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An Englishman thinks first of his work - his job, he calls it - and then of his sport, and last - a good way last - of his wife.
Agatha Christie
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In my end is my beginning - that's what people are always saying. But what does it mean? And just where does my story begin? I must try and think...
Agatha Christie
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How averse human beings were ever to admit ignorance!
Agatha Christie
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Like most Englishmen, he felt something strongly, and proceeded to muddle around until he had, somehow or other, cleared up the mess.
Agatha Christie
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Words had become to him a means of obscuring facts - not of revealing them. He was an adept in the art of the useful phrase - that is to say the phrase that falls soothingly on the ear and is quite empty of meaning.
Agatha Christie
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'Tout de même,' said Poirot, 'since I cannot find anything, eh bien, then the logic falls out of the window.'
Agatha Christie
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She broke off, unable to find words to frame her struggling thoughts. What life would be with Hori, she did not know. In spite of his gentleness, in spite of his love for her, he would remain in some respects incalculable and incomprehensible. They would share moments of great beauty and richness together - but what of their common daily life?
Agatha Christie
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I can imagine anything! That's the trouble with me. I can imagine things now - this minute. I could even make them sound all right, but of course none of them would be true.
Agatha Christie
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'Is he then an unhappy man?' Poirot said: 'So unhappy that he has forgotten what happiness means. So unhappy that he does not know he is unhappy.' The nun said softly: 'Ah, a rich man…'
Agatha Christie
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'I saw a particular personage and I threatened him - yes, Mademoiselle, I, Hercule Poirot, threatened him.' 'With the police?' 'No,' said Poirot drily, 'With the Press - a much more deadly weapon.'
Agatha Christie
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Not if the butcher had become a butcher simply in order to have a chance of murdering the baker. One must always look one step behind, my friend.
Agatha Christie
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I’m used to that. It often seems to me that’s all detective work is - wiping out your false starts and beginning again.
Agatha Christie
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Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth. The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.
Agatha Christie
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They have, all of them, such wonderful good manners. Not taught good manners - the natural thing. I could never have believed till I came here that natural courtesy could be such a wonderful - such a positive thing.
Agatha Christie
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The crime is now logical and reasonable.
Agatha Christie
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I don't pretend to be an author or to know anything about writing. I'm doing this simply because Dr Reilly asked me to, and somehow when Dr Reilly asks you to do a thing you don't like to refuse.
Agatha Christie
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Tout de même, it is not necessary that he should be killed on the Orient Express. There are other places.
Agatha Christie
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I do not argue with obstinate men. I act in spite of them.
Agatha Christie
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Yes, a private investigator like my Wilbraham Rice. The public have taken very strongly to Wilbraham Rice. He bites his nails and eats a lot of bananas. I don’t know why I made him bite his nails to start with - it’s really rather disgusting - but there it is. He started by biting his nails, and now he has to do it in every single book. So monotonous.
Agatha Christie
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'It’s so dreadfully easy - killing people… And you begin to feel that it doesn’t matter… That it’s only you that matters! It’s dangerous - that.'
Agatha Christie
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Courage is the resolution to face the unforeseen.
Agatha Christie
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Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.
Agatha Christie
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What beats me - it always does - is how a man can be so clever and yet be such a perfect fool.
Agatha Christie
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Miss Marple twinkled at me.
Agatha Christie
