Come, Tell Me How You Live

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A fascinating glimpse into the real life of Agatha Christie. - Rated
I picked up this book following a visit to an exhibition in the British Museum about Christie's travels in the Middle East. My only contact with the writer before this was via the cosy middle-England dramatisations of her work that appear on television and I was rather more interested in the archaeology than Christie herself. This book blew away all my pre-conceptions. What I found in Christies descriptions of her journeys to modern-day Iraq - where she was accompanying her husband, the archeologist Max Mallowan, on his digs - was a woman, extremely happy in her surroundings who was fascinated by her husband's work and whose understanding of and concern for the local population was advanced even by today's standards. Her descriptions of the everyday struggle to make a life in an alien, and often harsh, environment are frank and frequently hilarious and her insights into the beliefs, particularly Islam, of the locals are couched without prejudice or condescension. I was half expecting the book to be full of the racist ravings of a typical English 'memsahib' but instead was delighted to discover in Agatha Christie, a humour and self-deprecation rare in female travellers of the time. The book contains a minimum of archeological information - just enough to set the scene - but even archaeology buffs would surely find the description of daily life on a pre-war dig of interest. The real value of this memoir, however, is in what it tells us about the character of Christie. I read a number of her novels after reading this book and found her, as an author of fiction, to be rather two-dimensional and unfulfilling. I've not changed my opinion about her novels but this doesn't detract from the fact that, after reading this little book, I really liked Agatha Christie as a person - which for some reason took me entirely by surprise. An absolute must for fans and non-fans alike.

A charming reflection of ex-pat life in Syria in the 1930s. - Rated
Using an unusual style for the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie records the daily life of a wife accompanying her archeologist husband while he is working in Syria. Intended as a description for her friends and family, Christie gives a light-hearted memoir of her unusual life in the desert, working daily with the local Arab people. She reveals a great deal of patience and tolerance for a life that must have had many difficulties. The account lacks vivid descriptions of the scenery and people, but does accurately portray the sense of fun of the Arab people. The language used is pure 30's, with references to 'gippy tummy' and the 'cruise department' in a London store, which is evocative of the era rather than irritating. Another surprise was that Christie had the ability to send herself up, particularly when it came to her need for 'OS' clothes.

It was not intended to be a great travel book, but it does reveal how the Middle East can get under the skin of a Westerner. This is a charming book which will strike a chord with anyone who has ever lived and worked in the Middle East.