The detective novel, which is known in Russia under the name “Pointing Finger,” was released in 1942 in the United States of America. His other names: "Vacations in Limstock", "Finger of Fate."
The author of the work
Agatha Christie is an twentieth-century English writer. She is called the most famous author of detective prose. She has published over a hundred works. Among them were detective novels, plays, short stories, psychological novels.
One of the characters that Christie created was an old maid named Miss Marple. The old lady is a collective way. She resembles the heroines from the works of Braddon and Green. According to Agatha, the prototype of the old detective was her own grandmother. The author of the detectives loved her heroine very much. She considered her an old, smart English lady with traditional values.
For the first time Miss Marple appeared in the work "Evening Club" Tuesday ", which was published in 1927. In the novel Finger Pointing, the heroine, as always, investigates a complicated case, without attracting special attention to her person.
origin of name
The novel got its name from one of the Rubai Persian poet Omar Khayyam. The translation of E. Fitzgerald was taken. Why does the title of the novel have several options?
The Russian translation in the literal meaning is not entirely clear. This is due to the fact that this quatrain of Omar Khayyam sounds different in the Russian version. Because of this, some translators allow themselves a fairly free translation. They strive to keep in touch with what is happening in the novel Pointing Finger.
Main characters
- Miss Marple is an old woman who is a friend of Maud Kaltrop. I drove into the village at the request of a friend to help investigate a complicated case.
- Gerald Burton is an aviation major who settled in the village to recover from injuries. The narration is conducted on his behalf.
- Joanna Burton is the pilot's sister. Attractive young lady.
- Emily Barton is the owner of the house that the Burton rented.
- Owen Griffith is a village healer.
- Aime Griffith is the doctor’s sister. A woman is distinguished by her energy.
- Richard Simmington is a second-generation country lawyer.
- Mona Simmington - Richard's wife, has three children.
- Megan Hunter is Mona's daughter from her first marriage. The girl is twenty years old, but she looks and behaves like a teenager. Mother worries about the future of her daughter.
- Elsie Holland is the nanny of the children of Richard and Mona. A woman looks gorgeous, but poorly speaks.
- Beatrice is a maid in the Simmington house. An honest girl who loves her young man.
- Caleb Keltrop is a village vicar. Residents of Limstock respect Caleb for high moral standards.
- Maud Keltrop is the wife of the vicar.
- Mr. Pye is a senior citizen living in Limstock. In the past, he was engaged in antiques.
- Inspector Nash is investigating the crime. Sent by authorities from Scotland Yard.
Like any work by Agatha Christie, Pointing Finger has its own intricate and unexpected plot.
Short story
Gerald and her sister decided to rent a house to live a couple of months in the village. They gradually get acquainted with the inhabitants of Limstock, but one day they receive an anonymous letter. It says that the Burton are not relatives, but lovers.
It later turns out that many villagers received similar indictment letters. Everyone begins to vigorously discuss those who received anonymous letters. The consequences of this behavior among the inhabitants of Limstock fear Maud, and not in vain.
Soon, the wife of a lawyer dies, she was poisoned with cyanide. The jury decided that a suicide had occurred that triggered an anonymous letter. The deceased was accused of having one of her children an illegitimate child.
Inspectors from Scotland Yard are sent to the village. He determines that the author of the anonymous letters is a woman - a resident of Limstock. The investigation is practically not progressing, so the vicar's wife calls for the help of her expert. So appears Miss Marple.
Pointing Finger is a novel in which the shadow of suspicion falls on different people. Miss Marple studies all circumstances and concludes that the anonymous story is nothing more than a way to divert attention from the preparation and conduct of a cold-blooded murder.
The old woman was right. The main reason for everything that happened was the murder of Mona Simmington. Thus, the husband decided to get rid of his bored and forever nervous wife. His ideal plan was disrupted by a maid who had an argument with her young man that day.
Adaptations of the novel
The story of Miss Marple (Pointing Finger) has two adaptations:
- In 1985, a British television series about an elderly lady was released, which easily unraveled the most incredible crimes. The main role was played by Joan Hickson. The novel became the basis for the second series.
- In 2004, a television series was created in England with the participation of Geraldine McEwan. The film Pointing Finger was the third episode of the project.