Miss Marple contemplations
For reasons having to do with a story I'm writing, I've been watching all the A&E Miss Marple movies and rereading the books. And I disagree with a change they made for the movie of 4:50 From Paddington (a.k.a., What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!). The movie has Miss Marple speculating on which of Lucy Eylesbarrow's suitors she's going to take up with, but it's only in the movie and the movie conclusion is not at all the impression I drew from the book. (And short of that being something in Christie's notes, I'm not taking it as canon.)
In the movie, Miss Marple says Lucy will marry Bryan Eastley, remake him, and fall in love with him about the third child or so, when she has changed him enough.
In the book, Miss Marple and Lucy discuss the fact that Bryan is always full of schemes that Lucy suspects will never really work, and that he likes Rutherford Hall because it reminds him of where lived as a child. Earlier, Lucy refers to Bryan as "rather sweet... like a dog that wants to be taken for a walk." (Miss Marple says he's "a rather plaintive type... like an unhappy boy.") Miss Marple can also see the attraction for Lucy of Cedric Crackenthorpe, a man who "makes himself out worse than he is and has a provocative way with him," since Lucy does "enjoy a battle."
(Miss Marple ignores the other option, as I do. Luther Crackenthorpe, Cedric's father, is 40 years Lucy's senior and a cantankerous old bastard.)
But it seems to me that there's a third option: Inspector Craddock, who's around constantly and admits to Miss Marple that Lucy "scares the life out of me, she's so devastatingly efficient. No man will ever dare marry that girl."
Miss Marple relies, "Now you know, I wouldn't say that. It would have to be a special type of man, of course."
And in the final paragraphs of the book, Craddock asks Miss Marple if there are wedding bells pending for Lucy, which gets the following reply: "Perhaps," said Miss Marple. "I shouldn't wonder."
"Which of 'em is she going to choose?" said Dermot Craddock.
"Don't you know?" said Miss Marple.
"I don't," said Craddock. "Do you?"
"Oh yes, I think so," said Miss Marple.
And she twinkled at him.
So I have to say, my personal suspicion was that Lucy was going to marry Inspector Craddock instead. (Which would be like the book, where we spend most of it suspecting various people including Bryan and Cedric and find the murderer is someone who largely wasn't even in consideration until the end.)
So if you've read the book, who do you vote for?
View poll: #8324
And now I need to go to bed. Night, all!
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In the movie, Miss Marple says Lucy will marry Bryan Eastley, remake him, and fall in love with him about the third child or so, when she has changed him enough.
In the book, Miss Marple and Lucy discuss the fact that Bryan is always full of schemes that Lucy suspects will never really work, and that he likes Rutherford Hall because it reminds him of where lived as a child. Earlier, Lucy refers to Bryan as "rather sweet... like a dog that wants to be taken for a walk." (Miss Marple says he's "a rather plaintive type... like an unhappy boy.") Miss Marple can also see the attraction for Lucy of Cedric Crackenthorpe, a man who "makes himself out worse than he is and has a provocative way with him," since Lucy does "enjoy a battle."
(Miss Marple ignores the other option, as I do. Luther Crackenthorpe, Cedric's father, is 40 years Lucy's senior and a cantankerous old bastard.)
But it seems to me that there's a third option: Inspector Craddock, who's around constantly and admits to Miss Marple that Lucy "scares the life out of me, she's so devastatingly efficient. No man will ever dare marry that girl."
Miss Marple relies, "Now you know, I wouldn't say that. It would have to be a special type of man, of course."
And in the final paragraphs of the book, Craddock asks Miss Marple if there are wedding bells pending for Lucy, which gets the following reply: "Perhaps," said Miss Marple. "I shouldn't wonder."
"Which of 'em is she going to choose?" said Dermot Craddock.
"Don't you know?" said Miss Marple.
"I don't," said Craddock. "Do you?"
"Oh yes, I think so," said Miss Marple.
And she twinkled at him.
So I have to say, my personal suspicion was that Lucy was going to marry Inspector Craddock instead. (Which would be like the book, where we spend most of it suspecting various people including Bryan and Cedric and find the murderer is someone who largely wasn't even in consideration until the end.)
So if you've read the book, who do you vote for?
View poll: #8324
And now I need to go to bed. Night, all!
Original post on Dreamwidth | Leave a comment on DW | Read
comments on DW