CAT AMONGST THE PIGEONS: A MINOR (BUT IMPORTANT) INCOHERENCY

edubeltranedubeltran Catalonia, Spain
in All Poirot novels
One of my absolute favourites from the latter Christies, I found it very well paced, with tension all through it and with the perfect dose of Poirot: not too overwhealming, leaving all the importance to the narration of facts. It would be one of the perfect Christies for me, if it weren't for a detail which I found absolutely out of place: SPOILER  why on Earth would a FIFTEEN year old girl have some play dough with her during her holidays? surely no child aged more than 7-8 years old plays with that, and certainly NOT a teenager... AC should have included a younger sister, or think of another method to conceal the stones. Cotton wool, for instance, would have been a much better choice

Comments

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    It is a Book I love, I think it is simply SUBLIME, I can see people sitting otside wit a Cool Drink on a Beautiful Summer day just reading this Book leisurely, I think you have to remember that as years have gone by 15 year olds have mature'd more and more over the years and also she is of a Class where they are likely to be different to Working-class 15 year olds, perhaps the Play dough is there for when a Child of 7 or 8 stays and she is in the mood to act  like a Little Girl, It doesn't detract from my Enjoyment.
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    Does it say "play dough" in your edition?  In my 1990's American edition, it says "plasticine."  Plasticine is similar but distinctly different from play dough.  Plasticine doesn't dry out like clay or dough.  Plasticine can be used as a modeling clay, but many people carried it around for other uses.  It can be used to patch a shoe, act as a kind of putty to replace a stone that fell out of a piece of jewelry, prevent a cracked glass bottle from leaking...   So, it's not that much of a stretch for a teenaged girl to carry some around– it has many uses.  It might be like carrying around a pocket knife or something like that– it's a useful tool.
  • edubeltranedubeltran Catalonia, Spain
    Good point, GKCFan. I've got Spanish edition and it says "plastilina" which in Spanish is typically an item for small children to play with: so it's probably a case of false-friend in translation, which quite well explains the incoherency. Now it's much clearer and I rather think a short note of translator explaining what "plasticine" is in English would have been very helpful. Thanks !!!
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Agatha Christie probably didn't think it necessary to explain things, she probably assumed people would know what she meant just like she assumed people would read the Poirot Books in order which is why SPOILER ALERT!!! Dumb Witness reveals the name of 4 Murderers.
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    I like this book a lot. It's very enjoyable.
    And, I agree with you, Tommy_A_Jones. There are many things that nowadays we think it's strange, weird or funny, but in her time, it would be perfectly normal, so she supposed it was not necessary to explain.
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    You're welcome!
  • edubeltranedubeltran Catalonia, Spain
    I didn't mean Dame Agatha was supposed to explain but the translator of the Spanish version, because the use of the Spanish word "plastilina" is confusing. I see it as a bad translation
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    I understand. I face the same problem once in awhile.
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