“A trifle, a little, the likeness of a dream, and Death comes as the end.”
I picked up this book called Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie, thinking it would be some basic story set in Ancient Egypt where a murder happens and people try to figure it out- even though it’s usually obvious who the murderer is.
Well, I was in for a surprise.
It wasn’t just a thriller – it was a story of frustration, of being looked down on, of people hiding their pain and emotions, of anger, shock, and horror as a family started tearing itself apart from the inside.
The story is set around 2000 BC(which is 4000 years ago) and is narrated through the eyes of Renisenb, a young woman – a mere teenager! -who returns home after the death of her husband, hoping everything would be just like it was eight years ago, only to watch her family turn upon each other. It starts after her father brings home a beautiful and venomous concubine: Nofret. She stirs up so much anger that the family starts seeing red, and red quickly flares up into murder.
It was a very interesting story, with twists and turns no one could have expected. I felt the sadness of Renisenb, the horror that engulfed her as she watched death creep through her home. The character’s conversation made me think about life in ways I had never considered before.
I think my favourite character is Yahmose. I mean, he does have a dark side, but can you blame him? He was constantly scolded and abused by his own wife, seen as slow and rather dim-witted by his father, and mocked by his younger brother, Sobek.
When his father wasn’t there, being the oldest brother, Yahmose was left in charge,(much to the dismay of his youngest brother, Ipy) but he never really had any authority. He was like a puppet acting under his father. His sister, Renisenb was probably the only one who truly loved him. Nofret was the final spark that lit everything on fire. He just…lost it.
(Spoiler Alert! The next part reveals the killer.)
But the plot twist-just beautiful!
Kind, cautious, gentle, and anxious Yahmose…the murderer. Who would have guessed?
“The evil was already here, concealed within the household. All that Nofret’s coming did was to bring it from its hidden place into the light. Her presence banished concealment.”
This line made me think about how people can be so different from what they seem. Yahmose, the kind and gentle brother turns out to be the cold-hearted, cruel murderer. Sobek, (the middle child) was no longer the strong, charming man, but a boastful blustering weakling; and many others too. It’s almost terrifying how people can change from one personality to another.
Overall, the book made me realise something. People come after years, even decades hoping that everything would stay the same. But that’s not true. Everything changes. People change. The past is called the past for a reason. It defines who we are, now.
