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The Labors of Hercules (Hercule Poirot)
by Agatha Christie
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Berkley (1984-06-01)
ISBN: 0425067858
EAN: 9780425067857
Dewey Decimal #: 823.912
Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
Release Date: 2004-03-02
SKU: 11368
Condition: Good
Comments: Binding: Softcover. Condition: Good. Slightly creased spine.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
What do a lost Pekinese, a reputation poisoned by gossip, a man spiraling into madness, and a Russian countess in love have in common? Hercule Poirot.
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Customer Reviews
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Shorter Poirot Stories
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-05-13
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
These are the shorter Poirot stories and they don't disappoint. As if in tribute to the legendary Hercules and his Twelve Labors, Poirot sets out to solve twelve mysteries. He is, of course, successful. What's neat about these short stories is they are perfect for reading before bedtime because you don't have to wait until another time to finish them. You have the answers and don't have to fall asleep wondering or miss sleep from staying up too late reading. I like all of them so far and I love the one about the Pekinese dog.
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Peroit
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-05-05
It's Hercule Poirot! Need I say anything more? Any of Christie's books featuring Poirot are worth owning, reading, and rereading.
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A Clever Change of Pace from Agatha Christie
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-08
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although presented in the format of a novel, "The Labors of Hercules" is really a collection of 12 short stories, each story corresponding to one of the classical 12 labors of the Greek hero Hercules. It is a clever idea, and the parallels are neatly done. The copyright dates indicate that Miss Christie wrote these stories over an 9-year span, 1939-1947. Perhaps this is a cause for the uneven quality of the stories; most are excellent, but few are just so-so.
Miss Christie's detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple in particular, are at their best in talking, listening, and picking out the vital information needed to reach a conclusion. The short story format does not allow for this kind of detection process; so we do not see Poirot in his usual modus operandi. Instead these stories are more reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes stories - faster pace, more emphasis on clues, and an almost magical solution.
Agatha Christie is the greatest. "The Labors of Hercules", although not among her best works, is very good indeed.
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Gripping
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-12-12
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Poirot, nearing the end of his career, dreams of retirement, but an old friend reminds him of his namesake--Hercules. Hercule Poirot decides to take on his own set of twelve tasks. Each task ties into one of Hercules, and the way that the takes of Poirot are tied to the tasks of Hercules is quite clever. Each task will keep you guessing as to who is the real criminal. I was surprised almost every time. If you're looking for a good mystery novel, this is definitely one worth reading.
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Charming, Witty, and Extremely Entertaining
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-03-02
8 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
Published in 1947, THE LABORS OF HERCULES finds Agatha Christie writing in a bright, slightly relaxed manner. The result is a mixture of mystery, adventure, and an unexpected literary conceit: she transforms the ancient Greek mythology of the twelve labors of Hercules into a modern mythology of the twelve labors of Hercules--Poirot, that is. And the resulting work is quite charming.
The book will be best appreciated by those who have actually read a bit of Ancient Greek mythology. Much of its charm comes from the clever manner in which Christie juxtaposes the physical strength of the ancient Hercules with the mental power of the modern Hercules and the witty way in which she transforms the ancient stories into a 20th Century setting. The Learnean Hydra becomes malicious gossip; The Augean Stables concerns a dirty political scandal; and so on. It is exceptionally well thought out and written with tremendous humor.
The book consists of a short preface and twelve stories, two of which have been widely anthologized: The Nemean Lion, which finds a wily lapdog at the center of a dognapping gang; and The Girdle of Hyppolita, which concerns a missing art treasure. And from a "mystery" point of view, these are very likely the best of the twelve stories, for on this occasion Christie is much less concerned with creating a head-spinning plot than she is in having fun. But each of the stories has its own charms, with the concluding The Capture of Cerebus among my favorites.
Many writers consider the short story the single most difficult narrative form, and many a famous novelist has run aground on the genre--including quite a few mystery novelists, Dorothy Parker among them. But at her best, Christie was as comfortable with the short story as with the novel. While this particular collection doesn't quite top her own Miss Marple's TUESDAY CLUB MURDERS short story collection, it is extremely well done nonetheless. Recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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