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Seventeen Steps to 221B: A Sherlockian Collection by English Writers
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 4, 2020
3.75 Definitely something for a Sherlockian.
April 1, 2022
Timing is ... well, they say, you know ... everything. Had I read this 20 years ago, or had I read this 20 years from now, I would likely have enjoyed it a whole lot more than I did. This is an interesting collection of Sherlock Holmes fan-non-fic (trademark pending), much of it 100-120 years old now. Several of the first selections argue over minutia of details about Watson's personal life, geography of Holmes's London, and chronological details of his cases. As I said, 20 years ago I would have gobbled that up. 20 years from now I may sample that with delight. Now, in middle age (one hopes), it's time-wasting piffle.
Now, I'm all for critical inquiry, literary criticism, and, certainly, pop culture scrutiny and delight in arguing over niggling details. But. We all know Sir Doyle couldn't give two figs about consistency in a world he disliked intensely and a hero he disliked writing about so much he killed him dead. And, perhaps because he liked having money to spend on frivolous things like food, Sir Doyle resuscitated his hero years later and wrote a few more stories and on and on. I would be wholly unsurprised if you told me Sir Doyle spent no seconds reading his own stories about Holmes and Watson or kept notes about anything. We should be more surprised their address never changed over the years. Since Sir Doyle wasn't trying to be consistent, discussing and exploring and arguing the inconsistencies seems a bit of a silly use of time (and usually I'm all for silly uses of time).
Maybe back in the day there wasn't all that much to talk about, and I know this book is for a very teensy niche within a very small circle, but boy, I don't think this has aged all that well (but maybe it's me who hasn't aged very well, that could certainly be true). This sort of thing is akin, to me, in my personal opinion, I think, like speedruns in video games. The point, to me, is to delight in the games, play them for fun, not see if I can finish it just to finish it as quickly as possible. That doesn't seem to me to be the point of the game. Sure, you can do it, and you can use Fabergé eggs as doorstops or paperweights, but that seems to be missing the point.
I'm all for discussing the moral complexities of Holmes, his views on narcotics, Watson's changing impressions of his roommate over time as he gets to know him, the kinds of people they encounter in their world, the complex nature of the "villains" in these stories (many of whom could be somewhat justified for their actions), the possibility that Holmes invented Moriarty ... I'd be interested in reading those inquiries. But chronology of cases? whether Watson had multiple wives? when their doors changed from left-hinged to right-hinged? Not right now, thanks. Maybe in twenty years. See me then.
Now, I'm all for critical inquiry, literary criticism, and, certainly, pop culture scrutiny and delight in arguing over niggling details. But. We all know Sir Doyle couldn't give two figs about consistency in a world he disliked intensely and a hero he disliked writing about so much he killed him dead. And, perhaps because he liked having money to spend on frivolous things like food, Sir Doyle resuscitated his hero years later and wrote a few more stories and on and on. I would be wholly unsurprised if you told me Sir Doyle spent no seconds reading his own stories about Holmes and Watson or kept notes about anything. We should be more surprised their address never changed over the years. Since Sir Doyle wasn't trying to be consistent, discussing and exploring and arguing the inconsistencies seems a bit of a silly use of time (and usually I'm all for silly uses of time).
Maybe back in the day there wasn't all that much to talk about, and I know this book is for a very teensy niche within a very small circle, but boy, I don't think this has aged all that well (but maybe it's me who hasn't aged very well, that could certainly be true). This sort of thing is akin, to me, in my personal opinion, I think, like speedruns in video games. The point, to me, is to delight in the games, play them for fun, not see if I can finish it just to finish it as quickly as possible. That doesn't seem to me to be the point of the game. Sure, you can do it, and you can use Fabergé eggs as doorstops or paperweights, but that seems to be missing the point.
I'm all for discussing the moral complexities of Holmes, his views on narcotics, Watson's changing impressions of his roommate over time as he gets to know him, the kinds of people they encounter in their world, the complex nature of the "villains" in these stories (many of whom could be somewhat justified for their actions), the possibility that Holmes invented Moriarty ... I'd be interested in reading those inquiries. But chronology of cases? whether Watson had multiple wives? when their doors changed from left-hinged to right-hinged? Not right now, thanks. Maybe in twenty years. See me then.
November 27, 2016
This little book of essays isn't the most boring book I've ever read, and it isn't even the most boring book about Sherlock I've ever read, but it sure comes close. Almost every essay deals with nitpicking Conan Doyle's inconsistencies and cavalier lack of continuity .... but if you're a Sherlock fan, you already know that Sherlock was Conan Doyle's redheaded stepchild and he simply didn't care about tightening up the details, so why work so hard to come up with explanations? I've read other books and essays where this was done with more humor and wit, and not with the dry trying-to-show-off-one's scholarship style of this book. I'm especially sorry to say this of the essay of the wonderful Dorothy L. Sayers.
There were a few essays that broke the mold, and they were enjoyable.
There were a few essays that broke the mold, and they were enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews