Absent in the Spring by Agatha Christie Book Review

‘Absent in the Spring’ is written by Agatha Christie under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott. Unlike her famous crime novels, this bittersweet novel is about crime of the heart where the protagonist gets compelled to embark on a journey of soul searching to re-examine her relationships, behaviour, and actions.

The book begins with protagonist Joan Scudamore getting stranded in a rest house due to the flooding of the railway tracks. The sudden forced solitude soon begins to take a toll on Joan. For the first time in her life, she looks back at her life to assess it. One memory after another hits her on the face as she stumbles to find her ground.

The memories are non-linear and haphazard but each of those memories shatter her illusions about the woman she thinks herself to be. As she embarks on this journey of soul-searching, she faces some very ugly truths about herself that make her shiver in disdain. It shatters all her illusions and makes her uneasy about the person she actually is. In the hustle and bustle of life, one might not take culpability of one’s own mistakes.

One can quieten the conscience by a galore of social activities. But when that person is kept in isolation for a long time, can she escape her conscience? In crimes of the heart, it is the conscience that plays the role of judge, jury, and executioner all at once.

Agatha Christie’s writing is marvellous. It flows smoothly, taking the readers into the mind of Joan as her memories hit her. The narration often feels like a stream of consciousness, yet it is easier to read and comprehend compared to the stream of consciousness novels of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. The characters are well-sketched and relatable. This novel is highly recommended to Christie fans and people who enjoy reading profound novels on soul-searching. You might discover a thing or two about yourself while reading it.

We are giving it a 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

You can grab a copy of the book at https://amzn.in/d/0iHovAuK