The man in the brown suit

StathisZavitsanos

Reading "The man in the brown suit" Could anyone give me His opinion about it? PLEASE NO SPOILERS!

Tommy_A_Jones

It is TERRIFIC, EXCELLENT, MAGNIFICENT I like it a lot, I can't speak too highly of this wonderful book,  The Characters are Great, The Villain is one of my favourite of Christie's Villains, I think the 2 ain women are wonderful and it is a crying shame they were not in other books, I even like Race in this book,

I like this book

MissQuin

I have mixed feelings towards it. I didn't like Anne Beddingfield's narration much.  But I did Sir Eustace narration which was more witty and had more punch to it. The parts of the book were amusing and really saved the novel from being too much like a adventure romance story. 

There's a romance which isn't so much a sub plot as part of the story. I found it hard to swallow. My very old copy of the book was described as a thriller, I felt it wasn't.

I won't reveal the end but I don't think you'll get much of a shock. I think this may end up being filmed as a Marple. 

johnwaynefreak

I'd be surprised to see any more episodes of Marple - I thought it was announced that this last series would be the final one around the time the money was shifted around, cutting Marple to three episodes and funding the fifth one (Labours) for the last series of Poirot.  I agree "...Brown Suit" would be a likely contender for future series, though.  Personally, I like the eighties adaptation very much - a bit of a poor man's "Romancing The Stone", but the cast make it very enjoyable for me.

 

With regards the novel, the twist Christie uses is so similar to one from a later and much more celebrated book, I do wonder why "...Brown Suit" wasn't the one to be critically lauded at the time.  It is definitely one of the better adventure-style books she wrote.

MissQuin

I've wondered what the film was like, so I will watch it when it's on TV again, thank you JohnWaynefreak. Plus if you enjoy the book Stathis, perhaps you could then watch the film?

Also I didn't know that about the Marple series. I know the ratings slumped and it's not surprising given how bad some of the episodes were. But I'd like to see some of the short stories filmed.

tudes

I think it's a good book. It's much more an adventure book, very similar to The Secret Adversary or the Secret of Chimneys (I prefer the last one) than to The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
Let's say that is young Agatha Christie's book (it is not a depreciative opinion). It's a delightful book, but it is not a masterpiece.
And it was filmed in 1989.

Tommy_A_Jones

I love this book, but I do think seeing the film first helped, I loved the arration of Anne Beddingfild who I would have liked to see in more books and I love the narration of Peddlar, I personally don't see the connection to The Secret Adversary or The Secret of Chimneys, to me it is more similar to Destination Unknown and They Came To Baghdad, (I don't see the difference between the Female leads in all three books so they might aswell have had the same one) and I think it is more superior to Sparkling Cyanide which would be a much better candidate for a Marple Episode as this book is too good to be in that series, I suppose people think she could replace suzy  but she could replace the old lady in Sparkling Cyanide and improve the book and I wold like to see Race and Miss Marple together in that one NOT The Man In The Brown Suit, 

When I received the Film in The Post I watched it twice in one day, I love the Film, The Whole cast are Excellent I am just sorry they moved the location    

StathisZavitsanos

Tommy_A_Jones said:

I love this book, but I do think seeing the film first helped, I loved the arration of Anne Beddingfild who I would have liked to see in more books and I love the narration of Peddlar, I personally don't see the connection to The Secret Adversary or The Secret of Chimneys, to me it is more similar to Destination Unknown and They Came To Baghdad, (I don't see the difference between the Female leads in all three books so they might aswell have had the same one) and I think it is more superior to Sparkling Cyanide which would be a much better candidate for a Marple Episode as this book is too good to be in that series, I suppose people think she could replace suzy  but she could replace the old lady in Sparkling Cyanide and improve the book and I wold like to see Race and Miss Marple together in that one NOT The Man In The Brown Suit, 

When I received the Film in The Post I watched it twice in one day, I love the Film, The Whole cast are Excellent I am just sorry they moved the location    

Indeed, Destination... The man in... and The came... Have a lot in common(I mean the woman, a unexpected man in the woman's room) I imagined the same woman in unknown destination, They came... And the man in...

MissQuin

Did anyone else find it too easy to guess who was behind the murders?

AlexBarry

I just finished this a few nights ago and really enjoyed the heck out of it.  Love love LOVE Anne Beddingfield and would have enjoyed greatly other books with her, had there been any.  Her character comes through as just cute as a button, and her voice is so disingenuous and merry.  The atmosphere on board ship was wonderful and really made me want to plan a cruise from Southampton to Cape Town.  Really enjoyed the knowledgeable little tid-bits Dame Agatha sprinkled throughout, as a result of her own round-the-world cruise taken shortly before with Archie.  She knew the ins and outs of the citys and towns, the rail system and geography, as well as a travel guide.  Did anyone not notice her reference to early surfers on the Cape Town shoreline?  (see the great film The Endless Summer to get a glimpse of what drew surfers to that location).

Loved also the characters of Mrs Blair, Colonel Race and all the others.  

This book is just a wonderful example of what a wonderful write AC was, what an ear she had for dialog, and what an eye for setting, and all this in just her fourth published work.  Remarkable!

Tommy_A_Jones

I so agree with you AlexBarry, It is an Wonderful book full of Humour, I love the Relationship between Suzy and Ann, The Villain is my favourite Christie Villain I think Pedlar's Assistant is Great, I also wish Ann had been in others, They Came To Baghdad and Destination Unknown would have been much better books if she had been the Main Character, I missed the bit you mentioned I will look for it next time I read it as there will be a Next time.

Have you seen The Film AlexBerry? It is wonderful, I like it so much I watched it twice in one day when I bought it, I can't speak too highly about this book.

CarrieB

This was the first book I read and remains a favorite.  I bought an $80 set of 8 AC movies because it was the only way I could find the 1989 tv movie.  It's one of my favorites.  Others in the collection are from the Peter Ustinov Poirot and Helen Hayes Marple era.

Tommy_A_Jones

Apart from this Film I have Death On The Nile, Evil Under The Sun, Dead Man's Folly.The Finney version of Murder On The Orient Express and Appointment With Death, my favourite is Evil Under The Sun then The Man In The Brown Suit then Death On The Nile then Dead Man's Folly

shifra.shomron

The heroine is so very spunky. When I read it I kept wondering if her young man was equal to her, and deserving of her. She kept attracting other young men along her journey, and I wondered if she'd stay true to her young man or not. She doesn't hesitate to make use of anyone who can help her - and it's obvious that it's her looks and energy that draw them to her...

Frank

AlexBarry said. It was one of the first AC books I read and it played a big part in getting me hook on Agatha Christie.

Mik_C

I just finished reading it and loved it!! I loved the change in narration, the villain was exceptional, and the whole story was simply very well put together. It keeps you guessing, and goes in directions you wouldn't think, and its just so fun to read! I wish Agatha Christie had made this a series! Altogether I would definitely reccomend this book to others, and would totally read it again!

Tommy_A_Jones

I have read it more than once, I love the Book and the Film is Brilliant although would have liked it to be set where he book is.

TeddyBg

This book is in my list: "Hate it the first time, but after the second read I love it."

Tommy_A_Jones

I think I would have hated it if I hadn't seen the Film, It made reading the Book easier but it didn't spoil my enjoyment either.

LukeMcLAren

Best non serial book, I would say. There is lot to it other than the murder. it contains an international gang of villains which make it more of a thriller than others. The murderer is apsolutly un guessable.

Tommy_A_Jones

Ah but is it a non-serial book as it does Have Colonel Race who appears in other books but it is an Excellent Book I am really enjoying Re-reading it.

taliavishay-arbel

Tommy, I think that the general agreement is that serial books are books that have one of the serial detectives - Poirot, Marple or T&T. However Race, Spence, Battle, Ariadne Oliver etc.do not count as creating "Series", since they appear in fairly few books each, and since they also appear in some books with one or another of the Serial detectives

Tommy_A_Jones

I take your point but Poirot isn't in The Bundle Books, Murder Is Easy or Towards Zero, I think with Battle and Race it is a grey area as they appear in more than one book without Poirot.

tudes

Maybe they just consider "the famous detectives".
I agree that if it's the fact of appearing in more than one book, Battle, Race and even Bundle should be considered as "series novels".

tudes

Maybe they just consider "the famous detectives".
I agree that if it's the fact of appearing in more than one book, Battle, Race and even Bundle should be considered as "series novels".

Tommy_A_Jones

I think I am just being awkward, if Race and Battle progress in their Books without Poirot it isn't noticeable, well I have never noticed it but there again I don't read Sparkling Cyanide anymore.

tudes

Tommy_A_Jones said:

I think I am just being awkward, if Race and Battle progress in their Books without Poirot it isn't noticeable, well I have never noticed it but there again I don't read Sparkling Cyanide anymore.

I don't think it's a problem of progress.I think much more people know Poirot, miss Marple and T&T than Race or Battle. Race and Battle aren't so well-known.
Ah, by the way, there was a problem in my note and the last post was sent twice. Sorry!

Tommy_A_Jones

You are right Race and Battle are less well-known, I would love it if The Battle Books were done PROPERLY or if someone made new Adaptations for him, he is one of my favourite Male Christie Characters.

MarcWatson-Gray

This was the one story that i attempted to solve and didn't enjoy it.Then when i read it purely for fun....I loved it !!!

Tommy_A_Jones

I am reading it now and will be sad when I finish it.

LukeMcLAren

I have read it easily over twenty times! I don't consider it as a mystery novel however, I think it is more a thriller! I think it is different from the rest of her books. I watched the film. Really very disappointing.