The Lonely God by Agatha Christie

This book is considered a Mystery. 

It is also considered somewhat of a Romance Novel and Mystery Thriller. It is a short story and considered a Classic because of its author.

"Dear little God help me, please help me."

The description of this short story in most places is pretty short and simple. "An unlikely couple find themselves drawn together by their mutual fascination for a sinister little stone idol high on a shelf in the British Museum in London" (Goodreads). 

Oakland Library has a bit better description: "In the quiet halls of the British Museum, a forgotten stone idol sits unnoticed on a high shelf - its features eroded by time, its purpose long lost. But for Frank Oliver, a lonely man recently returned to England, the little god becomes something more: a symbol of connection in a world that has passed him by. When Frank notices a young woman visiting the same statue, day after day, something begins to shift. In their quiet devotion to a nameless figure, two strangers begin to find the possibility of something else - companionship, perhaps even love."

The Review

This is one of the few Agatha Christie books I have not read yet. It was a short story, but it was pretty good. It was quite different from the typical crime stories Agatha Christie usually writes. I think even though it isn't what we usually think of when we think Agatha Christie, it still has a nod to her writing style. If that makes any sense. 

The story really pulls you in, and you can start to feel for Frank, his isolation, his loneliness. The sadness that he experiences. And the beacon that calls to him. I think we can all say that we have been there at one time or another. And that's what makes the story so good and relatable. 

SPOILER ALERT

I think we can all identify with falling in love with someone who breaks our heart. Someone that feels like "the one", like the sun rises and sets with them. And then when they are gone, it feels like the world is ending. Thankfully, Frank takes these emotions and this sadness and puts them into his creativity. He uses the lonely lady as inspiration and starts to paint. 

In the end, the story of the lonely Princess inspires Frank to paint her. And when the lonely lady sees the photo, she goes to the Museum to tell him that she is the Princess and that is why she left. 

I borrowed the audiobook from the library through the Libby App. 

Rating and Recommendation

A little confusing at the end. But I think this short story was great. It really makes you think. And for a moment you have to replay what you just read (or hear) to really understand the ending but once you do, it is a great story. While it is considered a mystery, I think a better description would be "Fate-based love story". But I don't think Goodreads has a tag for that! I absolutely recommend anyone who enjoys Agatha Christie's quirkiness to read this, and anyone who likes just a nice clean book with a happy ending.

I honestly don't think you can buy a physical copy of this book. I searched, and the best I can find is that it is part of a collection of short stories, "While The Light Lasts and Other Stories," as well as "The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories." You can however, find it on Amazon as an e-book and probably find it at your library.

Conclusion

If you are a Christie fan or you just enjoy quick little romance stories. This is the book for you. Hell, even if you just enjoy short books. It is twenty-six minutes as an audiobook. Worst to worst, you have wasted less than half an hour of your life. But I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Just keep in mind this isn't a typical Agatha Christie mystery. It is more romance.  

You can find The Lonely God in its respective mediums below: 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).

* Knife Photo via Pixabay, and used under the Pixabay Content License
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