REVIEW: Elephants Can Remember

 Elephants Can Remember
Author: Agatha Christie

This is the last Hercule Poirot novel Agatha Christie wrote before her death in 1976. Curtain was the last published, but that story was actually written in the 1940s. Elephants Can Remember was published in 1972.

My old paperback copy of this novel had a stamp on the inside front cover from Rainy Day Books in St. Joseph, MO and an old price sticker stuck on the front cover. :) Obviously, I bought it used.  I read it one last time, and it went into the recycle bin. 

The Basics: Ariadne Oliver (my fav Agatha Christie side character!) once again pulls Poirot into an investigation. The case is 12 years old. A couple were found shot to death, but the investigation never proved if it was suicide or a clever case of murder. 

I enjoyed re-reading this book, but I wish Hercule had gotten a stronger send-off. Miss Marple got an edgy last story in Nemesis, but this last Poirot book just seems the same old-same old. I did enjoy it more because Adriane Oliver added her energy into the plot, but it still just isn't that great of a book. Very formula. I think Agatha Christie had just grown tired of churning out Hercule Poirot books. 

Adaptations: 

Television: In 2013, the long-running Poirot television series starring David Suchet aired an episode based on this book. There were major changes to the plot and characters. Zoe Wanamaker was wonderful as Ariadne Oliver once again! It's an enjoyable episode, but really only loosely based on the book. 

Radio drama: BBC Radio 4 broadcast an audio drama starring John Moffat as Hercule Poirot in 2006. 

2007 Movie: The Thai movie "Alone" was released in 2007 and has been re-made multiple times in several languages. It's only loosely based on this novel.  

My old paperback is in the recycle bin.....and moving on to the final two books in my reading challenge. Curtain and Sleeping Murder.