The Hollow - Characters in "The Hollow"

Characters in "The Hollow"

• Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective
• Inspector Grange, the investigating officer
• Sergeant Clark, a policeman in the case
• John Christow, a Harley Street doctor. He is passionate about his work and dedicates himself to finding a cure for "Ridgeway's disease" - the aetiology of which bears a marked resemblance to multiple sclerosis. He is very self-confident, attractive, and has great charisma.
• Gerda Christow, John's wife. She is rather plain and stupid. She worries about everything. She idealises John, and blames herself for her problems, even when he is wrong. She inspired a sculpture by Henrietta called "The Worshipper", which is described as being frightening since it has no face.
• Sir Henry Angkatell, the owner of The Hollow.
• Edward Angkatell, a distant cousin of Henry and entailee of the family's beloved house, Ainswick. He has charm but is overshadowed by Christow's dominant personality. He lives in the past and has been devoted to Henrietta for years and years. He despises himself, thinking he is good for nothing.
• Lucy, Lady Angkatell, Henry's wife. An unusual character, whose sociable, charismatic veneer hides a very dark side to her personality, occasionally glimpsed by her family.
• Midge Hardcastle, Lucy's young cousin. She is only half an Angkatell. She refuses financial aid from her family, and works in a dressmaker's shop where she has to tolerate rude customers.
• David Angkatell, a student. Bookish, anti-social, and possessor of "modern" ideas regarding the working class. He tries to express an air of superiority.
• Henrietta Savernake, a sculptor. She always knows the right words to say to make someone feel comfortable, albeit sometimes at the expense of the truth. Her art is the core of her being, which, at times, conflicts with her second important characteristic; she loves Christow more than herself.
• Veronica Cray, an actress. She is very beautiful and abnormally egotistical. She wanted Christow to abandon everything to follow her to Hollywood, but he rejected her; she found this unbearable.
• Gudgeon, the butler.
• Beryl Collins, John's secretary.
• Mrs. Crabtree, a patient of John's, a victim of Ridgeway's Disease.
• Terence, John's young son.
• Zena, John's young daughter.