[.ca] Curtain (ISBN 0425173747)

Very moving end to an incredible series...:
I read Poirot books for thing and one thing alone: the rapport he has with Captain Arthur Hastings. Sure, the plots are brilliant, and it's fun to try and match wits with the bad guys, but I've never seen the point in even attemoting to keep up with the self-described "greatest brain in Europe." It's better to just sit back and enjoy the ride. But yeah, the repartee and really, deep friendship between Hastings and Poirot has, in my mind, always been a subtle, minimalist delight. It takes back seat to the detection, which may lead some to criticize the characters as shallow, but that never was really the point... In 'Curtain,' at least, this relationship is highlighted beautifully. This story is darker in tone than other Christie novels-- though really the Poirot series on the whole is not as lighthearted as some seem to remember it. Hastings and Poirot are still funny, but there's also real emotion, and a shocking, twisted plot with an ending that rips your heart out. 'Curtain' was a depressing end to the series, certainly...but it was, in its own way, realistic. How can we honestly expect Hercule Poirot to be unaffected by all he has seen and the life he has led?

The best obituary Poirot could have gotten:
Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian detective has returned to Styles Court, the scene of his first English adventure in crime for his final case. But now the handsome country mansion is a guest house and Poirot, old and arthritic, is one of the guests. He invites Captain Hastings to join him and then reveals the reason for his request. Poirot informs his old friend that they are "here to hunt down a murderer." And to find out who is the killer, first a murder has to be committed. But who will be the victim? Although Curtain was written during the London blitz in the early years of World War II, it never got published until 1975. The reason being that in this book the famous detective Hercule Poirot concludes his wonderful career. Agatha Christie wanted Poirot not to survive his creator. Therefore she finished his career by writing Curtain and locked the manuscript in a bank vault. Dame Agatha Christie died on January 12, 1976, one year later than her most famous creation. Curtain is a vintage Christie. The plot is ingenious and seems totally committed to putting the reader on the wrong track. Although the actual motive and operation procedure of the murderer are quite dubious and unbelievable¸ there is only one word that can truly describe the denouement: sublime. In a few lines Poirot explains how the unsuspicious reader probably missed five smartly interwoven clues. When you read these lines you can only but hit yourself on the head for being so short-sighted, exactly the same feeling reflected by Captain Hastings at the end of the book.

My fave yet:
This is the first book by Agatha Christie that I had ever read, but it is still my favorite after reading countless others. I really couldn't put it down, and it has an exciting and suspenseful twist. I love the plot and it never bored me. It's a must read if you like classic mysteries and an unpredictable ending!

Great!!! but so sad!!:
I love Agatha Chrisite's books (even though I'm only 11) and I checked this one out our school library. I got the double version (Curtain and The Mysterious Affair at Styles). I started reading this one, and it was so sad!! Not the murderer part, lol, but the part about Poirot. He's so old and feeble. If you've seen the movies ( I have), you'll know what I'm talking about when I say he's a little more than plump. Well, in this one it says that he's like really thin!! And he can't do anything. Even still, it was a great book, just really sad. I thought it was really sad how Agatha Christie had to have Poirot die. Why couldn't she have sent him back off to Belgium or something? Anyway, that's just my opinion, so don't get all worked up if you disagree. Even though this is a sad book, you should buy it, because it still has a lot of suspense and intrigue. And of course, you can't forget about the little grey cells!

Adieu to Poirot:
This is Hercule Poirot's last case and is a fitting climax to the wonderful series by Agatha Christie. Poirot has invited his dear friend Hastings to return to Styles where the detective solved his first case. He is concerned that a murderer is staying in Styles and that he will soon strike again, as he has five times previously. He knows the murderer's identity but will not reveal it to Hastings, and says he is counting on his old friend to help him prevent any further deaths. That hope is dashed when not one, but two murders occur and an accident almost takes the life of a third victim. Christie's plot is razor-sharp as befits the last book of this series and old and new fans will be captivated by this wonderful book.