Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

“Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.”

Agatha Christie’s, Murder on the Orient Express, makes use of an enthralling homicide investigation to explore themes of justice and morality. Under what circumstances is murder justified? Is it morally sound to kill a man who has harmed others? The story also calls into question the effectiveness of the jury system, and whether or not the system is just. Mystery as a genre presents a puzzle to the reader. The solution to said puzzle is slowly pieced together throughout the novel. The characters’ motives, whereabouts, and secrets are gradually revealed amongst foreshadowing and plot twists until the final solution is laid out. In this way, mystery novels are one of the most interactive forms of fiction. While the reader is pulled into the story and stylistic elements of the novel, they are also given the opportunity to try and solve the mystery themselves. As clues are revealed, readers are able to form their own theories about the crime. However, talented

mystery writers such as Agatha Christie are almost always able to surprise the reader at the end of the novel. The solutions to the crimes in mystery novels tend to be devastatingly simple, yet nearly impossible to figure out until the author reveals it. In this way, The Murder on the Orient Express is particularly ensnaring. The story is set on a train with only 17 passengers; the murderer one of them. Therefore, it would be safe to assume that identifying the culprit would not be particularly difficult. However, the murder of Samuel Ratchett proves to be completely obscure until the final moments of the novel.

I have always loved mysteries. The web of factors surrounding a mystery is so elaborate: the crime itself, the characters, motives, alibis, clues to be discovered, red herrings, and most importantly a final solution that will surprise even the most dedicated mystery readers. It takes a brilliant mind to compose a truly good mystery. The Murder on the Orient Express was the first Agatha Christie novel that I read. She is popularly referred to as “The Queen of Mystery”, and I was immediately able to understand why. Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling novelists in history, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. In my experience, her novels make mystery addictive. They are thoroughly captivating, and always lead to a thrilling epiphany at the end. There is nothing quite like all the pieces of a puzzle falling into place to make perfect sense. Agatha Christie has led me to develop quite an enthusiasm for murder/mystery. Not only do I enjoy reading the genre, but murder/mystery is my favorite type of game. I love board games, card games, and computer games focused on solving a mystery. I also think that mystery novels are a fantastic way to connect with people. You can read them together, discuss theories, turn it into a party, or role-play. Ultimately, like any other genre or novel, murder/mysteries enable human connection and interaction.

"In this case I consider that justice – strict justice – has been done."

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

“Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” If so, you might belong in Trenton Lee Stewart’s, The Mysterious Benedict Society. The young-adult mystery novel tells the story of four unusually brilliant children (unusual in the sense that their level of intelligence is both uncommon, as

well as unorthodox) who are recruited via a

newspaper ad asking the very question that is cited above. The resulting adventure contains an evil genius attempting to take over the world with subliminal messages, clues that must be found, information that must be decoded, and missions where the avoidance of capture is crucial. Taking place in a town that could be located in any coastal region of any developed country, The Mysterious Benedict Society explores themes of isolation, courage, and education with a consistently didactic tone. While the main characters of the novel are all young children, the dialogue is noticeably advanced. Characters have powerful vocabularies, and make use of fully developed sentences. It is important to note that all four children are characterized as “geniuses”, yet none of them received traditional forms of education at any point. As a result, both the necessity and effectiveness of the currently established means by which children are educated come into question.

Every book that I read contributes in some way to my personality. I believe that the majority of my interests, and opinions were inspired by books. The Mysterious Benedict Society left me with a desire to solve things. I love puzzles, codes, riddles, enigmas, mysteries etc. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to get enough of them. They call for the use of intellectual ability as well as imagination, a combination that can only be beaten by the pairing of chocolate and peanut butter (in my opinion). I think a number of my personal principles were also derived from Stewart’s novel. For instance, I happen to think that one’s intelligence is in no way reflected by academic performance. Perhaps the way unorthodox intelligence was valued in the novel instilled that particular opinion in me. I’ve also thought for a very long time that the way schools approach education is fundamentally flawed, and caters to the concept that intelligence is conveyed through high test scores. An opinion which happens to coincide with the underlying messages of The Mysterious Benedict Society. I consider myself lucky to have been influenced by this particular story, and I always hope that it will affect future readers in the same way it has affected me. 

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

The first book of N.D. Wilson’s trilogy follows 12 year-old Henry York, as he discovers portals to other worlds. The reader accompanies him through the uncovering of 100 cupboards that transport him to various unusual, beautiful, and often dangerous fantasy lands. Classified as children’s fiction, the novel explores the consequences of curiosity. Henry can enter the cupboards anytime he wishes, and stay for as long as he wants. However, he must be willing to face whatever darkness he might find once inside. In many ways, Wilson’s novel represents the struggle to accept and remain

in reality. The imagination is a powerful tool; the basis for all forms of entertainment. People create characters, stories, images etc. as a way of expressing themselves. However, it can be difficult to spend time in reality when other more appealing worlds exist in our minds. The many cupboards of 100 Cupboards are symbolic of all the various works and art forms that tempt us to leave the real world behind. Wilson emphasizes the danger posed by fantasy worlds, as well as the importance of finding magic in reality; a lesson that is particularly hard to learn as readers journey through his enchanting novel.

This book falls among my favorites for very personal reasons. While I love the story and the narrative techniques of the novel, this book is special to me because it was read aloud to me. When I was in middle school, I used to get very ill for very long periods of time. During one of those periods of illness, I was unable to open my eyes because the light caused severe headaches. The light would even irritate me through closed eyes, so I was forced to wear a sleeping mask 24/7. My grandfather (who I call Grandad) read the entire book to me, cover to cover. He would sit for hours next to my bed reading, at times having to take breaks because his voice would become too tired or he would start to lose it. Due to the fact that I could not open my eyes without extreme discomfort, the experience of being read to and having the scenes from the book come to life in my head was very special. Those scenes were the only thing that I saw besides my own closed eyelids for days. To this day I feel a very strong emotional connection to 100 Cupboards, and I think I always will. I don’t think words can really express how grateful I am to my Grandad for providing me with that experience. I will never forget the feeling of 1oo worlds coming to life in the darkness.