Author Topic: Sherlock Holmes' 166th Birthday - January 6, 2020 - It's a Party All Month!  (Read 41224 times)

Kate Stine, Editor

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Re: Sherlock Holmes' 166th Birthday - January 6, 2020 - It's a Party!
« Reply #15 on: January 08, 2020, 09:00:08 am »
I agree that ELEMENTARY, despite its many changes to the original story, really captured the spirit of Sherlock Holmes. Jonny Lee Miller was excellent and I also liked Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. The episodes on addiction were particularly good, I thought.

JRob

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Re: Sherlock Holmes' 166th Birthday - January 6, 2020 - It's a Party!
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2020, 05:20:57 pm »
I agree that ELEMENTARY, despite its many changes to the original story, really captured the spirit of Sherlock Holmes. Jonny Lee Miller was excellent and I also liked Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. The episodes on addiction were particularly good, I thought.

Kate,

I know the ratings for the show were low but I still wish they were making new episodes. It just hit the right notes in how everything was portrayed.

Becke Davis

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Re: Sherlock Holmes' 166th Birthday - January 6, 2020 - It's a Party!
« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2020, 05:33:42 pm »


I agree with you. I saw the Downey/Holmes movie and while I didn't dislike it, I had a hard time accepting Downey as Holmes. I like Brett, Rathbone, and Cumberbatch, and I like Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes in the TV show ELEMENTARY.

I would say that Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes in the ELEMENTARY series would be my 2nd favorite portrayal because I loved that show. I watched every episode and I'm planning on buying the series DVD set as soon as I can.

That show really grew on me. At first I was very hesitant to watch it, but with every season I liked it more.

Becke Davis

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We have a lot of ground to cover still, so I just want to make a note about our Holmes Celebration. The Birthday anniversary inspired this event, but the celebration will go on all month.

I'd love to hear from anyone who writes or enjoys reading books that relate to the original Holmes books but take them in a new direction.

Spread the word!

JRob

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I read all sorts of homages to the Holmes canon or non-canonical Holmes stories that get published. The library's Mystery Book Club just read the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany which I love, but it was funny that one member just hated everything about the main character. She printed out everything that she didn't like and when someone asked me what I thought about what she said, my response was "Everything she hated is what made me like the character and book."

Becke Davis

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I read all sorts of homages to the Holmes canon or non-canonical Holmes stories that get published. The library's Mystery Book Club just read the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany which I love, but it was funny that one member just hated everything about the main character. She printed out everything that she didn't like and when someone asked me what I thought about what she said, my response was "Everything she hated is what made me like the character and book."

It's so funny how that works. I once got into a conversation with a woman at a bookstore. She saw me browsing through mysteries and went on a rant about how over-rated Agatha Christie is. I knew it would be a waste of time and energy defending one of my favorite authors when I was pretty sure she'd never even read one.

I'm not always in the mood for cozies, just like I'm not always in the mood for noir or thrillers. And I must admit, when I first started reading Sherlock Holmes stories, I enjoyed the plots but thought Holmes was an annoying know-it-all. Reading the Mary Russell books humanized Holmes for me, and watching Elementary made him more likable to me, too.

JRob

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It's so funny how that works. I once got into a conversation with a woman at a bookstore. She saw me browsing through mysteries and went on a rant about how over-rated Agatha Christie is. I knew it would be a waste of time and energy defending one of my favorite authors when I was pretty sure she'd never even read one.

I'm not always in the mood for cozies, just like I'm not always in the mood for noir or thrillers. And I must admit, when I first started reading Sherlock Holmes stories, I enjoyed the plots but thought Holmes was an annoying know-it-all. Reading the Mary Russell books humanized Holmes for me, and watching Elementary made him more likable to me, too.

I've had people ask me for recommendations every so often so I give them suggestions. Some take them, others don't but the ones who do have generally liked the books I've recommended.

Right from the start, I've loved everything about Sherlock Holmes. The know-it-all aspect actually appealed to me so obviously there must be something wrong with me. Ha!

Becke Davis

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This homage to Holmes is advertised in the current issue of Mystery Scene. The gorgeous cover would have caught my eye in a bookstore, but I somehow missed this one. It gets great reviews and based on the reviews it's a shout-out to HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.

It's well past Christmas, but I've added this to my wish list - like so many others!

https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Christmas-Demon-Lovegrove/dp/1785658026/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7U6ESZZ6AIZ3&keywords=sherlock+holmes+and+the+christmas+demon&qid=1579247906&s=books&sprefix=sherlock+holmes+demo%2Cstripbooks%2C230&sr=1-1

JRob

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I've seen that book on the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble. I will probably wait until it comes out in paperback. Lovegrove also wrote the first couple of Firefly prose novels that have been published recently.

Denise

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In honor, I am rereading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have a quality paperback that is supposed to be a facsimile of the original edition, with Sidney Paget's illustrations. I also have The Memoirs...; they came as a pair.  I have a paperback of The Hound of the Baskervilles, that I got when I was in junior high! I'm actually not sure that I've read any of the other novels; much more familiar with the short stories.

For me, Jeremy Brett is the definitive Holmes. Basil Rathbone was very good, too, although I think a number of those movies had original plots not from the stories. The Cumberbatch series is excellent in its own way, and really fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the character of Moriarty in that series. Elementary was also a good series.

And don't forget the movie The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother! So long since I've seen it, but what a comedy cast! Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, etc. Basically a Mel Brooks film, only without Brooks - Wilder wrote and directed.
"Poirot," I said. "I have been thinking."  "An admirable exercise, my friend. Continue it." - Agatha Christie, Peril at End House

Becke Davis

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In honor, I am rereading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have a quality paperback that is supposed to be a facsimile of the original edition, with Sidney Paget's illustrations. I also have The Memoirs...; they came as a pair.  I have a paperback of The Hound of the Baskervilles, that I got when I was in junior high! I'm actually not sure that I've read any of the other novels; much more familiar with the short stories.

For me, Jeremy Brett is the definitive Holmes. Basil Rathbone was very good, too, although I think a number of those movies had original plots not from the stories. The Cumberbatch series is excellent in its own way, and really fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the character of Moriarty in that series. Elementary was also a good series.

And don't forget the movie The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother! So long since I've seen it, but what a comedy cast! Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, etc. Basically a Mel Brooks film, only without Brooks - Wilder wrote and directed.

Denise - I had forgotten all about the Wilder/Holmes movie! You just reminded me of another book-and-movie: THE 7 1/2 PERCENT SOLUTION. It had a good cast but I seem to remember the movie dragged a bit. The book, on the other hand, was well-received. I'm sure I read it when it first came out - I remember I had a book club edition of the book (that I no longer have) - but I don't remember much about it.

Kate Stine, Editor

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I read The Seven and Half Percent Solution when I in college, I think. I remember being very startled by the drug addiction material. Somehow I had read the stories, admittedly when I was a kid, and hadn't quite processed Sherlock's whole cocaine habit....

Becke Davis

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I read The Seven and Half Percent Solution when I in college, I think. I remember being very startled by the drug addiction material. Somehow I had read the stories, admittedly when I was a kid, and hadn't quite processed Sherlock's whole cocaine habit....

I didn't figure that out until I was older, either, and at first I was sure I must be mistaken.

Denise

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In the Adventures, cocaine was spelled "cucaine". I hadn't seen that spelling before. Now I've moved on to the Memoirs, and it's spelled "cocaine".
"Poirot," I said. "I have been thinking."  "An admirable exercise, my friend. Continue it." - Agatha Christie, Peril at End House

Becke Davis

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Re: Sherlock Holmes' 166th Birthday - January 6, 2020 - It's a Party All Month!
« Reply #29 on: February 21, 2020, 03:00:43 pm »
In the Adventures, cocaine was spelled "cucaine". I hadn't seen that spelling before. Now I've moved on to the Memoirs, and it's spelled "cocaine".

I've come across that spelling recently - I can't remember which book it was, though.

I subscribe to an email newsletter from the U.S. Patent Office (I get a lot of random emails) and the latest one included information about a 1924 movie called "Sherlock, Jr.":

"Sherlock Jr.

In 1924, the iconic filmmaker and actor Buster Keaton directed and starred in two acclaimed silent films, The Navigator and Sherlock Jr. The latter is considered one of his masterpieces. Film historians and critics celebrate the surrealistic film for Keaton’s trademark physical comedy and dry humor as well as for its editing and special effects. In 1991, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Additionally, the American Film Institute ranked Sherlock Jr. as one of the 100 funniest films, and the Motion Picture Editors Guild named it one of the 75 best-edited films of all time."