The Planet

Bee wrote: ↑

Sun 17 Jul, 2022, 2:50 pm

https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/The_St ... ey_Mystery

“Have you heard anything of the case?” he asked.

“Not a word. I have not seen a paper for some days.”

Extremely relatable Watson quote

Nothing much to say about this one. It feels very much like A Study in Scarlet?? Holmes and Watson continue to be friendship goals tho

Yeah it's not my favorite story, although there's a lot of fun character bits. The image of Holmes and Watson sitting in a train with Holmes surrounded by piles of loose papers is a delight, and I love this bit with Holmes being a troll and Lestrade getting justifiably snippy about it.

“We have got to the deductions and the inferences,” said Lestrade, winking at me. “I find it hard enough to tackle facts, Holmes, without flying away after theories and fancies.”

“You are right,” said Holmes demurely; “you do find it very hard to tackle the facts.”

“Anyhow, I have grasped one fact which you seem to find it difficult to get hold of,” replied Lestrade with some warmth.

I also really like the little educational monologue bits that Holmes gives Watson, but it's got another one of those "the criminal spends multiple pages laying out his entire backstory" and those are absolutely the most boring things ever.

As for the mystery itself: it's interesting to have it follow A Case of Identity, because that one was somewhat the opposite situation. Where Mr. Windibank did an awful thing and got away scott free because it wasn't prosecutable, Mr. Turner was a bit the opposite - he did an absolutely criminal thing and was easily prosecutable, but they don't and everyone left alive gets a happy ending.

InspectorCaracal wrote: ↑

Sun 17 Jul, 2022, 10:12 pm

As for the mystery itself: it's interesting to have it follow A Case of Identity, because that one was somewhat the opposite situation. Where Mr. Windibank did an awful thing and got away scott free because it wasn't prosecutable, Mr. Turner was a bit the opposite - he did an absolutely criminal thing and was easily prosecutable, but they don't and everyone left alive gets a happy ending.

Oh, I hadn't thought about that, but that's really an interesting juxtaposition.

One thing I notice about these stories is that they take place after Holmes and Watson have stopped living together and Watson lives with his wife. When you think of Holmes and Watson you usually think of them living together in 22B Baker Street, at least I do.

Part of that is because the adaptations mostly set the stories with them living together, part of that is that the later stories do go back in time and take place during those times, particularly the ones after Holmes death and return, and part is probably because I read the Sign of the Four second to last after I read all the short stories. Not having read how Watson met Mary until that late and her not being a massive character in the stories made me not think of their marriage to much.

I thought it would be longer until we saw Holmes close an eye to the law, but it really makes last week's story's ending even more disappointing.

I don't mind the 'let me tell you everything that happened' bits in the short stories as much as in the books, probably because it isn't half a book's lenght.

Everyone ok to do the next story, The Five Orange Pips, this weekend?

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 12:17 pm

Everyone ok to do the next story, The Five Orange Pips, this weekend?

Yes! :D

One thing I notice about these stories is that they take place after Holmes and Watson have stopped living together and Watson lives with his wife. When you think of Holmes and Watson you usually think of them living together in 22B Baker Street, at least I do.

Part of that is because the adaptations mostly set the stories with them living together, part of that is that the later stories do go back in time and take place during those times, particularly the ones after Holmes death and return, and part is probably because I read the Sign of the Four second to last after I read all the short stories. Not having read how Watson met Mary until that late and her not being a massive character in the stories made me not think of their marriage to much.

I thought it would be longer until we saw Holmes close an eye to the law, but it really makes last week's story's ending even more disappointing.

I don't mind the 'let me tell you everything that happened' bits in the short stories as much as in the books, probably because it isn't half a book's lenght.

Now that you mention it, it really is a shame that the adaptations tend to ignore Watson's marriage (and simultaneously bring up Irene Adler at any chance). I mean, logistically, it's a lot easier for everyone if Holmes and Watson live together at Baker Street and have no other attachments, but I think it actually takes away from their partnership, kwim?

Bee wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:25 pm

Now that you mention it, it really is a shame that the adaptations tend to ignore Watson's marriage (and simultaneously bring up Irene Adler at any chance). I mean, logistically, it's a lot easier for everyone if Holmes and Watson live together at Baker Street and have no other attachments, but I think it actually takes away from their partnership, kwim?

I don't think any adaptation has ever done much with Mary, she's not the most developed character, but I do wish at least one would do something with her even if it doesn't adhere to the stories.

I mean, I guess Sherlock did something with her and made her a secret spy or whatever, but you know...

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:33 pm

Bee wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:25 pm

Now that you mention it, it really is a shame that the adaptations tend to ignore Watson's marriage (and simultaneously bring up Irene Adler at any chance). I mean, logistically, it's a lot easier for everyone if Holmes and Watson live together at Baker Street and have no other attachments, but I think it actually takes away from their partnership, kwim?

I don't think any adaptation has ever done much with Mary, she's not the most developed character, but I do wish at least one would do something with her even if it doesn't adhere to the stories.

I mean, I guess Sherlock did something with her and made her a secret spy or whatever, but you know...

I mean, she's fairly prominent in the RDJ movies but that's... a very special case. Hrm.

Bee wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:38 pm

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:33 pm

Bee wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:25 pm

Now that you mention it, it really is a shame that the adaptations tend to ignore Watson's marriage (and simultaneously bring up Irene Adler at any chance). I mean, logistically, it's a lot easier for everyone if Holmes and Watson live together at Baker Street and have no other attachments, but I think it actually takes away from their partnership, kwim?

I don't think any adaptation has ever done much with Mary, she's not the most developed character, but I do wish at least one would do something with her even if it doesn't adhere to the stories.

I mean, I guess Sherlock did something with her and made her a secret spy or whatever, but you know...

I mean, she's fairly prominent in the RDJ movies but that's... a very special case. Hrm.

I only saw the first one of those, I think, I should check them out again.

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 12:17 pm

One thing I notice about these stories is that they take place after Holmes and Watson have stopped living together and Watson lives with his wife. When you think of Holmes and Watson you usually think of them living together in 22B Baker Street, at least I do.

Spoiler

This is because Watson's wife dies/leaves/something later on in the shorts and he moves back in with Holmes.

Personally I don't have a lot of thoughts on Mary Watson nee. Morstan other than Doyle was v. bad at writing romance and I think he just didn't know what to do about her, lol.

I'm looking forward to getting to the Violets, tho, they're my fave ladies in the whole canon.

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 3:09 pm

Bee wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:38 pm

thiskurt wrote: ↑

Fri 22 Jul, 2022, 2:33 pm

I don't think any adaptation has ever done much with Mary, she's not the most developed character, but I do wish at least one would do something with her even if it doesn't adhere to the stories.

I mean, I guess Sherlock did something with her and made her a secret spy or whatever, but you know...

I mean, she's fairly prominent in the RDJ movies but that's... a very special case. Hrm.

I only saw the first one of those, I think, I should check them out again.

I also only saw the first one and that's because I enjoyed the first one and was going to watch the second one when it came out but then I discovered that literally every single good part of the first one was stolen from Murder by Decree which immediately dropped my quality expectations of the sequel to "don't bother".