. As Tommy stated, there's certain magical quality in her books.
Maybe it's because I lived almost my whole life in small towns and I feel connected to the stories AC creates in those settings. Besides, the fact that an elderly lady is turned into an amateur detective is very original; not only for her detective techniques, but also because as others have said, seeming so harmless, people tend to tell her things they believe unimportant or that there won't be consequences.
The most brilliant example I have from the first point comes from Sleeping Murder. There's one scene, at a shop, in which she basically gets the way to contact someone from the past by creating a story of knowing people (in a town where, I may add, she never lived).
For me, the reason why I prefer Poirot is it seems like in most Marple books she is very much a bystander or observer, and I prefer a more active involvement in the case. I know Poirot sometimes can be like this as well, but for me, the best books are often the ones in which they take an active involvement.
For me Miss Marple is only a bystander in Murder At The Vicarage and The Moving Finger which she almost just has a Cameo in, I know Poirot only comes in really late in The Clocks but in a few he comes in quite late and he is in too many where as the amount Miss Marple is in is just right although she shouldn't be in The Moving Finger and Probably shouldn't be in Murder At The Vicarage.
I agree partially with those critics, about her bystander-ness in some stories and the second-character-place she has in others. However, someone pointed out very accurately a response to them before this site had the change make-over. I don't remember who it was and if it's still here, but I do keep the solidity of the point of view.
It would be very strange, even in a literature universe, if Miss Marple were always in the center of the action in every book. Considering the fact that her settings are small villages and the policemen from every book know her (because it's implied she always helps them), it would be very unrealistic and maybe awkward that all the time horrible and misterious things happened around her.
I don't know if this was really AC motive for introducing her in those satellite places, but even when we don't completely enjoy them, I do find sense in the choices.
Detective Fiction shouldn't be Totally realistic should it? and having it totally realistic would spoil them, I thought having Miss Marple sent for to solve Mrs Symington's Murder when she couldn't have known every bit of what had been going on make The Moving Finger unrealistic and although she didn't have to come into the Village having her suddenly interested in Colonel Protheroe's death enough to solve suddenly was improbable but it doesn't matter because both are good books.
This question is so like Apples or Oranges? - They are so different and picking one over the other is highly subjective. I like them both in different ways. I love how Poirot is so puffed up and full of himself. Christie does a great job of letting us admire his great detecting abilities yet still laugh at his conceit and vanity. We can laugh at him yet admire him. Marple is like so many elderly " shrewd cats" that we all know in our lives who can noisily find out personal details and see right through phony people. The two have different investigative methods - Poirot very thorough and precise , Marple insinuating herself and gently probing around. Bottom line - Christie created two very distinct and successful characters and I enjoy them both!
You are so right Christery, Apples and Oranges, Dinner and Pudding, Poirot or Miss Marple, to say one is better than the other is difficult, there are Books in the Poirot Canon that are better than some of the Miss Marple's and some of the Miss Marple books hat are better than some of the Poirot books there are aspects of one which I like which the other doesn't have and the books fuel debate and make us want to return to them time and time again.
Typically I think the choice between Miss Marple and Poirot is just a matter of personality. Some people will prefer Miss Marple and others Poirot. I can't stand Poirot myself but I realize that others really like his personality. Miss Marple all the way.
Probably Poirot with me. Miss Marple's good but Poirot books has a certain lighting that makes it a bit better. I think it's because of his odd structure.
Quite often in the Poirot novels the facts upon which Hercule exercises his little grey cells are conveniently provided for him by external sources (such as by Mr Goby) and presented as a fait accompli, rather than being deduced from events detailed in the story itself or from statements made by other characters. In the Marple stories, this doesn't really happen. Miss Marple does not have the support network of Poirot, and usually has to explain how she arrived at her solution to the crime with reference to events and statements actually detailed in the book (but which we the reader may not have realised the significance of at the time of reading).
I like Ms. Marple because she expects people to behave badly and she is in tune with human nature, as opposed to the criminal nature. She is proof that under certain circumstances all of us are capable of murder and the parallels she finds in life make her a shrewed judge of character.She focuses on the ordinary and the normal
Poirot focuses on the more direct approach: who benefits?
This question is so like Apples or Oranges? - They are so different and picking one over the other is highly subjective. I like them both in different ways. I love how Poirot is so puffed up and full of himself. Christie does a great job of letting us admire his great detecting abilities yet still laugh at his conceit and vanity. We can laugh at him yet admire him. Marple is like so many elderly " shrewd cats" that we all know in our lives who can noisily find out personal details and see right through phony people. The two have different investigative methods - Poirot very thorough and precise , Marple insinuating herself and gently probing around. Bottom line - Christie created two very distinct and successful characters and I enjoy them both!
I am reading By The Pricking of My Thumbs, I am enjoying it much more than the first time, I am even enjoying it more than the last time I read The Secret Adversary, My Reason for going off Topic is Ithink the Question should be Poirot. Marple or The Beresfords, I am enjoying the book that much the 2nd time.
For me I like poirot because his personality and his self confidence and how he solves every puzzle with his attitude that he knows that he'll win,in other hand I also like miss marple for her kindness and her energy even if she's an old woman and she never give up but in general I prefer the man with little grey cells in his mind..hercule poirot:)
Comments
I definitely vote poirot , I just love him and Suchet has been the perfect actor for poirot .
I am glad you are going to persevere with Miss Marple, There is a Magical Quality to most of the Books she appears in, I am currently re-reading 4.50 From Paddington and am loving it all over again
For me Miss Marple is only a bystander in Murder At The Vicarage and The Moving Finger which she almost just has a Cameo in, I know Poirot only comes in really late in The Clocks but in a few he comes in quite late and he is in too many where as the amount Miss Marple is in is just right although she shouldn't be in The Moving Finger and Probably shouldn't be in Murder At The Vicarage.
Detective Fiction shouldn't be Totally realistic should it? and having it totally realistic would spoil them, I thought having Miss Marple sent for to solve Mrs Symington's Murder when she couldn't have known every bit of what had been going on make The Moving Finger unrealistic and although she didn't have to come into the Village having her suddenly interested in Colonel Protheroe's death enough to solve suddenly was improbable but it doesn't matter because both are good books.
Quite often in the Poirot novels the facts upon which Hercule exercises his little grey cells are conveniently provided for him by external sources (such as by Mr Goby) and presented as a fait accompli, rather than being deduced from events detailed in the story itself or from statements made by other characters. In the Marple stories, this doesn't really happen. Miss Marple does not have the support network of Poirot, and usually has to explain how she arrived at her solution to the crime with reference to events and statements actually detailed in the book (but which we the reader may not have realised the significance of at the time of reading).