The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

The Moving Finger

Review of the novel The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie.

Published by HarperCollins on 14^th June 1943 (UK)

Cost: 45p (UK) 1975

ISBN: 0-00-613223-5 (Paperback Edition - 160 pages - starts on page 5)

Dedication: To my friends Sydney and Mary Smith

As in many instances, this novel appeared in a serialisation: the novel's first true publication was the US serialisation in Collier's Weekly in eight instalments from March 28 (Volume 109, Number 13) to May 16, 1942 (Volume 109, Number 20) with illustrations by Mario Cooper.

Agatha Christie considered The Moving Finger to be one of her best novels. ‘It is a great test,’ she added, ‘to re-read what one has written some seventeen or eighteen years later. One’s view changes. Some do not stand the test of time, others do.’ 

The book takes its name from verse 51 of Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, a poem which Agatha Christie greatly admired.

(Agatha Christie Website http://www.agathachristie.com/)

The story is narrated by Jerry Burton, who arrives in the village of Lymstock with his younger sister Joanna. Jerry has damaged as leg as a result of a flying accident in 1942 and is looking for peace and quiet. It is one of the few novels that Christie uses a male narrator to tell the story. We know very little about the Burtons or the village of Lymstock as most of the story is told in conversations between the inhabitants of the village. For me, Jerry has the annoying habit of saying: 'I will remember that in the next day or so', or, 'I should have realised that at the time', I'm not sure how these comments add to the story. Christie tries to build up the detective skills of Jerry, but for me, it suggests he lacks the ability to think through the problems that are presented to him – even Miss Marple tells him to have confidence in his ideas.

At the heart of the story is the numerous anonymous letters that are being received by various members of the community, which are eventually passed on to the police for investigation, with little success as they try the usual approach of fingerprints and search for a book from which the words used in the anonymous letters have been cut out. The style of wording in the letters suggest a female writer, but as Christie tries to convey to her readers, the sender of the letters is using misdirection. This is a murder story and there are two crimes to solve.

Although this novel has Miss Marple credited as the detective, she does not appear until Chapter 10, on page 121, being introduced by Mrs Dane Calthrop the Vicar's wife. A discussion regarding the murder takes place and a likely candidate, Mrs Cleat – the local witch – is put forward, but Miss Marple immediately dismisses this because such a person could 'ill-wish [the victim], so that the girl could waste away and die from natural causes'. Miss Marple returns to her fleecy knitting to reflect on the crime. The next mention of Miss Marple is on Page 145: 'The vicarage had been one of the last places to hear the news. Old Miss Marple was very much distressed by [the missing murder weapon]'.

To attempt the murderer to commit a further crime, Miss Marple persuades a young female to blackmail the individual, with possible further harm! But the details are kept hidden from the reader. However, as a conclusion to the story, Miss Marple explains her thinking and unravels the approach used to catch the murderer (Page 153 – 159).

This is a story that is a quick read and not the best example of Christie's writing skills; there is very little description of location, people or atmosphere. There is very little to get into in the telling of the story. It has similar plots to other Agatha Christie stories and we learn little of Miss Marple. Rating: 3 stars.

Dr Sheppard

23 February 2017