How did the early reader treat the "French" in the Poirot Novels?

MichaelHallMichaelHall Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
I am in the early stages of a Poirot project - acquiring all the novels and reading them chronologically - writing reflections and then plan to leave teh whole thing as a "legacy" to my grandchildren / future generations. Really enjoying both the acquisition and reading process !

I am wondering how the early readers would have accommodated the "French language" elements?

It exposes my lack of understanding who would have read the material among other things.

Did they have an understanding of the language? 

Did they bypass these words?

Would they have looked them up?

I guess the same question is equally valid for today's readers ?

In seems that in the written word (rather than screen / TV) this understanding carries more understanding of the story?

Any thoughts / input would be greatly appreciated 


Comments

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I remember whaen I started out I sometimes bypassed words and when My Brother was around asked hi what phrases like mon ami and Mon dieu meant, I have fprgotten at the moment but one means My God and The Other means My Dear I think or My Friend.
  • MichaelHallMichaelHall Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
    Mon Dieu = my God

    Mon ami = my friend
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Thank you Michael Mon ami
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    I don't know nowadays, but I suppose that in the early decades of XX century ( 1920's, 1930's) it wasn't unusual people speak or at least know a bit french (at least people who go to school and it's good to point out that the education it wasn't so spread through all the social classes as nowadays).
    I think these words give a "mark". They characterize Poirot. You read them and think "that's Poirot" or "that's a Poirot's line" and at the same time, they link you to the character (Poirot). So, I think even when you don't understand what these words mean, you get a connection to the text and to Poirot (you "feel the whole picture).
  • MichaelHallMichaelHall Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
    Thank you - an interesting insight and something that I agree is part of the character

    It raises a new question I guess - who or what is paramount - the story (which woulo be helped by understanding of the words) or the character Poirot ?

    I think there are times when the character maybe took over !
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I have never understood how Characters can take over, I understand how you might get so absorbed in a book and enjoy it more than Life and you can talk about them as if they were real People but I can't understand how a Caracter can take over for the Writer which is what happened with Clancy in Death In The Clouds 
  • I still consider myself an early reader and to be honest I just skip the French phrases because they don't matter to me as long as I can understand the book without them
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    That is exactly what I did.
  • MichaelHallMichaelHall Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
    I decided (after reading the Poirot and Me book) that I would like to try and understand more about the Poirot character that had been created and how he progressed over time. I don't pretend to get every last nuance but it has added a dimension to my Poirot project that I have found interesting and enjoyable
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