Captain Arthur Hastings may be Hercule Poirot's sidekick, but he's not like Sherlock's Watson. He doesn't feature as much, besides I don't think they actually live together in the books, or at least not long term. (The Agatha Christie's Poirot TV series is different.) I think Agatha was inspired by Sherlock Holmes originally, when she started writing her mystery books; the Sherlock influence in her early Poirot cases is clear, especially the short stories. (The Adventure of the Western Star, the first story in the Poirot Investigates collection, is very Sherlock/Watson at the beginning: Hastings looking out of the window, telling Poirot to deduce something about the woman walking the street towards Poirot's flat.) Poirot also retires to the countryside to grow vegetable marrows, similar to Sherlock's beekeeping retirement--only it doesn't last long; much like Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha had no idea how long she'd end up writing the guy. Later, when she developed her own style, she left Hastings out. I'd actually argue that the best Poirot books don't have Hastings (although, as with everything, YMMW).
Murder of Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Five Little Pigs, Sad Cypress, The Hollow, Evil Under the Sun, After the Funeral, Hercule Poirot's Christmas are all Hastings-less. Then again, Hastings is in Lord Edgware Dies and ABC Murders, both classic cases and, of course, the first and the last Poirot books, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Curtain.
I think as well that always having to have Hastings by Poirot's side, narrating the story, would have limited her. She uses different POVs across her books.
This is not a love or hate post, btw, or anything against Hastings, I'm just writing out my thoughts. Also you can reblog with your favourite Hastings or non-Hastings Poirot book if you want.
My love for Hastings is largely due to Hugh Fraser's delightful performance in the Suchet TV series. In fact, Fraser, Suchet and Philip Jackson (as Inspector Japp) make such a wonderful trio, that even though they have been shoehorned into many episodes based on stories in which they didn't feature, these always end up being the more engrossing ones in the series. The later seasons suffer immensely due to their absence.
