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| West meets West. |
No, The Adventure of the Western Star wasn’t part of Fanda Classiclit’s Agatha Christie short-story reading challenge—probably for the best, because, it’s not exactly a gem (pun fully intended). In fact, this story pretty terrible and can be skipped. But after reading just one Hercule Poirot mystery, how could I possibly resist jumping straight into another? The man is addictive.
On paper, the premise is intriguing. Given the British Empire's long history of swiping valuables during their rampant colonizing, the idea of a mystery centered around the Chinese allegedly trying to steal back some precious jewels that actually belongs to them is oddly satisfying. Unfortunately, Christie takes this setup and runs it straight into a wall at full throttle with some of the most egregious stereotyping that I've come across in a long time. The Chinese characters are painted with such over-the-top, villainous brushstrokes that it’s almost cartoonish—except it’s not funny, just painfully outdated. I mean, if a Chinese person has slanted eyes, pigtails and dressed in a robe, he must be evil right? Oh, and the British Aristocracy also like to refer to them as "chinks." Ugh.
Not even Poirot’s delightful smugness or his ability to solve the case with a well-timed twirl of his mustache can rescue this one from mediocrity. The mystery itself is forgettable, the big reveal underwhelming, and the blatant racism makes it all the more difficult to enjoy. Safe to say, this Western Star lost its shine a long time ago.
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