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LOL

So I was like, wait I didn't read negroes.. Turns out that in the Dutch version I read, they just deleted the negroes bit. They just disliked loud voices and noisy restaurants.

Looks like newer English editions have dropped it too.

Thanks for your comments, Sean. I have been reading Agatha Christie since high school. I also am put off by some of her casual racial put downs. Luckily, this only occurs in a few books (at least as far as I know). I have also noticed that in the BBC version of Poirot with David Suchet, he makes some comments that are anti-unpleasantness/discrimination. In "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest," while some characters are dancing to jazz, another character says something like, "Inferior music for third rate people made by the inferior races!" Poirot responds, "That is not a nice thing to say!" I was surprised and will have to go back to the book to see if he really said it.

Isn't that how some people WERE in those days (even the heroes)? The characters are an accurate depiction, deplorable though it is, through our eyes. It is a travesty to censor such things- they are a window on, and reminder of the past (which might indeed be ugly). You would have to interview Agatha Christie to find out her views on race; all we can see are the opinions of the characters she created in her books.

I was shocked at that part as well! Had to re-read the word negroes few times to make sure it was actually written

I agree with Ross. While such blatant racism is abhorrent, it's a shame to pretend it never happened. You cannot rewrite history. Censorship should not have happened in the later publications, but an appropriate preface would have been more useful.

I can see both sides. On the one hand, we can’t and shouldn’t rewrite history. On the other hand, how many of us would have read the brilliant “And Then There Were None�� under its original title, “Ten Little {N-words}��? It’s complicated.

Sorry, meant that as a reply to a previous comment. Anyway, looking forward to reading this and judging for myself👍🏾

"but the characters themselves were detestable"

So what? Many of Christie's characters are first-rate assholes and jerks of one type of another. Why do you think there is so much friction in the character interactions, and that they can turn on each other so easily?

Um, I want to point out that these aren't the heros. In fact, (view spoiler)[ one of them is the murderer! (hide spoiler)] This is supposed to show how superficial their connection is, and is a sarcastic take on how first dates can feel magical when in fact you don't know the other person yet. I am glad in the edition I read that they took out the "negros" part, though.

Fatphobia and racism, also this isn't one of her best book for sure.

I wish I could meet a woman like that.

As much as we can like to talk about racism, I think one needs to consider the context in which this book was written. The book was written in the mid 1900s when racism was still being tackled. The characters in the book need to fit the era.

I don't think it's the realism about the error that most people object to; it's that these are clearly supposed to be sympathetic characters (if not necessarily perfect). The light way it's phrased makes it clear that Agatha Christie thinks it's sort of amusing and charming, or something. Like racism is just a quirk. And yes, it was a very different time, but it's not like everyone alive was THAT racist. There has always been a minority that could do better than that.
Agatha Christie could have done better.

The realism about the era, is what I meant.

Even including that in a list of "disliked" things implies that the sentiment wasn't universal. Only that Agatha Christie considered the moral gravity of "not liking negroes" as equivalent to not liking certain movie stars and cats.

Heroes? Have you finished the book?

Thanks for the heads up. I'll pass on this one and probably the balance of what I haven't read of hers, which isn't much. I don't find casual bigotry entertaining.

"People of my age don't really know anything about those times. We can only read about them in books, and what it says in books may not be true." George Orwell, 1984.

Remember that this was written in a totally different era where there wasn't much awareness like, fortunately, now. ❤️

Just easier to skip Agatha Christie completely. Many other mysteries by black authors.

Wow, I remember this passage, and I’m pretty sure that ‘negroes�� was removed in the audiobook version I listened to. I was slightly annoyed by the ‘fat women�� part �� I had no idea that it was originally way worse.

Agree, no character , other than Poirot, is interesting.

While I understand that such casual racism is difficult to swallow for some, and as a POC myself I was fairly shocked at how nonchalant and casual it was, this paragraph serves purposes beyond what you see on the surface and I consider it to be one of the smartest parts of this particular entry.

Girl, thats the message, Agatha wants to bring, and also calling that man Hero? have u finished the book?

My book did not have the n reference. But I found the reference to fat woman offensive. I also found it quite offensive that they would find this and interesting topic to share about. The way the dentist talked about his secretary inside his own head was pretty bad too as though she adored him but he looked down upon her.