DECEMBER'S BOOK OF THE MONTH

adminadmin Cuanza Norte, Angola

4.50 from Paddington (in the US What Mrs McGillicuddy Saw) represents everything that we know and love about Agatha Christie’s mystery novels. We have the classic train journey from London into the English countryside; there’s a “did she or didn’t she see?” scenario in the first few pages when Mrs McGillicuddy thinks she saw a murder on an adjacent train – but how do you solve a crime that appears not to have happened?; there’s the familiar rambling stately home location; and of course all this is presided over by the indomitable Miss Marple. 

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  • This is the first Christie I ever read (at age 12) and is my all time favourite!
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    This is The 1st Miss Marple Book I read, I love it and is my top 3 Miss Marpe book list and in my Top 10 Agatha Christie list, I love the Joan Hickson version and don't hate the ITV version but I prefer the MR version to the ITV version, I think Craddock is Great as is Lucy, Mrs McGillicuddy and ofcourse Miss Marple.
  • Third time reading this one, I love Miss Marple!
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I could never get tired of Miss Marple, I can't say that about Poirot quite so much
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    This book is one of the best. I just love the story! I never get tired of reading it! And all the TV versions are great! I can't forget about the game! I played it a thousand times!
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Is there a Game? How can I get hold of it?
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    Yes, there is. It's a hidden objects game. Try amazon or Big Fish games.
  • glalonzo0408glalonzo0408 Pennsylvania, United States
    I have to say....unlike most people, I truly did not care for this book or movie.  
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Why didn't you like it? I am intrigued as I love he book.

    I haven't got my copy with me, What number stop does Mrs McGillicuddy get off at? I know there isn't a 4.50 From Paddington as Ihave checked I think there is a 4.445 and 4.55 From Paddington, does anyone know where you land up if you get off at that number stop for each Train and has anyone done it? I think it would be fun to do.
  • I read an e-copy of this and I loved it alot still loving it though :) I am ready to re-read it anytime it's I'm my top 5 Christie till now because I did not read all her books .. But still wondering who will Lucy marry at the end?? , I still don't know the answer
  • It's interesting you ask who Lucy will marry. When I first read the book I wasn't sure. Warning: movie spoiler! The three movies give different solutions - in the MM movie, the roles of Mrs. Mcgillcuddy, Miss Marple and Lucy are rolled in one, and of course she doesn't marry anybody. In the Joan Hickson she is going to marry Brian Eastley, and in the new movie she ends up with Inspector Craddoc, though it doesn't look like marriage. When I reread the book after seeing the Joan Hickson Movie, it made sense - because in the book, the scene where she visits Miss Marple and is distraught because she realizes Brian was actually on the same train betrays her feelings - besides, the only one left, Cedric, is not a marrying man, and actually became defensive and agressive towards her her when she jokingly asked him if he wanted to marry her. But I thought it attractive that the book ended with the unanswered question. 
  • RhondaDeBoardRhondaDeBoard Ohio, United States
    New to the community today. Cannot wait to get my copy of 450 from Paddington.
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I thought Lucy ends up with Cedric or Brian in the book but is actually left open but Miss Marple Thinks Craddock should know, I think she does end up with Cedric as Brian is too wimpish for her although she should marry Brian and I would have liked her to marry Craddock but then that would have meant it would have been wonderful if Craddock Agatha Christie had written books with Craddock and Lucy as Sleuths which she didn't :-(
  •  thank you both taliavishay-arbel ...  for me i didn't think about  Craddock much  , i also think that she ended up with cedric although  brian was soo nice to her and his son was attached to lucy but the problem comes to his personality which was weak or as we say (wimpy) and even if she married him i think he will leave her after years .. so cedric is the better option in my point of view without considering craddock as i said before. i think i have to read it again to see how they'll match each other and to know more about him . 
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    On The Contrary maryambullushi, I think either Lucy would leave Brian or be the sought of person who stuck by her mistakes she would stay and be the woman behind the man and he would be to some extent downtrodden but successful, perhaps they would start an Agency for people wanting Domestic Help amd Companions and Brian could start a Business taking the Rich Invalids or the people wanting the help to the destinations of their Choice by Aeroplane, If Lucy ended up with Cedric he would stop chasing women and she would manage his Career as an Artist and he would be as Famous as Hockney, Constable and Lowry.
  • I think that the really perfect Christie novels enable you to see and almost feel the motive in the incidents being enacted. 'A Murder is Announced' is a key example, as is 'The Moving Finger'. Where the motive is somewhere pushed away from the main action, over in France, a lot of boring visits and research by Poirot into clothes, memories, etc, and to do with someone the reader doesn't meet, it is difficult to engage with. I find myself taking Christie's word for it, that the replacing love is, for the murderer, so strong, and he would definitely be driven to kill.  I don't really experience the emotions of it all, though.
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