I first encountered Agatha Christie's book when I was in high school (back in the early 1980s). They were the first "mystery" novels I'd ever read, and I've been a mystery fan ever since.

I bought my copy of "An Autobiography" in a used book shop, off a clearance table. I think I paid a quarter for it. I knew that she had written an autobiography, but wasn't sure that I wanted to read it. But, hey, for a quarter? Count me in.

Christie's memoir reads much like any of her mystery novels: simply written in plain language. Christie was never a writer who wrote with wordy, flourishing literary pretensions. She wrote to tell a story. Her memoir is very much the same.

As I think other's have pointed out, there's little mention of Christie's famous disappearance; it's briefly mentioned. She has little recall of the details. I think that she was a person going though a bad time (a divorce, and all the publicity that went with it -- being famous makes your private life very public). I think she was just emotionally exhausted, and needed some time to be on her own. Of course, the fact that she was a famous mystery writer who disappeared has given rise to all sorts of theories over the years.

I'd not call this the best autobiography I've ever read. It's rather slow in parts. However, reading about her process of writing, and how she came up with some of the ideas for her stories makes for interesting reading. Also interesting is her tales of traveling to Egypt with her archeologist husband (her second husband).

Overall, the book gives us a glimpse into the life and mind of the best-selling mystery writer of all time.
I first encountered Agatha Christie's book when I was in high school (back in the early 1980s). They were the first "mystery" novels I'd ever read, and I've been a mystery fan ever since. I bought my copy of "An Autobiography" in a used book shop, off a clearance table. I think I paid a quarter for it. I knew that she had written an autobiography, but wasn't sure that I wanted to read it. But, hey, for a quarter? Count me in. Christie's memoir reads much like any of her mystery novels: simply written in plain language. Christie was never a writer who wrote with wordy, flourishing literary pretensions. She wrote to tell a story. Her memoir is very much the same. As I think other's have pointed out, there's little mention of Christie's famous disappearance; it's briefly mentioned. She has little recall of the details. I think that she was a person going though a bad time (a divorce, and all the publicity that went with it -- being famous makes your private life very public). I think she was just emotionally exhausted, and needed some time to be on her own. Of course, the fact that she was a famous mystery writer who disappeared has given rise to all sorts of theories over the years. I'd not call this the best autobiography I've ever read. It's rather slow in parts. However, reading about her process of writing, and how she came up with some of the ideas for her stories makes for interesting reading. Also interesting is her tales of traveling to Egypt with her archeologist husband (her second husband). Overall, the book gives us a glimpse into the life and mind of the best-selling mystery writer of all time.