#27 - The Clocks
What time is it? Review time!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Anyway, about The Clocks...
I have not heard a lot about this one. I don’t remember what inspired me to read it next and I’ve never read anything about it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Good news: I liked it!
Christie creates a masterful misdirection here, with the two detectives looking in entirely the wrong place for almost the entirety of the book. I realize the more and more I read that I am easily misled, but once again I was shocked by the solution. I think it helps with enjoyment - the solution is so much better when you never expect it!
The cast of characters has some gems (look out for Geraldine and Merlina Rival, who both have more than their fair share of spunk), but with so many neighbours it can get a little confusing who is who.
This particular story plays with meaning quite a bit - which details are important and what can we cast aside as part of the drama of it all? I thoroughly enjoyed the discovery that not all the clues were clues after all, which is not normally I tactic I appreciate.
Overall, if I was making a chart, I would put this at the higher end of average for Christie. It’s not the most spectacular thing she’s even written, but it’s definitely not the worst. Also, although I don’t love the Poirot episode that this book was adapted to, I am a Lesley Sharp fan, so that was a nice addition. It gets a solid 6.5/10. Yes, I am into the 0.5 thing now. The colour is a nice rich mahogany - sturdy, reliable, and layered.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! This is a Poirot novel! He’s not in it much, but he’s quite delightful in it. Anyways, the ranking stands!
