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| The 1967 Bantam edition is the copy I managed to acquire. (the picture above isn't mine, though.) |
Note: This is a spoiler-free post!
The Secret Adversary was my first encounter with Agatha Christie.
Well…not exactly.
The translated version of The Secret Adversary was my first encounter with Agatha Christie. I was fond of mysteries - I grew up reading stories like Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Secret Seven, and Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan (whose ending, to this day, is still nowhere in sight). I guess it was just a matter of time before I encountered the Queen of Crime herself. And though not everything may be believable, The Secret Adversary successfully sold me on the Agatha Christie's mysteries through its hilarity and - of course - plot twist. Down the rabbit hole I went, devouring any Christie books I could get my hands on.
Now, ten years after my first read, I finally got to read The Secret Adversary in English - its original language. I have no idea what took me so long to seek out the English version…but hey, what’s important is I’ve read it now. (Come to think of it, I don’t think my English skills back then would be enough to enjoy reading it. Perhaps it is for the best that I only read it now.) And so, I’d like to share some of my thoughts about this reread here!
A Brief Blurb
The Secret Adversary is the first book in the Tommy and Tuppence (T&T) series. It opens with the reunion of childhood friends Thomas “Tommy” Beresford and Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley. Frustrated with their jobless state, the two advertise themselves as “Young Adventurers” willing to do anything. Their life quickly turns into a life-and-death situation as they decide to undertake a high-risk offer: hunting down a mysterious political document which has the power to ruin their country. They are, however, not without an adversary. They must race against an elusive foe simply known as “Mr. Brown”.
The Plot Twist
It is with shame that I stand here today and admit:
I still fell for the red herring.
Yep. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. This is either a testament to how great of a writer Christie is or how forgetful and gullible I am. Or perhaps both are true. I’ll let you decide.
It’s not like I remembered absolutely nothing from my first read. I may have forgotten a lot of the finer details, but I remember certain plot points (which I will not mention here because this is supposed to be a spoiler-free post). Now, regarding the Big Bad Guy, I had a rather vague memory of said person. But I convinced myself that yes, my memory was reliable, and that person X was indeed the culprit. Things got way more confusing nearing the end. As the mystery started to unravel, certain things didn’t make sense if person X was indeed the culprit. But I dismissed them, thinking Christie must have a good explanation for this. It was this overconfidence that allowed Christie to fool me a second time.
Humor, Tone, and Language
One thing I always adored in the T&T series is its humor and light-heartedness. Christie refrains from using super convoluted language and opts for a noticeably lighter and funnier tone. I had just read Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys before this - and sometimes the challenging 19th century English somewhat lessens my enjoyment of its funny moments. (Perhaps this is just a skill issue.) Christie’s easier language is a welcome change!
“If audacity had successfully carried him so far, it was to be hoped it would carry him yet farther.”
Another source of humor is our pair of Young Adventurers themselves. It would be a crime not to mention Tommy and Tuppence’s playful banter and comical antics. Christie herself does a fine job poking fun at her two detectives. Coupled with Christie’s lighter tone, I am sure T&T’s amusing exchanges have earned them the smiles of many.
“...He’s not likely to recognize you. After all, one young man is much like another.”
“I repudiate that remark utterly. I’m sure my pleasing features and distinguished appearance would single me out from any crowd.”
(...)
“...Every one’s in such a hurry. Probably no one will even notice you at all.”
“That’s the second time you’ve made that sort of remark. Never mind, I forgive you.”
A major thing about the language that improved this reading experience was the absence of translation errors. After I finished reading, I located my old translated copy of The Secret Adversary and took the time to check out passages I thought were difficult to translate. And yes, these challenging passages were translated rather poorly. For instance, idioms like “stick to one’s guns” are translated literally. This must have confused dear old me back then. But hey, I’m not trying to point fingers. It’s not like I’ll absolutely do a better job at translating. I am just grateful that I get to read this story in its original language.
All in All...
That, friends, is the gist of how my second read of The Secret Adversary went. I feel like this is a very biased account of my experience with the book—T&T are my first Christie detectives, so I like them a lot—so I hesitate to call this a proper “review”. In the future, I think I will be publishing more posts about The Secret Adversary, but this time with spoilers. Concurrently I shall start reading the English versions of other T&T stories. Very excited to do so!
And finally, I shall leave you with what Christie wrote in the dedication page:
To all those who lead
monotonous lives
in the hope that they may experience
at second hand
the delights and dangers of
adventure
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