Blue Collar Lit.: exactly the same but in reverse

"I no longer live my life to please unreasonable people."

~ Internet Comment

"I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room."

~ Raymond Chandler
(Farewell, My Lovely)

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--------------------- [excerpt, The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie] ------------- Prologue

It was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7, 1915. The Lusitania had been struck by two torpedoes in succession and was sinking rapidly, while the boats were being launched with all possible speed.

The women and children were being lined up awaiting their turn. Some still clung desperately to husbands and fathers; others clutched their children closely to their breasts.

One girl stood alone, slightly apart from the rest. She was quite young, not more than eighteen. She did not seem afraid, and her grave, steadfast eyes looked straight ahead.

"I beg your pardon."

A man's voice beside her made her start and turn. She had noticed the speaker more than once amongst the first-class passengers. There had been a hint of mystery about him which had appealed to her imagination.

He spoke to no one.

If anyone spoke to him he was quick to rebuff the overture. Also he had a nervous way of looking over his shoulder with a swift, suspicious glance.

She noticed now that he was greatly agitated. There were beads of perspiration on his brow. He was evidently in a state of overmastering fear. And yet he did not strike her as the kind of man who would be afraid to meet death!

"Yes?" Her grave eyes met his inquiringly.

He stood looking at her with a kind of desperate irresolution.

"It must be!" he muttered to himself. "Yes -- it is the only way." Then aloud he said abruptly: "You are an American?"

"Yes."

"A patriotic one?"

The girl flushed.

"I guess you've no right to ask such a thing! Of course I am!"

"Don't be offended. You wouldn't be if you knew how much there was at stake. But I've got to trust some one -- and it must be a woman."

"Why?"

"Because of 'women and children first.'" He looked round and lowered his voice. "I'm carrying papers -- vitally important papers. They may make all the difference to the Allies in the war. You understand? These papers have GOT to be saved! They've more chance with you than with me. Will you take them?"

The girl held out her hand.

"Wait -- I must warn you. There may be a risk -- if I've been followed. I don't think I have, but one never knows. If so, there will be danger. Have you the nerve to go through with it?"

The girl smiled.

"I'll go through with it all right. And I'm real proud to be chosen! What am I to do with them afterwards?"

"Watch the newspapers! I'll advertise in the personal column of the Times, beginning 'Shipmate.' At the end of three days if there's nothing -- well, you'll know I'm down and out. Then take the packet to the American Embassy, and deliver it into the Ambassador's own hands. Is that clear?"

"Quite clear."

"Then be ready -- I'm going to say good-bye."

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If you type in on the Internet, "The Guardian-UK, Agatha Christie" -- you will be rewarded with a list of articles, reviews, essays, and "pieces" about her and the books she wrote. One 2015 item written by Sophie Hannah garnered several hundred Reader Comments:

^^ I've never been more bored in the theatre than sitting through The Mousetrap. It's the worst play ever.

^^ No you weren't. You've never seen it.

------------------------ (LOL)

^^ I went to see it, in the early '90s, because "one must". But I actually fell asleep during it so have no idea what happened at the end. And have never been bothered enough to find out.

I thoroughly enjoy reading one of the novels, or even her short stories, but The Mousetrap was dire.

...Christie was not an incapable writer, but she wasn't anything like a literary writer, I'm afraid. Chandler was much closer to that...

^^ Could it be more the acting than the play itself is boring? (btw, is it still running?)

^^ ...There is more interest in a page of Chandler than in the entire canon of this dreadful boring woman.

^^ Apples and Oranges.

^^ Funnily enough I feel exactly the same but in reverse. It takes all sorts etc

^^ Come on. Admit it. You've never actually read one. Have you.

^^ Oh, god, what an overblown and pompously condescending statement that was indeed:

"There is more interest in a page of Chandler than in the entire canon of the dreadful[ly] boring woman," he sighed languidly before sipping his neat whiskey and taking a long, dramatic drag on his cigarette.

I'm with Pickle - I'll bet you haven't read one of her recognized best all the way through.

^^ What kind of bullshit is that? How do you assume he has not read one? It's fucking rude and demeaning.

^^ I have read her books. They are crap. Stuff I used to tolerate as a kid but I can't read 10 pages of it anymore. And I have read Murder on the Nile, Seven Dials Mystery and other nonsense. I would rather stare out of my window.