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The Thrill of Literature

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  • 10 Things you might not know about the Queen of Mystery

    Today I would like to talk you about the Queen of Mystery: Agatha Christie.

    This brilliant mind has not only given life to countless masterpieces, creating immortal characters such as the superb Poirot and the cunning Miss Marple, but has also been able to make her life itself a real intrigue worthy of her works.

    Here’s a list of 10 little curiosities you might not know about her:

    1)In 1926, the 36-year-old Agatha … disappeared. The whole of England set out in search of the English writer, whose husband had just filed for divorce. Christie was found in a state of confusion near the town of Harrogate. In the Hotel where she stayed for these 10 days she registered with the name … of her husband’s lover.

    2) Agatha Christie is the most translated writer in the world, second only to… Shakespeare.

    3) Her second husband was 14 years younger.

    4) The 1920 tale “Poirot a Styles Court” was the result of a…bet made with her sister Madge (who she considered Agatha devoid of great imagination and writing skills).

    5) She published several romance novels on the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.

    6) In 1890 in addition to the birth of the future most famous mystery writer in the world, other important events also happened: in Europe on May 1st Labor Day is celebrated for the first time, Wilde publishes the famous “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”, born Stan Laurel, future companion of Olio in the comic duo and two great artists die: Van Gogh and Carlo Collodi.

    7)Her real last name was Miller: Christie was the surname of her first husband, Archibald.

    8) Three years after her death, a film entitled “The Secret of Agatha Christie” dedicated to the life of the English writer was released in cinemas.

    9) The character of Hercule Poirot is so famous that there is a stamp with his image depicted.

    10) Many of the film and television adaptations of Agatha’s works were not… appreciated by the author.

    For further curiosity I advise you to read her biography entitled “My Life” and published posthumously (although in this one she doesn’t mention her disappearance in 1926).

  • Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died”: a story of loneliness and mental abuse of a Hollywood baby star

    When I first read this title, shivers ran down my spine.

    How could anyone even think of such a cruel thing, I wondered? Or especially writing a book about it!

    Then I started reading it, and page after page, I felt close to that poor child, the author herself, who suffers from suffocating and psychological pressure from a mother who, instead of loving and respecting her, uses her, exhausts her, and deprives her of the only thing a child should have by birthright: her own childhood. And so Jennette, yes, the baby star of Nickelodeon, always smiling and cute on screen, in reality lived a chilling existence crushed by the only person who should have been her friend, playmate, but above all, her mother.

    I recommend this read because while it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, on the other hand, it makes you hope for a better world because although this book is totally disturbing, in the end, the emotional redemption of the protagonist leaves a glimmer of light in this sad and toxic story.

    Because just like polished Hollywood teaches us: not everything that glitters is gold!

    About the author

    Jennette McCurdy, best known as an actress, has also showcased her talent as a writer. In her autobiographical memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died”, she candidly shares her experiences with grief and loss. McCurdy also contributed articles and essays to publications, demonstrating her versatility and creativity beyond acting.

  • Jenn Ashworth’s “A kind of intimacy”: where is the truth?

    As you already know, if you have read my previous article on Ann Morgan’s book ‘Beside Myself'(https://ineedabook.blog/2024/02/22/ann-morgans-beside-myself-from-intriguing-to-disturbing-2/), I have a certain attraction to disturbing books. Those books where you can’t easily empathize with the protagonist from the start, you don’t understand if he’s actually reliable and somehow, you don’t like him or her (as in this case). And above all, it doesn’t convince you.

    This is thanks to the skill of the author, Jenn Ashworth, who brings us into the unstable mind of the protagonist, Annie Fairhurst. The woman is like a swing that continually goes up and down swinging between a crescendo of conflicting and often conflicting emotions. In fact, until the end the reader is unable to identify with her, because if sometimes she seems like a poor sacrificial victim of her beliefs or rather illusions, on the other hand you would like to stop her and have her treated by a good one.

    Here this novel pleasantly disturbs the reader who does not make a pact of trust with his love, but rather reads every page with one breath in the hope of finally finding a (good) sense to what he is reading. An captivating and brilliant reading, which deserves the attention of the most psychologically curious.

    About the author

    Jenn Ashworth is a British author known for her contemporary fiction novels. She was born in 1982 in Preston, Lancashire, England. Ashworth studied English Literature at Cambridge University and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester.

    Her debut novel, “A Kind of Intimacy,” published in 2009, received critical acclaim and won a Betty Trask Award. The novel explores themes of loneliness, obsession, and the complexities of human relationships. Ashworth’s writing style often delves into the psychological depths of her characters, creating narratives that are both compelling and thought-provoking.

    Since her debut, Ashworth has published several other novels, including “Cold Light” (2011), “The Friday Gospels” (2013), “Fell” (2016), and “Ghosts of the Theatre” (2021). Her works have been praised for their lyrical prose, rich characterizations, and exploration of dark and haunting themes.

    In addition to her novels, Ashworth has written short stories and essays for various publications. She is also known for her involvement in the literary community, participating in events such as book festivals and writing workshops.

    Overall, Jenn Ashworth is recognized as a talented and versatile author whose works resonate with readers through their exploration of the human condition and the complexities of life.

  • Ann Morgan’s “Beside Myself”: from intriguing to disturbing

    Beside Myself is one of those books that if you see it among many, it doesn’t speak to you. But a little it intrigues you, certainly thanks to the cover that it’s a little ‘creepy’ or undoubtedly for the high-sounding title: it has a totally disturbing thing. And in fact this book is deeply disturbing because it drags you with it, page after page, into a story made of revenge, disbelief but also a lot of loneliness. That’s the very strong point of Ann Morgan’s book. Usually twins are painted as souls living in symbiosis, eternally linked, sometimes even in appearance, but above all in personality. In ‘Beside Myself’ the twin sisters protagonists are both aesthetically identical and temperamentally opposed. One is the praise and pride of parents, the other is their disappointment. And this diad of opposition is continually remarked in the book until something as unpredictable as it is chilling happens. It is a reading that deserves and can be read all in one breath!

    About the author

    Ann Morgan is a British author and journalist known for her book “Reading the World: Confessions of a Literary Explorer,” in which she documents her year-long journey to read a book from every country in the world. In 2016 she published with Bloomsbury the successful psychological novel “Beside Myself.”