‘There’s a high awareness of Agatha Christie out there but a lot of non-English speakers would find the originals too difficult. The language is quite archaic, the plots are quite difficult, with loads of characters,’ said publisher Catherine Whitaker. ‘Her grammar is quite complex – which it would be – when you’re speculating you need to use more complex grammar.’
So Collins have produced 20 abridged versions of Christie’s novels for English language students, including Murder at the Vicarage.
See the article from the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/15/agatha-christie-cut-language-students
The comments are also interesting – and far broader than the actual article, in that they represent the view from inside English language teaching (actually, mainly one person’s view).
Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews 