Book of the Month February 2014: N or M?

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Comments

  • I love "N or M", it's my favourite Tommy and Tuppence book. The atmosphere is brilliant with the war such a huge part of it.

    I don't see how the new TV adaptations will work putting in in the 50s/

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    You have a very strong point Anne, but It could work after all people who caused atrocities in the POW camps are still hunted down and Tried aren't they? but it is as idiotic as setting Taken At The Flood in the Decade ITV set it
  • You have a very strong point Anne, but It could work after all people who caused atrocities in the POW camps are still hunted down and Tried aren't they? but it is as idiotic as setting Taken At The Flood in the Decade ITV set it

    I haven't seen Taken at the Flood. I got tired of all the changes from the books so I stopped watching the adaptations a couple of years back. I relented and watched Poirot's last series. I was pleased with it. The first three were books I was not particularly fond of, Elephants can Remember, The Labour's of Hercules and The Big Four, and as I didn't remember a lot of details I was able to enjoy them. The other two were from books I did like, Dead Man's Folly and Curtain. I felt they were well done and close enough to the book.

    So when was TatF set? It is so post-war!

    Perhaps the Nazis will turn into Communists in N or M?

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

    Of the final 5 I thought the only ones I enjoyed watching were Dead Man's Folly and Elephants Can Remember.


    The Adaptation of TATF was set in the 60s (I think) Post war definitely so the point of the book was spoilt, I have not minded a lot of the Changes over the years, some I quite liked

  • The adaptation Taken At The Flood was set in the 30's. There was no WW2 bombing. Instead a character actually blew up the house they were living in!

    I consider if to be one of the worse Poirot adaptions ever. The final Poirot series was one of the best in a long time. But the early episodes are very good. 
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I thought MOST of the Episodes after the Brilliant Early Episodes were Excellent, I loved Mrs McGtinty's Dead and Cat Among The Pigeons especially and the ending of Taken At The Flood was IMHO Excellent, I can't fault the Acting of Taken At The Flood just the change of era, Appointment With Death was confused by having the Victims Husband in it which he isn't in the Book and SPOILER ALERT! The Book states the abuse the Victim dealt out was Psychological but the Adaptation made it Physical, Murder On The Orient Express was rushed and I found The Labours of Hercule Confusing although the Blurb in the TV Times made it look promising, I have already mentioned time and time again what is wrong with Cards On The Table (My Joint Favourite Poirot Book)  
  • As this is a thread for N Or M is feels off topic to discuss Poirot on it. I will briefly say I felt that there were a few outstanding episodes after 2001. But not that many. There were lot's of things wrong with Taken At The Flood beside the time change.  David Hunter's poor Irish accent, the utterly melodramatic end that was farcical.  The way Poirot was so angry and shouting, the love triangle relationship between Roly, Lynn and David was badly played out. The whole incest theme was overdone and not even in the book.

    Maybe its an example of what dramatists shouldn't do when adapting a novel.  Change the motives, the method, the location, etc etc.

    The Moving Finger is during WW1 but has been adapted for the 50's in I think Hickson and def in McEwan Marple.  It didn't make too many ripples in the actual plot. 


  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I don't know what you mean about The Moving Finger being WW1 The Miss Marple Books start after WW1
  • I meant that Moving finger is during World War 2
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Oh, I thought it was after WW2 because the woman who was intended for Cloade SPOILER ALERT but who loved The Murderer was back from The War I thought.
  • In Taken At The Flood, some of the crucial events take place during WW2. David Hunter's sister is killed during a world war 2 bombing raid. Poirot is in a 1940's gentleman's club at the start of the story. Things are then set some time afterwards probably late 1940's. 

    Because of the time alterations, none of the adapt was set during WW2 at all.
  • my sis bought this book for me in my birthday and i didn't read it yet !! because i am reading the moving finger now... hope i'll enjoy it like any AC's books
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I LOVED it and have read it m3 times, It was m 1st T&T Book and one of the first Agatha Christie books I read, I hope you enjoy it, It is my favourite T&T Book.
  • MichielMichiel Netherlands
    Although it is not flawless, this is probably my favourite T&T novel. First, the setting is great. It mentions the evacuation from Dunkirk and the capitulation of France, making it strongly anchored in the real world. It is not about stopping a single murderer, but about the looming invasion, one that later on is mentioned being just days away. To me, that gives the book a huge sense of dread.

    Also, I like the variety in the characters. Finally, I'm a big fan of comic relief in Christie novels, and this has no shortage of it, with Tuppence's second appearance and with characters like Betty, Albert, Major Bletchley and the Cayleys.

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Very Few Books are Flawless, some are spoiled by Not Finishing soon enough and some finish Too soon, This Book are as Near Perfect as possible, like a perfect Cake, Just the correct amount of Comic Relief and Suspence aswell as Great Characters, a superb Plot and a Terrific Setting.
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