God and the Little Grey Cells

Dan W. Clanton examines the presence and use of religion and Bible in Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels and stories and their later interpretations. Clanton begins with a brief biography of Christie and her own religious identity before discussing the background(s) to Poirot's own Belgian Catholicism in the late 19th-early 20th century. He then examines the ways in which Bible is used in the novels as well as the ways in which Poirot understands God and evil to be at work in the world.

Clanton also considers that many do not encounter Poirot in his original literary contexts. That is, far more people have been exposed to Poirot via "mediated" renderings and interpretations of the stories and novels in various other genres, including radio, films, and TV. As such, the book engages the reception of the stories in these various genres, since the process of adapting the original narrative plots involves, at times, meaningful changes. The book concludes by examining the impact Poirot and his stories have had on readers and viewers and, more specifically, fan groups from which primary reflections and data will be gathered and analysed. Capitalizing on the immense and enduring popularity of Poirot across multiple genres and the absence of research on the role of religion and Bible in those stories, this book is a necessary contribution to the field of Christie studies and will be welcomed by her fans as well as scholars of media and religion.