Ten bold (Have Little Niggers) was published in 1939. It is a work by the queen of crime, Agatha Christie, and It is listed as one of the best-selling crime novels in history. Controversy has arisen around it in recent times due to its title, which has been changed to Spanish in some editions by And there were none left (And Then There Were None), as considered more appropriate.
A group of ten unrelated people meet in a mansion on a small island off the coast of England. They received the invitation from Mr. Owen, the owner of the mansion, whom they also do not know. After dinner and after hearing a mysterious voice that imputes crimes to each of them, The guests will be eliminated to the rhythm of a disturbing children's song... until there are none left!
Ten little blacks: and none were left!
The strange invitation
The story begins with the invitation of ten strangers to a mysterious mansion located on an island in Devon. (Black Island), southwest of England. There they do not meet Mr. Owen, the owner of the house. They are offered a dinner, after which, they will be surprised by a tape that plays very serious accusations for those present, stating that they are perpetrators of several crimes. What seemed like a millionaire's attractive entertainment turns into a nightmare and the end for all of them.. In perplexity, they begin to die to the rhythm of a sinister song that anticipates what is to come.
If the strange invitation, as well as the recording that the guests listen to, were not strange enough, the mystery increases with the deaths of all the guests. Deaths in strange circumstances, one after another, to the chorus of a children's melody. like at the end there is none left of people to solve the mystery, Agatha Christie uses another means to clarify to the reader the intrigue with which the novel begins.
Agatha-style mystery
The ten people gathered have various biographies and professions: a doctor, a religious fanatic, a soldier, a governess, a businessman, a judge, a former police officer, a young womanizer and a married couple hired to serve the guests. Neither of them know each other and seem sure that he hasn't done anything wrong in the past. They begin to suspect everyone, but with each death, the circle closes and the hope of leaving the island alive becomes the real concern..
Suspicion and mistrust can be smelled on the walls of the mansion at all times. Ten bold It is one of those novels that are enjoyed slowly and trembling for what may happen next. It is a narrative that encourages the reader to also participate in the mystery, like all Agatha Christie novels, which captivates from the beginning to the end. In fact, it is at the end when the wonderfulness of the story is appreciated, in a sense of fascination with the noir genre.
Ten little black guys went to dinner
The song is found on the walls of the guests' bedrooms and predicts the end of each of them. Because the word niggers In English it is pejorative, several revisions have been made with words like indians. The translation says like this:
Ten little blacks went to dinner.
One of them suffocated and they were left
Nine.
Nine little blacks stayed up late.
One of them could not wake up and they were left
Eight.
Eight little blacks traveled across the Devon.
One of them escaped and they were left
Seven.
Seven little blacks chopped firewood with an axe.
One was cut in two and they were left
Six.
Six little black boys played with a wasp.
One of them was stung and they were
Five.
Five little blacks studied law.
One of them got a doctorate and they were
Four.
Four little black boys went swimming.
One of them drowned and they were left
Three.
Three little black boys walked through the zoo.
A bear attacked them and they were left
Two.
Two little black boys sat down to sunbathe.
One of them burned down and there was nothing left but
A.
A little black man was alone.
And he hanged himself and didn't stay...
None!
Conclusions
The tension of the plot, the incredible outcome and the dialogues that promote agility and mystery until the end make the novel a classic of the genre. Distrust takes over the novel and the reader who will have to discover who the real murderer is.. Agatha Christie doesn't make it easy and like the characters, anyone would think that the murderer was the one next door. It is the characters who, with their past and secret events, will drive the story, accompanied by a children's song that seems to contain not only a great mystery, but also a certain sadistic disturbance. Ten people on the Isla del Negro and a host who is nowhere to be found. In the end... there are none left.
About the author
Agatha Christie was born in a town in Devon (England) in 1891. She wrote a novel and a play with overwhelming success that continues to this day.. His texts address black and detective literature, always with a mystery to solve. His books sell for billions around the world with dozens of translations and some of his plays have endured for a long time on English stages.
She began publishing in 1920, but also worked as a nurse during World War I, accompanied one of her husbands, an archaeologist by profession, to the Middle East, and learned about toxicology while also working in a hospital pharmacy. That is to say, All these experiences would serve to build his mystery and crime stories..
All his life he maintained his creative activity. He died in 1976, but his dedication and contribution to English literature earned him several awards.. She received the title of Dame of the British Empire, the Grand Master Award, the Order of the British Empire and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Her most important theatrical works are The Mousetrap y Charge witness, and Among his main novels are titles such as Murder on the Orient Express, Muerte en el Nilo, Killing is easy o Ten bold.