Murder on the Orient Express

Lot 29
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
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£ 27 720
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 1016480
Lot 29 | Murder on the Orient Express
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
Murder on the Orient Express

Agatha Christie

CHRISTIE, Agatha (1890-1976). Murder on the Orient Express. London: for the Crime Club by W. Collins Sons & Co., Ltd., 1934



Agatha Christie's most famous book: extremely rare presentation copy of the first edition, inscribed by the author to her long time secretary, amanuensis, and close friend Charlotte ‘Carlo’ Fisher: ‘To Carlo with love from Agatha Christie’. We are unable to trace any presentation copy at auction. This book was partly inspired by ‘a calamitous journey taken in 1931 from Nineveh to London. In Stamboul she had boarded the Orient Express, which was interminably delayed; an American lady (who evolved into the book’s Mrs Hubbard) lamented how “in the States they’d have motored some automobiles along right away – why, they’d have brought aeroplanes …”’ (L. Thompson, Agatha Christie (2007), p. 514). Keating, Crime and Mystery, the 100 Best Books, 20.



Octavo. 2 pages of publisher’s advertisements at end (light spotting, mostly to preliminary and final gatherings). Original orange cloth, titled in black on upper cover and spine (lacking the dust-jacket, spine slightly sunned, edges spotted). Provenance: Charlotte ‘Carlo’ Fisher (1895-1976, secretary, amanuensis and close friend of Agatha Christie; presentation inscription from the author on front free endpaper and posthumous book label).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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