God and the Little Grey Cells - by Dan W Clanton (Paperback)

About the Book

"Clanton examines the presence and use of religion and Bible in Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels and stories and their later interpretations. [He] begins with a brief biography of Christie and her own religious identity before discussing the background(s) to Poirot's own Belgian Catholicism in the late 19th-early 20th century. He then examines the ways in which Bible is used in the novels as well as the ways in which Poirot understands God and evil to be at work in the world"--

Book Synopsis

Dan W. Clanton, Jr. examines the presence and use of religion and Bible in Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels and stories and their later interpretations. Clanton begins by situating Christie in her literary, historical, and religious contexts by discussing "Golden Age" crime fiction and Christianity in England in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. He then explores the ways in which Bible is used in Christie's Poirot novels as well as how Christie constructs a religious identity for her little Belgian sleuth. Clanton concludes by asking how non-majority religious cultures are treated in the Poirot canon, including a heterodox Christian movement, Spiritualism, Judaism, and Islam.

Throughout, Clanton acknowledges that many people do not encounter Poirot in his original literary contexts. That is, far more people have been exposed to Poirot via "mediated" renderings and interpretations of the stories and novels in various other genres, including radio, films, and TV. As such, the book engages the reception of the stories in these various genres, since the process of adapting the original narrative plots involves, at times, meaningful changes.

Capitalizing on the immense and enduring popularity of Poirot across multiple genres and the absence of research on the role of religion and Bible in those stories, this book is a necessary contribution to the field of Christie studies and will be welcomed by her fans as well as scholars of religion, popular culture, literature, and media.

Review Quotes

God and the Little Grey Cells is a brilliant foray into the way religion is depicted in popular culture. With originality and finesse, Clanton surveys the significance of hegemonic Christianity for Agatha Christie's Poirot stories and their adaptations, uncovering the less obvious but crucial ways "other" religions are treated. In this way, he deftly demonstrates both common assumptions about religion at play in these immensely popular works and Christie's resistance to such assumptions.

God and the Little Grey Cells offers a perspective long overdue. Agatha Christie is a cultural phenomenon and Dan Clanton shows that religion is at the heart of her work. His thorough and accessible book positions the Queen of Crime as a Christian writer and thinker.

God and the Little Grey Cells offers an engaging, original and insightful exploration of an important, but little-explored, aspect of Agatha Christie's writing. It is sure to be of value to the ever-growing field of Agatha Christie scholarship.

About the Author

Dan W. Clanton, Jr. associate professor of religious studies at Doane University, USA.