Who Was Agatha Christie?

A lot of authors fall into obscurity as the decades pass. There might be a niche university class here or there, or a dedicated book club, but nothing huge. However, Agatha Christie is one of those authors that defies that. Her first book was published in 1920 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) and over a hundred years on, she is still an immensely popular author and historical figure. Agatha Christie readathons abound, new film and television adaptations are regularly commissioned, and her books continue to sell out. But who was Agatha Christie, and why are we so fascinated with her?

Agatha Christie’s Early Life

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890 in Devon to American Frederick Alvah and Irish Clara (Clarissa) Margaret Miller. Their first child, Madge, was born in 1879, and their second, Monty, was born in 1880. The family spent much of their time in Devon, but they would also visit family in Ealing and in Bayswater. Given that there was such a large gap between Agatha and her siblings, she spent much of her time playing on her own. Interestingly, her father educated her himself rather than sending her to school. Her mother wanted her to wait to start reading until the age of eight, but Agatha ended up teaching herself to read at the age of five. 

Family on the Move

Agatha’s father died in late 1901, leaving the family in flux. Clara and Agatha were able to settle, and as a teenager she was able to take singing and piano lessons. She started writing by the age of 18, focusing on short stories. In 1910, the pair moved to Cairo for nearly four months- Clara’s health was suffering and needed a warmer climate, and it was cheaper than maintaining their life in England. Agatha enjoyed the social season, and kept herself busy with the other young adults. 

Archie Christie

Agatha met Archie Christie, an aviator, in 1912. They quickly fell in love, and married in late 1914. They both served during the First World War, Agatha for the Voluntary Aid Detachment in Devon and Archie for the Royal Flying Corps. Given that they both were serving, they were only able to see each other for short periods here and there. 

Agatha gave birth to their only child, Rosalind, in 1919. While Archie worked in the City, Agatha continued to write (more later). In 1922, they went on a promotional tour for the British Empire Exhibition, and spent 10 months travelling, visiting Canada, South Africa, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. Agatha’s mother passed away in 1926, and she entered a depressive spell. 

Agatha Christie Disappears…

If you know anything about Agatha Christie, you will know that she famously disappeared for ten days. Archie had fallen in love with another woman, and Agatha had asked him for a divorce. On the 3rd of December in 1926 after fighting about Archie planning to spend the weekend with friends away from his family, she disappeared. On the morning of the 4th, her car was found at a nature preserve. Given that by this time she was an incredibly well-known novelist, the news spread quickly and a search quickly grew. No one is sure how, but she was able to get to King’s Cross to catch the train to Harrogate, and checked into the Harrogate Spa Hotel using the name Theresa Neale. The hotel staff did recognise her and alerted the police. She did not recognise Archie when he came to pick her up. While no one is sure of specifics, she was suffering from amnesia. 

Christie never discussed this period in her life again. 

Divorce and a Fresh Start

Agatha was granted a divorce in 1928; she kept the Christie name for her career and was given custody of their daughter. She travelled a lot, and in 1928, she took the Orient Express to Istanbul and then Baghdad. On a return trip, she met archaeologist Max Mallowan. Despite being 13 years her junior, the pair fell in love, and they were married in 1930. They remained married until her death in 1976.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Agatha’s first published book was The Mysterious Affair at Styles. She wrote it during the war, in 1916, and it was published in 1921. It was turned down by two publishers, but was accepted and published by John Lane/The Bodley Head (US/UK). The Mysterious Affair introduced one of Agatha’s greatest characters, detective Hercule Poirot, to audiences. It is still a popular book; she was still honing her craft, so it isn’t quite as complex as her later novels. However, it is one of few Agatha Christie novels that is set at a specific point in time. 

The Agatha Christie Canon

Agatha Christie’s canon is still world famous, and she remains the Queen of Crime to this day. She published 66 novels and 14 short story collections. In addition to Hercule Poirot, her protagonists include Miss Marple and Tommy and Tuppence. She also had several stand alone novels, including And Then There Were None. 

Although she found Poirot to be “rather insufferable”, he was featured far more than any of her other characters. There are 30 Poirot novels, close to 50 Poirot short stories, and he even features in two plays, Black Coffee and Alibi. (The recent Orient Express film is a Poirot story, as well as the upcoming Death on the Nile film.) 

And Then There Are None is her most prolific book. It is the sixth best-selling book of all time (in any genre), and has sold over 100 million copies. She said that it was the most difficult book to write, and is incredibly difficult to solve. (I still don’t know anyone who has…) It was originally sold under the title Ten Little N****** in the United Kingdom, and the word featured in a rhyme in the book. However, it was retitled to And Then There Were None and the rhyme was changed. It was also sold as Ten Little I****** in the United States for a period, as well. When purchasing it now, it is only available as And Then There Were None. 

Have you read any Agatha Christie novels? And if so, which is your favourite? 

Cheers,
The Historian
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