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Agatha Christie Quotes
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Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was an English writer known for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which was performed in the West End from 1952 to 2020, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring detective Hercule Poirot, was published. Her first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child before divorcing in 1928. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons which featured in many of her novels, short stories, and plays. Following her marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930, she spent several months each year on digs in the Middle East and used her first-hand knowledge of his profession in her fiction.

According to Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author. Her novel And Then There Were None is one of the highest-selling books of all time, with approximately 100 million copies sold. Christie's stage play The Mousetrap holds the world record for the longest initial run. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End of London on 25 November 1952, and by September 2018 there had been more than 27,500 performances. The play was closed down in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 1955, Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. Later that year, Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award for best play. In 2013, she was voted the best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the best crime novel ever by 600 professional novelists of the Crime Writers' Association. In September 2015, And Then There Were None was named the "World's Favourite Christie" in a vote sponsored by the author's estate. Most of Christie's books and short stories have been adapted for television, radio, video games, and graphic novels. More than thirty feature films are based on her work. Wikipedia  

✵ 15. September 1890 – 12. January 1976
Agatha Christie photo
Agatha Christie: 320 quotes67 likes

Agatha Christie Quotes

““I — I don’t regret what I did. I think that you are a kind man, Mr. Poirot, and that possibly you might understand. You see, I’ve been so terribly afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Yes, it’s difficult for a gentleman to understand, I expect. But you see, I’m not a clever woman at all, and I’ve no training and I’m getting older — and I’m so terrified for the future. I’ve not been able to save anything — how could I with Emily to be cared for? — and as I get older and more incompetent there won’t be any one who wants me. They’ll want somebody young and brisk. I’ve — I’ve known so many people like I am — nobody wants you and you live in a one room and you can’t have a fire or any warmth and not very much to eat and at last you can’t even pay the rent on your room … There are Institutions, of course, but it’s not very easy to get into them unless you have influential friends, and I haven’t. There are a good many others situated like I am — poor companions — untrained useless women with nothing to look forward to but a deadly fear…””

Agatha Christie book The Labours of Hercules

The Labours of Hercules (1967)

“I must have a talk with you, David, and learn all the new ideas. As far as I can see, one must hate everybody but at the same time give them free medical attention and a lot of extra education, poor things! All those helpless little children herded into schoolhouses every day — and cod liver oil forced down babies’ throats whether they like it or not — such nasty-smelling stuff.”

Agatha Christie

Lucy Angkatell
The Hollow (1946)

“What any woman saw in some particular man was beyond the comprehension of the average intelligent male. It just was so. A woman who could be intelligent about everything else in the world could be a complete fool when it came to some particular man.”

Agatha Christie book After the Funeral

After the Funeral (1953)

“Like most Englishmen, he felt something strongly, and proceeded to muddle around until he had, somehow or other, cleared up the mess.”

Agatha Christie book N or M?

N or M? (1941)

“Yes. I like to see people get angry. I like it very much. But here in England they do not get angry like they do in Spain. In Spain they take out their knives and they curse and shout. In England they do nothing, just get very red in the face and shut up their mouths tight.”

Agatha Christie

Murder for Christmas (1939, Holiday for Murder, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas)

“She came in with coffee and biscuits at half-past eleven with her mouth pursed up very prunes and prisms, and would hardly speak to me.”

Agatha Christie book Surprise! Surprise!

Surprise! Surprise! (1965)

“You’re frightfully BBC in your language this afternoon, Albert,’ said Tuppance, with some exasperation.
Albert looked slightly taken aback and reverted to a more natural form of speech.
‘I was listening to a very interesting talk on pond life last night,’ he explained.”

Agatha Christie book N or M?

N or M? (1941)

“What else will you have? Nice banana and bacon sandwich?”

Agatha Christie book The Pale Horse

The Pale Horse (1961)

““Here are my roses. Like ’em?”
“They’re beautiful,” said Laura politely.
“On the whole,” said Mr. Baldock, “I prefer them to human beings. They don’t last as long for one thing.””

Agatha Christie book The Burden

The Burden (1956)

“The fellow is an absolute outsider, anyone can see that. He’s got a great black beard, and wears patent leather boots in all weathers!”

Agatha Christie book The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

“Well, of course, Gwenda dear, you can always do that when you’ve exhausted every other line of approach, but I always think myself it’s better to examine the simplest and most commonplace explanations first.”

Agatha Christie book Sleeping Murder

Sleeping Murder (1976)

“He could have shot her from behind a hedge in the good old Irish fashion and probably got away with it.”

Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced (1950)

“Proof must be solid break walls of facts.”

Agatha Christie

(1945)

“I could think of nothing more insufferable than members of one’s own gang dropping in full of sympathy and their own affairs.”

Agatha Christie book The Moving Finger

The Moving Finger (1942)

“Pilar sat squeezed up against the window and thought how very odd the English smelt.”

Agatha Christie

Murder for Christmas (1939, Holiday for Murder, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas)

“It’s so messy bleeding like a pig.”

Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced (1950)

“The reason he liked attending rich patients rather than poor ones was the he could exercise his active imagination in prescribing for their ailments.”

Agatha Christie book Surprise! Surprise!

Surprise! Surprise! (1965)

“But when investing money, keep, I beg of you, Hastings, strictly to the conservative.”

Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Early Cases (1974)

““Well, what are you doing? What have you done?”
“I am sitting in this char,” said Poirot. “Thinking,” he added.
“Is that all?” said Mrs. Oliver.
“It is the important thing,” said Poirot.”

Agatha Christie book Third Girl

Third Girl (1966)

“Do you always travel first-class, Mr. Hardman?”
“Yes, sir. The firm pays my travelling expenses.”

Agatha Christie book Murder on the Orient Express

He winked.
Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

“Poirot shook his forefinger so fiercely at me that I quailed before it. “Beware! Peril to the detective who says: ‘It is so small — it does not matter. It will not agree. I will forget it.’ That way lies confusion! Everything matters.””

Agatha Christie book The Mysterious Affair at Styles

“Ah!”
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

“There’s no reason why women shouldn’t behave like rational beings,” said Simon stolidly.
Poirot said dryly:
“Quite frequently they do. That is even more upsetting!”

Agatha Christie book Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile (1937)

““Tcha! Tcha!” cried Poirot irritably. “You argue like a child.””

Agatha Christie book The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

“How averse human beings were ever to admit ignorance!”

Agatha Christie book After the Funeral

After the Funeral (1953)

““It makes her rather alarming,” I said.
“Sincerity has that effect,” said Miss Marple.”

Agatha Christie book The Moving Finger

The Moving Finger (1942)

“Remember, he was a fanatic, and there is no fanatic like a religious fanatic.”

Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Early Cases (1974)

““Me, I am convinced it is the truth,” said M. Bouc, becoming more and more enamoured of his theory.”

Agatha Christie book Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

“It's as easy to utter lies as truth.”

Agatha Christie

(1945)

“He had not remembered her name, but he had seen her dance — had been carried away and fascinated by the supreme art that can make you forget art.”

Agatha Christie book The Labours of Hercules

The Labours of Hercules (1967)

“"Life is like a train Mademoiselle. It goes on. And it is a good thing that that is so."
"Why?"
"Because the train gets to its journey's end at last, and there is a proverb about that in your language, Mademoiselle."
"'Journeys end in lovers meeting'" Lenox laughed. "That is not going to be true for me."
"Yes — yes, it is true. You are young, younger than you yourself know. Trust the train Mademoiselle, for it is le bon Dieu who drives it".”

Agatha Christie book The Mystery of the Blue Train

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)

“Without interest (hers not the type to wonder why!) but with perfect efficiently, Miss Lemon had fulfilled her task.”

Agatha Christie book The Labours of Hercules

The Labours of Hercules (1967)

“For Poirot, uttering a hoarse and inarticulate cry, again annihilated his masterpiece of cards and putting his hands over his eyes swayed backwards and forwards, apparently suffering the keenest agony.
“Good heavens Poirot!” I cried. “What is the matter? Are you taken ill?””

Agatha Christie book The Mysterious Affair at Styles

“No, no,” he gasped. “It is — it is — that I have an idea!”
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

““No,” said Miss Marple. “Murder isn’t a game.”

Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced (1950)

“Ah, but it is incredible how often things force one to do the thing one would like to do.”

Agatha Christie book Death in the Clouds

Death in the Clouds (1935)

“And if you cast down an idol, there's nothing left.”

Agatha Christie

Henrietta Savernake
The Hollow (1946)

“How true is the saying that man was forced to invent work in order to escape the strain of having to think.”

Agatha Christie book Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile (1937)

“Weak and kindly people are often very treacherous. And if they’ve got a grudge against life it saps the little moral strength that they may posses.”

Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced (1950)

“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

Source: Curtain - Poirot's Last Case (1975), chapter 5

“And then, startling in its crisp transatlantic tones, a voice said:
“Stick ’em up.”
They swerved around. Schwartz, dressed in a peculiarly vivid set of striped pyjamas stood in the doorway. In his hand he held an automatic.
“Stick ’em up, guys. I’m pretty good at shooting.”
He pressed the trigger — and a bullet sang past the big man’s ear and buried itself in the woodwork of the window.
Three pairs of hands were raised rapidly.”

Agatha Christie book The Labours of Hercules

The Labours of Hercules (1967)

“Mon ami, if you wish to catch a rabbit you put a ferret into the hole, and if the rabbit is there he runs. That is all I have done.”

Agatha Christie book Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

“To commit a successful murder must be very much like bringing off a conjuring trick.”

Agatha Christie book The Moving Finger

The Moving Finger (1942)

“Mademoiselle,” I said, “it is sometimes difficult for a dog to find a scent, but once he has found it, nothing on earth will make him leave it! That is if he is a good dog! And I, mademoiselle, I, Hercule Poirot, am a very good dog.”

Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Early Cases (1974)

“Elinor was still staring at this missive, her plucked brows drawn together in distaste, when the door opened. The maid announced, "Mr Welman," and Roddy came in.”

Agatha Christie book Sad Cypress

Sad Cypress (1940)

““Aha? You have been very clever, madame.”
“No, I haven’t really. It was a pure accident. I mean, I walked into a small café place and there the girl was, just sitting there.”
“Ah. You had the good fortune then. That is just as important.””

Agatha Christie book Third Girl

Third Girl (1966)

““That’s all very well — they’re not educated, poor creatures.”
“No, and a good thing too. Education has devitalised the white races. Look at America — goes in for an orgy of culture. Simply disgusting.””

Agatha Christie book Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile (1937)

“Even the sensible and the competent have been given tongues by le bon Dieu — and they do not always employ their tongues wisely.”

Agatha Christie book The Labours of Hercules

The Labours of Hercules (1967)

“I have made my choice, Hori. I will share my life with you for good or evil, until death comes…”

Agatha Christie book Death Comes as the End

With his arms round her, with the sudden new sweetness of his face against hers, she was filled with an exultant richness of living.
Death Comes as the End (1945)