Agatha Christie’s 80th book, Passenger to Frankfurt—published in 1970 with the subtitle “an extravaganza,” one of the few of her works with no movie or TV adaptation—is a novel that “slides from the unlikely to the inconceivable and finally lands up in incomprehensible muddle.” The novel deals with the youth uproar of the “sixties, drugs, a new Aryan superman, and other subjects that Christie’s grasp was uncertain. Despite the confusing storyline, it is important to note that the incomprehensibility of the novel was not due to Christie’s senility, but rather to political reasons.
Passenger to Frankfurt is Christie’s most personal, political novel, expressing her confusion and feeling of being at a loss with the world events of the late 1960s. The novel departs from Christie’s usual detective novels, reflecting the chaotic nature of society in 1970 with widespread chaos, crime, and unrest. The collapse of a stable society based on law and order is a central theme in the novel, highlighting Christie’s fear of chaos and societal breakdown.
The storyline of the novel follows Sir Stafford Nye, a bored diplomat caught up in an international intrigue involving a power-hungry Countess von Waldsausen, who aims for world domination through manipulating the planet’s youth. The conspiracy includes elements from Richard Wagner’s “The Young Siegfried” and reveals connections to Hitler’s survival during World War II and subsequent Nazi involvement in global chaos.
Christie’s novel presents a bizarre conspiracy that reflects the extreme fear of both the far Right and far Left. The storyline delves into dark ideologies, blending anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, creating a parallel between Christie’s fantastical narrative and real-world conspiracy theories. In an era marked by erratic political leaders and global instability, the confusion depicted in Christie’s novel mirrors present-day uncertainties. The novel’s examination of societal disintegration and search for meaning resonates in today’s turbulent times.
The disintegration of shared ethical values and changing gender roles are explored in the novel, reflecting contemporary societal shifts. The abolition of universal military conscription and changing roles of men and women in society are highlighted as factors contributing to societal disarray. The emergence of post-patriarchal and capitalist ideals shapes societal structures, leading to the proliferation of youth gangs and changing dynamics between genders. Christie’s portrayal of societal confusion and political instability remains relevant in evaluating today’s complex world.
