An Autobiography

AgathaChristie
AnAutobiography
Contents
CoverPrefaceForewordPartIAshfieldPartII‘GirlsandBoysComeouttoPlay’PartIIIGrowingupPartIVFlirting,Courting,BannsUp,MarriagePartVWarPartVIRoundtheWorldPartVIITheLandofLostContentPartVIIISecondSpringPartIXLifewithMaxPartXTheSecondWarPartXIAutumnEpilogueSearchableTermsAbouttheAuthorCopyrightAboutthePublisherPREFACE
AgathaChristiebegantowritethisbookinApril1950;shefinisheditsomefifteenyearslaterwhenshewas75yearsold.Anybookwrittenoversolongaperiodmustcontaincertainrepetitionsandinconsistenciesandthesehavebeentidiedup.Nothingofimportancehasbeenomitted,however:substantially,thisistheautobiographyasshewouldhavewishedittoappear.
Sheendeditwhenshewas75because,assheputit,‘itseemstherightmomenttostop.Because,asfaraslifeisconcerned,thatisallthereistosay.’Thelasttenyearsofherlifesawsomenotabletriumphs–thefilmofMurderontheOrientExpress;thecontinuedphenomenalrunofTheMousetrap;salesofherbooksthroughouttheworldgrowingmassivelyyearbyyearandintheUnitedStatestakingthepositionatthetopofthebest-sellerchartswhichhadforlongbeenhersasofrightinBritainandtheCommonwealth;herappointmentin1971asaDameoftheBritishEmpire.Yetthesearenomorethanextralaurelsforachievementsthatinherownmindwerealreadybehindher.In1965shecouldtruthfullywrite…‘Iamsatisfied.IhavedonewhatIwanttodo.’
Thoughthisisanautobiography,beginning,asautobiographiesshould,atthebeginningandgoingontothetimeshefinishedwriting,AgathaChristiehasnotallowedherselftobetoorigidlycircumscribedbythestrait-jacketofchronology.Partofthedelightofthisbookliesinthewayinwhichshemovesasherfancytakesher;breakingoffheretomuseontheincomprehensiblehabitsofhousemaidsorthecompensationsofoldage;jumpingforwardtherebecausesometraitinherchildlikecharacterremindshervividlyofhergrandson.Nordoesshefeelanyobligationtoputeverythingin.Afewepisodeswhichtosomemightseemimportant–thecelebrateddisappearance,forexample–arenotmentioned,thoughinthatparticularcasethereferenceselsewheretoanearlierattackofamnesiagivethecluetothetruecourseofevents.Astotherest,‘Ihaveremembered,Isuppose,whatIwantedtoremember’,andthoughshedescribesherpartingfromherfirsthusbandwithmovingdignity,whatsheusuallywantstorememberarethejoyfulortheamusingpartsofherexistence.
Fewpeoplecanhaveextracedmoreintenseormorevariedfunfromlife,andthisbook,aboveall,isahymntothejoyofliving.
Ifshehadseenthisbookintoprintshewouldundoubtedlyhavewishedtoacknowledgemanyofthosewhohadhelpedbringthatjoyintoherlife;aboveall,ofcourse,herhusbandMaxandherfamily.Perhapsitwouldnotbeoutofplaceforus,herpublishers,toacknowledgeher.Forfiftyyearsshebullied,beratedanddelightedus;herinsistenceonthehigheststandardsineveryfieldofpublishingwasaconstantchallenge;hergood-humourandzestforlifebroughtwarmthintoourlives.Thatshedrewgreatpleasurefromherwritingisobviousfromthesepages;whatdoesnotappearisthewayinwhichshecouldcommunicatethatpleasuretoallthoseinvolvedwithherwork,sothattopublishhermadebusinessceaselesslyenjoyable.ItiscertainthatbothasanauthorandasapersonAgathaChristiewillremainunique.