Quotes from Agatha Christie

It has always seemed to me so extraordinary that a woman should go so far in the scientific world. I should have thought a purely masculine brain was needed for such work.

It is difficult to know quite where to begin this story, but I have fixed my choice on a certain Wednesday at luncheon at the Vicarage.

You'd have been a holy terror if you'd taken to crime.

I regard St. Mary Mead," he said authoritatively, "as a stagnant pool." He looked at us, prepared for resentment at his statement, but somewhat, I think, to his chagrin, no one displayed annoyance. "That is really not a very good simile, dear Raymond," said Miss Marple briskly. "Nothing, I believe, is so full of life under the microscope as a drop of water from a stagnant pool.

The case was not quite satisfactory to me. All along I was strongly under the impression that we were dealing with a cold-blooded and premeditated crime committed by someone who had contented themselves (very cleverly) with using Monsieur Renauld's own plans for throwing the police off the track. The great criminal (as you may remember my remarking to you once) is always supremely simple." -- Hercule Poirot

Aprendí, aunque supongo que ya lo sabía, que nunca se debe intentar volver atrás, que la esencia de la vida es seguir hacia delante.

How wonderful science is nowadays," said Miss Marple. "Doctors can do so much, can't they?" "We all have one great competitor," said Dr. Graham. "Nature, you know. And some of the good old-fashioned home remedies come back from time to time.

One does not blow one's brains out because one has a headstrong daughter!

She was, he judged, the kind of young woman who could take care of herself with perfect ease wherever she went. She had poise and efficiency.

Me and Moosier here have met before—and there's no man's judgment I'd sooner take than his. If I'm not greatly mistaken, he's got something up his sleeve. Isn't that so, moosier?" Poirot smiled. "I have drawn certain conclusions—yes.

You say your life is your own, but can you ignore the chance that you are taking part in a gigantic drama under the orders of a divine producer? Your cue may not come till the end of the play--it may be totally uninportant, a mere walking on part, but on it may hang the issues of the play, if you do not give the cue to another player. The whole edifice may crumple. You as you, may not matter to anyone in the world, but you as a person in a particular place may matter unimaginably.

Breakfast with the Borgias.

It is the quietest and meekest people who are often capable of the most sudden and unexpected violence for the reason that when their control does snap, it does so entirely!

Il guaio, con me, era che avevo voluto sempre troppe cose, e le avevo volute con avidità e senza essere disposto a rinunciare a niente.

The fat woman in purple was looking radiant…Undoubtedly the fat had certain compensations in life…a zest—a gusto—denied to those of more fashionable contours.

Georges, never do anything yourself that others can do for you.

For sheer primitive rage, commend me to a thoroughgoing humanitarian when you get him well roused.

Caroline is the lady who cooks for me. Incidentally she is the wife of my gardener. What kind of a wife she makes I do not know, but she is an excellent cook. James, on the other hand, is not a good gardener—but I support him in idleness and give him the lodge to live in solely on account of Caroline's cooking.

The hearse is at the door, sir.

Very full of cant phrases

Greta avevo capito com'ero fatto fin dal primo momento in cui mi aveva conosciuto. Non avevamo mai nutrito stupide illusioni l'uno sul conto dell'altra. Lei aveva il mio stesso tipo di mentalità, desiderava le stesse cose che desideravo io. Volevamo il Mondo, e non ci saremmo accontentati d'altro. Volevamo tutto ciò che la vita poteva offrirci. Volevamo soddisfare qualunque ambizione. Volevamo avere tutto, non volevamo negarci niente.

If you people only knew how fatally easy it is to poison someone by mistake, you wouldn't joke about it.

Perhaps it was, what you don't realize, my dear (not having killed anyone) our judgement is distorted afterward and everything seems exaggerated.

There's too much tendency to attribute to God the evils that man does of his own free will. I might concede you the Devil. God doesn't really need to punish us, Miss Barton. We're so very busy punishing ourselves.