AGATHA CHRISTIE'S novel of murder and theft begins innocently enough on Le
Train Bleu,
a luxury night express passenger train, so called because
of its dark blue sleeping cars. The train runs south from Calais, France, on a
nearly straight-line route to the city of Paris, and then on to the Cote D'Azur (Coast of Azure),
or as the English prefer to call it, The French Riviera, with its final
destination being Nice, a picturesque city on the south east coast of France. On board are an eclectic cast of American, British and French citizens, plus one
mustachioed Belgian, the fastidious but gentlemanly Hercule Poirot, known to many as the world's greatest detective. Also on board, and in the possession of a beautiful young heiress, is the cursed yet coveted ruby necklace famously known as the Heart of Fire.
With an alluring set-up like that its hard to foresee disappointment, but in fact Christie herself described The Mystery of the Blue Train as "easily the worst book I ever wrote," and indeed, it was written during a blue period of her life, but according to her critics she wrote even worse books such as Postern of Fate, Elephants Can Remember and The Big Four. The "Blue Train" is really not that bad, a Christie mid-Lister in my opinion, and some folks might even argue that it's one of her "Ten Best." Give it a ride and you might find yourself arguing as one of the latter.
The first publication of The Mystery of the Blue Train was in serial format in the London evening newspaper The Star, in thirty-eight, non-illustrated installments from February 1, 1928, to March 15, 1928. But the first true hardcover edition was published by William Collins & Sons of London in March, 1928. The dustjacket art was produced by Salomon Van Abbe (1883-1955), a Dutch born naturalized English citizen, using his C. Morse pseudonym, though as a rule Abbe signed most of his commercial work as Abbey, or sometimes S. Abbey. His brother Joseph was a book cover artist who also signed as Abbey, so to distinguish themselves from each other they drew the letter "y" in their last name differently, in either a straight line or slash for Solomon, or a loop for Joseph.
"Few detective writers can tell a dramatic story so simply and
effectively as this brilliant creator of Hercule Poirot. Lively
dialogue, excellent plots, skillful characterization and dramatic
denouements make all her novels models of their kind. Since the
beginning of history, jewels have exercised a baneful spell. Murder and
violence have followed in their wake. So with the famous Heart of Fire
ruby. The story tells also how strange and dramatic happenings affect
the life of a quiet English girl who has felt convinced that "nothing
exciting will ever happen to me." She uses very nearly those words to a
chance acquaintance on the Blue Train-- a little man with an egg-shaped
head and fierce mustaches whose answer is curious and unexpected. But
even Hercule Poirot, for it is he, does not guess how soon he will be
called upon to unravel a complicated and intricate crime when the Blue
Train steams into Nice the following morning and it is discovered that
murder has been done."
The first U.S. hardcover edition was published in July, 1928, by Dodd, Mead & Company of New York. A dustjacket designer or artist was not credited, and today that person, or persons, still remains unknown.
Grosset & Dunlap of New York were also licensed to published two reprint editions in 1928, one with the same cover art as the Dodd edition, but with a new color scheme, and one with entirely different cover art (again, neither artist credited).
[All of these 1928 dustjackets can be obtained in facsimiles at Facsimile Dust Jackets LLC (dustjackets.com), a wonderful reproducer of dustjackets made before 1976. They sell for about $22, and there are thousands of covers to choose from, in every genre imaginable. Perfect for wrapping that jacketless cloth edition you own, or for framing.]
Here is a 1930 hardcover reprint from Collins, the original publisher, and possibly quite rare these days. It was issued under their Detective Club imprint, a precursor, I'm guessing, to their soon to be launched Crime Club imprint. The jacket illustration was not credited.
This is the first U.S. mass-market paperback edition, published by Pocket Books in 1940. It was the 38th Pocket title since their initial launch in 1939. An artist was not credited here either.
Pocket's 12th printing was published in November, 1948. The cover art was produced by Roswell Keller (1915- 1975), one of Pocket's best cover artists during the 1940's and 50's. He also produced hardcover jacket art, magazine illustrations, advertising art and even some eye-popping, calendar pin-up art.
HERCULE POIROT ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS:
"What was my first case? I began work as a member of the detective force in Brussels on the Abercrombie Forgery Case in 1904.
"How, you ask, would I be recognized in a crowd? Alas I have none of those theatrical peculiarities which distinguish the detectives in story books. I myself am quite cosmopolitan. True, I have my little prejudices. For breakfast I have only toast which is cut into neat little squares. The eggs-- there must be two-- they must be identical in size.
"There are but two questions left-- what do I read and what is my technique in solving a crime? I read almost nothing. As to the method, my force is in my brain-- not my feet.
"If people would like to know more about Hercule Poirot, let them read his cases with precision. Every little fact and more than I have told you is in those pages."
James Alfred Meese (1917-1971) produced the powerful cover art on Pocket's 15th paperback edition, published in 1956. Meese was one of finest illustrators of the vintage paperback era who tended to specialize in glamorous yet dangerous looking women. And sometimes stricken women.
"The police had three suspects in the brutal killing of wealthy and glamorous Ruth Kettering: Her husband... her lover... her husband's mistress... Each of the three had the same greedy motive: money. At the time Ruth boarded the Blue Train, headed for the Riviera and a secret love affair, she was carrying the fabulous "Heart of Fire" rubies. When the train arrived, Ruth was dead and the jewels were gone. The three suspects were all on the train that night-- unknown to Ruth and to each other. But unfortunately for the killer, the train also carried another passenger. He was Hercule Poirot, the world's master detective!"
British artist John Pollack (1918-1985) produced the cover art for this 1954 Pan-Books paperback edition. Pollack was a fine illustrator for sure, of whom I know very little about, but here unfortunately he has created too much of a distraction by exaggerating the shape of Poirot's head. But who knows, maybe Christie would have approved.
Fontana Books (Collins) of London published this paperback edition in 1959 (No. 258 in their lineup). I've not discovered who the actual artist is-- a good guess might be Pat Owen-- but I really like their composition (note the train at the top), and the way it's drawn with heavy lines.
In 1962 Fontana reprinted Christie's novel with a new cover illustration by John L. Baker, one of their regular artists who almost always signed his work vertically (look closely at the left side below the red dress).
"One of Europe's crack trains roars through the night. The Wealthy passengers retire to their compartments for the night and the car attendants settle down for another routine trip. But the next morning when the train glides past the blue Mediterranean one compartment carries a corpse."
I've never been a big fan of Harry Bennett's style, but he was nevertheless a talented artist who occasionally produced impressively unusual work. Here Bennett is trying to capitalize on the burgeoning gothic romance field of the early 1960's (or at least his art editor is) and to some extent that's insightful, because at the heart of this murder mystery is a woman's adventure story. This 17th paperback printing from Pocket was published in May, 1962.
"I see, Madame, that you have a roman policier. You are fond of such things?"
"They amuse me," Katherine admitted. "And they give one the illusion of living an exciting life."
Poirot nodded gravely.
"Of course, one knows that such things don't really happen."
"Sometimes, Mademoiselle! Sometimes!" Poirot interrupted sharply. "I who speak to you--they have have happened to me. Would you like them to happen to you?"
With the 20th printing, Pocket changed cover art once again, this time showing a train crossing light cleverly disguised as skull-n-crossbones. This image is the 26th paperback printing, from 1969.
Pocket's 28th printing was published in November, 1971, and it featured artist Tom Adams, who at that time was producing cover art for nearly every Christie title in existence, and for both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Here are a pair of Adam's original "Blue Train" cover paintings. The one on the left was featured by Fontana in 1979, and the one on the right of course by Pocket in 1971.
Yet another Tom Adams cover, this time for a 1974 reprint from Fontana.
"At Cook's, Katherine discovered that she had to queue for her ticket to the Riviera. Everyone seemed to be going there-- including the man in front of her. He turned aside abruptly and she stepped into his place. In some vague way the man's face was familiar to her. Where had she seen him before? Ah yes, it was in the Savoy outside her room this morning. She glanced over her shoulder, made uneasy by some nameless thing. The man was standing in the doorway staring back at her. A cold shiver passed over Katherine; she had a haunting sense of sadness, of impending tragedy."
Pocket's July, 1974, 34th printing was part of a
routine refreshing of covers on Christie titles utilizing the skills of Robert Emil Schulz, one of the publishing industry's outstanding pure painters. Schulz's image of a lean, diminutive Hercule Poirot stayed with me for
years until actor David Suchet came along and supplanted it with his
balding head and portlier girth. Suchet owns the character now, or at least on film he does, and in fact he's almost a perfect match with the actual
physical description of him given by Christie.
"A man with a mask, rubies too fabulous to wear, an unhappy couple each having an affair... a case of murder for Hercule Poirot..."
Pocket Books issued this 38th printing in 1976. The artist is not credited (Alan Magee, perhaps?) but they did manage to work a train into the bottom of their illustration, a billowing, thin strip of one that cuts across the ruby necklace.
This paperback edition from Fontana was published in 1986. The cover art was produced by British born Martin Baker, who signed all of his covers with his initials M. B.. He produced at least 40 Christie covers for Fontana during the 1980's, and they're all stunningly unique.
This mass-market paperback edition from Fontana is circa 1990. The artist is not known, to me at least, but I suspect it could be more work from the enduring Tom Adams.
Berkley Books published this mass-market edition in 1991. The artist is unknown.
"A mysterious woman, a legendary cursed jewel, and a night train to the Mediterranean-- ingredients for the perfect romance? Not when the train stops, the jewel is missing, and the woman is found dead in her compartment. It's the perfect mystery, filled with passion, greed, deceit. And Hercule Poirot is the perfect detective to solve it..."
Berkley followed up in November of that same year (1991) with yet another softcover, their 15th printing, that had new cover art by Richard Waldrep.
"Bound for the Riviera, detective Hercule Poirot has boarded Le Train Bleu, an elegant, leisurely means of travel, free of intrigue. Then he meets Ruth Kettering. The American heiress--bailing out of a doomed marriage--is en route to reconcile with her former lover. But by morning, her private affairs are made public when she's found murdered in her luxury compartment. The rumor of a strange man loitering in the victim's shadow is all Poirot has to go on. Until Mrs. Kettering's secret life begins to unfold..."
This trade softcover edition from HarperCollins, an imprint of William Morrow, was published in September, 2011. I'm pretty sure that the art-deco styled cover design was produced by Michael P. Correy, who's credited with designing most of Harper's Christie reprints.
"The daughter of an American millionaire dies on a train en route for Nice... When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again--for a heavy blow has killer her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing. The prime suspect is Ruth's estranged husband, Derek. Yet Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie re-enactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board..."
In October, 2018, HarperCollins published yet another edition of Agatha Christie's The Mystery of the Blue Train, a "special hardcover edition" with an attractive new art-deco cover.
* * * * *
Obviously, there are more covers that I have not shown, from Fontana, Pocket, Berkley, Easton Press, and others, etc., which I either don't own or have been unable to find decent images of. The Folio Society even published a limited hardcover edition, slipcased with another Christie title, that is beautifully illustrated. I've been contemplating buying that item for a couple of years now.
It's unlikely that Christie will ever go out of print, not in my lifetime anyway, and the chances of getting new covers are practically a guarantee. I look forward to seeing all of them.
"Trains are relentless things, aren't they, Monsieur Poirot? People are murdered and die, but they go on just the same. I am talking nonsense, but you know what I mean."
"Yes, yes, I know. 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."
"'Journey's 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."
The whistle of the engine came again.
"Trust the train, Mademoiselle," murmured Poirot again. "And trust Hercule Poirot. He knows."
--- THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN* The good God.
[© June, 2019, Jeffersen ]
