[Miss J]

Last night Polasek suggested that, since I'm still reading through the Canonical stories of Holmes, that I should write down my thoughts during it. So, after turning off my beloved computer for the night and crawling into my bed, I decided that I should give it a swing. So, while reading, every few paragraphs I'd write down a quick note about what I was thinking while reading the story 'The Dying Detective', and... well... this kinda came out. It's a bit unorganized, for this is my first time ever doing anything like this, so if anyone has suggestions on how to make this better, I'll definitely work on it. :)

(Oh, by the way, I'll copy everything from my tablet EXACTLY how I wrote it - how you see it is precisely how it is in my notebook, emotes and all. Even the (abundant) grammatical mistakes.... I figured it might make this a bit more humorous, but anyhow.... ;D)

My first encounter with The Dying Detective:

First thought: I can't believe I'm breaking chronological order for these people! Honestly! (I SHOULD be reading The Valley of Fear, but ah well....)

Upon reading the first paragraph, my respect (and sympathy, poor woman!) for Mrs. Hudson has skyrocketed and my admiration for Holmes deepened. :)

Second year of...? Ahhh Watson! Such a playa! xD

HOLMES? DYING?! OHGODPLZNO!!
(Naturally, I know this'll either be a Superman situation or another Reigate Puzzle Moment. "LOLOLOL I JUST PRETENDED TO BE DYING TO ADVANCE CLEVER SCHEMES :D", it's just the thought of it.....)

Daww, he asks specifically for Watson?
As expected, yes, but still... ^^

ASDFGHJKL;!! He really IS sick!
(Specifically note how bad I want to hug him right now) ; ~~ ;

Masterful, indeed! Ahh Holmes! ;D

What a fantastic friendship! Holmes, indeed, does have a softer side to him, buried underneath all of his cold, intellectual layers! (Insert link to Scrubs' "Guy Love" here - hint that someone with great editing skills should make a Holmes an' Watson (David Burke, hopefully - sorry, Eddy) fanvid to this song)

"You are only a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications."
OUCH. Owned, Watson!

"In an instant, with a tiger-spring, the dying man had intercepted me. I heard the sharp snap of a twisted key."
LULZ. God I love Holmes! xD

"This is insanity, Holmes!"
"No, Watson... THIS. IS. BAKER STREEEEEET!!"
*Kicks into Reichenbach*

"The first three sensible words that you have uttered since you entered this room, Watson."
Once again: Owned.

[Regarding the small black box and Holmes' reaction] OCD, anyone?

Gee... poor Holmes! At least it's assured that he survives, seeing as Watson didn't go into a monologue thingy at the beginning of this story like he did in The Final Problem. Still feel bad for 'im, though. :/

"Indeed, I cannot think why the whole bed of the ocean is not one solid mass of oysters, so prolific the creatures seem."
BWAHAHAHA!!

"Shall the world, then, be overrun by oysters? No, no; horrible!"
*DEAD*

"Quick, man, if you love me!"
Once again, their 'bromance' is fantastic! :)

I... want... to punch... this Culverton guy. To make Holmes, of all people, beg... and poor Watson, not being able to kick the snot out of this guy (which I'd totally do if I was in his position, but I DO digress...)

Random note: Doyle must have been in a rather dark mood while writing this bit to put his own creation through such prolific agony. The persona of Doyle has, indeed, become more of an enigma to me now....

HOLY UNEXPECTED PLOT TWIST, BATMAN!! BUT... HE... AND... JUST... I WAS FLIPPIN' RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH! BUT... STILL!!

Wait... so that means that the oyster remarks were made by a perfectly conscious Holmes!
Result: Fangirliness to the fifth power! xDD

Writing this has indeed made me realize just how much Watson goes through for Holmes' sake... hopefully I've entertained someone with this? Hmm... who knows...

Overall, after reading this magnificent piece of writing (which has now become one of my top-five favorite Holmes stories :D), I feel as if I have just been kicked in the rear by a one legged man - baffled, but nonetheless impressed and utterly amazed.

Miss J
(5-6-09)

Now I must confess that I'm a tad bit embarrassed by the piece, for no one has ever really known the TRUE extent of my Holmesmania, and I don't really write that much, but... I have a feeling you guys understand. :P

So, once again, I do hope that I entertained someone with this, and criticism is very much appreciated, because let's face it - that definitely wasn't Shakespeare. And... well... yup! Thanks for taking the time to read all this, and God bless! ;)

~ Miss J

[Psmith]

This?

I feel as if I have just been kicked in the rear by a one legged man - baffled, but nonetheless impressed and utterly amazed.

Best simile/metaphor/whatsit I've heard in a long time.

And this whole post makes me wish I could go back and read all the stories for the first time, though I doubt my notes would be as entertaining as yours.

[BaskerVilleHall]

HAHA!!! I LOVED reading through your notes - thanks for posting them, btw.

I only just recently re-read the Dying Detective, think the last time I read it ... well, it was a loooong time ago, and I was too young to REALLY understand it It has quickly become one of my favorite Holmes stories, think I've read it twice already in this past week. Hehe. I also noticed that interesting "Quick man - if you love me!" reference when Holmes is pleading with Watson to conceal himself behind the - ahem - bed. I went back into re-reading that story and reading most of them for the first time innocently thinking the duo were good buddies. Maybe just my dirty mind but I've had a few jaw dropping moments in reading of some their (Holmes initiated) interactions, am working on writing something towards that end, lol.

Anyway, great post!

[Miss J]

This? Best simile/metaphor/whatsit I've heard in a long time.

And this whole post makes me wish I could go back and read all the stories for the first time, though I doubt my notes would be as entertaining as yours.

Hehe, yeh. It took me a few minutes to come up with that one, so thanks. xP

Aww, thank you! I'm very glad I could entertain!
Well, look at it this way - since you've read all of the stories, you no doubt know more about his character than I, which would make you a better fanfiction writer.
That's definitely an upside. ;D

HAHA!!! I LOVED reading through your notes - thanks for posting them, btw.

I only just recently re-read the Dying Detective, think the last time I read it ... well, it was a loooong time ago, and I was too young to REALLY understand it It has quickly become one of my favorite Holmes stories, think I've read it twice already in this past week. Hehe. I also noticed that interesting "Quick man - if you love me!" reference when Holmes is pleading with Watson to conceal himself behind the - ahem - bed. I went back into re-reading that story and reading most of them for the first time innocently thinking the duo were good buddies. Maybe just my dirty mind but I've had a few jaw dropping moments in reading of some their (Holmes initiated) interactions, am working on writing something towards that end, lol.

Anyway, great post!

Your very welcome! 'Twas my pleasure, really. ^^

Yeah... I was too dumb of a kid to really understand the stories when I was younger. Like, within the past few years, I had tried reading Hound of the Baskervilles' four or five times but could never finish it. It was only three days ago that I finished completely devouring it, but anywho... x)
I will admit that it took all of my strength not to look at that the wrong way, but then when I remembered the 'Guy Love' thing from Scrubs I was like "OOOOH, IT'S LIKE THAT!" And I'll also admit that there have been a few moments in the stories where I couldn't help but think "Oh REALLY now?", but... I dunno. I just can't see it being anything more than a bromance. A very close bromance, albeit, but a bromance none the less. xP
Haha, do you mean like a study into their relationship or a fanfiction?

Thanks a bunch! ^^

[Clare Hart]

HAHA!!! I LOVED reading through your notes - thanks for posting them, btw.

I only just recently re-read the Dying Detective, think the last time I read it ... well, it was a loooong time ago, and I was too young to REALLY understand it It has quickly become one of my favorite Holmes stories, think I've read it twice already in this past week. Hehe. I also noticed that interesting "Quick man - if you love me!" reference when Holmes is pleading with Watson to conceal himself behind the - ahem - bed. I went back into re-reading that story and reading most of them for the first time innocently thinking the duo were good buddies. Maybe just my dirty mind but I've had a few jaw dropping moments in reading of some their (Holmes initiated) interactions, am working on writing something towards that end, lol.

Anyway, great post!

Please try to remember that this was before Freud made everything about sex. The idea of Platonic love was not strange to them. In fact it was easier and more acceptable for men and women to speak of loving someone of the same sex. Even the word "lovers" did not always indicate a sexual relationship. There were plenty of other words for that.

Human sexuality is incredibly complex. Asexual, homosexual, hetrosexual, bisexual don't begin to define it. There are so many crossovers, both temrpoary and permanent, and then there are people who derive sexual pleasure from sources that have nothing to do with the sex act or any form of physical contact.

That said, there is certainly enough in the Canon to justify a romantic relationship between Holmes and Watson. I would just like to see a fanfic that doesn't turn them into a pair of girls.

[BaskerVilleHall]

And I'll also admit that there have been a few moments in the stories where I couldn't help but think "Oh REALLY now?", but... I dunno. I just can't see it being anything more than a bromance. A very close bromance, albeit, but a bromance none the less. xP
Haha, do you mean like a study into their relationship or a fanfiction?

Same here, I had trouble getting through some of the longer works as a kid, but now! OBSESSION. LOL.

I went into reading and re-reading the canon with no preconcieved notions whatsoever and just to maybe clear up my first post, I honestly don't see anything homosexual in their relationship. But what is jumping out at me is that there is a good deal of physical interatcion initiated by Holmes in an "impish mood" or otherwise that had me scratching my head, lol. I know Victorian Era standards were a world of difference and things we'd take for sexual connotations now would even be considered vaguely sexual back then. There were just a few statements that stuck out in my mind as not even being acceptable between two friendly men in Victorian Era combined with Holmes' description of himself as being somewhat Bohemian http://en.wikipedia....iki/Bohemianism in his habits, that Holmes claim that there is nothing more important than trifles, that Watson "sees but does not observe" .....

Many of the incidents are explainable within the context but some are more forthright. From the Adventures of Charles A. Milverton:
"I felt Holmes' hand steal into mine and give me a reassuring shake, as if to say the situation was in his powers, and he was easy in his mind."
There was another scene within that story where Holmes grabbed Watson by the hand but was explained away by a desire to quietly lead him thru the dark. This other one took place behind a curtain, in hiding. I think this one more than anything else except for one phrase in Thor Bridge started the wheels turning in my mind about the relationship. To me it has the vague feeling of unrequited love? I dunno for sure. But interesting, nonetheless!

So yeah, I was thinking of finishing out the few I have left to read then re-reading the ones that gave me something to consider and just doing something in the way of a study into their complex relationship. But homosexual, no. I don't want to tarnish the stories by giving it that type of stigma, when it's not really there. But I think there was something more than friendship going on with Holmes towards Watson, and of course, Watson saw the signs, but never really noticed ..... JMHO, anyway. lol.

[Limited-Fantasy]

I beg your pardon if this does not make much sense. I'm not at my best right now.

I hardly see homosexuality being a stigma.

Of course, when I was reading these stories, having been well-immersed in the art of picking up subtext and twisting them into absurd fanfiction material, I found Dying Detective had a lot of slash potential. Of course, this is not to say that I ever believed that the two had more than a bromance, but the potential to slash them is really, really high.

Steering away from my fanfiction-vet mind, I found Holmes's plea to Watson to hide if he loved him to be sweet, in a friendship sort of way. After all, this was a different period and certain gestures or sayings did not have the homosexual undertones they have now.

Back on topic...

"This is insanity, Holmes!"
"No, Watson... THIS. IS. BAKER STREEEEEET!!"
*Kicks into Reichenbach*

LAWL. I thought that as well when I was reading this particular short story. XD

[A. Polasek]

You're a hit, Miss J!

I love this, it allows us all to hark back to our "first time" (please ignore comment in context of the several previous posts on Holmes and Watson slash... ::cough:.

I love that your impulse was to want WATSON, not Holmes to punch the snot out of Culverton Smith. DYIN is a great example of the crap Watson took for Holmes' sake, you're so right. Makes one want to give a good shake to people who think Watson a fool or an extraneous narrative device. He's such a three dimensional character, really. We should all be so lucky to have such a friend!

Love the moment when you realise that the whole hallucinagenic oyster tangent is Holmes in his right mind... It does set the old fangirl wheels a'turning does it not?

And don't feel at all silly about your Holmesmania. You're in good company at HN...

A.

[Miss J]

Well... reading through the stories, I suppose that a homosexual relationship is possible, but, as the great detective himself might say, not probable. What I mean is that you can take their closeness to mean that sort of relationship, I suppose, but, considering the characters themselves and what we know of them.... it's not too likely.
I'm not really at my best right now, either, but I'm pretty sure y'all get what I mean.....

LAWL. I thought that as well when I was reading this particular short story. XD

LULZGOOD. Glad to know I wasn't the only one that thought that! xD;
Oh what I would've given if he had actually said 'madness' instead of 'insanity', though.

I swear, once I get more practice drawing Holmes 'n' Watson I'm totally going to make a mini-comic out of this!
Px

You're a hit, Miss J!

I love this, it allows us all to hark back to our "first time" (please ignore comment in context of the several previous posts on Holmes and Watson slash... ::cough:.

I love that your impulse was to want WATSON, not Holmes to punch the snot out of Culverton Smith. DYIN is a great example of the crap Watson took for Holmes' sake, you're so right. Makes one want to give a good shake to people who think Watson a fool or an extraneous narrative device. He's such a three dimensional character, really. We should all be so lucky to have such a friend!

Love the moment when you realise that the whole hallucinagenic oyster tangent is Holmes in his right mind... It does set the old fangirl wheels a'turning does it not?

And don't feel at all silly about your Holmesmania. You're in good company at HN...

A.

Yay! Glad ya think so! ^^

I see! Darn... now I wish I would've done this with all of the stories. Oh well... I guess I can supply synopses for the last two casebooks and The Valley of Fear for you guys. ;D
And believe you me, I don't want to get deeper into THAT subject. xD;

Well, the way I saw it, there was no doubt that Holmes was disgusted, but Watson still thought the former's agony was real. So I was just imagining the good doctor crouching behind the bed listening to all this being hurled at his 'dying' friend and him, a perfectly healthy and robust man, being only feet away from Culverton. It probably took everything within him to keep himself from rushing out from under the bed and giving the chap a good one-two (which I TOTALLY would've done, but once again I MUST digress).
He really, really does. If I had been able to meet him (hurray for the 'Great Game!'), I definitely would have had to shake his hand for all of the crap he went through for his eccentric friends sake. And I think that ever since Bruce!Watson came along he's been looked like that. I hate to admit it, but I, too, always imagined him to be a bit bumbling.
Oh little did I know.....

INORITE?
I had to use all of my self control to suppress the fangirly squeal that was rising up inside me so I wouldn't wake everyone in the house up. Once again, hate to admit that, but.... I'm sure you understand. ;P

Ahh the good ship Holmesian... what a sweet place thou art~

[Miss J]

Oh, and I'd like to add that I just finished watching the Granada version o' The Dying Detective.
Good LAWD Jeremy Brett can act! A brilliant adaption! ^^

[A. Polasek]

Indeed. This thread made me put Merrison's version on my iPod yesterday during my commute. Brilliant. His Holmes takes my breath away!

A.

[Orontes]

Thank you Miss J!!!
This was wonderful, and it was like re-reading the story with you

(oooooh...now I want to find Merrison's version )

[Miss J]

Thank you Miss J!!!
This was wonderful, and it was like re-reading the story with you

(oooooh...now I want to find Merrison's version )

You're very welcome!!
And... I'm gonna try to do two more today - we'll see how it works out. ^^
I'm just wondering if I should keep it all one thread or make new ones for each story. o.0

Me toooooo.
Linkplz?
*Paws at Polasek with adorable puppy eyes*

[Lady Halle]

I am sitting here with a GIANT grin on my face. This brought back a ton of memories for me, and you're so funny, to boot. (Love or hate the Baker Street Irregulars, I doubt they would EVER have a discussion like this one...)

When I first got my copy of the Canon I swore I was going to read through them all chronologically, but then I perused the table of contents, I saw DYING DETECTIVE OMGNO and of course turned right to it. I really thought Holmes was dying. But...I was young and I was reading so quickly I didn't really have the time to stop and think through it.

This is a great idea for post. Thanks so much for sharing; you have no idea how funny this was to me.

[Miss J]

I am sitting here with a GIANT grin on my face. This brought back a ton of memories for me, and you're so funny, to boot. (Love or hate the Baker Street Irregulars, I doubt they would EVER have a discussion like this one...)

When I first got my copy of the Canon I swore I was going to read through them all chronologically, but then I perused the table of contents, I saw DYING DETECTIVE OMGNO and of course turned right to it. I really thought Holmes was dying. But...I was young and I was reading so quickly I didn't really have the time to stop and think through it.

This is a great idea for post. Thanks so much for sharing; you have no idea how funny this was to me.

*Bows*
Thank you, and I'm very glad to entertain!
And... sorry for being such a newbie, but might I ask who the Baker Street Irregulars are? ^^'

HAHA! I had to fight myself to keep from doing that. I was very, very determined to read the chronologically, until SOMEBODY (COUGHPOLASEKCOUGH) revved me up to write one of these thingies, and, well... the rest is history.
And at the beginning I thought he was just faking it, but I, too, became convinced that he was dying (or at least really really sick). I felt like such a dolt when I found out that it was all an act. o_o

Aw! You're very welcome, my dear! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! (:


Oh, and by the way, I just finished another one on The Cardboard Box.
Do you think I should make another thread or should I just post it here? >_>

[A. Polasek]

Me toooooo.
Linkplz?
*Paws at Polasek with adorable puppy eyes*

I'm afraid if you want them, darling heart, you'll have to buy the CDs! I'm sure they could be illegally downloaded, but t'would hardly be fair to the brilliant people involved (notably Mr. Coules, who dramatised many and wrote all the "further adventures" and is a member here!). They are well worth the cost, I assure you!

*Bows*
Thank you, and I'm very glad to entertain!
And... sorry for being such a newbie, but might I ask who the Baker Street Irregulars are? ^^'

HAHA! I had to fight myself to keep from doing that. I was very, very determined to read the chronologically, until SOMEBODY (COUGHPOLASEKCOUGH) revved me up to write one of these thingies, and, well... the rest is history.
And at the beginning I thought he was just faking it, but I, too, became convinced that he was dying (or at least really really sick). I felt like such a dolt when I found out that it was all an act. o_o

Aw! You're very welcome, my dear! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! (:


Oh, and by the way, I just finished another one on The Cardboard Box.
Do you think I should make another thread or should I just post it here? >_>

The BSI is the big exclusive Holmes Society, founded in the 40s - they meet annually in NYC to have Holmesian fun. The BSI is responsible for publishing the Baker Street Journal, one of the major Holmes journals, as well. Some people really admire them and long to join (cough... me) and others think they're rather snobbish and stuck up. It is the BSI that is mostly resopnsible for the Game.

SOMEBODY? Who ME? *innocent* I never take people off course to serve my own ends. What?

I would do them all on the one thread to avoid a flood of new topics. Might cause some stuff to get lost in the fray, so to speak. Then again, that's just me. Perhaps you might start one more new topic with an inclusive title and put them all there from now on. Up to you, really! CARD is a good one. It's the only story that Doyle censored out of the books when the short stories were collected for publication, which I find interesting. That's why the it appears in Memoires in British editions and His Last Bow in American! (yay trivia). The subject matter was too scandelous...

A.

[Miss J]

I'm afraid if you want them, darling heart, you'll have to buy the CDs! I'm sure they could be illegally downloaded, but t'would hardly be fair to the brilliant people involved (notably Mr. Coules, who dramatised many and wrote all the "further adventures" and is a member here!). They are well worth the cost, I assure you!

The BSI is the big exclusive Holmes Society, founded in the 40s - they meet annually in NYC to have Holmesian fun. The BSI is responsible for publishing the Baker Street Journal, one of the major Holmes journals, as well. Some people really admire them and long to join (cough... me) and others think they're rather snobbish and stuck up. It is the BSI that is mostly responsible for the Game.

SOMEBODY? Who ME? *innocent* I never take people off course to serve my own ends. What?

I would do them all on the one thread to avoid a flood of new topics. Might cause some stuff to get lost in the fray, so to speak. Then again, that's just me. Perhaps you might start one more new topic with an inclusive title and put them all there from now on. Up to you, really! CARD is a good one. It's the only story that Doyle censored out of the books when the short stories were collected for publication, which I find interesting. That's why the it appears in Memoires in British editions and His Last Bow in American! (yay trivia). The subject matter was too scandalous...

A.

I truly wish that I could buy them right now, but at the moment I'm saving up for a trip with my Youth group, and seeing as it's $157 on Amazon... yeahhhh. =/

Huh! Sounds neat! Indeed, they sound a bit snobbish for their exclusiveness, but... well... what do you have to do to join? (Again, please spare the newbie x.o')

Uh huh, uh huh... I'm sure. So you're saying that if we were both at a party (a Sherlockian one, of course! ;D) and there was a single cookie left on the desert table (which we both would have a MIGHTY NEED for), you wouldn't trip/shove/disembowel me to obtain said cookie?

Hmm... good idea. I'll start another thread and post any new ones in there. (:
Really? Didn't know that! But it does make since, out of all the Holmes stories I've read so far, CARD (in my opinion, at least) was the most graphic. You know, what, with cutting peoples ears off and yeah... xD;

[Psmith]

That disembowelling you mentioned? Really, you should watch out for that.

I believe there is only a limited number of members of the BSI and that you have to have made some contribution to Holmesian/Sherlockian studies before you'll be considered. If you're proposed as a member, you get the Irregular Shilling. Which sounds like one of those insanely secret spy meetings: 'You will go to the Red Room and you will say, 'Did you hear about the dog in the nighttime?' Your contact will reply, 'No, what was this curious incident?' You will respond, 'It ate all the Pedigree Chum.' Whereupon, you will be presented with an Irregular Shilling. Any questions?'

Can you tell I'm a wee bitty bored?

[Lady Halle]

One reason I'm not crazy over the BSI is that they didn't accept women members until the early nineties. That is, the early 1990s, not the 1890s.

Two interesting articles on the subject from Brad Keefauver -

http://www.sherlockp...hyNoLadies.html
http://www.sherlockp...ewSP082204.html

I don't know why it bothers me, since it has been nearly twenty years now since they reversed the ban. I don't know what else I'm expecting them to do. I guess I'm just overly sensitive. And I totally applaud any women who would like to get in - y'all go, girls!!!

*goes off on tangent* However, if I was in charge of the BSI, I would have a set of Holmesian qualifications that you'd have to meet (you'd have to write x-amount of articles on Holmes, or write a thesis about Holmes, or score a certain percentage on a test about the stories, etc., etc.) - tough but non-arbitrary things. And then if you had done one of those things, you'd be in. That would make more sense to me. But I know old traditions die hard, and the current super-exclusive rules for admission mean a lot to a lot of people, and I don't mean to demean that. Maybe when our generation comes of age, the methodology will change. (I sort of hope so...but I guess it doesn't matter. Most (or all) members of the BSI would have no use for me whatsoever and I doubt they care what I think about their criteria for joining their group...) Sometimes I wonder how long the BSI will last...does anybody have any data on the average age of the members, how old new applicants tend to be, etc.?

Another interesting group is the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, which was formed in protest over the BSI being exclusively male -

http://www.ash-nyc.c...Home%20Page.htm

They even accept men now, although I don't know of any guys who would want to be known as an Adventuress! I think the common perception is that ASH is a bit less serious than the BSI. (Am I right?) It was founded in rebellion by a bunch of feminist Holmesians, after all.

[Clare Hart]

One reason I'm not crazy over the BSI is that they didn't accept women members until the early nineties. That is, the early 1990s, not the 1890s.

Another interesting group is the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, which was formed in protest over the BSI being exclusively male -

http://www.ash-nyc.c...Home%20Page.htm

They even accept men now, although I don't know of any guys who would want to be known as an Adventuress! I think the common perception is that ASH is a bit less serious than the BSI. (Am I right?) It was founded in rebellion by a bunch of feminist Holmesians, after all.

"Feminist Holmesians" should be an oxymoron but I am sure that many of us could fill pages with why it isn't.

I really believe that exclusive societies like suffer more from the lack of variety in the exchange of ideas than the people they exclude. Although, to be fair, I've read some pretty preposterous notions forwarded by BSI members. It probably has more to do with having elbow room at the banquets than anything else.