This intense psychological drama is one of the few non-detective fictions Christie has written in her career, and is considered by some to be one of the best works she ever penned. Although the type of story is completely different from her famous detective fiction, readers may still recognise the trademark Christie attention to details and economical but efficient characterisation.
The phrase “Absent in the Spring” is taken from Shakespeare's Sonnet 98 (“From you I have been absent in the spring”). This line is responsible for a train of thoughts Joan Scudamore undergoes on her journey of self-reflection and understanding. Joan, at the beginning of the novel, is a happy 48-year-old wife and mother. She is staying at Rest House, a kind of hotel at the train station, waiting
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Citation: Lee, Amy. "Absent in the Spring". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 October 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6863, accessed 25 November 2024.]
