Curtain

The last time I read this final case of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot was in 1976. The end of Poirot affected the adolescent reader strongly, and it is possible tears were shed. The puzzle's solution, long since forgotten, satisfies. I count it fortunate to have discovered Christie's books as a young reader. They expand the vocabulary (I looked up words like "postern" and "interstice"), teach Shakespeare and foreign phrases (French), take the reader to exotic places, and provide a sense of accomplishment on finishing that can lead (did lead, in this case) to a lifelong love of books.