Agatha Christie at 135: The timeless storyteller who outsmarted us all

Every year on 15 September, bookworms from every nook and corner of the world unite in commemorating the birthday of Agatha Christie, the indomitable 'Queen of Crime'.

- BIDISHA GHOSH

Every year on 15 September, bookworms from every nook and corner of the world unite in commemorating the birthday of Agatha Christie, the indomitable 'Queen of Crime'. Born in 1890, she would go on to revolutionise detective fiction and become more than just a best-selling novelist- a cultural phenomenon whose books continue to outsell almost every other writer in history. More than a century and thirty years after her birth, her birth anniversary is not merely a celebration of an astounding writer; it is an opportunity to rediscover a mind that took great pleasure in puzzles, secrets, and the astonishing depths of the human psyche.

To the young bibliophiles of today, Christie's works may, at first glance, appear to belong to another universe- the flashing lights of video games and the unrelenting speed of online entertainment being quite influential. The digital environment teenagers now inhabit is far removed from the drawing rooms, country houses, and railway carriages of her stories. Yet, once you step into her fictional universe, the realisation dawns that her stories are breathing, challenging our imagination rather than simply standing stagnant as a historical relic. Reading Christie is not a passive activity. It is an invitation to hone one's intellect, weigh hints, doubt, and question appearances, and compete with some of the most astute fictional investigators ever made.