Are you sure?
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
The Face of Helen: A Mysterious Mr. Quin Story
Summary
Previously published in the print anthology The Mysterious Mr. Quin.
At Covent Garden for a performance of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, Mr. Satterthwaite spots Mr. Quin during the intermission. After the show, they witness a fight outside the opera house. But what could have prompted such brutal behavior?
Read on the Scribd mobile app
Download the free Scribd mobile app to read anytime, anywhere.
Reviews
Mr Quin, angel or demigod or hallucination? I like to think Mr Satterthwaite is imagining this figure, but the evidence suggests otherworldy. luckily, I'll never know for sure. Regardless, the stories are a great way to pass the time and relax at the end of the day.
Very entertaining - shame there weren't more with these two characters.
What a pleasant change from Poirot & Miss Marple..... Although there wasn't as much sleuthing, but taking knowledge and putting it forward & assessing what the facts were.
The two main characters are: Mr. Satterthwaite, a distinguished gentleman of short stature, well known in higher circles of society, discreet and in possession of great observational talents; and Mr. Harley Quin, an enigmatic tall dark man, who appears and disappears at the most opportune times.
Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin play off of each other, the former with his critical thinking skills and the latter with his ability to bring forward the knowledge & facts Mr. Satterthwaite has laying dormant in his thoughts.
There are 12 stories in this book, most all interesting, some easily solvable, some completely baffling:
1: The Coming of Mr Quin: New Years' Eve, a suicide years ago, a Blonde who now has dark hair, an estranged married couple, a murder, and a brilliant deduction
2: The Shadow on the Glass: a ghost of a Cavalier who appears in a window (no matter how many times it is replaced), a woman holding a gun w/ two dead people lying beside her, a jealous triangle, and a living ghost
3: At the "Bells and Motley": a dark and stormy night (pun intended), a broken down car, crossword puzzles, French cat burglars, a dead husband but no body to be found
4: The Sign in the Sky: An unhappy wife, a suspicious husband, a gun left behind, and a man wrongly accused of murder
5: The Soul of the Croupier: Monte Carlo, a Countess, a young lover, a croupier's purposeful passing of winnings to the wrong person, a marriage torn asunder by vanity & greed
6: The Man from the Sea: a closed up old house, a young man on the verge of suicide, a mysterious woman in seclusion, and a touching story of unrequited love & redemption
7: The Voice in the Dark: a shipwreck that one sister survives the other does not, years of haunting voices, a spiritualist & a seance, and a sister returned from the dead
8: The Face of Helen: a young woman, two suitors, a wedding gift of a radio & a lovely glass sculpture, and a man with a voice that can shatter glass
9: The Dead Harlequin: a painting of a dead harlequin, a rug where no rug was before, a mysterious face in the window, and a strange suicide w/ the gunshot at an impossible angle
10: The Bird with the Broken Wing: a country gathering, a very happy young woman who for some reason has hanged herself, an ukulele with a broken string, and spurned suitor
11: The World's End: a group of people picnicking at "the World's End", a missing opal, a young man accused of theft, a large sum of money, and an "Indian Box" with a hidden compartment
12: Harlequin's Lane: an odd man & wife, a lovers' lane ending @ a rubbish heap, the story of a lost ballerina, a visiting impresario, unrequited love, and death
A very interesting set of stories, many revolving around love relationships...
The two main characters are: Mr. Satterthwaite, a distinguished gentleman of short stature, well known in higher circles of society, discreet and in possession of great observational talents; and Mr. Harley Quin, an enigmatic tall dark man, who appears and disappears at the most opportune times.
Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin play off of each other, the former with his critical thinking skills and the latter with his ability to bring forward the knowledge & facts Mr. Satterthwaite has laying dormant in his thoughts.
There are 12 stories in this book, most all interesting, some easily solvable, some completely baffling:
1: The Coming of Mr Quin: New Years' Eve, a suicide years ago, a Blonde who now has dark hair, an estranged married couple, a murder, and a brilliant deduction
2: The Shadow on the Glass: a ghost of a Cavalier who appears in a window (no matter how many times it is replaced), a woman holding a gun w/ two dead people lying beside her, a jealous triangle, and a living ghost
3: At the "Bells and Motley": a dark and stormy night (pun intended), a broken down car, crossword puzzles, French cat burglars, a dead husband but no body to be found
4: The Sign in the Sky: An unhappy wife, a suspicious husband, a gun left behind, and a man wrongly accused of murder
5: The Soul of the Croupier: Monte Carlo, a Countess, a young lover, a croupier's purposeful passing of winnings to the wrong person, a marriage torn asunder by vanity & greed
6: The Man from the Sea: a closed up old house, a young man on the verge of suicide, a mysterious woman in seclusion, and a touching story of unrequited love & redemption
7: The Voice in the Dark: a shipwreck that one sister survives the other does not, years of haunting voices, a spiritualist & a seance, and a sister returned from the dead
8: The Face of Helen: a young woman, two suitors, a wedding gift of a radio & a lovely glass sculpture, and a man with a voice that can shatter glass
9: The Dead Harlequin: a painting of a dead harlequin, a rug where no rug was before, a mysterious face in the window, and a strange suicide w/ the gunshot at an impossible angle
10: The Bird with the Broken Wing: a country gathering, a very happy young woman who for some reason has hanged herself, an ukulele with a broken string, and spurned suitor
11: The World's End: a group of people picnicking at "the World's End", a missing opal, a young man accused of theft, a large sum of money, and an "Indian Box" with a hidden compartment
12: Harlequin's Lane: an odd man & wife, a lovers' lane ending @ a rubbish heap, the story of a lost ballerina, a visiting impresario, unrequited love, and death
A very interesting set of stories, many revolving around love relationships...
I came to this book with completely mixed feelings about Agatha Christie: I love the stories/mysteries themselves, but find that (and this may be because she wrote so many!) that sometimes the writing doesn't quite live up to the premise, and that they can be a bit flat. At her best, the atmosphere she creates can be brilliant, setting up the space for the story to unfold in, and adding an extra layer: I was extremely pleasantly surprised that this collection largely falls into the ategory of good and atmospheric.The set-ups for the first two and last two in particular give a great sense of claustrophobia and uncomfortableness, which is to a lesser degree present throughout, and her love of quite short, pithy and enigmatic statements lends them quite a pace too, whilst keeping you thinking.I have, however, to confess that I am never that concerned or surprised at the way in which the mysteries are unravelled/resolved, but in this collection, more than in most other Christie that I have read, I rather took to the characters. The only large-ish problem for me was that, whilst I enjoy the conceit of the Harlequinade (and think it is used fantastically in the last story), and think that it works well split up into these short vignettes, the characters around are just not quite as interesting, and Mr. Satterthwaite (Harlequin's 'earthly' interpreter) goes from being intersting to a mildly irritating fuss-pot, a la Poirot, and she could perhaps have made it work better by leaving him as a slightly more un-fleshed out character, skirting around the edges of things, rather than being actively involved (as he is deliberately developed through the sequence).Perhaps I am being unduly negative though, as I raced through the stories and genuinely enjoyed the reading! I even found myself laughing when reading the penultimate story - I don't really find any of AC's lighter moments or attempts at humour particularly funny, ever, so this was a surprise and enjoyment.I would recommend that people read them, and in order, but to stick with them, as I do believe the middle stories are the weaker.
I confess that this is a re-read of a compilation of short stories centered around two primary characters. Each short story is riveting. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. I will say that they first appeared in 1930. In 2013, they are still compelling to read. You read one and you can't wait for the surprises in the next. I have read a good deal of Christie in the past (especially those with the little Belgian detective) and still find this 245 pages of short stories unique. I am glad to have read it again after a number of years. Enjoy!
According to me, this is one of the underrated gems of Agatha Christie, where she flirts with fantasy. Even though none of the stories except the last one (Harlequin's Lane) cross over into fantasy territory, they are always on the borderline. That Christie does this without straining our credibility speaks volumes for her mastery of the medium.
Mr. Harley Quin is a thinly disguised Harlequin, transported into modern England. His specialty: he allows one to solve mysteries by stripping away the unnecessary details. He does this by asking one to imagine that the events happened in the remote past, to strangers: this removes the personal element from the equation and allows one to see clearer. Mr. Satterthwaite, an elderly bachelor who is interested in human beings and their affairs, is the usual beneficiary of Quin's method.
Most of the mysteries in the volume are dark and brooding. The first story, The Coming of Mr. Quin, sets the tone for the whole book when Quin appears at the doorstep of the country house where Mr. Satterthwaite happens to be spending his New Year's Eve, as the first visitor of the year. As he steps across the threshold, a queer trick of the light appears to give the impression that the visitor is dressed in motley and is wearing a mask. Then Quin sets out to make his presence felt by enabling the house-guests to solve the mystery of a suicide that happened in that house a year ago! In the process, he helps two lovers reunite.
This is Quin's trademark - love...and violent death. As Satterthwaite says, his friend seem to be interested in the welfare of lovers more than solving crimes. But in a Christie story, they often go hand in hand.
This book is a personal favourite of mine, read over and over countless number of times; especially on wet June nights, in the cavernous rooms of my ancestral home in Kerala, as the monsoon rages outside. I half expect Quin to step over the threshold every time, saying: "Damnable weather outside. Can I wait inside till it clears?"
Mr. Harley Quin is a thinly disguised Harlequin, transported into modern England. His specialty: he allows one to solve mysteries by stripping away the unnecessary details. He does this by asking one to imagine that the events happened in the remote past, to strangers: this removes the personal element from the equation and allows one to see clearer. Mr. Satterthwaite, an elderly bachelor who is interested in human beings and their affairs, is the usual beneficiary of Quin's method.
Most of the mysteries in the volume are dark and brooding. The first story, The Coming of Mr. Quin, sets the tone for the whole book when Quin appears at the doorstep of the country house where Mr. Satterthwaite happens to be spending his New Year's Eve, as the first visitor of the year. As he steps across the threshold, a queer trick of the light appears to give the impression that the visitor is dressed in motley and is wearing a mask. Then Quin sets out to make his presence felt by enabling the house-guests to solve the mystery of a suicide that happened in that house a year ago! In the process, he helps two lovers reunite.
This is Quin's trademark - love...and violent death. As Satterthwaite says, his friend seem to be interested in the welfare of lovers more than solving crimes. But in a Christie story, they often go hand in hand.
This book is a personal favourite of mine, read over and over countless number of times; especially on wet June nights, in the cavernous rooms of my ancestral home in Kerala, as the monsoon rages outside. I half expect Quin to step over the threshold every time, saying: "Damnable weather outside. Can I wait inside till it clears?"
The Mysterious Mr. Quin is not one of Christie's most well know books. A collection of bizarre, bittersweet tales starring Mr. Satterthwaite, an elderly observer of life. He is a refined old gent who knows all about the complexities of life and love but has never experienced them for his own. Mr. Satterthwaite is haunted, not only by his barely-realised sense of regret but also by a mysterious man known as Mr. Quin, a man who "speaks for the dead" and "comes and goes" as they need him. Mr. Quin has a skill for illuminating Mr. Satterthwaite's thought-processes, to nudge him towards details that the older man hadn't realised were important. Between the two of them they have done many a great service: curtailed suicides, reunited lost lovers, solved murder... They move through the familiar Christie lairs: society London, the country pile, the exotic holiday destination, locations all turned dream-like and unreal through the skewed, motley hue of Harley Quin's influence. A book both sweet, eerie and outright disturbing. A very fine read indeed and one that is grossly under-appreciated.
Well that may just have been the best of Agatha Christie that I have read in my short life! I stayed up to finish it and write this review even though I'm dead tired and my eyes are falling out of my head.I am yet to meet an Agatha Christie book I didn't like (I hope the day never comes) but this collection of short stories starring the charming, lovable Mr. Satterthwaite and the strange relationship he holds with the elusive Mr. Quin has really stood out for me above most of the others that I've read. It may be because it was a book of short stories rather than a novel and so presented a different way of exploring the ever-changing cast of characters. Or maybe it simply is just the best of her writing.Mr. Quin was fascinating. At one point I almost convinced myself he was nothing but a figment of Mr. Satterthwaite's imagination until I remembered that he had spoken to and interacted with other characters. It was interesting that just the mere association of something with Mr. Quin brought out all of Mr. Satterthwaite's deducing abilities, that he really had just amassed from being an observer of the people he knew - and sometimes didn't know. But I guess that was the point. Just from 'knowing' Mr. Quin - that's implying that Mr. Quin really did exist, because I'm still doubtful - Mr. Satterthwaite found a way to participate in all the drama of life, to solve mysteries that had mystified others, right past wrongs and save the innocent accused from being condemned. However, I still feel like, particularly once I'd reached the end of 'Harlequin's Lane', that there was more to it and Dame Christie's genius has just gone straight over my head. I am not afraid to admit I'm wrestling with that last story.I was glad to read somewhere the both Mr. Quin and Mr. Satterthwaite make appearances in other Christie short stories/novels. I won't be forgetting them in a hurry!
An interesting use of the Harlequin legend. Christie always had a thing for Harlequin, and the character in many guises shows up in her work. In this case, the character is a nebulous entity who assists in solving mysteries. The stories vary from straight puzzle mysteries to romantic to supernatural.
Quasi-fantasy mystery short stores about Harley Quin, who seems in some way to be an agent for unsatisfied dead people, and the rather fussy old Mr. Satterthwaite, who appears elsewhere in Christie's writings.
This is a series of short stories in which an elderly and sometimes regret-filled Mr. Satterthwaite moves among his wealthy acquaintances to figure out various murders, save lives and generally ferret out their deepest thoughts. In what seems to be a case of mutual worldwide stalking, Mr. Satterthwaite runs into Mr. Quin like clockwork, and it's is the discussions between the two gentlemen that point the way to an answer.Though these stories usually run to about twenty pages each, they are satisfying. Characters are fleshed out enough to keep the readers attention, and Mr. Quin becomes more mysterious with each tale. I don't know if it's just me, but there were times when I could picture Satterthwaite as Poirot.
The best thing that Christie ever wrote.Mr. Satterthwaite is our guide into an upper class world of murder, deceit and property. An old man, he is Poirot without the little grey cells, or Miss Marple without the ability to apply his strong observational skills to problems, and is mostly content to be an observer of life rather than to take part in it.All this changes when the highly mysterious Mr. Harley Quin arrives on the scene. Odd and unusual, where he goes drama follows, leaving Mr. Satterthwaite anxious to see him again. Quin is one of the most successful modern trickster characters in that he has a darkness necessary to have the dangerous edge a 'good' trickster needs.The stories in this collection are not mysteries as such, although several do feature crimes that need to be solved. They are more like puzzles, whose pieces need Satterthwaite and Quin to find their place.Unlike a lot of Christie's short story collections, this does not tail off towards the end. Instead it builds and builds, with tension increasing with every page.A masterful work, with a cracking denoument, this is well worth reading.
THE MYSTERIOUS MR QUIN is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons 1930 and in the US later in the same year.It contains 12 short stories and introduces Mr Satterthwaite and the rather shadowy prsence of Mr Harley Quin.The titles are 1. The Coming of Mr. Quin 2. The Shadow on the Glass 3. At the "Bells and Motley" 4. The Sign in the Sky 5. The Soul of the Croupier 6. The Man from the Sea 7. The Voice in the Dark 8. The Face of Helen 9. The Dead Harlequin 10. The Bird with the Broken Wing 11. The World's End 12. Harlequin's LaneMr Quin first appears in the first story at a New Year's Eve party being attended by Mr Satterthwaite. He is described as "a little bent, dried-up man, with a peering face oddly elflike, and an intense and inordinate interest in other people's lives." It is after midnight and the conversation swings around to the former owner of the house who shot himself. There are three loud knocks on the front door and the door is opened to reveal a tall thin dark man dressed in motoring clothes. At first, to Mr Satterthwaite he momentairly appears to be dressed in every colour of the rainbow. The stranger's car has broken down and he introduces himself as Harley Quin. He says that he knew the former owner of the house, and joins in the conversation, assisting Mr Satterthwaite and the others in understanding his death.These 12 stories are lovely vignettes, deceptively short, the sort that make you read elements of them a second or a third time. Mr Quin makes an appearance in each one, at first to Mr Satterthwaite's surprise, and then he begins to look for him.Mr Quin often helps the observant Mr Satterthwaite see things in a totally different light. There is an element of the paranormal in the stories, and often a little romance, and yet at the same time they are believable, carefully crafted tales.The stories are generally set in the mid 1920s.I really enjoyed them.Mr Satterthwaite and Mr Quin also appear in two stories in the collection PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY published in 1991. One apparently was written even before THE MYSTERIOUS MR QUIN was published, but the other not until 1991.
Strange book this one - not at all what you expect from Ms Christie.Twelve short stories - all featuring Mr Satterthwaite,; snob, elderly English Gentleman and knower of anyone who is 'Anyone': An observer of people - and friend to Mr Quin. The later character was apparently Ms Christie's favourite and originated in her book of poems, 'The Road of Dreams'.In the first story, The Coming of Mr Quin, we meet the pair - and they meet for the first time. It is a basic 'crime' with a wrongful suspicion hanging over the head of one of the characters - Slaterthwaite, with the prompting of Quin, resolves the situation through observation the clarity distance in time brings.And that is basically the model for the rest of the collection.Sometimes, as in the second story, The Shadow on the Glass, there is a good murder - and twisty end; sometimes there is only an echo of a crime and the story is more about resolution: The Soul of the Croupier, for example.I read them in short succession and found them to be a little too much - I think dipping in to one of the stories and having a break between might be a much better way of treating the material. Individual I found them to be well written and quite satisfying.Love features strong. I am tempted to suggest they are in fact love stories dressed up as something else.There is a mysticism and vaguely religious air to them - Mr Harley Quin, by the final chapter, has become less and less of human and more and more of a wish fulfilment. There is also a sting in the tail.I enjoyed them - and will return, but one at a time, with a healthy dose of murder and detectives in between each one.
I have such a soft spot for this collection of short stories featuring a strange character called Mr Harley Quin who assists Mr Satterwaite in solving weird and wonderful mysteries. But there is a sting in the tail.
The Un-DetectiveWho is Mr. Harley Quin? Better yet, what is Mr. Harley Quin? Is he a spirit? Is he flesh-and-blood? Is he a personification of the subconscious? Is he a splinter of God Himself?The title of Agatha Christie's 1930 collection of short stories says it all: The Mysterious Mr. Quin. The fellow is a profound enigma. In her Autobiography, Agatha claims Harley Quin was one of her favorite creations, then goes on to describe him thusly:Mr. Quin was a figure who just entered into a story—a catalyst, no more—his mere presence affected human beings. There would be some little fact, some apparently irrelevant phrase, to point him out for what he was: a man shown in a harlequin-coloured light that fell on him through a glass window; a sudden appearance or disappearance. Always he stood for the same things: he was a friend of lovers, and connected with death.You never quite know when or how he's going to turn up. He may materialize at the edge of a cliff ("He might have sprung from the surrounding landscape") or in a previously-unoccupied train compartment ("Mr. Satterthwaite awoke from a doze to find a tall dark man sitting opposite to him in the railway carriage. He was not altogether surprised."). Yes, there's the obvious play on his name and Quin is often cast in the aura of a harlequin at some point in the stories. Here's a typical appearance, from "The Sign in the Sky":Still thoughtful, Mr. Satterthwaite turned into the Arlecchino and made for his favorite table in a recess in the far corner. Owing to the twilight before mentioned, it was not until he was quite close to it that he saw it was already occupied by a tall dark man who sat with his face in shadow, and with a play of color from a stained window turning his sober garb to a kind of riotous motley.He's a sort of un-detective who prompts others to solve crimes. His role as catalytic converter usually begins when he makes a random appearance in the life of Mr. Satterthwaite. And who, exactly, is Mr. Satterthwaite? Well, that question is much easier to answer.In his late 60s, he's a connoisseur of the arts (translation: "a culture snob"), an amateur photographer, and the author of a book called Homes of My Friends. He's fussy and cranky; he's "sentimental and Victorian;" his judgment of others is often scathing: Her name seemed to be Doris and she was the type of young woman Mr. Satterthwaite most disliked. She had, he considered, no artistic justification for existence.Ouch.In "The Shadow on the Glass," we read that "Mr. Satterthwaite was abnormally interested in the comedies and tragedies of his fellow men." His investigations into murders, thefts and disappearances mainly consist of him being at the right place at the right time and adhering to a "fly on the wall" philosophy. Later in "The Shadow on the Glass," we're told "He seemed to matter so little, to have so negative a personality. He was merely a glorified listener."Above all, Mr. Satterthwaite is a most entertaining tour guide as he leads us through the stories in The Mysterious Mr. Quin. These dozen tales are fueled by the dynamic strength of his character. Frankly, the mysteries themselves are rather blasé; what's most fascinating is how Mr. Satterthwaite gets entangled in them and his childlike excitement at playing a major role in solving them.The vast majority of the crimes in The Mysterious Mr. Quin have already taken place off-stage (or off-page, if you will) and it's up to the corporeal-spiritual team of Quin and Satterthwaite to dredge up old mysteries and to open the closet and rattle a few skeletons. You have to pay attention and read each story in one sitting in order to grasp all the clues and characters Agatha throws at you in the small space of twenty pages. Because they are so condensed, these stories don't have time to leisurely acquaint us with the facts; they move with the swift crackle of lightning.The writing in this collection is some of the best Agatha ever set down on the page. Precise, concise descriptions of her characters have always been Agatha's trademark and she is in fine form here. Consider this introduction to a character in "The Voice in the Dark": If entries in Who's Who were strictly truthful, the entry concerning Lady Stranleigh might have ended as follows: hobbies: getting married. She had floated through life shedding husbands as she went. She had lost three by divorce and one by death.There are also flashes of the Christie quick wit: Mr. Satterthwaite's servant is named Masters, for instance.These stories build suspense, even when we can see what's coming—the solutions often appear as blinking neon signs to the reader well before the end of the story. However, the writing here is so good that we're as intrigued by Mr. Satterthwaite's fussy interactions with other characters as we are by the cases he solves. Most of the climaxes come with a soft murmur rather than a loud flashy bang, but that's secondary to what we've uncovered about these characters and, by extension, ourselves.At one point, Mr. Quin says, "The trouble is that we are not content just to see things—we will tack the wrong interpretation onto the things we see." That, dear readers, is the core truth of Christie's writings. The interpretation of what we see is filtered through what we believe we see. Most of us readers (and the majority of Agatha's characters) stubbornly interpret the facts from one angle and one angle alone. First impressions are lasting impressions and rarely do we take a step to the left or the right, crouch down and peer at the scene of the crime from a different perspective. That's why we're always gobsmacked by the truth during the Big Reveal scenes at the end of Christie's novels and short stories. The truth was there all along, but it was covered by the fog of our wrong interpretations.
Collection of stories featuring Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin. Mr. Quin is often present at (old) murderscenes. Every time he manages to inspire Mr. Satterthwaite to solve the mystery. The main setting is Great Britain, but Satterthwaite likes travelling.Ingenious series of stories. Highly entertaining. Favourites of Christie herself and you can see why. There may be a bit mystical stuff in, but that can't put a damper on these great stories.