short Stories and Mysteries

This is a late post.

 

This is a post that is so very late that I, for the life of me, cannot remember when exactly it was that I borrowed these books from the library, I cannot remember from which library they were borrowed from, and, I cannot remember what the plot of Agatha Christie's book was as well.

 

 

It is not a good thing when a reader cannot recall what the plot of the book is, or was. This is a case whereby I know the title- "The Clocks", but the characters, the setting, and even the plot, they have all unfortunately slipped from memory.

 

So it is thereby fortunate thing that there usually are just three groups of detective characters in Agatha Christie's works, and in this book, it would have to be either one of the three.

 

It would not be Miss Marple- I adore her as a detective too much to forget her small town sleuthing style. Neither would it be the cute couple Tommy and Tuppence- they have so much pleasant banter in their sleuthing investigations for me to forget their interactions. And so, by process of elimination, that would leave only the French detective Hercule Poirot.

I confess I haven't read many stories where Poirot solves crimes and mysteries. Most of Agatha Christie's books I've read lean towards Miss Marple. She, I remember pretty well. Often situations happen when she is visiting someone, and through a wee bit of investigation and penetrative questioning, she solves the mystery. Sometimes she gets to act her age, and in her act of dropping of stuff or finding herself lost, she gathers clues. Maybe that is what appeals to me.

Perhaps I haven't read enough of Poirot yet.

 

And then here's another funny thing. 

 

If I read enough of Poirot as the lead detective, would the plot then stay in my mind? I'm not sure. In the few stories I've read, Poirot seems to be an armchair detective- albeit a very good one- the mark of his abilities- but could it be that it is precisely because of such, that I seem to forget what it is that takes place in the story? And could it be that I keep comparing him to another detective, also male, from the British side, and whose stories leave an impression on me much deeper? 

 

It sounds incredibly rude to say this, but even though I have read Agatha Christie's works a couple of times, and I have read and re-read some of her stories several times, I've never been able to recollect the titles of the books I've read, much less the plots and characters.... and I honestly do not know why.

It is like I recollect the quirks and investigative abilities of Miss Marple, but I forget the case that she is investigating, and the people involved. And it is like I enjoy the banter between Tommy and Tuppence, but I've no idea what case it is that they are checking upon.

Maybe the complexity of the plot is what makes the reader read, re-read, and re-re-read, again and again.

That's what I've been doing.
 

There's always a wide collection available at the library. Her works make light, casual reading that guide me through a scenario without any preamble, and they are perfect for the times when I feel like having a good, well-timed mystery read.

 

Having light, casual reading material is also perhaps the reason why short stories and flash fiction have always been a favorite choice of mine. Not just now, in the digital age where our attention span has been supposedly conditioned to be super short, but a long time ago.

There was a time in my life when I would borrow five collections of short stories, finish them in one afternoon over a long, leisurely fast-food lunch, then return all five books afterward.

Those times, I'm afraid, are no more.

These days a singular book can span a week or two, never mind the length, but whether they be from local authors like Catherine Lim or Philip Jeyeratnam, short story collections from Singapore and Malaysia, or short story collections by American, British or Irish authors, their "lengthy anecdotes" and "glimpse of characters" are a great fit for a restless, quirky spirit like mine.

 

And few are the short stories that I will not read. :)

 

Sarong Secrets was a new book to me.

And I liked it.

 

Because whilst many a local book there is about the Peranakans and their culture, reading Sarong Secrets made me feel like I were right there sitting with a group of lovely ladies clad in sarongs and kebayas, listening to them share their stories of past and present, in between lovely bites of colourful nyonya kueh and sips of Earl Grey Tea.