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BACKGROUND
Agatha Christie's biography
Extract from
Agatha Christie's Autobiography
I "had written the book
Ten Little Niggers
because it was so difficult
to do that the idea had fascinated
me. Ten people had to die without
it becoming ridiculous or the
murderer being obvious. I wrote
the book after a tremendous
amount of planning, and I was
pleased with what I had made
of it. It was clear, straightforward,
baffling, and yet had a perfectly
reasonable explanation; in fact,
it had to have an epilogue in
order to explain it. It was
well received and reviewed,
but the person who was really
pleased with it was myself,
for I knew better than any critic
how difficult it had been...
I don't say it is the play or
book of mine that I like best,
or even that I think it is my
best, but I do think in some
ways that it is a better piece
of craftsmanship than anything
else I have written."
Nursery rhyme
about Ten little Niggers
Ten little nigger boys went
out to dine;
One choked his little self,
and then there were nine.
Nine little nigger boys sat
up very late;
One overslept himself, and then
there were eight.
Eight little nigger boys traveling
in Devon;
One said he'd stay there, and
then there were seven.
Seven little nigger boys chopping
up sticks;
One chopped himself in half,
and then there were six.
Six little nigger boys playing
with a hive;
A bumble-bee stung one, and
then there were five.
Five little nigger boys going
in for law;
One got in chancery, and then
there were four.
Four little nigger boys going
out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one,
and then there were three.
Three little nigger boys walking
in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one, and then
there were two.
Two little nigger boys sitting
in the sun;
One got frizzled up, and then
there was one.
One little nigger boy left all
alone;
He went out and hanged himself
and then there were None.
(One little nigger boys living
all alone;
He got married, and then there
were none.)
in the nursery
rhyme's original version
Translation
into French
Dix petits nègres
s'en furent dîner;
L'un d'eux s'étouffa
et il n'en resta plus que neuf.
Neuf petits nègres veillèrent
très tard;
L'un d'eux à jamais s'endormit
et il n'en resta plus que huit.
Huit petits nègres voyagèrent
dans le Devon;
L'un d'eux voulut y demeurer
et il n'en resta plus que sept.
Sept petits nègres fendirent
du petit bois;
En deux l'un se coupa et il
n'en resta plus que six.
Six petits nègres jouèrent
avec une ruche;
Un bourdon piqua l'un d'eux
et il n'en resta plus que cinq.
Cinq petits nègres étudièrent
le droit;
L'un d'eux finit en haute cour
et il n'en resta plus que quatre.
Quatre petits nègres
s'en allèrent à
la mer;
Un hareng saur avala l'un d'eux
et il n'en resta plus que trois.
Trois petits nègres se
promenèrent au zoo;
Un gros ours en étouffa
un et il n'en resta plus que
deux.
Deux petits nègres s'assirent
au soleil;
L'un d'eux fut grillé
et il n'en resta plus qu'un.
Un petit nègre se trouva
tout seul;
Il alla se pendre et il n'en
resta plus aucun.
SETTING & CHARACTERS
The novel takes place in Devon
(south west of England).
Most of the action is set on
Nigger Island off the coast
of Sticklehaven.
Devon
mysterious Mr U. N. Owen
Vera
Claythorne
Philip
Lombard
Anthony
Marston
Mrs. Ethel Rogers
Mr.
Thomas Rogers
General John Macarthur
Emily Brent
Justice Lawrence Wargrave
Dr. Edward Armstrong
William Blore
SELECTION of LINKS
Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
SparkNotes
text - context
- plot overview - character
list - analysis - themes
René Clair's film in
1945
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