
The Last Séance
Author: Agatha Christie
Narrator: Andrew Sachs, Full Cast
Unabridged: 27 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: BBC Digital Audio
Published: 09/10/2010
Categories: Nonfiction, Performing Arts, Radio

Author: Agatha Christie
Narrator: Andrew Sachs, Full Cast
Unabridged: 27 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: BBC Digital Audio
Published: 09/10/2010
Categories: Nonfiction, Performing Arts, Radio
What a daunting task to write about the most famous mystery writer, Agatha Christie. She was born in 1890 in England, where she was home schooled by her American father. It was an unusual way to be educated for the times. Her father did not want her to begin learning to read until age eight, but out of boredom, she taught herself to read by age five.
In his research, Curran found a plethora of information about Agatha. He outlines many of those interesting facts. Since there are so many, just a few will be mentioned here. Agatha could have been an excellent performer as a pianist, but she was much too shy to perform. She once had three plays running simultaneously in London. She traveled around the world in 1922, which would have been quite a feat back then. Agatha loved dogs. She has a rose named after her. She never did drink alcohol nor smoked. Her last public appearance was in 1974, at the premier of the movie, Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie's name has appeared every day for 53 years in every newspaper with a West End London theatre listing. Her favorite flower was Lily of the Valley. The information about this illustrious author goes on and on. It is a great asset to readers that author John Curran wrote the definitive book about an iconic author. One other interesting fact was that Agatha met Archie Christie in 1912, married on Christmas Eve 1914, spending their honeymoon at The Grand Hotel in Torquay, but Archie returned to France on Dec 27th due to the War. Agatha and Archie fid not really experience married life until he was posted at the London War Office. Agatha has been quoted as saying only then did she feel that her married life truly began.
I listened to an audio version of this that was dramatised by Paul Kember. I am not familiar with the original, but I know this version was updated. One of the main characters is a widow from Afghanistan whose only child died after their apartment block was shelled. She gets a job covering as a hous......more
The BBC audio version was updated to include Afghan refugees. The story's ending was a bit abrupt and might I say predictable. The audiobook version of the actual seance comprises mostly of eerie moaning. I have been reading a lot of Poe's short stories, so in tone it was reminiscent of that. By the......more
This one has been modernised, too. Now set in the UK with an Afghan refugee who lost her child in a bombing raid. She’s cleaning houses for cash even though she is overqualified for it. She gets a job covering the maternity leave for the live-in servants to a Lady. She tells the husband about her daug......more
The Last Séance is a short story by Agatha Christie. I listened to the audio version and didn’t realize that. I was a bit shocked when it was over. The ending was a little bit of a twist, but it felt complete. It was a short, but good listen.......more