Should A Classic Be Discounted Because of the Racist Origins of its First Title?

As a teenager, I was a huge Agatha Christie fan. There’s a reason she ranks among the most widely published authors of all time (behind only Shakespeare). The lady can spin a yarn! I’m proud to say I guessed the murderer in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd when I first read it, though I recently reread And Then There Were None and did not guess said murderer. (I haven’t read the book in twenty-plus years, so it feels brand-new).

The title has been changed twice due to the first two titles having racist connotations. (It was published in the 1930s, I believe, and the first title is particularly jarring). Changing the title and tweaking a poem that is central to the plot don’t seem to dilute the book at all. Frankly, And Then There Were None is the superior title anyways.

I am eager to get thoughts though–do the title’s origins affect your ability to view this as a classic, often cited as Christie’s best work? I am somewhat conflicted but decided to give it a re-read. The content is timeless, I must say, and the book itself doesn’t contain racist undertones (as far as I can see) with these slight tweaks. What is particularly fascinating though is that this is hardly Christie’s best “whodunit.”

The book is a classic, however, because of the interesting themes surrounding questions of morality and justice. That’s what makes it such a rich read. It really makes you think..it really makes you think and will stick with me for a while. The basic plot, without *hopefully* giving anything away, is that ten strangers with seemingly little in common are invited to an island for the weekend. It is Christie, after all, so murder ensues; as we get to know the characters, all is not what it seems. I find the two main female characters, Vera and Ms. Brent, to be perhaps the most intriguing.

From what I know of Christie’s oeuvre, it is definitely her best effort in exploring human nature and the actions with which seemingly normal and upright citizens are capable. It is definitely a classic for a reason.

PS–I apologize for typos and using quotation marks for titles. I haven’t figured out how to use italics in this format. I’m a middle-aged lady still learning about all these new-fangled technologies as I go. 😉 If I had to choose the characters I am most like, it would be Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Hugo, and Justice Warwick with a dash of Ms. Brent mixed in (unfortunately)