51 pages 1 hour read

Agatha Christie

Murder at the Vicarage

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1930

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“That’ll be remembered against you when the old boy is found bathed in blood.”


(Chapter 1, Page 1)

Clement’s nephew Dennis says this in response to the Vicar’s exclamation that he wishes Colonel Protheroe were dead. It is a moment of metafictional humor and foreshadowing. The reader expects the narrative to reveal a body and this statement increases the anticipation. It is a moment of self-referential awareness where Christie pokes fun at murder mystery conventions and reader expectations that her work created.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Makes one think of detective stories. You know—‘Who was she, the mysterious woman with the pale, beautiful face? What was her past history? Nobody knew. There was something faintly sinister about her.’”


(Chapter 1, Page 6)

This quote about Mrs. Lestrange is the second self-referential and metafictional remark in the first few pages of the book. Griselda talks about some of the more common tropes of the genre, which is Christie’s humorous nod to the reader she assumes knows detective mystery devices. With this remark and others, she pokes fun at her work and that of her peers. She maintains a continuous lighthearted inside joke as the plot incorporates meta-jokes such as Mrs. Lestrange’s on-the-nose name, an early clue that the characters mock-emphasize. This leads readers to take her less seriously as a suspect.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 51 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools