INTERVIEW WITH AGATHA CHRISTIE - THE FIRST LADY OF CRIME

INTERVIEW WITH AGATHA CHRISTIE - THE FIRST LADY OF CRIME  

DETECTIVE UNDER LACY HAT

I was born once again, I would like to be a woman - always!

Do you read novels of Agatha Christie? That is a silly question! Who today doesn't - publicly or secretly - read detective stories? Sure tastes differ, but there are only few people who can resist the charm of novels of today 76-years old Englishwoman and hers characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. I also like to read them, so the news about her arrival in Slovenia cheered me up , but even more the decision of redaction: Go to Bohinj and don't come back without an interview with Agatha!

I had to choose tactics. But wait a minute, why is this womens magazine? Lets use womens weapon - charm! The plan is made to use offensive of charm.

At first famous people are victims я of offensive: she doesn't like journalists because they wait for her behind the trees when she goes for a walk, they accede to her chair in the evening, in the morning they try to break into her room, they are knocking on her door OK! Why don't we try different? Why don't we regard that this is an old person, eagerly of break, who instead of lovely smiles - which are shared to every other

person on holidays - sees only silly looks, which insult her, and the cameras? So let's be as first - kind!

Agatha Christie with her second husband Max Mallowan.

I landed in front of our hotel Jezero - Bellevue and immediately informed myself about the situation on the front. Bad: they are annoying her all the time and she didn't leave the address to anyone in England, but there are letters coming every day, but in fact she is on a trip in Bled. Of course, she will return tired I also wouldn't let them to annoy me

When I came to hotel Bellevue married couple Mallowan appeared: Agatha Christie with her husband. They were in a good will and they were walking up the stairs.

What to do? Let's stay devoted to offensive of charm: there is no need to grab the first chance and ruin everything! The most important thing is that she is here in hotel and there is a reserved room waiting for me. Even more, the room is on the same floor, told me sympathetic Alenka from reception. Together we unwound the flowers. Alenka is enthusiastic: Agatha will surely like them. She likes flowers (we had good nose!).

Alenka hadnt return for a long time - good or bad sign? The door opened suddenly and Alenka shouted from threshold:

"Quarter to nine! - in enthusiasm she continues in English."

"Today? This evening? Now? Quarter to nine?"

"Yes, yes, enjoys Alenka with me ."

It has just been seven o'clock so I still have one hour and 45 minutes. Let's look at the situation: I am dirty and tired from travelling, I didn't eat my breakfast, prepared questions in English are shaking in my hands.

First: washing. There is a pleasant surprise waiting for me - I took everything except a shampoo. I wash myself with the toothpaste. Great - I will come on conversation like a travelling advertisement for Kolodont

It could have been even worse - I comfort myself. - Think only: Agatha is in the room opposite of mine, Agatha. Ready for an interview

I am repeating questions once again. I am biting chocolate.

Still two minutes to quarter to nine. I am ready, I have a tape-recorder in my hand.

I am knocking on door. Nothing. One more time. They aren't here. They wouldn't just calmly. Maybe they are, simply, on dinner?

Agatha Christie in Bohinj in the end of August 1967.

Agatha Christie in expedition.

I AM INTERESTED IN SO MANY THINGS

" Does archaeology represent a certain period for you, for example, ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia or do other periods attract you as well?"

"We are interested in all periods, that is also a difficulty! Today it is specially in science needed strict specialization in one thing, but we are interested in so many things!"

"Still, you have made a good guess - continues Prof. Mallowan. We had been dugging for years on Bliski island. You know, my wife is always present as an official photographer, and so she has filmed one of the most beautiful collections of statues of the elephant bones, which we had found there."

"Are you also interested in locations in Yugoslavia?"

"O, we are interested in all. We take an opportunity to look at all remains of history. You know, archaeology means for us also to enjoy in art - you always find something beautiful what you like. Thats why we like things from all periods."

Their house in Bagdad

"We visited a lot of remains from history in surroundings. Also today, in Bled, we enjoyed in pictures of the church on island"

"Specially the statues are beautiful" - adds Agatha Christie.

" Probably you have heard about site in Lepenski Vir"

"Yes, I have informed Sunday Times immediately, so they will send somebody"

" Will you go there too?"

"Unfortunately, we wont" - she answers.

"It is very far and we are afraid of greater heat. Age"

IDEAS COME FROM EVERYWHERE

The conversation has developed. While I have been asking the next question, I turned on my tape-recorder:

Agatha Christie in the library

"Once you have said that is your work in detective stories divided in two parts: fun, when you are thinking up the plot and boring when all of that has to be put on paper."

"Yes, thats right. It is much more fun just to think about what is needed to be written as to write it!"

" Do you also in reality think as Miss Marple?"

In the rustle of the restaurant she didnt hear well my question but she smiled and said:

"Oh, I think that people like differences, like Miss Marple is. Why did I choose her? Who knows?At that time I first noticed that she washes her hands from her characters - they do what they like to do."

When I repeated my question she said:

"No, I dont really think the same as she. But who knows, why does she think like that?"

Margaret Rutherford playing Miss Marple in Murder She Said (1962).

" Would you mind telling us how the ideas are born and how do they develop into novel?"

"So, how the ideas come?" - she slowly repeated the question, sitting in the chair and her fingers of right hand, as if they are searching something on the chair, wrinkle cover and move away a cup of tea.

"They come suddenly, I even dont know how. Whenever: when I am listening to opera, walking on the street they come from everywhere! Also, when a smart idea falls into your head, which you like, you have to build a believable story from it. Suddenly faces grow as well, one by one. And then comes this unpleasant day, when you have to sit down and everything what had beautifully grown put on paper. Yes, the first part is much more fun!"

Then write it yourself!."

Then write it yourself!."

Then write it yourself!."

"Some writers of detective stories buy ideas. What about you?"

"No. I like ideas which fall into my head, thats more fun!"

"You cant imagine - adds her husband - how much letters we get:  Here, an excellent idea for a novel We answer: Then write it yourself!”

Agatha Christie thinking during her writing.

I READ FAST AND A LOT

" What kind of books do you like reading?"

"It depends I read everything for what I think that I could be interested in. I like books which impose thinking. For break I decide to read pocket issues. In general I read a lot of books."

Agatha Christie surrounded with books.

"Do you like, for example, educational - fantastic novels?"

"O, yes. I think that some of them are really good. I dont like so much the latest, in which is too much science fiction. Previous educational - fantastic novels were very good because they were only plod of fiction. Today they are too much formal, overfilled with technical details, science fiction - for that is necessary to have above all central talent."

" What about detective stories?"

"Detective stories? I read them a lot. I liked them already when I was a girl, when I was reading them secretly. I dont like novels which have only brutalities, they are really boring to me. Its always same! For example, if you read page 17 or 45: somebody is beating somebody. Then you skip on page 55 and you will see that you didnt miss anything from the skipped pages: again somebody is beating somebody!"

TOURISTS - AS EVERYONE ELSE

The next day I was looking at them as they were walking by the lake: she was leaning on a walking stick, she was walking slowly and she was lagging behind. He was for some time walking in front of her and for some time behind her, and he had an usual small net in his hand in which there were two books. They chose a bench on the sun, sat down and took the books in their hands. Entirely usual tourist couple! Yes, foreigners- from the sun is protecting her her lacy hat and rosy dress.

Agatha Christie with Sir Max Mallowan in the last months of her life.

They go every day to the lake, usually after ten or eleven oclock, although they have breakfast early. They eat in their room our usual breakfast, which they sometimes - by English custom - enrich with ham and eggs or with soft-boiled egg or with (they liked very much this home-made specialty ) buckwheat hard-boiled corn mush and with sour milk. Sometimes they go with a hotel car on a trip, to look around on historical monuments.

They always have dinner in jointly restaurant. Of course they dressed themselves specially for this special opportunity - like all the English: he in a dark suit, she in one of her silky dresses, which at the first look they all look like they have the same shape: small low neck reveals inevitably a string of pearls, but the dress has a coat made from the same textile.

They are satisfied with Bohinj and with the quiet hotel.

"Here is a real break. Just - she smiled - if it hadnt been so many journalists here! First days it had seemed like there was one behind every tree. We couldnt go for a walk. If they only came all together and not each day a new one..."

Yes, also today came another colleague. Just five minutes , said to him Prof. Mallowan and then he entered into conversation with me about learning foreign languages, specially about the Arabic language which seems to him impossible to learn because of the excavations in Near East Has he forgotten that I am also one of them? As the journalist went away Agatha all happy showed me a postcard which she has received only in the morning.

Agatha Christie on the balcony of the Bellevue Hotel in Bohinj in 1967.

"This is my daughter writing to me. You know, she traveled on holiday with Concor but there are always airplane accidents"

When I took a photo of her she was holding the postcard leaned against her chest!

They waved to me when we separated and went for a walk. Isnt this a lovely scene? Two old persons but not grown old: they loved their work which they have been doing all their lives and they love them also now (she writes novels, he waits for the news about excavations in Lepenski Vir because the news will change all our views). They are going on a walk with eyes wide open to see people and things so they can find something beautiful in which they can enjoy.

Their figures are lost among other tourists. They didnt distinguish from them. Agatha Christie entered into conversation with someone. She would be an entirely usual old woman

This interview  was published in Yugoslavian woman magazine called Svijet . It was published on 15.09.1967 in issue 18. So this article was first written in Croatian language and then I translated it in Slovene and English language. The author of it is Vinja Ogrizovic .  

Agatha Christie in the end of August 1967 in Bohinj. She is holding a poscard which sent it to her her daughter Rosalind leaned against her chest.