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[ SECRET POST #2573 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2573 ⌋

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So, I don't know if anyone gives a shit, but since I got a pretty good response (and one tangential discussion that was really fun for me to read) in my last post on the subject, I thought I might put an update on my continuing first-time readthrough of the Sherlock Holmes stories! Ignore if you are uninterested.

I'm still on the Adventures. The last story I finished was The Speckled Band (I think that unfortunately some spoiler must have filtered through to me at some point, because I somehow remembered what the band was, even though I couldn't remember where I heard it from).

A couple of them are less interesting than others, but they seem to all be at least pretty good, and some of them are GREAT. Out of the ones I've read so far, Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League are still my favorites along with The Blue Carbuncle and The Speckled Band. However, I'm not sure how I'll feel about them all later on, because I noticed that some stories have more character interaction and characterization than others, and some are more plot-based with more one-off characters and longer deduction scenes, and it might take some time and maybe another readthrough to cement my impressions.

General opinions: okay, wow, can I just say how good these stories are at atmosphere? This really stuck out at me in The Blue Carbuncle. I swear I could see and hear everything happening, and all the Christmas-y scenes and the snowy streets and all the different venues they pop into while following the trail, all clear as day. I love that! And The Man With The Twisted Lip too, especially that intro in the opium den. Also, the characterization of some of the secondary characters is just so fabulously entertaining or believable.

Also, the main characters. I don't know much about Sherlock Holmes except very vague osmosis (don't recall ever seeing an adaptation either) but I've heard people call him a giant dick and I'm not exactly seeing it. Does he do a few really big dickish things, and I haven't gotten to any of those events yet? Because he doesn't seem to be the sort of dick who is consistently dickish. Just kind of rude and vain. Mostly, he seems like a really charming weirdo. Probably even more of a weirdo in the era this was written in. Also, I loved the descriptions of how much he *loves* his work. Watson goes into such ridiculously loving detail on it. It makes the whole thing a lot easier to relate to than a lot of crimesolving shows and stories (mostly shows) I've seen and read.

And Watson. Watson is adorable. The way he's so curious and how excited he gets about getting to see Holmes's cases is so cute, and his totally sincere attempts to deduce things, and how much he admires Holmes but keeps slipping in little comments about Holmes's weirdness. I got to wondering what kind of a man would he have to be to keep running off at random occasions and writing this stuff down, and did some theorizing without really knowing what I was talking about, since I've only read a few stories: it seems so far like he's the kind of guy who really really gets a kick out of being nosy and doing insane adventurous things, but is too nice or polite or respectable to do them unless he has a good excuse, like helping Holmes. Is that on the mark at all?

You and your perception of the stories are lovely, anon. [Somehow everything in today's post is making me go d'awww. Is it a special d'awww day or am I drunk or what?]

The scene I always remember when I'm thinking of The Blue Carbuncle is the one where Holmes stops under a lamp-post and laughs. It struck me as a fine piece of characterization even when I first read the thing (and I was small back then), and it never fails to remind me of how happy and Christmassy this story really is. In this sense it and The Red-Headed League read very much like each other. And as to the atmosphere, it is improved upon - albeit unintentionally - with the help of all the small details characteristic of the period (in particular, the whole business of geese trade interested my kid self a lot).

As regards Holmes being a dick, there are a number of occasions which people often refer to, the most obvious examples being from The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Empty House, and The Dying Detective, but you won't have reached any of these yet, so I shan't spoil you. I personally do not agree that the aforementioned plot twists show Holmes as a bad person, but I know many people are rather disturbed by them. And they certainly do add certain... features to his characterization.

I like your theory about Watson's character. IMO, it is also that he didn't have any opportunity (or couldn't think of one) to do insane adventurous stuff when Holmes wasn't around, but there really is some palpable contrast between his outward respectability and the things he does and gets a huge kick out of with Holmes (refer to the Charles Augustus Milverton affair!).

Edited 2014-01-18 22:49 (UTC)

The little Victorian details are so interesting! They're like a little peep into how the little nitty-gritty specifics of how life was in London back then, the kind of details that usually get glossed over in other old books I've read (I guess because it was so commonplace for them), while the mentions of those details also feels so much more natural than most historical fiction written more recently.

I agree with your descriptions of the characters and that is why I am not a fan of BBC's Sherlock. Sherlock and John are simply not Holmes and Watson to me.

I think the "Sherlock is a giant dick" thing is a bleed-through from the BBC version. ACD Holmes does do some questionable things and he could stand to be more tactful of Watson at times, but frankly, I chalk stuff like the aftermath of Reichenbach Falls to ACD's dodgy writing and not a serious attempt at Holmes' characterization.

The Blue Carbuncle is one of my favourites too! It has such a nice feel to it, especially with Holmes deciding to forgive the bad guy in the end. People who say Holmes is a dick don't really know what they're talking about imo. He's rude and vain, right, and some of the things he does might be incomprehensible to the average person, but it's not really because he's a dick. He's quite a nice person, really.

I love your theory about Watson, it's not implausible at all. I mean, being nosy, just look at what he was like when he was trying to find out about Holmes in A Study in Scarlet! iirc you didn't read that one, right? But in it Watson is desperately curious about Holmes and keeps cute little notes about it. Gosh, he's my favourite part of the stories, I found the story where Holmes was the narrator somewhat dull tbh

Holmes was the narrator for some stories? That sounds really cool, so I'm sad to hear you think they're dull. How many were there?

Just two. I'm not sure if it's a popular opinion that they're dull, but the people who I know think so are Watson fangirls :)

I think it's a pretty widespread opinion? But that might just be because Christopher Morley said so in the introduction that was in the edition that I read when I was a kid - "Rashly, in the later years, Holmes twice undertook to write stories for himself. They have not quite the same magic." Gosh, that was a great introduction.

The thing is, it's not just that they're lacking in Watson, they're also very late stories from the period when the quality had unfortunately dropped a bit in general. So they might still have been kind of dull even with Watson.

You seem to be taking your time with your impressions quite beautifully, anon! I love that you noticed the atmosphere - that's one of my favorite things about the stories as well.

And your impression of Holmes and Watson are pretty much on. Holmes has some more abrasive or douchey moments here and there (though actually, after googling the list of stories and looking at the ones you've read so far, I can't think of any in those stories off the top of my head.) But they're mostly like, just general callousness or arrogance, he's not a mean guy at all. He has a few really big dickhead moments, but only a few. And yeah, Watson is such a thrill-seeker, but he only seems to fanboy about it in his narration, not his dialogue or actions, which is kind of a pity.

I don't want to tell you what to do, but if you like the characterization, I'd recommend reading the first two novels (A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four) when you're finished with this volume of stories. They're longer and therefore have more room for more expanded character scenes.

I'm glad that you're still enjoying them! I definitely agree with you on the atmosphere - it's absolutely my favorite thing about the stories. It is fantastic.

And I definitely agree with your characterization of Holmes and Watson. Holmes is usually a decent guy at heart, he's just also a super weirdo - they probably would have said eccentric at the time, but he's definitely strange. He has a hobby that he really, really likes. There's nothing wrong with that.

And Watson - I mean, you have to remember that Watson was in the army, it's not like he's unaccustomed to excitement. And like you say, there's not a lot of places to find that kind of excitement and interesting danger in life in late Victorian England, once you can't serve in the Army anymore. So yeah, I think this is his way of doing so while remaining within the bounds of upper/middle class British society. Absolutely agree with you.

Oh, that makes a lot of sense! Is Watson's army stuff elaborated on in more depth elsewhere? That would be pretty interesting.

I think the only real development it gets is the bit right at the beginning of Study In Scarlet - not sure if you've read that or not, but it's pretty sketchy at best. Can't recall if Doyle ever went into it more than that, beyond occasional references to Watson's service revolver.

DA

Watson does make a lot of small references to his time in the army - stuff he's seen or experienced, or ideas he's picked up - but doesn't really describe it in detail or anything. Which is of course prime fanfic fodder, with all the wiggle room, just like Holmes's apparently nonexistent childhood. ;)

Also, there's the fact that the whole reason he meets Holmes and why he's interested in him is because he's just gotten back from the army and he's injured and broke and bored out of his skull.

Everything you've said, I swear I've said before. It's a wonderful canon to start, and I hope you keep loving it!

Doyle writes with a lot of depth. He can put a whole scene together in two paragraphs, and you really feel like you're there. He is great at being concise without sacrificing detail or atmosphere. Heck, I even enjoyed the lengthy passage in The Sign of Four, which I remember you saying you'd skip at first, about the Mormons travelling, just because Doyle describes the desert so well.

And I totally agree about Watson. I've seen some of the old movies, the BBC version, House, etc, and Watson always seems so angry at Holmes, and it's like Watson doesn't even like Holmes at all, but ACD Watson is just so earnest in his appreciation, and you really get a sense that these two are brothers outside of family.

I think Watson also gets a thrill from Doing the Right Thing, and he agrees with Holmes that the Right Thing is not always the legal thing.

One of my favorite lines, and I'm not sure which story it's in, so I'm not sure if you've reached it, is the mention that, "Lestrade was always a welcome guest," or somesuch. I really like how Holmes is actually a kind person who just has a passion for crime puzzles.

Edited 2014-01-19 01:07 (UTC)

To be fair, in a lot of those adaptations, Holmes is portrayed as such a dick or so annoying that I'm not surprised Watson would be always angry with him. Blah. I blame Rathbone's influence.

Urgh, Rathbone. The acting was fine, good direction, but why were you two friends?! You clearly hate each other! Why did that have to be a trend?

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[ SECRET POST #2573 ]

First-time Sherlock Holmes readthrough anon: Update II

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