Sherlock Holmes Short Stories Read Along!

[InspectorCaracal]

Lol yeah normally there would have been at least one long sequence about his captivity and he would've meet somebody who later somehow helped him go back to England etc

I hate this because it's truuuuue

I bet I could make a whole thing out of novelizations of Holmes short stories if I had, like, an ounce more dedication. It's kinda tempting.

I'd mostly rather you focused on your actual original projects but if that helps you overall I would not be opposed?

Nahhhh I'm more interested in writing my own stuff too, it just sounds kinda fun. I'd probably be more likely to pick my fanfic back up before actually writing novelizations of canon stories lol

[Bee]

I know it's early but before I forget, next up, The Resident Patient!

[thiskurt]

I remember the title of this story more than I did the story itself. I definitely remembered remembering this story, but didn't remember. Makes sense? Of course it does. It's not until the shouting match between the husband and wife that I remembered.

There's something about the opening of the story that, while it takes place later in Holmes' career AND was written later feels more like the earlier stories right after A Study in Scarlett. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's just the rehashing of the ol' "Watson is amazed at Holmes' deduction" thing in a way that felt, I dunno, like it's too new to Watson?

Has any story ever done the "he died with an expression of pure horror/he died out of fear" satisfactorily? He actually did just die out of fright after seeing a guy he knew was alive? I guess that's fine.

There's some fun detective work with the animals prints from Holmes, but it feels like it's just there to have more of a mystery where there isn't. Is it at all relevant to the actual story?

I am still interested in seeing of a chronological read through, in as much as that is possible, would feel very different then jumping between stories of when they lived together and from after Watson was married.

"Excellent!" I cried.

"Elementary," said he.

Can't believe Holmes couldn't get his own quote right and forgot to say "my dear Watson."

It is the supposed murder of Colonel Barclay, of the Royal Munsters, at Aldershot, which I am investigating."

In the American edition I believe he is investigating the President Addams Family instead.

[thiskurt]

I guess... the reason I vaguely recall not liking it every time might be because it's another one of those stories that basically comes to nothing. Like, Holmes walking through his analysis and observations and reasoning is great? but then it's like. okay. what's the point.

Yeah...

Holmes does a lot of fun detective work, but really if you think about it how relevant is it really to story? Mrs. Barclay just bumped into Henry Wood at random and the animal prints were just because he happend to have a mongoose. It's all a bit constructed just to have some deducing for Holmes to do, it's really not got much to do with the events and the backstory.

I misremembered a lot of the story and I thought Henry was somehow that deformed it were actually his prints. That's probably a bit dumb, but it would've been less arbitrary if you ask me.

[thiskurt]

I'm amazed that for once we had a flashback that wasn't a complete bore to read. >.> TBH this too feels like it would have made a great novel in the hands of someone who didn't absolutely suck at writing novels, lol

One of the problems is that the novels have expository flashbacks take up half the novel when they're actually just given the appropriate amount of time instead it's not too bad.

[thiskurt]

ACD did not deserve Holmes omg

I'm not gonna lie, I used to get really mad at the whole "death of the author" approach to literary analysis because I thought it was self-important BS, but digging deep into Holmes canon the past few years has me thinking that maybe there's something to the idea after all,,,

Death of the Author would be Holmes' ultimate revenge. He tried to kill Holmes, but in the end Holmes would overshadow him even in both their deaths.

[Bee]

I know it's early but before I forget, next up, The Resident Patient!

I forgot :D

[Bee]

...did he really just reuse another draft or am I dreaming


anyway I actually really liked this story, overall! But I love the suspicious job ones, lol

[InspectorCaracal]

I know it's early but before I forget, next up, The Resident Patient!

I forgot :D

oh no i also forgot, especially with this week/end being... thing

[Bee]

I know it's early but before I forget, next up, The Resident Patient!

I forgot :D

oh no i also forgot, especially with this week/end being... thing

It's fine, life happens! :)