Hastings keeps wondering if Poirot is off his rocker and can't help getting annoyed at him for his mysterious comments that are later explained. The way in which Poirot irritates his sidekick, Lieutenant Hastings, in whose voice the book is written, is also quite amusing.
At the same time, he is, like Christie, something of a romantic not only does he solve a mystery, he also likes to bring people in love together. He speaks with an accent and wears dandified clothing which makes people regard him with suspicion. Hercule Poirot is wonderfully comic, standing out as a Belgian amidst Englishmen. Even though this is Christie's first book, it contains all of the elements that draw us to her mature work. Please, please, please let Richard Armitage read the rest of the Poirots."The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a magnificent literary feat, being Agatha Christie's first published book and also the one in which she introduces Hercule Poirot, the detective whose name has become synonymous with psychological reasoning rather than merely following physical clues in order to reach a conclusion. It's a wonderful reintroduction to Agatha Christie. It's not just Poirot and Hastings that is brought to life in the performance, every character is portrayed with a deft touch and at times I forgot that I wasn't listening to a performance by a full cast. Hastings, too, eventually begins to see that his own point of view may not be set in stone.
Poirot, through Hastings' eyes, is a bit of a caricature at first, but once Poirot comes to life, you are aware of an impressive intellect at work. I loved it especially because Hastings is not performed as a caricature, he's real and endearing and likable. This results in a delicious irony, performed with relish by Armitage. Hastings, the quintessential Englishman, narrates and colors the story with his own unique perspective which stands in sharp contrast to reality at times.
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