|
|
Osborne, Charles ListingsIf you cannot find what you want on this page, then please use our search feature to search all our listings. Click on Title to view full description
|
|
|
1 |
Osborne, Charles The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie: A Biographical Companion to the Works of Agatha Christie
St. Martin's Minotaur 2002 0312301162 / 9780312301163 Paperback Fine n/a Paperback
New. Fine in publisher's decorated wrappers. Available in our UK premises for prompt dispatch worldwide.Though she has been dead for 25 years, was fond of self-deprecating comments ("What I'm writing is meant to be entertainment") and many of her later books suffered from faults that would have derailed the career of a lesser author, Agatha Christie remains a beloved figure. She also remains a reliable source of mystery sales and a subject of critical attention. Osborne, who has successfully novelized three of Christie's plays (Black Coffee; Spider's Web; and The Unexpected Guest), here offers a (largely) chronological listing of the author's oeuvre complete with biographical notes that form a useful context for readers. In the preface, the author assures the reader that nowhere will he reveal the identity of any of Christie's murderers. In fact, he warns readers of instances where Christie reveals in one novel who the murder was in a previous case. Osborne does, however, offer frequent advice about clues the reader should pay particular attention to advice not all readers will welcome. Osborne is an exceedingly forgiving critic; he acknowledges the frequent anti-Semitic elements in the early writings, the careless errors throughout her work and the increasingly sloppy efforts that marred the last of her novels, but he always finds redeeming value. At the end are bibliographies of novels, short stories, plays and films, as well as a useful index. Television treatments are dealt with in the text. (June 4)Encyclopedia (2000) provided extensive descriptive coverage of the same material but only a brief biographical sketch.... Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. ... Chatty, erratic Osborne (W. H. Auden, The Complete Operas of Puccini, etc.) offers no new insights into either the life or work of Dame Agatha here - but Christie fans may certainly want to browse through this informal yet scrupulously comprehensive rundown on the vast Christie output. Moving chronologically, Osborne writes briefly about every mystery novel, almost every short story, the plays, the Mary Westmacott fiction, the movie versions, even Christie's poems and autobiography - with interpolated bits of biography here and there. As for the famed disappearance: "The strongest likelihood is that a very unhappy Mrs. Archibald Christie had come close to nervous collapse, and that it was in a condition of considerable mental turmoil that she, nonetheless deliberately, staged her disappearance in such a way as to cause the maximum distress" to her faithless husband. Otherwise, there's little of substance in the biographical updates (though Osborne does refute a detail or two of An Autobiography). And the mini-essays on the canon are an agreeably buff-ish melange of plot summary, literary criticism, and trivia-hunting: Osborne notes virtually every anti-Semitic reference in Christie, with appropriate tut-rutting; he's more interested than most in political colorations (which leads him to be far too kind to Passenger to Frankfurt); he suggests some real-life models for a few characters; he bestows convincing praise on the best Westmacotts (especially Absent in the Spring); he is aware of Christie's flaws but emphasizes her strengths; and his footnotes offer bibliographic sidelights, whimsical musings, and stern corrections of mistakes in other Christie critiques. Robert Barnard's A Talent to Deceive remains the most focused, thoughtful critical study of Christie thus far. (Osborne gallantly refuses to give away any solutions - thereby limiting the analytical possibilities.) But this cheerfully eclectic grab-bag is easily the best annotated work-list around - and, despite a deficient index, of definite value wherever a detailed Christie reference-volume is needed. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Price:
6.04 GBP
|
|
Add to Shopping Cart |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Osborne, Charles on Adinfinitumbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Ainsworthbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Alkahestbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Argyleemporium.com.au
Osborne, Charles on Ayerego.com
Osborne, Charles on Bluestockingbooks.net
Osborne, Charles on Booksagain.net
Osborne, Charles on Booksandbobs.co.uk
Osborne, Charles on Borisbooks.co.uk
Osborne, Charles on Braintreeusedbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Brimstonesbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Brownsbooks.ca
Osborne, Charles on Circlecitybooks.net
Osborne, Charles on Cliffordelmerbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Cornishbookworld.co.uk
Osborne, Charles on Davidsbooksa2.com
| Osborne, Charles on Doreenstephensbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Dunawaybooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Edconroybooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Goddingsltd.co.uk
Osborne, Charles on Khbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Literaturopolis.net
Osborne, Charles on Manorfarmbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Manyhills.com
Osborne, Charles on Massbaymedia.com
Osborne, Charles on Mccauleybooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Melanienelsonbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Moodybooks.net
Osborne, Charles on Odonoghuebooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Primrosehillbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Raindogbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Rareandrecent.com
| Osborne, Charles on Rarebookcellar.com
Osborne, Charles on Sackofbooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Sarabooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Shop.abundatrade.com
Osborne, Charles on Springstreetbooksri.com
Osborne, Charles on Sweetbeagle.com
Osborne, Charles on Tatteredjacket.com
Osborne, Charles on Thebookbank.net
Osborne, Charles on Thomasrarebooks.com
Osborne, Charles on Used-and-rare-books.com
Osborne, Charles on Washburn-books.com
Osborne, Charles on Yare-books.co.uk
Osborne, Charles on Youronlinebookstore.com
|
|
|
