12. The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930)

Oh, my dear Agatha,

You just never disappoint. 

I am reading this book right now, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry (mixed feelings), and the protagonist is a bookseller who loves the short story.  I think I used to really love the short story better than the novel, too, but my tastes have definitely changed.  Sometimes I feel like when you read a collection of them, I'm just getting a taste of something.  Because the paradigm doesn't allow it, there is no time to go deep with the characters or back story or what have you.

That said, this collection of short stories, though originally published separately, did fit together as a cohesive whole.  I loved how each was a story in itself, but through the progression, the characters progressed.  In fact, I'll admit, I felt more and more uncomfortable with Mr. Quin, especially in the final story - but I really grew to love the protagonist, Mr. Satterthwaite.

Agatha, I even loved the introduction you wrote to the 1953 edition.  When you said your favorites were "World's End," "The Man from the Sea," and "Harlequin's Lane," I looked forward to each with more anticipation.  Of those three, I'm sure "Harlequin's Lane" was among my favorites.  I did love the others, though. 

From the introduction:

After I turned from poetry and ghost stories to crime, Harlequin finally reappeared; a figure invisible except when he chose, not quite human, yet concerned with the affairs of human beings and particularly of lovers.  He is also the advocate for the dead. 
     Though each story about him is quite separate, the collection, written over a considerable period of years, outlines in the end the story of Harlequin himself. 

A webpage I came across:  http://www.agathachristie.com/characters/harley-quin

There is a certain degree of intelligence that is required to really appreciate your works sometimes, a level I feel I lack, by the way.  Maybe it's because I'm American; maybe it's because of the time in which I live - but I definitely feel a lack of knowledge of culture that you often refer to.  Of course I've heard of Harlequin and the motifs of Punchinello and such, but I am certainly unfamiliar with the operas of Columbine, Pierrot, Pierrette, etc.  I need to do some research and perhaps come back to this tome again.  That said, even with my surface understanding, I loved this book; I just feel I may love it even more when I understand it more deeply.

Hungry for more, dear Agatha.

Beth