tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post1241052584246249270..comments2024-03-28T10:31:55.774-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: Ain't Nobody with Sleuths Like Us: Agatha Christie vs. Ian FlemingThe Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-8472893780658689322015-09-21T14:12:23.160-07:002015-09-21T14:12:23.160-07:00In any event, both Christie and Fleming created su...<em>In any event, both Christie and Fleming created superb series character archetypes, who are iconic and, I would hazard to guess, everlasting.</em><br /><br />I agree wholeheartedly!dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-56461129282267372192015-09-20T19:35:20.574-07:002015-09-20T19:35:20.574-07:00Well, I think his broader contention about Christi...Well, I think his broader contention about Christie was that he thought the books had some relation to "human nature," the Bond tales not to much. Of course, like you say, demanding "reality" of essentially escapist literature, especially the thriller, seems something of a contradiction in terms. But even with the Bond film we often see critics condemning ones that are "silly" and "tongue-in-cheek" and praising ones that seem "gritty" and "more believable."<br /><br />But, anyway, I think it interesting for once to see a newspaper critic defending Christie as a realistic writer!<br /><br />In any event, both Christie and Fleming created superb series character archetypes, who are iconic and, I would hazard to guess, everlasting.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-15414141529391630422015-09-20T17:25:19.103-07:002015-09-20T17:25:19.103-07:00Gadgetry will date a story faster than slang, and,...<em>Gadgetry will date a story faster than slang, and, unfortunately, in 25 years James Bond will seem as dated as the mad-scientist movies of the 1930's do to us today....</em><br /><br />There's actually very little gadgetry in the Bond novels. As far as technology is concerned Christie has become much more dated than Fleming. People just don't solve crimes the way Poirot solves crimes any more. And people like Poirot don't solve crimes at all these days. There's no place in the modern world for amateur sleuths like Poirot (or Miss Marple or Lord Peter Wimsey or Campion or Philo Vance or Ellery Queen). Detection is the province of the police and policemen are dull bureaucrats or technocrats.<br /><br />And that is why Agatha Christie's books are still in print today - because they bear no relation to reality. They're a lot more fun than reality.<br /><br />That's also why Ian Fleming's books are still in print - because they bear no relation to reality.<br /><br />If you want reality, read a textbook.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-41394855704274414772015-09-20T17:15:47.637-07:002015-09-20T17:15:47.637-07:00The characters...bear little relation to reality.
...<em>The characters...bear little relation to reality.</em><br /><br />Thank goodness. dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com