Agatha Cristie is known to millions of people all over the world as the Queen of Crime.
Agatha was born in 1890 in Torquay in England. Her father's name was Frederick Miller, so she was born as Agatha Miller. Agatha was educated at home and took singing lessons in Paris.
In 1914 she married Archie Christie and became Ahatha Christie. She took part in the First World War. Agatha worked at a hospital. That experience was useful later on when she started writing detective stories. Her first book was published in 1920. It was The Mysterious Affair at Styles. This novel was met with interest by the reading public. That was the first appearance of Hercule Poirot. He became one of the most popular private detectives since Sherlock Holmes. This little Belgian with the egg-shaped head has become a legend all over the world.
Agatha Christie became a popular writer when she published her novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in 1926. It is still considered her masterpiece.
The same year Agatha Christie surprised the public by suddenly disappearing for a few days. After it her husband wanted a divorce. Agatha was found to be staying in a hotel under an assumed name. Her disappearance is still a mystery!
After the divorce she married a British archaeologist, Max Mallowan. This marriage proved to be a happy one. Agatha wanted to stop using her former husband's name. But her publishers said that it would not be wise because the name of Agatha Christie had already become well known to the public.
When Agatha Christie got tired of Hercule Poirot she invented Miss Marple. Miss Marple is a deceptively mild old lady with her own method of investigation. She is an English spinster and lives in the English village of St. Mary Mead. She doesn't look like a detective at all. This old lady doesn't use a magnifying glass looking for clues. She always uses her instinct and knoweledge of human nature. Once she said: "Human Nature is the same everywhere."
Agatha Christie died in 1976. She was buried in St. Mary's Churchyard. This churchyard is situated in Cholsey, Berkshire, forty-seven miles west of London.
Agatha Christie wrote 78 crime novels, 19 plays and 6 romantic novels.
Her books have been translated into 103 foreign languages. She is the third best-selling author in the world (after Shakespeare and the Bible). Many of her novels and short stories have been filmed.
Agatha Christie['ægəθə 'krsti] - Àãàòà Êðiñòi
Torquay[to:'ki:] — Òîðêi
Frederick Miller['fredrik Tmilə] — Ôðåäåðiê Ìiëëåð
The Mysterious [mis'tiəriəsl Affair at Styles — «Òàºìíè÷à ³ñòîð³ÿ â ìàºòêó Ñòàéëñ»
Hercule Poirot['εəkju:l pwa:'rəu] — Eðêþëü Ïóàðî
Sherlock Holmes— Øåðëîê Õîëìñ
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - «Âáèéñòâî Ðîäæåðà Åêðîéäà»
Ìàõ Mallowan- Ìàêñ Ìåëëîóåí
St. Mary Mead- Ñàíò Ìýðè Ìèä
Cholsey- ×åëñè
Berkshire['ba:k޳ə] - Áåðêøèð
Shakespeare- Øåêñïèð
Bible[baibl] - Áèáëèÿ
Answer the questions.
1.When and where was Agatha Christie born?
2.What was her father's name?
3.Where did Agatha get her education? Did she go to school? Where did Agatha take singing lessons?
4.When did Agatha get married? Who was her husband?
5.Did Agatha Christie take part in the First World War? Where did she work?
6.When was her first book published? What novel was it?
7.How was this novel met by the reading public?
8.Who was the main hero of this novel? Can you describe him?
9.When did Agatha Christie become a popular writer? What masterpiece did she publish?
10. How did Agatha surprise the public in 1926? What happened to her? Can you explain why she disappeared for a few days from her home?
11.What was her second husband?
12.Why didn't she stop using her former husband's name?
13.Why did Christie invent Miss Ìàô³º? Can you describe Miss Marple?
14.What did Miss Marple once say about human nature? Do you agree with her? Why?
15.When did Agatha Christie die?
16.Where was she buried?
17.How many novels and plays did Agatha Christie write?
18.How many foreign languages have her books been translated into?
19.What novels or plays by Agatha Christie have you read? Do you enjoy these detective stories?
20.What film versions of Aratha Christie's novels have you seen? Do you like them? Why? Why not?