And Then There Were None

By: Agatha Christie

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: Dan Stevens

Published: 1939 (this version 2013)

Genre: Murder mystery

I've read this before, but I didn't remember which of the dead bodies wasn't actually dead and who the real killer was, so I listened and tried to remember. I also had to do a little research, because I thought Christie had originally called it "Ten Little Indians." Imagine my surprise when I found that it was originally published as "Ten Little N***ers!" Wikipedia says that the book "used the title Ten Little Indians between 1964 and 1986." That makes sense! In any case, "And Then There Were None" is the superior title. It was also interesting that the story takes place on Soldier Island and the glass figurines are of little soldiers and the nursery rhyme involves little soldiers. From reading this in the 1970s, I remember all of this as Indians . . .

Listening to the story instead of seeing it in print made me want to have a copy of the rhyme to check off how each person died. Hearing the epilogue brought good closure, though I hadn't realized the work the killer went to in setting everything up! Not having a detective (like Poirot or Miss Marple), it was interesting to see how baffled the detectives were. 

 

The vocal work was well-done.  I don't remember what else I wanted to record here . . . I don't think I've seen the movie version of this book.

Off Wikipedia:

Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Soldier Boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Soldier Boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.