Hercule Poirot, a beloved fictional detective created by Agatha Christie, appeared in over 50 short stories and 30 novels. Despite Christie’s dislike for the character, his death in the novel Curtain was praised by the New York Times. Poirot is known for his sharp mind, physical appearance, and catchphrases such as “little gray cells.” He is often underestimated by British and American characters and is accompanied by characters such as Captain Hastings and Mrs. Ariadne Oliver. Poirot’s most famous novels include Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, and David Suchet is considered the quintessential actor to portray him.
Hercule Poirot ranks with other characters such as Sherlock Holmes as one of the greatest and most beloved fictional detectives. Created by Agatha Christie for the 1920 novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the diminutive and somewhat fussy Belgian detective was praised for his sharp mind, comic hubris and for playing the part of him in some of the most famous fictional mysteries emerged from Christie. He enjoyed a long career by fictional standards and did not meet his demise until the 1975 novel Curtain. Between his first novel and his last, Poirot appeared in more than 50 short stories and 30 novels.
Mirroring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s dislike of Holmes, Christie grew to despise Poirot in the 1960s and expressed a desire to kill him. For readers, it is fortunate that she waited as Curtain is considered one of Christie’s most interesting novels written towards the end of her career. An interesting thing happened with the character’s death; the New York Times actually featured it in an obituary. It was the first time The Times had praised a fictional character.
In most novels, readers end up depending on several key characteristics of his character. First, although Poirot appears arrogant, he is justified in successfully solving crimes. In the stories there is a reference to a crime that he failed to solve as a Belgian detective.
References to Poirot include physical descriptions of him: his elaborately curled moustache, his egg-shaped head, his patent leather shoes, his neat manner of dress, and his eyes which glow green like a cat’s. Several key phrases are associated with the character. None are better known than Poirot’s references to the genius of his “little gray cells,” or superior brain.
The novels mostly take place in England or abroad. Both British and American characters tend to underestimate Poirot. They see his elaborate sophistication and bravado as excessive and possibly fraudulent. He is often seen as comedian and, as he gets older, is mostly seen as a subject of comedy for young women. They often reject his talents because of his looks.
Two main characters, one or the other, generally accompany Poirot. In many novels, and especially in the first and last, his “Watson” is Captain Arthur Hastings. Hastings tends to help the detective with his usually completely incorrect assumptions, which lead Poirot to the truth.
Another frequent companion is Mrs Ariadne Oliver, whom many have taken as a semi-autobiographical Christie caricature. Mrs. Oliver is a mystery writer, who has a famous foreign detective character that she often talks about murder. Like Poirot, she has a propensity for being in situations where murders occur and she often calls on him to help solve them.
Some of Poirot’s most famous novels include Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The ABC Murders and Death on the Nile. Many novels featuring this character have been made into feature films or BBC adaptations. Numerous actors lined up to play the detective, including Peter Ustinov, Ian Holm, Albert Finney and Alfred Molina. Most found the portrayals of Poirot lacking in essential character description. Ustinov, Finney and Molin were generally considered too tall for the part.
In 1989, the BBC began producing Poirot films with David Suchet as the character. Most Christie fans find Suchet to be the quintessential Poirot, for he achieves all of the detective’s mannerisms and physical appearance perfectly. Many of the BBC’s films are based on short stories, and while fans appreciate Suchet’s character, they don’t always enjoy the liberties taken with Christie’s work and would like to see some of the most famous novels made into faithful teleplays.
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