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Sherlock Holmes and John Watson: The Day They Met: 50 New Ways the World's Most Legendary Partnership Might Have Begun
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have wandered far from the light of Victorian gas lamps. As Holmes and Watson they've tangled with Nazis, as Sherlock and John they roam the corridors of New Scotland Yard. In a world of so many fresh adventures, why not fresh beginnings to those adventures? From an 1879 Kabul train station to a King's College lecture theatre in 2015, The Day They Met includes stories both classic and contemporary, offering fifty intriguing new ways that the world's most legendary partnership might have begun.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2015
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January 23, 2015I read this book because I wrote this book! Um. I'm trying to figure out GoodReads. Please be patient. And if you're going to read this and know what the heck you're doing here, tell me please.
Used to write technical manuals for a living and can't figure out simple software. *grumble*
Used to write technical manuals for a living and can't figure out simple software. *grumble*
February 26, 2016
Before I begin my review of this book, a few confessions.
I adore Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. I’ve confessed this before, so it’s probably not much to admit to here, but I’m naturally predisposed to look kindly on new Holmesian stories.
Wendy Fries is also a friend of mine, and I have loved her writing since I first read it. Her style is vivacious, funny and wickedly witty, and then she goes and stabs you right in the feels before kissing it better. I find her work exciting in a similar (though not identical) way to the work of Mary Borsellino, of whom I have also waxed lyrical.
Fifty short stories is a lot to write, so Wendy asked people to throw prompts at her. I threw, she caught, she turned the prompt into something hilarious and perfect. I’m a bit delighted with the acknowlelgement in the back pages.
Those confessions being made, I neither embellish nor lie when I tell you how very much I loved this book, The Day They Met.
Produced by well-known Holmesian publisher, MX Publishing, these 50 short stories all retell the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, in different ways, in different times. (Because surely, such a great friendship, which has endured and flourished in the 128 years since their adventures were first published, would always have been destined to begin, somewhere, somewhen.)
Each short story is a little delight: tightly written yet painting very clear, incisive pictures of the two men (and what’s more, the supporting characters) as they meet for the first time.
Some stories are filled with humour – I was caught giggling on the tram to work more than once – and others with a very human insight into loneliness, courage, need and pain. Holmes and Watson were, in Conan Doyle’s original stories, two lonely men in search of a companion and purpose, and Fries evokes those hidden, driving needs extremely well, in between the deliciously outré crimes and their discovered shared sense of humour.
Fries has a background in writing non-fiction – in health, high tech and personal finance – which means the hints of crime and strange cases carry a flourish of intelligence and knowledge that add weight to the airiness with which they are scattered into the tales. Adding to that anchor of plausible cases and causes for meeting, we have Fries’ undeniable love of language, which can result in something playful becoming surprisingly heartfelt, and of course the reverse.
The tales roll trippingly off the page – they are very spritely indeed – and are full of sly and clever references to canon, whether set in the 19th century or the 21st.
If I’m willing to admit to a fault to The Day They Met – and I’m reluctant to do so – it probably lies with the reader: the impulse to gobble down 50 short, sharp, rich treats at once is both glorious and a bit overwhelming. Anybody who has eaten an entire box of fancy chocolatier chocolates at a sitting will know the feeling. (Not that I have done any such thing. No. Not at all. Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Tra la laaaaaa).
Luckily, unlike wee chocolate treats, a book can be re-consumed. The Day They Met is beautifully built for this. If you have an inhuman constitution that can resist the read-at-a-sitting impulse, you’ll enjoy dipping in and out of the book as the mood fits. If you’ve bolted the boxful already, well, you’ll have the pleasure of revisiting this tome of treats at leisure, perhaps taking your time to choose the flavour of your adventure.
Shall it be this vintage piece set in 1883 where they meet arguing over who has the rights to a hansom cab; or that tale of a man with PTSD who needs a clever, understanding man to short-circuit the terrors invoked by an intrusive tannoy? This 1886 glimpse of Holmes and Watson as children, or that 2008 introduction to Watson’s propensity for terrible titles. This bittersweet morsel, or that tangy observation, or perhaps this faintly bizarre one that appears to contain a couple of nuts?
Whether a lover of original canon or someone new to the Holmesian fold through BBC Sherlock, Fries’ range of stories has something to offer you. There’ll be adventure, laughter, courage and even the solution of bizarre and cruel crimes, in 50 bite-sized pieces.
And always and forever, there will be the Great Detective and his Boswell by the hearth at 221b Baker Street.
I adore Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. I’ve confessed this before, so it’s probably not much to admit to here, but I’m naturally predisposed to look kindly on new Holmesian stories.
Wendy Fries is also a friend of mine, and I have loved her writing since I first read it. Her style is vivacious, funny and wickedly witty, and then she goes and stabs you right in the feels before kissing it better. I find her work exciting in a similar (though not identical) way to the work of Mary Borsellino, of whom I have also waxed lyrical.
Fifty short stories is a lot to write, so Wendy asked people to throw prompts at her. I threw, she caught, she turned the prompt into something hilarious and perfect. I’m a bit delighted with the acknowlelgement in the back pages.
Those confessions being made, I neither embellish nor lie when I tell you how very much I loved this book, The Day They Met.
Produced by well-known Holmesian publisher, MX Publishing, these 50 short stories all retell the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, in different ways, in different times. (Because surely, such a great friendship, which has endured and flourished in the 128 years since their adventures were first published, would always have been destined to begin, somewhere, somewhen.)
Each short story is a little delight: tightly written yet painting very clear, incisive pictures of the two men (and what’s more, the supporting characters) as they meet for the first time.
Some stories are filled with humour – I was caught giggling on the tram to work more than once – and others with a very human insight into loneliness, courage, need and pain. Holmes and Watson were, in Conan Doyle’s original stories, two lonely men in search of a companion and purpose, and Fries evokes those hidden, driving needs extremely well, in between the deliciously outré crimes and their discovered shared sense of humour.
Fries has a background in writing non-fiction – in health, high tech and personal finance – which means the hints of crime and strange cases carry a flourish of intelligence and knowledge that add weight to the airiness with which they are scattered into the tales. Adding to that anchor of plausible cases and causes for meeting, we have Fries’ undeniable love of language, which can result in something playful becoming surprisingly heartfelt, and of course the reverse.
The tales roll trippingly off the page – they are very spritely indeed – and are full of sly and clever references to canon, whether set in the 19th century or the 21st.
If I’m willing to admit to a fault to The Day They Met – and I’m reluctant to do so – it probably lies with the reader: the impulse to gobble down 50 short, sharp, rich treats at once is both glorious and a bit overwhelming. Anybody who has eaten an entire box of fancy chocolatier chocolates at a sitting will know the feeling. (Not that I have done any such thing. No. Not at all. Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Tra la laaaaaa).
Luckily, unlike wee chocolate treats, a book can be re-consumed. The Day They Met is beautifully built for this. If you have an inhuman constitution that can resist the read-at-a-sitting impulse, you’ll enjoy dipping in and out of the book as the mood fits. If you’ve bolted the boxful already, well, you’ll have the pleasure of revisiting this tome of treats at leisure, perhaps taking your time to choose the flavour of your adventure.
Shall it be this vintage piece set in 1883 where they meet arguing over who has the rights to a hansom cab; or that tale of a man with PTSD who needs a clever, understanding man to short-circuit the terrors invoked by an intrusive tannoy? This 1886 glimpse of Holmes and Watson as children, or that 2008 introduction to Watson’s propensity for terrible titles. This bittersweet morsel, or that tangy observation, or perhaps this faintly bizarre one that appears to contain a couple of nuts?
Whether a lover of original canon or someone new to the Holmesian fold through BBC Sherlock, Fries’ range of stories has something to offer you. There’ll be adventure, laughter, courage and even the solution of bizarre and cruel crimes, in 50 bite-sized pieces.
And always and forever, there will be the Great Detective and his Boswell by the hearth at 221b Baker Street.
February 2, 2015
Produced by well-known Holmesian publisher, MX Publishing, these 50 short stories all retell the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, in different ways, in different times. (Because surely, such a great friendship, which has endured and flourished in the 128 years since their adventures were first published, would always have been destined to begin, somewhere, somewhen.)
Each short story is a little delight: tightly written yet painting very clear, incisive pictures of the two men (and what’s more, the supporting characters) as they meet for the first time.
Some stories are filled with humour – I was caught giggling on the tram to work more than once – and others with a very human insight into loneliness, courage, need and pain. Holmes and Watson were, in Conan Doyle’s original stories, two lonely men in search of a companion and purpose, and Fries evokes those hidden, driving needs extremely well, in between the deliciously outré crimes and their discovered shared sense of humour.
Fries has a background in writing non-fiction – in health, high tech and personal finance – which means the hints of crime and strange cases carry a flourish of intelligence and knowledge that add weight to the airiness with which they are scattered into the tales. Adding to that anchor of plausible cases and causes for meeting, we have Fries’ undeniable love of language, which can result in something playful becoming surprisingly heartfelt, and of course the reverse.
The tales roll trippingly off the page – they are very spritely indeed – and are full of sly and clever references to canon, whether set in the 19th century or the 21st.
If I’m willing to admit to a fault to The Day They Met – and I’m reluctant to do so – it probably lies with the reader: the impulse to gobble down 50 short, sharp, rich treats at once is both glorious and a bit overwhelming. Anybody who has eaten an entire box of fancy chocolatier chocolates at a sitting will know the feeling. (Not that I have done any such thing. No. Not at all. Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Tra la laaaaaa).
Luckily, unlike wee chocolate treats, a book can be re-consumed. The Day They Met is beautifully built for this. If you have an inhuman constitution that can resist the read-at-a-sitting impulse, you’ll enjoy dipping in and out of the book as the mood fits. If you’ve bolted the boxful already, well, you’ll have the pleasure of revisiting this tome of treats at leisure, perhaps taking your time to choose the flavour of your adventure.
Shall it be this vintage piece set in 1883 where they meet arguing over who has the rights to a hansom cab; or that tale of a man with PTSD who needs a clever, understanding man to short-circuit the terrors invoked by an intrusive tannoy? This 1886 glimpse of Holmes and Watson as children, or that 2008 introduction to Watson’s propensity for terrible titles. This bittersweet morsel, or that tangy observation, or perhaps this faintly bizarre one that appears to contain a couple of nuts?
Whether a lover of original canon or someone new to the Holmesian fold through BBC Sherlock, Fries’ range of stories has something to offer you. There’ll be adventure, laughter, courage and even the solution of bizarre and cruel crimes, in 50 bite-sized pieces.
And always and forever, there will be the Great Detective and his Boswell by the hearth at 221b Baker Street.
Each short story is a little delight: tightly written yet painting very clear, incisive pictures of the two men (and what’s more, the supporting characters) as they meet for the first time.
Some stories are filled with humour – I was caught giggling on the tram to work more than once – and others with a very human insight into loneliness, courage, need and pain. Holmes and Watson were, in Conan Doyle’s original stories, two lonely men in search of a companion and purpose, and Fries evokes those hidden, driving needs extremely well, in between the deliciously outré crimes and their discovered shared sense of humour.
Fries has a background in writing non-fiction – in health, high tech and personal finance – which means the hints of crime and strange cases carry a flourish of intelligence and knowledge that add weight to the airiness with which they are scattered into the tales. Adding to that anchor of plausible cases and causes for meeting, we have Fries’ undeniable love of language, which can result in something playful becoming surprisingly heartfelt, and of course the reverse.
The tales roll trippingly off the page – they are very spritely indeed – and are full of sly and clever references to canon, whether set in the 19th century or the 21st.
If I’m willing to admit to a fault to The Day They Met – and I’m reluctant to do so – it probably lies with the reader: the impulse to gobble down 50 short, sharp, rich treats at once is both glorious and a bit overwhelming. Anybody who has eaten an entire box of fancy chocolatier chocolates at a sitting will know the feeling. (Not that I have done any such thing. No. Not at all. Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Tra la laaaaaa).
Luckily, unlike wee chocolate treats, a book can be re-consumed. The Day They Met is beautifully built for this. If you have an inhuman constitution that can resist the read-at-a-sitting impulse, you’ll enjoy dipping in and out of the book as the mood fits. If you’ve bolted the boxful already, well, you’ll have the pleasure of revisiting this tome of treats at leisure, perhaps taking your time to choose the flavour of your adventure.
Shall it be this vintage piece set in 1883 where they meet arguing over who has the rights to a hansom cab; or that tale of a man with PTSD who needs a clever, understanding man to short-circuit the terrors invoked by an intrusive tannoy? This 1886 glimpse of Holmes and Watson as children, or that 2008 introduction to Watson’s propensity for terrible titles. This bittersweet morsel, or that tangy observation, or perhaps this faintly bizarre one that appears to contain a couple of nuts?
Whether a lover of original canon or someone new to the Holmesian fold through BBC Sherlock, Fries’ range of stories has something to offer you. There’ll be adventure, laughter, courage and even the solution of bizarre and cruel crimes, in 50 bite-sized pieces.
And always and forever, there will be the Great Detective and his Boswell by the hearth at 221b Baker Street.
March 12, 2015
I love this book, but I'd say that is pretty obvious from the five stars I gave it. I wish I could say that I have read it all in one sitting but no, real life hasn't been relaxed enough to let me do that and you know what? I say "thank you for that", because in this way I've been able to cherish each story, even though the glutton in me wanted to gorge on them.
Fries sapiently alternates 19th century and modern Holmes and Watson, thus underlining the concept at the basis of her collection of fifty short stories: these two characters, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, are immortal, and no matter what, no matter where, no matter how they meet for the first time, they will always be the best of friends, perfectly suited and there for one another through thick and thin.
Fries' tone and style are among my favourites and they are shown to perfection here: constantly impeccable, no ups-and-downs, and they make every story a little gem on its own. If some of these stories resonate more with me, like "Bloody Charming", "Terry the Terror", "Make Love, Not..." and "My Brother's Keeper", well... I'm only human, and it doesn't at all mean I enjoyed the others any less. On the contrary, I feel like praising Fries for another feat: she made me love short story collections again, and I can only thank her for that.
Fries sapiently alternates 19th century and modern Holmes and Watson, thus underlining the concept at the basis of her collection of fifty short stories: these two characters, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, are immortal, and no matter what, no matter where, no matter how they meet for the first time, they will always be the best of friends, perfectly suited and there for one another through thick and thin.
Fries' tone and style are among my favourites and they are shown to perfection here: constantly impeccable, no ups-and-downs, and they make every story a little gem on its own. If some of these stories resonate more with me, like "Bloody Charming", "Terry the Terror", "Make Love, Not..." and "My Brother's Keeper", well... I'm only human, and it doesn't at all mean I enjoyed the others any less. On the contrary, I feel like praising Fries for another feat: she made me love short story collections again, and I can only thank her for that.
December 28, 2015
This is a fun collection of flash fiction, showcasing fifty different ways in which Holmes and Watson might have met. I really only have one criticism, but it's kind of a big one.
The introduction posits that "[t]here is no time and no place in which John Watson and Sherlock Holmes would not have met." That sounds like it's setting the reader up for a really wide variety of eras and locations, right? But of the fifty stories, forty-four are set in London. Twenty-five are set between 1897 and 1888, and twenty-three are set between 2007 and 2015. There is one set in 1996, and one--my favorite one--is written in a way that it could be either 1864 or 1984.
I enjoyed this collection, but if more of the stories had veered away from late-Victorian and modern times, I would've liked it even more.
(Also? The author is clearly a huge Watson fan--she often writes him nearly as competent as Holmes. Which is fine with me, personally; the further from Nigel Bruce's Watson a characterisation is, the happier I am. But I know some people who read my reviews might be kind of turned off by a shiny, less problematic Watson.)
The introduction posits that "[t]here is no time and no place in which John Watson and Sherlock Holmes would not have met." That sounds like it's setting the reader up for a really wide variety of eras and locations, right? But of the fifty stories, forty-four are set in London. Twenty-five are set between 1897 and 1888, and twenty-three are set between 2007 and 2015. There is one set in 1996, and one--my favorite one--is written in a way that it could be either 1864 or 1984.
I enjoyed this collection, but if more of the stories had veered away from late-Victorian and modern times, I would've liked it even more.
(Also? The author is clearly a huge Watson fan--she often writes him nearly as competent as Holmes. Which is fine with me, personally; the further from Nigel Bruce's Watson a characterisation is, the happier I am. But I know some people who read my reviews might be kind of turned off by a shiny, less problematic Watson.)
February 2, 2015
I struggled to figure out how to find a place to review this book. I am totally lost here, but I was determined to review this most incredible book. I feel as though Wendy's stories have always been a part of my reading life, but in reality it has only been a few short years. Rare is the book that when finished, I've wanted to turn to the first page and begin again. The Day They Met is just such a book. And so I have begun reading it again just hours after finishing the last word. Wendy's love for this most legendary friendship is evident in each carefully chosen word. I am fortunate to have discovered her writing, and become one of her legions of fans. The world of Sherlock and John and Holmes and Watson is a rich one and Wendy's imagination and style bring these two fictional characters to life in the very best way.
January 28, 2015
Fifty well written and beautifully crafted short stories that are entirely in the spirit of all incarnations of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Wendy's love of the canon, and all that the canon has generated, shines from the pages, as does her love for the partnership between Holmes and Watson that drives all Holmes stories. Whether they meet in a hospital in 2015, or in a pub in Ireland in 1880, the core of these two men who have captivated our hearts for over a hundred years remains true. This is a book I will read, and re-read, until the pages are worn out.
May 15, 2018
The fanwriters who write fic for the Sherlock Holmes Canon (ie the four novels and fifty-four short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) are some of the best in the business. I've written for ACD!Holmes myself, though I wouldn't put myself in the same league as those writers who have done the best work with the character since Doyle himself.
The reason I'm saying that is because this is not that. I hate using the term "this sounds like fanfic" as a negative because, as I said above, lots of fanfic is amazing. But this sounded like bad fanfic and if you're going to get yours published, then yours had better be better than that. Because I knew this was published fanfic going in, and I'm not opposed to shaking up the overly Canonical and strict world of Holmes pastiches. There are those who think Holmes shouldn't ever be involved in anything supernatural or fantastical because he was so grounded in reality in Canon (except for The Adventure of the Creeping Man) and I'm not one of those. Holmes and Watson are archetypes for a reason and they pretty much work anywhere as long as they are recognizably Holmes and Watson.
But in order to do that, Holmes and Watson have to sound like Holmes and Watson. It's way more than just having Holmes show off some criminal knowledge and quip about playing the violin, which is pretty much what passed for characterization here. It's more than just matching the names and hoping your audience's knowledge does the rest. That's a fanfic attitude and it's the reason the best fanwriters develop the characters beyond canon instead of resting on everyone just knowing what they're supposed to sound like and imagining them.
So if you're going to pay for fanfic save your money and go read better ones for free.
The reason I'm saying that is because this is not that. I hate using the term "this sounds like fanfic" as a negative because, as I said above, lots of fanfic is amazing. But this sounded like bad fanfic and if you're going to get yours published, then yours had better be better than that. Because I knew this was published fanfic going in, and I'm not opposed to shaking up the overly Canonical and strict world of Holmes pastiches. There are those who think Holmes shouldn't ever be involved in anything supernatural or fantastical because he was so grounded in reality in Canon (except for The Adventure of the Creeping Man) and I'm not one of those. Holmes and Watson are archetypes for a reason and they pretty much work anywhere as long as they are recognizably Holmes and Watson.
But in order to do that, Holmes and Watson have to sound like Holmes and Watson. It's way more than just having Holmes show off some criminal knowledge and quip about playing the violin, which is pretty much what passed for characterization here. It's more than just matching the names and hoping your audience's knowledge does the rest. That's a fanfic attitude and it's the reason the best fanwriters develop the characters beyond canon instead of resting on everyone just knowing what they're supposed to sound like and imagining them.
So if you're going to pay for fanfic save your money and go read better ones for free.
January 11, 2018
I'm in love with Wendy C Fries stories. I love her writing style, I love her tales, but what I love the most is how she loves her characters.
In this short stories, you can see this love shine brightly in each and every alternate encounter of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
The stories vary in every way you can imagine: timeline always, but also age, occupation, place and circumstances. But they are always them, they are always Sherlock and John, Holmes and Watson, their friendship always the single fact that makes them better and happier.
The fact this book is read by Verity Burns only add to its loveliness. Her interpretation is sheer perfection.
If you love these character, in whatever version you love them, you'll love this book.
In this short stories, you can see this love shine brightly in each and every alternate encounter of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
The stories vary in every way you can imagine: timeline always, but also age, occupation, place and circumstances. But they are always them, they are always Sherlock and John, Holmes and Watson, their friendship always the single fact that makes them better and happier.
The fact this book is read by Verity Burns only add to its loveliness. Her interpretation is sheer perfection.
If you love these character, in whatever version you love them, you'll love this book.
August 22, 2020
You don't have to like or even know the Sherlock Holmes stories to enjoy these short stories. Because they are about more than just Holmes and Watson. They are about friendship and how even the most unlikely pairings can begin and grow ever stronger over time. Wendy C. Fries writes with a deft and sure voice that makes these stories sweet and funny, lyrical and touching. I thoroughly and enjoyed this look into how Holmes and Watson might have met and become friends and I highly recommend this book.
dnf
May 5, 2020just gonna park this book for a while, until i feel like picking it up again. which i surmise might do take a long while
May 8, 2018
I think ... no, I know ... this book is great. More please, Dear Author?
August 15, 2016
Destined to meet!
50 ways the world’s most legendary partnership might have begun…
My thanks to Steve and Timi of MX Publication for my review copy of this book! You are a credit to Sherlock Holmes aficionados worldwide!
“You have been in Afghanistan I perceive.”
Any Sherlockian worth his or her salt knows that famous line! The very first meeting between Sherlock Holmes and his flat-mate and biographer, Dr. John Watson took place at St. Bart’s in London. Both men needed suitable lodgings, and both could not afford them alone. This meeting lead to the legend that is Holmes and Watson—companions, adventurers, and a duo feared by criminals everywhere.
Of course Holmes is always the rational reasoned who ferrets out the truth of a problem from the observation of trifles. Watson is the friend who will risk everything for Holmes, his sounding board, his Boswell, and a good man in a fight. But their partnership is what has stood the test of time, and neither Watson’s marriages nor Holmes’ retirement will split them apart.
But what if they had never met at St. Bart’s? What if Stamford had never been at the Criterion Bar, where he found Watson, and they were never introduced?
This is a question that author Wendy C Fries has asked herself. And she has come to the conclusion that no matter what the two were destined to meet and form their unique partnership. With 50 short tales, she gives insight into 50 ways they might have met.
• In the Diogenes Club’s Strangers Room
• When both volunteer for the Army
• While helping a man run down by a hansom
• Through a newspaper advertisement
• While Holmes plays a violin-playing beggar
• And many more…
•
I would be lying if I said I liked them all, but I like the vast majority, and the ones I didn’t like were not because they were not well written, they just weren’t my taste. I find that the author has done a tremendous job in imagining each meeting, and I believe I would welcome a second volume of the same!
In spite of my dislike for a few, I give the book five stars as I liked most of them!
Quoth the Raven…
50 ways the world’s most legendary partnership might have begun…
My thanks to Steve and Timi of MX Publication for my review copy of this book! You are a credit to Sherlock Holmes aficionados worldwide!
“You have been in Afghanistan I perceive.”
Any Sherlockian worth his or her salt knows that famous line! The very first meeting between Sherlock Holmes and his flat-mate and biographer, Dr. John Watson took place at St. Bart’s in London. Both men needed suitable lodgings, and both could not afford them alone. This meeting lead to the legend that is Holmes and Watson—companions, adventurers, and a duo feared by criminals everywhere.
Of course Holmes is always the rational reasoned who ferrets out the truth of a problem from the observation of trifles. Watson is the friend who will risk everything for Holmes, his sounding board, his Boswell, and a good man in a fight. But their partnership is what has stood the test of time, and neither Watson’s marriages nor Holmes’ retirement will split them apart.
But what if they had never met at St. Bart’s? What if Stamford had never been at the Criterion Bar, where he found Watson, and they were never introduced?
This is a question that author Wendy C Fries has asked herself. And she has come to the conclusion that no matter what the two were destined to meet and form their unique partnership. With 50 short tales, she gives insight into 50 ways they might have met.
• In the Diogenes Club’s Strangers Room
• When both volunteer for the Army
• While helping a man run down by a hansom
• Through a newspaper advertisement
• While Holmes plays a violin-playing beggar
• And many more…
•
I would be lying if I said I liked them all, but I like the vast majority, and the ones I didn’t like were not because they were not well written, they just weren’t my taste. I find that the author has done a tremendous job in imagining each meeting, and I believe I would welcome a second volume of the same!
In spite of my dislike for a few, I give the book five stars as I liked most of them!
Quoth the Raven…
February 7, 2015
Holmes and Watson - arguably one of the most famous partnerships in the history of literature (certainly up there with Bennet & Darcy, or Bond & Q).
In this anthology of short stories, Wendy C Fries posits that no matter how, and no matter when, and no matter why, fate dictates that Holmes and Watson would meet, become friends (and in some tales, there is the cheeky suggestion of More-Than-Friends), become flatmates, and become the greatest crime-fighting duo London has ever seen, or ever will see again.
I loved the breadth of creativity, the attention to detail, and even some of the silliness of the tales.
I also really appreciate that while Fries nodded to or paid homage to many of the famous cases and adaptations, she didn't get bogged down in trying to be winky-wink at the audience about them. She let the stories speak for themselves and stand on their own.
And her turns of phrase are really delightful.
My favourite really must be "The Bee's Elbows", where Sherlock enlists John to help him muddle up a "dancing men" cypher by creating havoc on a dancefloor at an embassy ball.
My only wishes for this book are:
A) that some of the stories went on a little longer. Some of the concepts Fries sets up are so engaging that I wish there was a whole novel of some of the tales.
B) That there were more stories in more time periods. I would very much have liked to see a Jazz Age meeting, of a Cold War meeting, or a Regency, or Disco Era meeting. The conciet of the anthology is that Holmes and Watson are Holmes and Watson, wherever and whenever they are. I would have liked to see Fries stretch out of the Victorian and New Millennium time frames.
Beyond that, though, this is a playful, thoughtful, cheeky anthology and I rec t highly.
Hey, Wendy - if you're doing another anthology, can I come play too?
In this anthology of short stories, Wendy C Fries posits that no matter how, and no matter when, and no matter why, fate dictates that Holmes and Watson would meet, become friends (and in some tales, there is the cheeky suggestion of More-Than-Friends), become flatmates, and become the greatest crime-fighting duo London has ever seen, or ever will see again.
I loved the breadth of creativity, the attention to detail, and even some of the silliness of the tales.
I also really appreciate that while Fries nodded to or paid homage to many of the famous cases and adaptations, she didn't get bogged down in trying to be winky-wink at the audience about them. She let the stories speak for themselves and stand on their own.
And her turns of phrase are really delightful.
My favourite really must be "The Bee's Elbows", where Sherlock enlists John to help him muddle up a "dancing men" cypher by creating havoc on a dancefloor at an embassy ball.
My only wishes for this book are:
A) that some of the stories went on a little longer. Some of the concepts Fries sets up are so engaging that I wish there was a whole novel of some of the tales.
B) That there were more stories in more time periods. I would very much have liked to see a Jazz Age meeting, of a Cold War meeting, or a Regency, or Disco Era meeting. The conciet of the anthology is that Holmes and Watson are Holmes and Watson, wherever and whenever they are. I would have liked to see Fries stretch out of the Victorian and New Millennium time frames.
Beyond that, though, this is a playful, thoughtful, cheeky anthology and I rec t highly.
Hey, Wendy - if you're doing another anthology, can I come play too?
December 31, 2018
The unique concept and wild variety (even though one author imagined all of these) made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
"This is a work of fiction about a work of fiction." After the author expressed the feeling to a friend that Holmes and Watson were fated to meet, the friend challenged her to come up with another way they could've met. Turns out the author could come up with 50 and this interesting premise of a book was the result.
I didn't keep track from story to story but to give it 5 stars means that I enjoyed all or almost all of them. I did take note of the best out-of-context line, "When two men try on lipstick together at two in the morning, something happens. Friendship, partnership, bonding...something."
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
"This is a work of fiction about a work of fiction." After the author expressed the feeling to a friend that Holmes and Watson were fated to meet, the friend challenged her to come up with another way they could've met. Turns out the author could come up with 50 and this interesting premise of a book was the result.
I didn't keep track from story to story but to give it 5 stars means that I enjoyed all or almost all of them. I did take note of the best out-of-context line, "When two men try on lipstick together at two in the morning, something happens. Friendship, partnership, bonding...something."
Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com
March 6, 2016
I ordered this book when it first came out a few years ago. I was already familiar with the writing of the author. I found her writing to be some of the best I have ever encountered. She spins the possible tales of the intrepid duo's first encounters so well she makes it impossible to accept only one way of them meeting! These tales encased within the covers of this book have been reread by me too many times to count. I bought a second for a dear friend who enjoys the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (as much as I)so she would give me back my copy! You will enjoy the adventures many times, picking your favorites. (Am waiting for her second work,"The Night They Met," to arrive.) Can barely wait!
April 19, 2016
Wendy C. Fries pondered the concept that the friendship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is something that would exist across time. It was something that was meant to be. So she sat down and wrote 50 short stories of how these two friends could possibly meet.
The ways are many, varied, and deeply entertaining.
From John Watson finding Sherlock Holmes asleep in a morgue drawer, to meeting whilst Watson performed first aid on Lestrade, the book is back with wonderful, entertaining, and, above all, believable alternate meetings.
A charming little book which should delight all Sherlockians of all ages.
The ways are many, varied, and deeply entertaining.
From John Watson finding Sherlock Holmes asleep in a morgue drawer, to meeting whilst Watson performed first aid on Lestrade, the book is back with wonderful, entertaining, and, above all, believable alternate meetings.
A charming little book which should delight all Sherlockians of all ages.
March 22, 2015
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson were always fated to meet. This fun collection of short stories imagines how those meetings could have happened, in both classic and contemporary settings. I enjoyed these many different meetings so much; no matter the setting, Holmes and Watson are still recognizable.
March 31, 2015
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were always destined to meet - if not in the late 1800s then early in the 21st century. Brilliant series of vignettes outlining all the different ways in which it could have happened. Dipping in and out of this book was like dipping into a box of chocolates - so many sweet, sweet stories and it was hard to stop at just one.
May 17, 2015
I agree with some other reviewers in that it would have been nice to see a bit more variation in the time periods, BUT you couldn't ask for more variation in the set ups! I felt that all of them were interesting and creative, and yet they all felt true to the characters. None of them were too far-fetched.
June 4, 2016
Thoroughly entertaining read that you can consume in tasty little sips or all in one satisfying go. My only complaint was that it was over. I could read about these two men meeting for the rest of my life, all full of sparks of possibility. I do plan on soon reading "The Night They Met" which explores another aspect of how those sparks could ignite.
February 23, 2016
LOVED IT. LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. <3
February 11, 2015
Some funny moments, some beautiful moments. I could probably read these in Wendy's endearing, distinctive style endlessly.
March 2, 2015
Delightful. Daughter is reading it then we're going to decide which ones we liked best. Curious to see if our choices are similar. :)
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