Quotes from Agatha Christie novels
Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. I can read her mystery books over and over again, and each time they are as delicious as they were the first time.
There are some famous gems - pearls of wisdom actually, hidden in her novels. I have picked a few of my favorites. I am sure there are many, many more. But this is a good start.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I do not approve of murder."
- Hercule Poirot, recurring quote, 1st seen in "Poirot's Early Cases"
"The worst is so often true."
- Miss Jane Marple, They Do It with Mirrors
"You can only really get under anybody’s skin if you are married to them."
- Miss Jane Marple, The Body in the Library
"She has made her bed and she must lie on it."
- Emily Arundell, Dumb Witness OR Poirot Loses a Client
"Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth.
The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it."
- Hercule Poirot, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
"Crime is terribly revealing.
Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions."
- Hercule Poirot, The ABC Murders
"Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend."
- Hercule Poirot, The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.
- Hercule Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express
"You know that in all tombs there is always a false door?"
Renisenb stared. "Yes, of course."
"Well, people are like that too. They create a false door - to deceive. If they are conscious of weakness, of inefficiency, they make an imposing door of self-assertion, of bluster, of overwhelming authority - and, after a time, they get to believe in it themselves. They think, and everybody thinks, that they are like that. But behind that door, Renisenb, is a bare rock ... And so when reality comes and touches them with the feather of truth - their true self reasserts itself."
- Death Comes as the End
Captain Hastings: [referring to marriage] You ever thought about it?
Hercule Poirot: In my experience, I know of five cases of wives being murdered by their devoted husbands.
Captain Hastings: Oh?
Hercule Poirot: And twenty-two husbands being murdered by their devoted wives. So thank you, no. Marriage, it is not for me.
- The Double Clue
Her voice broke suddenly.
Miss Marple said gently:
" I am only a stranger, but I am so very very sorry."
And suddenly, uncontrollably, Letitia Blacklock wept.
It was a piteous overmastering grief, with a kind of hopelessness about it. Miss Marple sat quite still.
Miss Blacklock sat up at last. Her face was swollen and blotched with tears.
" I'm sorry," she said. " It - it just came over me. What I've lost. She - she was the only link with the past,
you see. The only one who - who remembered. Now that she's gone I'm quite alone."
" I know what you mean," said Miss Marple.
"One is alone when the last one who remembers is gone.
I have nephews and nieces and kind friends - but there's no one who knew me as a
young girl - no one who belongs to the old days.
I've been alone for quite a long time now."
- A Murder is Announced
There are some famous gems - pearls of wisdom actually, hidden in her novels. I have picked a few of my favorites. I am sure there are many, many more. But this is a good start.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I do not approve of murder."
- Hercule Poirot, recurring quote, 1st seen in "Poirot's Early Cases"
"The worst is so often true."
- Miss Jane Marple, They Do It with Mirrors
"You can only really get under anybody’s skin if you are married to them."
- Miss Jane Marple, The Body in the Library
"She has made her bed and she must lie on it."
- Emily Arundell, Dumb Witness OR Poirot Loses a Client
"Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth.
The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it."
- Hercule Poirot, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
"Crime is terribly revealing.
Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions."
- Hercule Poirot, The ABC Murders
"Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend."
- Hercule Poirot, The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.
- Hercule Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express
"You know that in all tombs there is always a false door?"
Renisenb stared. "Yes, of course."
"Well, people are like that too. They create a false door - to deceive. If they are conscious of weakness, of inefficiency, they make an imposing door of self-assertion, of bluster, of overwhelming authority - and, after a time, they get to believe in it themselves. They think, and everybody thinks, that they are like that. But behind that door, Renisenb, is a bare rock ... And so when reality comes and touches them with the feather of truth - their true self reasserts itself."
- Death Comes as the End
Captain Hastings: [referring to marriage] You ever thought about it?
Hercule Poirot: In my experience, I know of five cases of wives being murdered by their devoted husbands.
Captain Hastings: Oh?
Hercule Poirot: And twenty-two husbands being murdered by their devoted wives. So thank you, no. Marriage, it is not for me.
- The Double Clue
Her voice broke suddenly.
Miss Marple said gently:
" I am only a stranger, but I am so very very sorry."
And suddenly, uncontrollably, Letitia Blacklock wept.
It was a piteous overmastering grief, with a kind of hopelessness about it. Miss Marple sat quite still.
Miss Blacklock sat up at last. Her face was swollen and blotched with tears.
" I'm sorry," she said. " It - it just came over me. What I've lost. She - she was the only link with the past,
you see. The only one who - who remembered. Now that she's gone I'm quite alone."
" I know what you mean," said Miss Marple.
"One is alone when the last one who remembers is gone.
I have nephews and nieces and kind friends - but there's no one who knew me as a
young girl - no one who belongs to the old days.
I've been alone for quite a long time now."
- A Murder is Announced
2 comments:
Beautiful! I'm an ardent fan of Agatha Christie novels and knew most of the quotes. But it was good reading them again :)
Good job. Always enjoyed A. christie because of her psychological analysis/interpretation of her characters and human nature. You have located a few of her gems.
Post a Comment