Written between 1883 and 1884, The Narrative of John Smith, was suppose to be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first full-length novel. Up to this point in his life, at the age of 23, his literary aspirations were confined to short stories that he wrote as a student in university as a way to supplement his earnings. Having started his own medical practice in Southsea after graduation, he was hard-pressed to find eager patients as he was new to the city and knew hardly of its residents. In addition to everyday living expenses and those of his practice, his father was failing in health due to age and a long battle with alcoholism and was admitted to a health resort as a possible way to alleviate his illnesses. The family’s finances were strained despite the earnings sent home by his sisters who were governesses in Portugal. Doyle continued his writings as a means to supplement his earnings and as extra money for his mother to help with their finances.
Having finished his manuscript on John Smith, it was sent off to London to his publishers only to be lost in the mail. Doyle decided to rewrite the story from memory afterwards, but left it unfinished and unpublished until now by the British Library with support from the Estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
I received my copy of The Narrative of John Smith yesterday in the mail and spent the afternoon reading it. I found Doyle’s story while incomplete to be a delightful treat. A 50 year old bachelor named John Smith is given orders by his doctor to stay at home for a week in order to cooperate from an inflammation of gout. His doctor suggests that he read or perhaps take up writing as a means to pass the time while indoors.
The book contains only a small amount of actual dialogue between John Smith and his fellow neighbors and doctor with the majority of the text being the thoughts of Mr. Smith on a variety of subjects ranging from books, science, politics, war, religion, and predictions for the future of the world.
Despite the multitude of his own personal opinions, you still have an insight into the people that make up a small part of Mr. Smith’s world. Those that make up his surrounding life as a lodger are the kind-hearted Mrs. Rundle, a widow with three young children who is his landlady, Herr Johann Lehmann, a professor of music who is constantly playing on his piano or violin at all hours of the day, and an old Army officer who is always ready for any sign of war with a packed trunk of clothes and supplies.
What we know of Mr. Smith is that he is a 50 year old bachelor who has been around the world on various ventures in Australia, the Artic, and elsewhere. “A wandering life is apt to take the finer edge off a man’s soul. – As a boy in college, as a student in Edinburgh, as a literary man in London, as a solider in America, as a traveler in many lands, as a diamond digger at the Cape.”
Some of my favorite parts of the novel are those concerning literature of the day. Mr. Smith felt that the best type of literature was an author’s short stories as they were the ‘real flavor’ of an author. He also felt that the flowery language in most novels was ridiculous and that if he put the authors of those novels in a room and had people act out the scenes, they would be embarrassed by inventing such dialogues.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the novel regarding books and literature:
“There should be a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Books. I hate to see the poor patient things knocked about and disfigured.” – Mr. Smith goes on to write that if such a bill should pass than people could be arrested for disfiguring books, be it pencil marks, dog ears, or fingerprints.
“If the secret history of literature could be written, the blighted hopes, the heart-sickening disappointments, the weary waiting, the wasted labour, it would be the saddest record ever written.”
“You have but to light your reading lamp and beckon to any one of the world’s great storytellers, and the dead man will come forth and prattle to you by the hour. That reading lamp is the real Aladdin’s wonder for summoning the genii with. Indeed, the dead are such good company that one is apt to think too little of the living.”
“It is as impertinent as it is inartistic of a novelist to wander away from his story in order to give us his own opinions on this or that subject. George Eliot, Victor Hugo, Thackeray, and Ouida are all somewhat addicted to it.”
“Morals in a novel are as much out of place as physic in a champagne bottle.”
While the novel is fictional in part, it shows a lot of the opinions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the age of 23 as a medical man, a writer, and as a subject of the British Empire and also shows some interesting foresights into the future.
Mr. Smith speaks of the Education Act of 1870 that granted universal education to any subject of the Empire from the ages 5 to 12 if fees were paid. His opinions of universal education are an interesting insight into the relationship between education and the job market in the 19th century and especially now in the 21st century. Here are Mr. Smith’s thoughts on the Education Act:
“Competition is keen enough now heaven knows in every art and profession.” Once educated, people “are not going to devote their lives to clipping hedges and digging drains. Ambition will lead them to crowd into what is already overcrowded with, I fear, disastrous results. The educated workman is excellent in theory but too often the workman ceases when the education begins.”
That last sentence is particularly telling for our society today. We have grown up being told that a college education is paramount to a greater future and a decent wage and living. Now we are at the point where they aren’t enough white collar jobs to go around and graduates have a mountain of debt to contend with while those jobs in the blue collar sector are being snubbed and thought of as menial work.
Another interesting insight into the future of the world is Mr. Smith’s opinions on which nations will be at the forefront by the 24th century. In order by importance and power: China, United States, England, and Russia.
In addition to all the opinions and insights, there is evidence of foreshadowing for future novels’ character personalities such as those of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. John Smith shows the kindness of Dr. Watson in his interactions with his fellow tenants and friends and the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes with his observations of a neighbor of his that lives across the way. The humor of The Lost World can be found in his amusing thoughts of an imaginary professor of archaeology named Dr. Dryasdust who theorizes on the use of gas pipes in the future while the science fiction of that novel can be found in his thoughts on what can be achieved in the future by technology.
I think scholars and fans of Doyle’s writings will find this book to be a great insight into Doyle as a man and author. Wouldn't it be amazing if someone had the original copy of the manuscript that had been lost in the mail all those years ago? (sigh) A Doyle fan can only dream!
Until next time ^____^
Showing posts with label Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Books!
Look what I got in the mail today!
A copy of the Arlington Edition of Oriental Fairy Tales, translated from the German version by Herder, Liebeskind, and Krummacher. It was published by Hurst & Company in New York circa 1893.
And I received this book from Amazon:
If I'm remembering the newspaper article about this book, Doyle had written short stories for various literary magazines anonymously until he decided to write his first novel in 1883/1884. Having finished writting The Narrative of John Smith, Doyle sent it off to his publishers and unfortunately, it was lost in the mail. Doyle had to re-write the story from memory. With all that trouble, Doyle decided not to publish the manuscript and went on to write the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories.
The British Library decided to publish the work just recently and it was released a few days ago. I can't wait to snuggle in a cozy blanket and read these books. I'll have to put Varney on hold for a bit :)
Until next time ^____^
A copy of the Arlington Edition of Oriental Fairy Tales, translated from the German version by Herder, Liebeskind, and Krummacher. It was published by Hurst & Company in New York circa 1893.
And I received this book from Amazon:
If I'm remembering the newspaper article about this book, Doyle had written short stories for various literary magazines anonymously until he decided to write his first novel in 1883/1884. Having finished writting The Narrative of John Smith, Doyle sent it off to his publishers and unfortunately, it was lost in the mail. Doyle had to re-write the story from memory. With all that trouble, Doyle decided not to publish the manuscript and went on to write the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories.
The British Library decided to publish the work just recently and it was released a few days ago. I can't wait to snuggle in a cozy blanket and read these books. I'll have to put Varney on hold for a bit :)
Until next time ^____^
Monday, June 13, 2011
Birthday ♥
Good morning! Yesterday I spent the morning making orange brownies for my birthday as I generally do not like cake unless it has a whipped icing!
Orange brownies - yum!!
Later on, my family and I got together for brownies, a little chit-chat, and the ceremonious ripping of wrapping paper and tossing of tissue paper!
I received the following goodies:
1. July issue of The English Garden magazine
2. May/June issue of The English Home
3. May issue of Cross Stitch Collection
4. Collecting Costume Jewelry 303 book
5. The Steampunk Bible book
6. Steampunk Style Jewelry book
7. Origami flower kit
8. Gift card to Books-A-Million
9. A year subscription to Inspirations, Australian magazine
10. The complete Sherlock Holmes collection with Jeremy Brett
11. Some lovely roses from my mother :)
I loved all the gifts I received! I can't wait to start receiving the Inspirations magazine in September. My aunt bought me the subscription as our local Barnes and Noble no longer carries it in stock. I've missed quite a few issues of this magazine since our B&N closed.
I think my biggest squeal of geeky joy was over the Sherlock Holmes collection of the 1980s series with Jeremy Brett, David Burke, and Edward Hardwicke. Yes, you may laugh, I don't mind :) I would really love to just plunk down and watch all the DVDs, but I'd never get anything else done if I did so O_o" I'm thinking I will watch a few episodes at a time!
I hope you had a great weekend!
Until next time ^_____^
Orange brownies - yum!!
Later on, my family and I got together for brownies, a little chit-chat, and the ceremonious ripping of wrapping paper and tossing of tissue paper!
I received the following goodies:
1. July issue of The English Garden magazine
2. May/June issue of The English Home
3. May issue of Cross Stitch Collection
4. Collecting Costume Jewelry 303 book
5. The Steampunk Bible book
6. Steampunk Style Jewelry book
7. Origami flower kit
8. Gift card to Books-A-Million
9. A year subscription to Inspirations, Australian magazine
10. The complete Sherlock Holmes collection with Jeremy Brett
11. Some lovely roses from my mother :)
I loved all the gifts I received! I can't wait to start receiving the Inspirations magazine in September. My aunt bought me the subscription as our local Barnes and Noble no longer carries it in stock. I've missed quite a few issues of this magazine since our B&N closed.
I think my biggest squeal of geeky joy was over the Sherlock Holmes collection of the 1980s series with Jeremy Brett, David Burke, and Edward Hardwicke. Yes, you may laugh, I don't mind :) I would really love to just plunk down and watch all the DVDs, but I'd never get anything else done if I did so O_o" I'm thinking I will watch a few episodes at a time!
I hope you had a great weekend!
Until next time ^_____^
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Book Adventure
Good morning! My aunt and I woke up early this morning to head downtown to the MPL's annual book sale. It was my aunt's first time going to the book sale and she was amazed by the amount of people there and the variety of books available. Books and other materials range from $0.50-$3.00 with special prices for encyclopedia books and older books. All the money goes to the local libraries.
My aunt came away with several biographies, sewing books, and a plethora of Debbie Macomber's books.
You might have already guessed what I came away with.
From bottom to top:
1. Sherlock Holmes in London
2. A Sherlock Holmes Companion
3. Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
4. The Cosmopolitan Volume XVII, bound volume of issues May 1894 - Oct 1894
5. The Cosmopolitan Volume XVIII, bound volume of issues January 1895 - May 1895
6. The Cosmopolitan Volume XIX, bound volume of issues May 1895 - October 1895
7. Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton, published by Appleton, 1927
8. Black Butler manga Volume III
All the hardcover books were a dollar and the paperbacks were 50 cents so I came away with eight books for $7.50. Not bad at all :)
With my love of Sherlock Holmes, you knew I would hunt out books on the series. I can't wait to read the Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, which has 40 complete stories from contemporaries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who wrote crime stories in rival magazines of The Strand.
The Cosmopolitan was a magazine published in 1886 by Schlicht & Field as a family magazine. It transformed into a literary magazine and then finally into the modern day Cosmopolitan (or Cosmo) magazine that we see today on newsstands. Imagine my surprise to see three bound volumes from 1894 to 1895 for sale! I was hoping to find more of them at the sale, but I looked everywhere and didn't see any. I love the inscription on the front cover of each volume from a mother to her daughter in 1908. I can't wait to read through the volumes and see all the beautiful pictures and advertisements of America's Victorian period. ^____^
The MPL hosts their annual sales twice a year, once in the spring and then again in the winter. It is a good place to find used books, ranging from discarded library books to books donated to the library for the sale. If you get a chance to go by and browse, it is well worth it and helps support the MPL too.
Until next time ^____^
My aunt came away with several biographies, sewing books, and a plethora of Debbie Macomber's books.
You might have already guessed what I came away with.
From bottom to top:
1. Sherlock Holmes in London
2. A Sherlock Holmes Companion
3. Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
4. The Cosmopolitan Volume XVII, bound volume of issues May 1894 - Oct 1894
5. The Cosmopolitan Volume XVIII, bound volume of issues January 1895 - May 1895
6. The Cosmopolitan Volume XIX, bound volume of issues May 1895 - October 1895
7. Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton, published by Appleton, 1927
8. Black Butler manga Volume III
All the hardcover books were a dollar and the paperbacks were 50 cents so I came away with eight books for $7.50. Not bad at all :)
With my love of Sherlock Holmes, you knew I would hunt out books on the series. I can't wait to read the Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, which has 40 complete stories from contemporaries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who wrote crime stories in rival magazines of The Strand.
The Cosmopolitan was a magazine published in 1886 by Schlicht & Field as a family magazine. It transformed into a literary magazine and then finally into the modern day Cosmopolitan (or Cosmo) magazine that we see today on newsstands. Imagine my surprise to see three bound volumes from 1894 to 1895 for sale! I was hoping to find more of them at the sale, but I looked everywhere and didn't see any. I love the inscription on the front cover of each volume from a mother to her daughter in 1908. I can't wait to read through the volumes and see all the beautiful pictures and advertisements of America's Victorian period. ^____^
The MPL hosts their annual sales twice a year, once in the spring and then again in the winter. It is a good place to find used books, ranging from discarded library books to books donated to the library for the sale. If you get a chance to go by and browse, it is well worth it and helps support the MPL too.
Until next time ^____^
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A gem in the city
This morning I decided to wander over to a used bookstore in town called The Book Nook. It is situated downstairs in Spring Hill College's campus library. I've been there quite a few times over the years, seeing it move three times around the campus to its now permanent location in the campus library.
A beautiful little gem in the city of Mobile with an always helpful staff of volunteers, I never get tired of visiting it. I solemn come away empty handed from this bookstore as they have a great selection of books ranging from religion and philosophy to classics and folklore.
I came away with several books this morning, which I couldn't resist.
A hardcover two volume set from 1967 of The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould. I'm a geek for all things relating to the world of Sherlock Holmes so I couldn't resist this beautiful set!
I also purchased a hardcover copy of Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by William S. Baring-Gould published in 1962, Adventures of Gerard Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from 1961, Toujours Français Cours Élémentaire, a small hardcover textbook from 1930, and Snow by Tracey Lynn.
If you haven't been to The Book Nook on Spring Hill's campus, you are surely missing out on a lovely experience in Mobile.
Until next time ^___^
A beautiful little gem in the city of Mobile with an always helpful staff of volunteers, I never get tired of visiting it. I solemn come away empty handed from this bookstore as they have a great selection of books ranging from religion and philosophy to classics and folklore.
I came away with several books this morning, which I couldn't resist.
A hardcover two volume set from 1967 of The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould. I'm a geek for all things relating to the world of Sherlock Holmes so I couldn't resist this beautiful set!
I also purchased a hardcover copy of Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by William S. Baring-Gould published in 1962, Adventures of Gerard Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from 1961, Toujours Français Cours Élémentaire, a small hardcover textbook from 1930, and Snow by Tracey Lynn.
If you haven't been to The Book Nook on Spring Hill's campus, you are surely missing out on a lovely experience in Mobile.
Until next time ^___^
Monday, October 25, 2010
PBS Sherlock - A Study in Pink review
Only one word to sum up PBS Sherlock - A Study in Pink - BRILLIANT!
No longer addicted to a seven-percent solution, it's a three patch problem as Holmes would say. Nicotine patches that is!
If you missed it, don't despair! PBS has it available to view online until December 7th.
Until next time ^___^
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Holmes and fairy tales!
Hi, everyone! It's been raining for three days straight now and I'm longing for some sunshine. I've spent the weekend shopping for upcoming birthdays and lounging around watching The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection on DVD starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
I've also finished reading The Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault. My favorite tales were Tufty Ricky and Bluebeard as I've never read them before. The morals for each story in the collection were interesting. Tufty Ricky's morals:
"This tale is not so very fanciful
For what's true is true forever;
Those we love are always beautiful,
Those we love are always clever."
"Though nature paints some people's features
In lovely tints beyond the reach of art,
Still there's something hidden in all creatures
For love to find, and melt the heart."
Bluebeard is a strange tale of a nobleman with a blue beard who marries several times, but no one knows where his wives are. He marries a young lady in the village with strict instructions that she can have everything and do anything, but she must never use his house key to open a forbidden room. He goes away for several weeks and the lady's curiosity gets the better of her. She opens the door to find the bodies of Bluebeard's previous wives hanging from the wall.
She tries to hide the fact that she has been in the room, but the key is her downfall. It is a magic key that stains with blood when the door is opened, the blood cannot be washed off. When her husband finds out that she has disobeyed him, he says that he must kill her. Luckily, her brothers come at the last moment and kill Bluebeard. She inherits his fortune and land. She uses her money to help her family and eventually marries a good man.
One moral of the story:
"Curiosity has its lure,
But all the same
It's a paltry kind of pleasure
And a risky game.
The thrill of peeping is soon over;
And then the cost is to discover."
It is quite an odd tale that doesn't explain the matter of his dead wives or his blue beard. Academics have theorized that the tale might be based on Gilles de Rais or Conomor the Accursed who were known for their cruelty.
Always a favorite with children, fairy tales were originally intended for adults while children were a secondary audience. Fairy tales began to be adapted for children in the 19th and 20th centuries.
An example of a tale that every child knows, but was intended for adults is Little Red Riding Hood. Based on earlier oral stories, Charles Perrault wrote a version of the story in 1697 to be included in his Tales of Mother Goose. His intended audience could have well been the court of Louis XIV, especially with the second part of his moral for the tale.
"And this warning take, I beg:
Not every wolf runs on four legs.
The smooth tongue of a smooth-skinned creature
May mask a rough and wolfish nature.
These quiet types, for all their charm,
Can be the cause of the worse harm."
I loved reading fairy tales as a child. My favorites were the 'Fairy Books' by Andrew Lang. Unfortunately, my local libraries only have two books from that series left in their holdings today, The Rainbow Book of Fairy Book and The Yellow Book of Fairy Book.
Re-reading fairy tales as an adult is just as enjoyable. The morals of the story take on a different meaning for you as an adult than they did as a child.
Take some time and have fun re-reading some fairy tales!
Until next time ^____^
I've also finished reading The Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault. My favorite tales were Tufty Ricky and Bluebeard as I've never read them before. The morals for each story in the collection were interesting. Tufty Ricky's morals:
"This tale is not so very fanciful
For what's true is true forever;
Those we love are always beautiful,
Those we love are always clever."
"Though nature paints some people's features
In lovely tints beyond the reach of art,
Still there's something hidden in all creatures
For love to find, and melt the heart."
Bluebeard is a strange tale of a nobleman with a blue beard who marries several times, but no one knows where his wives are. He marries a young lady in the village with strict instructions that she can have everything and do anything, but she must never use his house key to open a forbidden room. He goes away for several weeks and the lady's curiosity gets the better of her. She opens the door to find the bodies of Bluebeard's previous wives hanging from the wall.
She tries to hide the fact that she has been in the room, but the key is her downfall. It is a magic key that stains with blood when the door is opened, the blood cannot be washed off. When her husband finds out that she has disobeyed him, he says that he must kill her. Luckily, her brothers come at the last moment and kill Bluebeard. She inherits his fortune and land. She uses her money to help her family and eventually marries a good man.
One moral of the story:
"Curiosity has its lure,
But all the same
It's a paltry kind of pleasure
And a risky game.
The thrill of peeping is soon over;
And then the cost is to discover."
It is quite an odd tale that doesn't explain the matter of his dead wives or his blue beard. Academics have theorized that the tale might be based on Gilles de Rais or Conomor the Accursed who were known for their cruelty.
Always a favorite with children, fairy tales were originally intended for adults while children were a secondary audience. Fairy tales began to be adapted for children in the 19th and 20th centuries.
An example of a tale that every child knows, but was intended for adults is Little Red Riding Hood. Based on earlier oral stories, Charles Perrault wrote a version of the story in 1697 to be included in his Tales of Mother Goose. His intended audience could have well been the court of Louis XIV, especially with the second part of his moral for the tale.
"And this warning take, I beg:
Not every wolf runs on four legs.
The smooth tongue of a smooth-skinned creature
May mask a rough and wolfish nature.
These quiet types, for all their charm,
Can be the cause of the worse harm."
I loved reading fairy tales as a child. My favorites were the 'Fairy Books' by Andrew Lang. Unfortunately, my local libraries only have two books from that series left in their holdings today, The Rainbow Book of Fairy Book and The Yellow Book of Fairy Book.
Re-reading fairy tales as an adult is just as enjoyable. The morals of the story take on a different meaning for you as an adult than they did as a child.
Take some time and have fun re-reading some fairy tales!
Until next time ^____^
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sherlock
I can't wait for this new series from BBC! I'm usually not hip on modern retellings of the classics, but this looks great :) PBS has picked up the series to air during their PBS Mystery season this Fall!
Check out the trailer at PBS Mystery!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sherlock Holmes
After hearing that Sherlock Holmes was due out in theaters in late December, I made a run by my local bookstore and purchased The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with the hopes of reading it before the movie came out. Little did I know, that I wouldn’t see the film until late February because I couldn’t possibly stop at The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
I proceeded to check out the other works of Arthur Conan Doyle in his Holmes series, totaling 1,122 pages and spanning seventeen years. The story of Sherlock Holmes and his friend and biographer Dr. Watson starts in 1878 with their fateful meeting through a colleague, Stamford. Recently discharged from the Army for an injury to his shoulder, Watson is in search of a roommate as his pension from the Army isn’t much. Stamford suggests an acquaintance of his, Sherlock Holmes, as a suitable companion who is also on the lookout for a roommate. After meeting and admitting one another’s vices, Holmes and Watson agree to take lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London….a residence soon to be famous around the world after the first adventure, A Study in Scarlet, was published in the 1887 edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual.
Early on in their adventures, Watson falls in love with one of their clients, Mary Morstan, a poor governess, in The Sign of Four and marries her after the case has ended with her fortune no longer being an obstacle to their marriage. As Holmes put it, “The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association.”
Their adventures, oddly enough, hardly ever have them leaving the comfort of England, but the tales of the victims or criminals span the globe from the wild lands of India to the western frontiers of Utah and California. The only vice to mar the adventures of these two men is Holmes’ addiction to 7% solution of cocaine and morphine, which he uses when there has been no cases to solve for a while and he is bored of the world.
Some of my favorite adventures were:
1. Valley of Fear = detailing a corrupt Masonic temple lodge in late 19th century California and the links to which a fellow detective from America will go to avoid death by the hands of its members.
2. A Scandal in Bohemia = detailing one of Sherlock Holmes’ ‘failures’ at the hand of a woman, Irene Adler. As Watson said, “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. … It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. … Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.”
Ms. Adler was a former opera singer in Warsaw who had taken up lodgings in London after her lover, the King of Bohemia, breaks with her in order to marry the daughter of the King of Scandinavia. The king wishes Sherlock Holmes to retrieve a bundle of letters and a photograph that Irene is keeping from their liaison. She literally escapes under Holmes’ nose after greeting him at his doorstep in disguise.
3. An Adventure of the Three Garridebs = not so much for the plot, but for the fact that for once Sherlock Holmes displays a bit of feeling when his friend Dr. Watson is shot while apprehending the thief.
p. 1053 - In an instant he had whisked out a revolver from his breast and had fired two shots. I felt a sudden hot sear as if a red-hot iron had been pressed to my thigh. There a was a crash as Holmes’s pistol came down on the man’s head. I had a vision of him sprawling upon the floor with blood running down his face while Holmes rummaged him for weapons. Then my friend’s wiry arms were round me, and he was leading me to a chair.
“You’re not hurt, Watson? For God’s sake, say that you are not hurt!”
It was worth a wound – it was worth many wounds – to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.
“It’s nothing, Holmes. It’s a mere scratch.”
He had ripped up my trousers with his pocket-knife.
“You are right,” he cried with an immense sigh of relief. “It is quite superficial.” His face set like flint as he glared at our prisoner, who was sitting up with a dazed face. “By the Lord, it is as well for you. If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive. Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?”
Watching Sherlock Holmes in the theaters was an experience. I had to stop myself from laughing hysterically during several scenes in the movie that contained references to the books and/or were extremely funny to my geeky sensibilities. Overall, I thought it was a great film version of Doyle’s characters. However, I was a bit put off by the fact that Irene Adler was made into a ‘love’ interest of sorts for Holmes and that she knew Professor Moriarty and was working for him, which is utterly ridiculous.
Nevertheless, one of my favorite scenes in the movie has Holmes waiting at a restaurant for the arrival of Watson and his fiancée Mary Morstan. I loved the way the director captured Holmes’ agitation at being around so many people, driven mad by all the little details and conversations he was picking up in the room.
I have heard that a sequel will be in the works during the summer with hopefully (fingers crossed) all the main characters back to reprise their roles. The rumor mill has Brad Pitt playing Holmes’ archenemy Professor Moriarty, the ruthless mind behind London’s criminal underworld. After reading the entirety of Holmes’ stories and seeing how Professor Moriarty is portrayed, I can’t see Brad Pitt in that role. If he does take it, let’s hope he surprises the Holmes’ purists of the literary world.
Until next time ^_____^
P.S. Sherlock Holmes is due out to DVD later this month. If you haven’t seen it, I think you’ll like it, especially if you love period films. Visit your local library or video store to rent it if you aren’t sure about buying it for keeps ;)
I proceeded to check out the other works of Arthur Conan Doyle in his Holmes series, totaling 1,122 pages and spanning seventeen years. The story of Sherlock Holmes and his friend and biographer Dr. Watson starts in 1878 with their fateful meeting through a colleague, Stamford. Recently discharged from the Army for an injury to his shoulder, Watson is in search of a roommate as his pension from the Army isn’t much. Stamford suggests an acquaintance of his, Sherlock Holmes, as a suitable companion who is also on the lookout for a roommate. After meeting and admitting one another’s vices, Holmes and Watson agree to take lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London….a residence soon to be famous around the world after the first adventure, A Study in Scarlet, was published in the 1887 edition of Beeton's Christmas Annual.
Early on in their adventures, Watson falls in love with one of their clients, Mary Morstan, a poor governess, in The Sign of Four and marries her after the case has ended with her fortune no longer being an obstacle to their marriage. As Holmes put it, “The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association.”
Their adventures, oddly enough, hardly ever have them leaving the comfort of England, but the tales of the victims or criminals span the globe from the wild lands of India to the western frontiers of Utah and California. The only vice to mar the adventures of these two men is Holmes’ addiction to 7% solution of cocaine and morphine, which he uses when there has been no cases to solve for a while and he is bored of the world.
Some of my favorite adventures were:
1. Valley of Fear = detailing a corrupt Masonic temple lodge in late 19th century California and the links to which a fellow detective from America will go to avoid death by the hands of its members.
2. A Scandal in Bohemia = detailing one of Sherlock Holmes’ ‘failures’ at the hand of a woman, Irene Adler. As Watson said, “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. … It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. … Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.”
Ms. Adler was a former opera singer in Warsaw who had taken up lodgings in London after her lover, the King of Bohemia, breaks with her in order to marry the daughter of the King of Scandinavia. The king wishes Sherlock Holmes to retrieve a bundle of letters and a photograph that Irene is keeping from their liaison. She literally escapes under Holmes’ nose after greeting him at his doorstep in disguise.
3. An Adventure of the Three Garridebs = not so much for the plot, but for the fact that for once Sherlock Holmes displays a bit of feeling when his friend Dr. Watson is shot while apprehending the thief.
p. 1053 - In an instant he had whisked out a revolver from his breast and had fired two shots. I felt a sudden hot sear as if a red-hot iron had been pressed to my thigh. There a was a crash as Holmes’s pistol came down on the man’s head. I had a vision of him sprawling upon the floor with blood running down his face while Holmes rummaged him for weapons. Then my friend’s wiry arms were round me, and he was leading me to a chair.
“You’re not hurt, Watson? For God’s sake, say that you are not hurt!”
It was worth a wound – it was worth many wounds – to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.
“It’s nothing, Holmes. It’s a mere scratch.”
He had ripped up my trousers with his pocket-knife.
“You are right,” he cried with an immense sigh of relief. “It is quite superficial.” His face set like flint as he glared at our prisoner, who was sitting up with a dazed face. “By the Lord, it is as well for you. If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive. Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?”
Watching Sherlock Holmes in the theaters was an experience. I had to stop myself from laughing hysterically during several scenes in the movie that contained references to the books and/or were extremely funny to my geeky sensibilities. Overall, I thought it was a great film version of Doyle’s characters. However, I was a bit put off by the fact that Irene Adler was made into a ‘love’ interest of sorts for Holmes and that she knew Professor Moriarty and was working for him, which is utterly ridiculous.
Nevertheless, one of my favorite scenes in the movie has Holmes waiting at a restaurant for the arrival of Watson and his fiancée Mary Morstan. I loved the way the director captured Holmes’ agitation at being around so many people, driven mad by all the little details and conversations he was picking up in the room.
I have heard that a sequel will be in the works during the summer with hopefully (fingers crossed) all the main characters back to reprise their roles. The rumor mill has Brad Pitt playing Holmes’ archenemy Professor Moriarty, the ruthless mind behind London’s criminal underworld. After reading the entirety of Holmes’ stories and seeing how Professor Moriarty is portrayed, I can’t see Brad Pitt in that role. If he does take it, let’s hope he surprises the Holmes’ purists of the literary world.
Until next time ^_____^
P.S. Sherlock Holmes is due out to DVD later this month. If you haven’t seen it, I think you’ll like it, especially if you love period films. Visit your local library or video store to rent it if you aren’t sure about buying it for keeps ;)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sherlock Holmes
Watson, what have you done?
This movie was brilliant! If you've seen it already, you'll recognize the line I've quoted. Only Watson *cough Holmes cough* can take out a ship while fighting crime!
Until next time ^___^
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Stitching, reading, and future trip ;)
Hi, everyone! I've spent the day stitching on my WIP 4 Saisons. I am almost finished with Block 2. I am working on the ornate letter D, which is the last bit in the block. I should be done with it tomorrow. I hope to have pictures of the complete block by then.
In other news, I am currently reading The Hound of Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. There is one more novel and two selections of Sherlock Holmes' adventures to read before I have finished all the stories written about him.
I have not decided on what to read next. I'll have to look on my shelf of 'to read' books and see what jumps into my hands ;)
Next week, my friend and I are taking a trip to Huntsville to see the Paintings from the Reign of Victoria: The Royal Holloway Collection, London exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art. I can't wait to see it!!
There is also a very good cross stitch store in Huntsville called Patches and Stitches. I hope to persuade my friend to take a detour there while we are in the city!
Until next time!!
In other news, I am currently reading The Hound of Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. There is one more novel and two selections of Sherlock Holmes' adventures to read before I have finished all the stories written about him.
I have not decided on what to read next. I'll have to look on my shelf of 'to read' books and see what jumps into my hands ;)
Next week, my friend and I are taking a trip to Huntsville to see the Paintings from the Reign of Victoria: The Royal Holloway Collection, London exhibition at the Huntsville Museum of Art. I can't wait to see it!!
There is also a very good cross stitch store in Huntsville called Patches and Stitches. I hope to persuade my friend to take a detour there while we are in the city!
Until next time!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Stitching mania (Updated)
Hi, everyone! With a three-day weekend I was able to get a lot accomplished on my WIP 4 Saisons in between laundry and house cleaning.
Stitching: January 16-18, 2010
As you can see I'm almost finished with Block 2. I think I might be able to get this block done by the upcoming weekend when I start stitching on it again.
You may have noticed that there is quite a large tree in the middle that I haven't started yet. I plan on stitching the tree at the very end once I have all the surrounding blocks completed.
At the moment, I have no other stitching projects started as I want to get Block 2 finished before starting something new. I do have my eye on several charts that I would like to purchase soon!
In other news, I went by my local Abba Temple to an antique show on Saturday. I didn't see anything that really caught my attention, but it was nice to browse.
I've finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes with the 'death' of Holmes and his return in the Case of the Empty House. I was able to check out a 1930s copy of the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I hope to start the novels and other case files after finishing Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede.
~Recap for January~
Stitching: WIP 4 Saisons
Finished reading:
1. Steampunk by Ann VanderMeer
2. Hana Kimi manga volumes 1-23 by Hisaya Nakajo
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura
5. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
7. Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede
Currently reading:
1. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - the first novel in which Sherlock Holmes is introduced to readers in 1887. Not the first detective-type in the literary world since Inspector Bucket in Charles Dickens' Bleak House claims that role, but still a clever one!
Until next time!! Happy reading/stitching!
Stitching: January 16-18, 2010
As you can see I'm almost finished with Block 2. I think I might be able to get this block done by the upcoming weekend when I start stitching on it again.
You may have noticed that there is quite a large tree in the middle that I haven't started yet. I plan on stitching the tree at the very end once I have all the surrounding blocks completed.
At the moment, I have no other stitching projects started as I want to get Block 2 finished before starting something new. I do have my eye on several charts that I would like to purchase soon!
In other news, I went by my local Abba Temple to an antique show on Saturday. I didn't see anything that really caught my attention, but it was nice to browse.
I've finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes with the 'death' of Holmes and his return in the Case of the Empty House. I was able to check out a 1930s copy of the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I hope to start the novels and other case files after finishing Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede.
~Recap for January~
Stitching: WIP 4 Saisons
Finished reading:
1. Steampunk by Ann VanderMeer
2. Hana Kimi manga volumes 1-23 by Hisaya Nakajo
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura
5. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
7. Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede
Currently reading:
1. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - the first novel in which Sherlock Holmes is introduced to readers in 1887. Not the first detective-type in the literary world since Inspector Bucket in Charles Dickens' Bleak House claims that role, but still a clever one!
Until next time!! Happy reading/stitching!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Stitchery and books
Hi! I hope everyone is staying warm tonight. It's quite cold in the South right now. We are definitely not used to extreme cold weather for such long periods of time!
I made some progress on my WIP 4 Saisons last Saturday. I didn't have a chance to show you a picture until now.
Design: 4 Saisons by Anagram Diffusion
Fabric: 32 ct olive green Belfast
Threads: DMC 5200 and 498
Start: Block 2 - January 2, 2010
Not too bad for a half a day of stitching while watching Christy on dvd ;) I usually always watch some sort of period drama while stitching.
In addition to my stitching, I've been reading during the evenings after work. I've read the following books so far this month:
1. Steampunk by Ann VanderMeer - a collection of short stories under the literary genre of steampunk. My favorite was Victoria by Paul Di Filippo. It is a shame that the story wasn't a full-scale novel. I love the author's wit and humor.
2. Hana Kimi manga volumes 1-23 by Hisaya Nakajo - a cute story following the adventures of Mizuki Ashiya, a girl who has disguised herself in order to enroll in an all-boys school to be friends with her favorite high-jumper, Izumi Sano. I borrowed this series from one of my friends. I've heard from my friends that there are two TV drama adaptations of this series, one Japanese and the other Taiwanese. I can't wait to watch them after reading this delightful story!
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Coyle Donan - When I was growing up, I always meant to read Sherlock Holmes, but I never got around to it. I read this collection in about two days.
Currently reading:
1. Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura - the story of Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant and his (mis)adventures with the wolf-goddess Holo.
Future reading:
1. The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - a collection of all the short stories and one novel that were published by the British magazine The Strand from 1891 to 1905. I picked up this book from the library after work today. I was hoping that it would have the first Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet, but no luck there. After I'm finished reading this collection, I'll have to hunt down a copy of A Study in Scarlet.
Aside from books, I am on the hunt for Valentine's designs to cross stitch for the SAL that I belong too. I haven't come across anything yet. I had stopped by my LNS last Saturday, but I didn't see anything that caught my eye. I did buy some lovely pink shades of Anchor thread while I was there though ;)
Hopefully, I'll have better luck this weekend finding some nice designs to stitch. I hope to work on my WIP too!
Until next time ^____^ Happy reading/stiching!!
I made some progress on my WIP 4 Saisons last Saturday. I didn't have a chance to show you a picture until now.
Design: 4 Saisons by Anagram Diffusion
Fabric: 32 ct olive green Belfast
Threads: DMC 5200 and 498
Start: Block 2 - January 2, 2010
Not too bad for a half a day of stitching while watching Christy on dvd ;) I usually always watch some sort of period drama while stitching.
In addition to my stitching, I've been reading during the evenings after work. I've read the following books so far this month:
1. Steampunk by Ann VanderMeer - a collection of short stories under the literary genre of steampunk. My favorite was Victoria by Paul Di Filippo. It is a shame that the story wasn't a full-scale novel. I love the author's wit and humor.
2. Hana Kimi manga volumes 1-23 by Hisaya Nakajo - a cute story following the adventures of Mizuki Ashiya, a girl who has disguised herself in order to enroll in an all-boys school to be friends with her favorite high-jumper, Izumi Sano. I borrowed this series from one of my friends. I've heard from my friends that there are two TV drama adaptations of this series, one Japanese and the other Taiwanese. I can't wait to watch them after reading this delightful story!
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Coyle Donan - When I was growing up, I always meant to read Sherlock Holmes, but I never got around to it. I read this collection in about two days.
Currently reading:
1. Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura - the story of Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant and his (mis)adventures with the wolf-goddess Holo.
Future reading:
1. The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - a collection of all the short stories and one novel that were published by the British magazine The Strand from 1891 to 1905. I picked up this book from the library after work today. I was hoping that it would have the first Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet, but no luck there. After I'm finished reading this collection, I'll have to hunt down a copy of A Study in Scarlet.
Aside from books, I am on the hunt for Valentine's designs to cross stitch for the SAL that I belong too. I haven't come across anything yet. I had stopped by my LNS last Saturday, but I didn't see anything that caught my eye. I did buy some lovely pink shades of Anchor thread while I was there though ;)
Hopefully, I'll have better luck this weekend finding some nice designs to stitch. I hope to work on my WIP too!
Until next time ^____^ Happy reading/stiching!!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A great day for antiques ;)
I went by today to the local Shriner's temple for an antique show. They have one every three months during the year until the Fall when they have one every month up to December. I found several brooches that got my eye. You know I was going to get something, right? Who can resist jewelry?
The oldest brooch that I purchased today. The backing on this one is a C-clasp. I like the agate inside the brooch, it's pretty. I've noticed though that the agate on the sides has faded....can stones do that? Do I have a real agate brooch? Hmm....regardless, it's a nice piece of jewelry.
A small delicate circular brooch with three faux pearls. My birthstone is alexandrite, but the alternative is pearl. As I was growing up, I never cared much for pearls, but I love small delicate-looking ones especially in brooches. I would love to have an alexandrite brooch, but as they are expensive stones, I'll have to save up for one.
A fun pin for next year's St. Patrick's Day! I love looking for holiday pins when I'm out antiquing. I was looking for Fall-themed brooches with pumpkins, leaves, or acorns, but I saw more Christmas pins than any other holiday pins.
Isn't is lovely? I love this little bar pin with its red stone in the center and pearls on the ends. No, the dot in the center of the red stone isn't really there. It's the reflection of my camera lens ^___^"
In other news, my friends and I went out last night after work and saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I will admit that I cried at the end of the movie; I cried while reading the book when it came out as well. It didn't help with the musical score in the background during the end either.
There were some great previews at the beginning of the movie. I think I'll probably go and see Sherlock Holmes as I love period dramas. My friends and I also saw a poster while we were walking into the theater advertising Ponyo on the Cliff by Hayao Miyazaki! We were very excited that the movie is actually coming to our city. When Howl's Moving Castle came out, the only theatre showing it in our area was in Baton Rouge! And yes, we are such Hayao Miyazaki fans that we drove all the way out there to see it (3 hours away) ;)
Until next time! Happy antiquing!
The oldest brooch that I purchased today. The backing on this one is a C-clasp. I like the agate inside the brooch, it's pretty. I've noticed though that the agate on the sides has faded....can stones do that? Do I have a real agate brooch? Hmm....regardless, it's a nice piece of jewelry. 
A small delicate circular brooch with three faux pearls. My birthstone is alexandrite, but the alternative is pearl. As I was growing up, I never cared much for pearls, but I love small delicate-looking ones especially in brooches. I would love to have an alexandrite brooch, but as they are expensive stones, I'll have to save up for one.
A fun pin for next year's St. Patrick's Day! I love looking for holiday pins when I'm out antiquing. I was looking for Fall-themed brooches with pumpkins, leaves, or acorns, but I saw more Christmas pins than any other holiday pins.
Isn't is lovely? I love this little bar pin with its red stone in the center and pearls on the ends. No, the dot in the center of the red stone isn't really there. It's the reflection of my camera lens ^___^" In other news, my friends and I went out last night after work and saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I will admit that I cried at the end of the movie; I cried while reading the book when it came out as well. It didn't help with the musical score in the background during the end either.
There were some great previews at the beginning of the movie. I think I'll probably go and see Sherlock Holmes as I love period dramas. My friends and I also saw a poster while we were walking into the theater advertising Ponyo on the Cliff by Hayao Miyazaki! We were very excited that the movie is actually coming to our city. When Howl's Moving Castle came out, the only theatre showing it in our area was in Baton Rouge! And yes, we are such Hayao Miyazaki fans that we drove all the way out there to see it (3 hours away) ;)
Until next time! Happy antiquing!
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