REVIEW: Swan Song

 Swan Song
Author: Agatha Christie

Swan Song was first published in The Grand Magazine in September 1926 (UK) and later included in the short story collection The Listerdale Mystery (1934). The story was not published in the United States until 1971 (The Golden Ball and Other Stories). 

Paula Nazorkoff is difficult and egotistical....but she is also operatic soprano of amazing skill. So her diva behavior is forgiven by those around her. She is doing a short tour in London and is invited to perform in a private home. She agrees, but only if they are allowed to perform Tosca. She is famous for her past performances as the lead in Tosca, but that night she gives a very very memorable performance. 

Short, but very entertaining story! The ending of this one was a bit more obvious than most of these short stories, but I enjoyed it. The title is perfect. I listened to the audio version of this story. Hugh Fraser (played Hastings in the Poirot television series) narrated. He does such a great job! Fraser is rapidly becoming one of my favorite audio book narrators!

These early short stories were never meant to have detailed plots or fleshed out characters. Most were published early in Christie's career in magazines and then collected together in book form later. Paired with illustrations in magazines these early stories would have been great advertising for Christie's writing! Just some advice -- don't read these looking for the same detail, attention to plot and twisty surprises as in Christie's novels. These are "one minute mystery'' sort of stories with just a bit of story to set the scene, a bit of action and then the reveal. Knowing the pulp-y background of these stories  and reading these early stories with that in mind will help boost a reader's enjoyment. I've seen many reviews faulting these stories with comments like "Oh, this was so short!'' and "The characters and plot weren't detailed enough...''   These stories weren't written to be detailed. They were written for pulp detective and fiction magazines. Short....a bit of a zing....and done. Barebones characters....a simple plot...and a reveal. Read the for what they are. Pure entertainment, not perfect detailed craft. 

BBC4 Radio broadcast a "modernized'' version of this story in 2002 focused around a lesbian relationship.  While I applaud the adaptation of Christie's work for radio or television, I don't like it when the stories are fundamentally changed or modernized, so I skipped this one. It's no longer her story if it's radically changed. The modernized versions of 12 of her stories broadcast by BBC4 in the early 2000's are available -- Agatha Christie: 12 Radio Mysteries. So far I have resisted buying this collection because I know the stories have all been altered. I might change my mind at some point....but not yet. 

On to the next!