Poirot's Brother!

Ariadne

I recently discovered the fact that Poirot has (had?) a brother - Achille Poirot. It's mentioned, as some of you will know, in The Labours Of Hercules. Is his brother mentioned in any of the other books, does anyone know? Thanks!

Frank

Hi @Ariadne. Achille "appears" one more time. In The Big Four Hastings believes that he meets Achille Poirot. On this occasion, Achille is almost certainly Poirot himself in disguise. Poirot speaks in Chapter 18 of having sent Achille "back to the land of myths". 

Tommy_A_Jones

I thought he was only mentioned once, but anyway I thought he was a bit of pointless silliness which was an Idea Agatha Christie quickly dumped, "Achilles" annoys me as you can probably tell

shana

Wasn't there also a younger sister somewhere? I think she was called Yvette. Infact, Poirot's whole family history is vague and unreliable. His so called romance with Vera Rossakoff might also have produced a son Nikki. Seems like AC developed these scarce references to the personal life of Poirot's over the years when she felt it was necessary ( maybe on the reader's demand) altough she actually just wanted him to be gone permanently. I think she never made sure it all added up, if that was possible  in the first place. The fact that she had to keep him alive makes all the logic fly out of the window. So I would not bother much with anything about Poirot's personal background.

Tommy_A_Jones

I don't think he had a son, I think one of his friends in Belgium had 2 sons and called one of them Hercule but that might have just been The Adaptation of The Chocolate Box, his Mother was I think mentioned in one Adaptation

shifra.shomron

If it's Hercule mentioning it, you can't trust him... far too often he'll tell absolute lies if he considers them necessary to discovering the truth from others. Hastings is very uncomfortable with this and considers it "not playing the game" but Poirot defends himself by retorting that "murder isn't a game". So, if Poirot thought he needed to have a brother - he'd give himself one, without any qualms. And he's got as much imagination as Ariadne Oliver in which to do so...

SueRaines

Some years ago Ann Hart researched and wrote the life and times of Miss Marple also did one on Poirot. I have read the Miss Marple one but not Poirot...There in may lay the answer if there is one. Has anyone read this?

Ariadne

Interesting, shifra.shomron. I  don't know if he was making him up or not. In the story, he was having a regular conversation with a friend and it told about Poirot thinking about his brother and Achille's detective career. So, I don't know...things like that can drive me crazy, not knowing and never being able to know for sure. lol I try to remember it's just fiction, though. SueRaines, those sound interesting! My mom might have the one on Miss Marple, but I haven't read it because it gives away things from the books. I'd love to read the Poirot one when I finish his books. Thanks for the info!

Tommy_A_Jones

I think he Poirot must have been appearing to have a Conversation with his brother as he was created by Poirot to beat the Big Four.

Tommy_A_Jones

Sorry just realised what I put doesn't make sense but the bit about The Big Four is right.

kaberi.chakrabarty

In The Big Four, when Poirot mentions his brother, and Hastings says, "I never knew you had a brother", Poirot says something like "Did you not know that all famous detectives have brothers that would be even more famous themselves if it were not for constitutional indolence?" This is a clear reference to Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft, who Sherlock claims is even smarter than he is, but is rich enough and unambitious enough that he chooses not to use his brains in any particular fashion. But, allowing for the fact that both Poirot and Holmes are fundamentally fictional, Holmes brother was real enough and featured in more than one story, whereas Poirot admits that Achille was just a character he invented to help deceive the Big Four.

Ariadne

Ah, yes, interesting, Tommy_A_Jones, and kaberi.chakrabarty. Thanks.

Okterp

At the end of "The Big Four", Poirot tells Hastings his brother returned to the land of myths where he came from.

Tommy_A_Jones

That is one aspect where the book falls down

bcampos

Poirot indeed has a brother named Achille. However, it is implied Achille is gone.

We know the certainty of his existence in Labors of Hercules, where Poirot's friend comments on his past with Achille, Mycroft and Sherlock.

taliavishay-arbel

@Bcampos - Achille's existence isn't proven in Labours of Hercules - on the contrary.

Dr. Burton says:

 "...you had a brother called Achille, did you not?"

  Poirot's mind raced back over the details of Achille Poirot's career. Had all that really happened?

  "Only for a short space of time," 

Since the "Achille" that appears in "The big four" is grown-up, if he were a real person he could not have been Hercule's brother "For a short space of time". The inference is that he was imagined for a short space of time.