Read Christie 2021: Sparkling Cyanide

Please raise your glass and toast…. to remembrance!

Name: Sparkling Cyanide

Writer: Agatha Christie

Country: United Kingdom

Year: 1944

Genre: Crime novel

Synopsis:

Six people sit at a table set for seven in the Luxembourg restaurant. In front of the empty seat is a branch of rosemary, in honor of Rosemary Barton, who died on that same table exactly a year ago. A strange feeling hangs in the air, considering that no one will soon forget that night and the agony they witnessed: Rosemary's beautiful face contorted in spasms, unrecognizable. But Rosemary was an impossible woman to forget. She had the ability to arouse strong passions among the people she knew. Passions that may have dictated her death ...

Review

Third month of Read Christie 2021 Challenge. Third book by Agatha Christie. Sparkling Cyanide was my choice for this month: a story starring a society figure. However, I have to confess that this work fell short of my expectations.

Contrary to what is usual in other works of the author, Christie presents us from the beginning the six suspects and the reason that each of them may have to murder Rosemary Barton, an irreverent and stunning woman. They are: George Barton, Rosemary's husband; Iris Marle, the victim's younger sister; Ruth Lessing, George's cold and efficient secretary; Anthony Browne, Rosemary's witty friend; and the Farradays, a cold and calculating couple, known to Rosemary. From there, the reader becomes the detective on duty along with Colonel Race and Inspector Kemp of Scotland Yard. I confess that I really liked this part. I love it when the author invites us to go down in history and try to guess who is to blame!

Each of the characters in the story is introduced gradually and very precisely, so as not to leave any doubt to the reader of who is who. I usually have no problem with the characters created by Christie, but this time I have to admit that Lucilla Drake, the Marle sisters' aunt, got on my nerves due to her chatter. In fact, it was really tiring! On the other hand, I really liked Anthony Browne and his mysterious personality.

As usual, the author's writing is fluid and engaging, but this time I had a hard time getting into the story and only managed to do it more towards the end of the work. Although Christie is not in the habit of dawdle on her stories, the feeling I had in this book was that the narrative dragged on, until the moment when a new and important event happened, thus giving a new advance to the story. However, I think this may be due to the fact that this was originally a short story that was later rewritten by the author herself and turned into a detective novel.

Questions are asked, each of the "investigators" has his favorite suspect and, suddenly, ... bam! The case is resolved. To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of the end of this work. In my opinion, it seemed unconvincing, and there is an aspect related to one of the characters in the story (which I will not mention as it would be a spoiler) that is not even well explained.

However, despite not being one of my favorite stories, I tried to guess whodunit during the reading, having partially got it right, and being absolutely correct as to the motive of the crime. Even so, it was a work that didn’t ‘fill me in the gauges’.

Whisper of the Heart

Sparkling Cyanide was originally published in the United States under the title Remembered Death in 1945. As I mentioned, the story started out as a short story, Yellow Iris, and had detective Hercule Poirot. However, Agatha Christie later decided to rewrite the story by replacing the little mustache detective with Colonel Johnny Race, as well as the culprit's identity. This work was adapted to television twice, in 1983 and in 2003.

As in other works, the author demonstrates well how much she knows human nature, or at least how much she is an observer of it. Throughout the work, Christie demonstrates that people are not always what they appear to be, as happens with Anthony Browne, nor as cold and without feelings as they want to appear, as Sandra Farraday and Ruth Lessing demonstrate.

I also found it interesting that the author mentions through her female characters how much female intuition is refined, as well as the fact that men are visual beings, easily attracted by beauty, as evidenced by the character of Rosemary, but that, when it tries to find the person with whom they will spend the rest of their lives, they give more value to character and intelligence, as can be seen in Stephen's character, who admires and praises the temperament and intelligence of his wife Sandra.

Sparkling Cyanide is not one of my favorite works, but that does not mean that his characters do not teach us, or make us think about our own lives.

Often we only value it when we realize that we have lost or we may lose those who are most dear to us. Christie also knew this and expressed it with the Farradays, in particular with Stephen.

However, it is also known that the more we try to run away from something, or we are immune to external influences, the sooner we are seduced by them. This is absolutely correct when it comes to love. If you don't believe me, ask Ruth Lessing.

Agatha has often raised the theme of motherhood and the importance of not being blind when it comes to seeing the true nature of our children. And in this work it happens again with the chatterbox and sweet Lucilla Drake, who cannot see the wickedness of his son Victor.

There are several aspects pointed out by the author through her characters, although not in a striking way. I end with a quote that got me thinking.

"The happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves that they don't give a damn." (Anthony Browne, Sparkling Cyanide)

When people are happy they do not seek fame or success in the same way as unhappy people. They just focus on their goals and achieving them for themselves. Unhappy people, on the other hand, always feel the need for external approval, and are so preoccupied with this, that they don't mind harming others if they have to. Envy and jealousy take hold of them, because the other has what they yearn to achieve. Isn’t it?

And you, are you a happy person?

Rating - 🟉🟉🟉🟉🟉 (5)