Скачать книгу

      

       Image Missing

Image Missing

       Copyright

      HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by Collins 1934

      Copyright © 1934 Rosalind Hicks Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.

       www.agathachristie.com

      Cover by ninataradesign.com © HarperCollins 2017

      Agatha Christie asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780008131470

      Ebook Edition © June 2017 ISBN: 9780007534968

      Version: 2018-04-11

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

      Copyright

      Foreword

      BOOK I: The Island

      Chapter 1. The Woman in the Garden

      Chapter 2. Call to Action

       Chapter 4. Death

       Chapter 5. Mother and Daughter

       Chapter 6. Paris

       Chapter 7. Grown Up

       Chapter 8. Jim and Peter

       Chapter 9. Dermot

       Chapter 10. Marriage

       Chapter 11. Motherhood

       Chapter 12. Peace

       Chapter 13. Companionship

       Chapter 14. Ivy

       Chapter 15. Prosperity

       Chapter 16. Loss

       Chapter 17. Disaster

       Chapter 18. Fear

       BOOK III: The Island

       Chapter 1. Surrender

       Chapter 2. Reflection

       Chapter 3. Flight

       Chapter 4. Beginning

       Also by Agatha Christie

       About the Publisher

       Foreword

      My Dear Mary: I send you this because I don’t know what to do with it. I suppose, really, I want it to see the light of day. One does. I suppose the complete genius keeps his pictures stacked in the studio and never shows them to anybody. I was never like that, but then I was never a genius—just Mr Larraby, the promising young portrait painter.

      Well, my dear, you know what it is, none better—to be cut off from the thing you loved doing and did well because you loved doing it. That’s why we were friends, you and I. And you know about this writing business—I don’t.

      If you read this manuscript, you’ll see that I’ve taken Barge’s advice. You remember? He said, ‘Try a new medium.’ This is a portrait—and probably a damned bad one because I don’t know my medium. If you say it’s no good, I’ll take your word for it, but if you think it has, in the smallest degree, that significant form we both believe to be the fundamental basis of art—well, then, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be published. I’ve put the real names, but you can change them. And who is to mind? Not Michael. And as for Dermot he would never recognize himself! He isn’t made that way. Anyway, as Celia herself said, her story is a very ordinary story. It might happen to anybody. In fact, it frequently does. It isn’t her story I’ve been interested in. All along it’s been Celia herself. Yes, Celia herself …

      You see I wanted to nail her in paint to a canvas, and that being out of the question, I’ve tried to get her in another way. But I’m working in an unfamiliar medium—these words and sentences and commas and full stops—they’re not my craft. You’ll remark, I dare say, que ça se voit!

      I’ve seen her, you know, from two angles. First, from my own. And secondly, owing to the peculiar circumstances of twenty-four hours, I’ve been able—at moments—to get inside her skin and see her from her own. And the two don’t always agree. That’s what’s so tantalizing and fascinating to me! I should like to be God and know the truth.

      But a novelist can be God to the creatures he creates. He has them in his power to do what he likes with—or so he thinks. But they do give him surprises. I wonder if the real God finds that too … Yes, I wonder …

      Well, my dear, I won’t wander on any more. Do what you can for me.

      Yours ever,

      J.L.

       BOOK I

       The Island

       There is a lonely isle

       Set apart

       In the midst of the sea

       Where the birds rest awhile

       On their long flight

       To the South

       They rest a night

       Then take wing and depart

      

Скачать книгу