Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on September 15, 1890 in Torquay, Devon in southwest England in a middle-class family. Of her childhood she said, "One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood." As the youngest of three children, she had an active and lively imagination that was probably a precursor to her creating characters the world would come to love.
Her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920, introducing the world to what would become one of her most enduring characters, Hercule Poirot. Poirot is described as being short, with a waxed mustache and a quick wit. His style of solving crimes was to think through a problem: “It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within—not without."
In 1930, Christie released Murder at the Vicarage, which introduced a new character: Miss Jane Marple. What distinguishes Miss Marple from Poirot is that Miss Marple was a people watcher. She would observe and detect personal characteristics and mannerisms that others might miss. By observing people, she could deduce fairly accurately what was going on in a person's head—and solve the mystery that way. In short, she believed that one must seek the truth without—not within.
To learn more about Agatha Christie, visit the BBC Agatha Christie Archive.
Why not get to know (or revisit) Agatha Christie's novels? If you'd like to expand enjoyment, why not try them in other formats? Many of her titles were turned into made-for-TV movies, plays and big-screen movies. Here are just a few titles to get you started:
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