Nov 24, 2021
“a love-story or an elopement” [SIGN]
We don't think of the Sherlock Holmes stories as being
romances, and yet there are elements of romance that find their way
into these tales about complicated human relationships at all
levels.
We look across a handful of stories to tease out the romantic
elements and...
Nov 17, 2021
“a fierce old bird of prey” [SPEC]
Birds are part of British life. Such is the reality of living
on an island. And there were a great variety of birds we hear about
in the Sherlock Holmes stories.
While many of them were commonplace and part of the hunting
and dining habits in Victorian England, there were...
Nov 10, 2021
“You’re crazy!” [DANC]
Sherlock Holmes had his eccentricities, without a question.
Many scholars over the years have debated his mental health, with a
wide variety of diagnoses.
But there has been a suggestion that a physical condition in
Holmes and its treatment may very well have masked...
Nov 3, 2021
“to produce his meretricious finales” [BLAN]
There are a number of times in the 60 Sherlock Holmes stories
when Holmes criticizes Watson's efforts as a writer. Holmes takes
the view of a practitioner, while Watson is trying to reach a
different audience.
Indeed, it's when Holmes himself attempts to fill in...