Agatha Christie, The Moving Finger

Amy Lee (The Open University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kerry Myler (Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1942

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Crime and Detective
Novel

Resources

The Moving Finger was one of Christie’s favourite books, and in her autobiography she recalls the experience of writing it during the difficult time of the Second World War. The setting of the story, however, is not particularly influenced by current affairs, except in the identity of the protagonist, Jerry Burton, who is a pilot discharged due to injury.

At the beginning of the story, Jerry and his younger sister, Joanna Burton, are looking for a house in a quiet village environment for Jerry’s recovery. His doctor, Marcus Kent, advises him not to be too anxious about getting back into shape, but to take it easy and focus on gardening or, even better, the local gossip. Jerry and Joanna, when they rent Little …

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1358 words

Citation: Lee, Amy. "The Moving Finger". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 September 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=103, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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