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Review: Endless Night

Endless Night Endless Night by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Honestly, and I am gonna be very honest with this one, having read Then There Were None and Murder in the Orient Express, I did not think it possible that any of Christie's can surprise me now. I was wrong. Endless Night is a gem. A rarity that one comes across in many a long months.

Christie took the title of the book from William Blake's, Auguries of Innocence:

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to endless night

There is subtle interplay between emotions and actions. The story unfolds like a personal journal. Endless Night is written in the first person narrative, unlike most of Christie's other works. The first few chapters narrate the story of how a young cab driver, Michael Rogers, who seems to lack focus and is perpetually at a lack of money, sees an advert of a large country house Gypsy Acre. He goes to the auction just for fun but nevertheless imagines to think how nice it would be to build a house here and find a wonderful girl. That is what he has always wanted, to have a grand house and to live there with a wonderful woman. Happily ever after.

And there standing near the ancient site he does finds the love of his Fenella (Ellie) Guteman. It is love at first sight. They find happiness in each other's company. Their differing lifestyles and wants in life appear to bring them closer. It is all feels great. And then, soon they get married. It turns out that our dear Ellie is an heiress to a fortune, which she comes to once she turns 22. She buys the Gypsy Acre with her money and Roger's architect friend builds just the house they wanted. It is all just like they wanted. But isn't it a bit too much like all that he wanted? Is something amiss? Is something going to happen? And who exactly is this Greta who comes to live with them soon after the marriage? Is she the mindful helper to Ellie that she claims to be? Why is Roger so averse to her then? And what of all those family members of Ellie who simply pop around their home all the way from the states? Are they after Roger and Ellie's money? Or is there some other reason for them to be around?

As it turns out, there is some sinister forebodings. An old gypsy woman repeatedly warns them to leave to leave the premises. And then one fine afternoon, a death. Our Ellie, who has been riding the horses since she was three, suddenly succumbs to a fatal fall. However, everything looks normal. Somebody saw that gypsy nearby Ellie's horse, but nobody can trace her now. It was a natural death. But was it? Is our narrator hiding something? And why is there a tiny hint of chemistry between the other characters? Why was their old lawyer in the town the day of the death? Was it Roger who killed Ellie? But if so, then why? He was in love with her, wasn't he?

A lot of questions. And the answers to them, riveting. There are atleast two plot twists towards the end of the book, that are unexpected. Rogers ultimately is not what his imaginative narrative suggests. And Mrs. Rogers, his mother, she obviously knew.

All in all, one of the best books you would read for quite sometime. The supreme psychological insight in the nature of the narrator and the protagonist, shows amply the genius of the author. I found the book fascinating and compelling. The austere manner in which the narrator narrates all that happens gives a lively feeling to the tale.

My favorite line from the book would be:

"Why are you looking at me like that?....As if you loved me", said Ellie. 
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