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Is Hercule Poirot autistic?

Deleted User

Hello everyone!

I'm self-diagnosed, currently on the waiting list for NHS assessment and based in Cornwall.

I'm about to begin (September 2024) a PhD project called "Little Grey Cells: Detecting Autism in the Cosy Crime Genre" exploring the role of autistic characterisation in the cosy crime subgenre from 1920 - 2020. Alongside my research, I'm developing a Cornish crime novel featuring an autistic amateur detective. 

My research begins with Hercule Poirot, who many autistic and non-autistic readers "headcanon" as being autistic:

Is Hercule Poirot autistic? Here are seven clues that he might be (theconversation.com) 

There are a number of characters in Agatha Christie's books who are sometimes read as autistic, and there is even speculation about Christie herself. 

Does anyone have any suggestions of characters within crime fiction (specifically cosy or Golden Age, but not exclusively) who could be read as autistic? Explicitly autistic detectives are now quite commonplace in crime fiction, and my research will explore the context within which that has developed. I'm not just looking for autistic detectives it can supporting characters as well.

Any thoughts anyone has would be really welcome! 

Parents

  • That's so great you're writing about this. I'm currently finishing a non-fiction book on late diagnosed autism, to be published in my native Nordics, where I (among other topics) go into Poirot's and Christie's neurodivergence. I'm not necessarily convinced she was autistic, even if she hated crowds and the gramophone :) But she would probably have been diagnosed something starting with dys- today, in light of the documentation of her poor hand-writing, peculiar difficulties with spelling and more. Poirot, on the other hand: I agree with JC Bernthal (the writer of the article Martyn linked to, for those who didn't open it) that he can clearly be read as autistic. And as a late diagnosed autistic and veteran Christie fan, I love that! I have collected many more clues of P's autism than what's listed in the (excellent) Bernthal article. "Hastings! I feel the dampness of the feet!". 

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  • That's so great you're writing about this. I'm currently finishing a non-fiction book on late diagnosed autism, to be published in my native Nordics, where I (among other topics) go into Poirot's and Christie's neurodivergence. I'm not necessarily convinced she was autistic, even if she hated crowds and the gramophone :) But she would probably have been diagnosed something starting with dys- today, in light of the documentation of her poor hand-writing, peculiar difficulties with spelling and more. Poirot, on the other hand: I agree with JC Bernthal (the writer of the article Martyn linked to, for those who didn't open it) that he can clearly be read as autistic. And as a late diagnosed autistic and veteran Christie fan, I love that! I have collected many more clues of P's autism than what's listed in the (excellent) Bernthal article. "Hastings! I feel the dampness of the feet!". 

Children
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