Victorian 221b

A few notes on this story. For some reason, I don’t have much to submit when it’s my turn to write a post XD Nevertheless, I learned an important detail for writing while reading BERY. Had to go through all of my fics and fix it, d’oh! But let’s start from the beginning.

Holmes & Watson. Their interaction is sweet and lovely in this story too, as it was in the previous ones.

- There’s Watson’s dry humour: “Holmes, here is a madman coming along...”;

- His faith in Holmes which is surely a powerful emotional support for Sherlock: “I had such faith in Holmes’s judgment...” Despite seeing no way out of the situation, he believes in Holmes and relies on him to find a solution without a shade of doubt;

- Watson easily reads every Holmes’s mood. Despite not knowing what exactly is on Holmes’s mind, he can see the gears in his head working and can tell whether Holmes has a progress in his investigation or not;

- This story is also a rare instance when Watson actually tries to prod Holmes with questions about the case but Holmes is evasive. Usually Watson just waits when Holmes is ready to tell all;

- We also get a glimpse of Watson’s circadian rhythm. In the previous stories we observed that he is a late riser, 7.15 in the morning being outrageously early for him. Here he waits for Holmes until midnight and then comes down for breakfast after nine which is quite late. It seems like both Holmes and he are night creatures when given a preference.

Holmes, from his side values Watson’s presence highly. He insists on Watson’s accompanying him to Mr. Holder’s house and expresses his regret when he can’t take Watson along with him on an outing to investigate further. As always, they work smoothly as a team: Watson does a small talk part with Mr. Holder which allows Holmes to think and spares him being distracted by the chatty client.

- This story is another proof that Holmes doesn’t forget entirely about food when he is done with his thinking. He makes himself a sandwich before going out;

- I rather liked Holmes’s playfulness when Holmes is in a good mood: “However, I must not sit gossiping here, but must get these disreputable clothes off and return to my highly respectable self.”

- And again Holmes is very compassionate and empathetic in this story. Holmes does everything do soothe the agitated Mr. Holder when he first comes to Baker Street. Holmes makes him comfortable and talks to him gently. He clearly knows how to handle a person in distress. “The cold jerk” stereotype really must go.

- The minor point which I found important: Holmes’s bedroom is also upstairs, most likely next to Watson’s, and not on the same floor as the sitting-room. “He hurried to his chamber and was down again in a few minutes dressed as a common loafer.” It is even more convenient for shippy fics. Their rooms are adjacent which makes a rather short, inconspicuous trip at night.

The case. I would have never entrusted any precious valuables of my own into Mr. Holder’s care. What was the point in carrying the coronet with him? Someone could watch him and attack him on the street. He told about the coronet to his family members, knowing that at least one of them has money issues. He put the coronet into a place which practically begs to be burgled! A soundless lock which can be opened with any key, really?

In this story a man takes the blame to protect the lady he loves, just like in BOSC. Arthur Holder, being ACD’s namesake, seems to have similar ideas about chivalry which overrules common sense. This is also an example of ACD’s misogynistic views: not only women can betray their family for a lover. This time, though, Holmes does express overtly his prejudice against women while in most stories he is nice to them and we are just told by Watson that he doesn’t like them.

And lastly, this Sidney Paget illustration. Mary Holder ignores Watson, and Watson seems so pissed off that he is about to hit her with a chair XD

Not many notes again, but there are some curious details about this story.

Watson mentions that it is one of only two cases which he brought to the attention of Holmes, the other being concerned with the madness of Colonel Warburton. Apparently, Watson forgot about the case of the Naval Treaty which was published a year later (obviously, ACD had no idea what he would write a year later, but anyway, Inconsistency is his middle name).

1. Watson doctoring

Yet another story where we see Watson busy with his practice. It’s frankly surprising that all of these instances were cancelled out by his single statement in NAVA that his practice is never absorbing. He could have said that just to please Holmes, right?

“I was awakened by the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting-room” - On the one hand it was considered to be normal for Victorian spouses to sleep in different rooms, but on the other, hmmm

2. Holmes’s empathy

This story is another amazing example of Holmes’s kindness to people. He goes out of his way to take care of Mr. Hatherley: provides him with a breakfast, has him lie down on the sofa, pours him some whiskey and water, and asks him to tell his story but not to overexert himself. I need a Holmes adaptation which always demonstrates how kind and empathic he is!

3. Colonel Lysander Stark is very creepy

Okay, I understand that Mr. Hatherley was desperate for a job. Man, I am, too, and I often encounter strange characters during the past two and a half years of job hunting. At one point Mr. Hatherley is so disturbed by Stark’s behaviour that he almost listens to his instincts to run away screaming from that weirdo.

“I was the only passenger who got out there, and there was no one upon the platform save a single sleepy porter with a lantern.” - This is straight from a horror movie, seriously

The way Mr. Hatherley was delivered to the Colonel’s house was later rehashed almost verbatim in GREE. ACD wasn’t a particularly scrupulous fellow.

Why did they need such a big press to produce fake coins anyway? Literally big enough to crush a grown person. Wasn’t it inconvenient to construct it and keep it secret? Perhaps they burned the house themselves for the sake their safety rather than the fire was caused by Hatherley’s lamp? For comparison, the forgery machine in 3GAR was portable, and the fake Garrideb came to take it.

Lastly, I’d like to say that this story was very well incorporated into the theme of German spies and WWI in the Soviet series. It could also be Moriarty’s doing. I wish there was a Granada adaptation of it.

According to various web sources, any red precious stones were called carbuncles, garnet in particular. So the very name “blue carbuncle” is weird.

I didn’t take many notes this time. Instead I tried to look up stuff like whether a goose could really swallow a stone and be okay. Turns out it could, and it’s actually normal for birds like geese to swallow sharp stones. Such stones work like teeth in a goose’s stomach, helping to grind food. In time the stones become smooth, and the bird either lets them pass through its digestive tract and out or regurgitates them. Then the bird swallows a new portion of sharp stones, etc.

1. The importance of Watson’s presence to Holmes

As was discussed in the previous posts, Holmes expresses his appreciation of Watson’s company time and time again. This story is not an exception.

“I am glad to have a friend with whom I can discuss my results.”

Watson is indispensable to Holmes. Holmes needs Watson: Watson is interested in his cases, he hears him out and provides an emotional support if necessary.

2. Holmes is fashion-savvy

Watson noted Holmes’s primness of dress and love of personal cleanliness. In this story it is established that Holmes may be something of a dandy too, since he knows precisely when such and such design of hats was in vogue.

3. Holmes is a bit self-assured in his deductions

What if the hat was someone’s present to Mr. Baker, together with the hat-securer? Say, Baker couldn’t afford it and didn’t care when the hat-securer was lost. Thus the deduction of his moral retrogression could be wrong. Also, the correlation between the brain size and intelligence has been disproved.

4. Watson doctoring yet again

Watson could be actually busier than he seemed. Despite his mentioning casually in NAVA that his practice “is never absorbing”, in this story, like in those preceding it, he has a full schedule. He is in the middle of making his rounds when he drops in to see Holmes the next day, and he is nearly late to meet Mr. Baker because of having been delayed by a patient.

5. Holmes’s empathy and humanity

“greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he could so readily assume.” Canon disproves yet again the popular misconception that Holmes is an arrogant jerk misanthrope.

“It is a cold night, and I observe that your circulation is more adapted for summer than for winter.” This gets even better.

“A few yards off he stopped under a lamp-post and laughed in the hearty, noiseless fashion which was peculiar to him.” And this is just adorable.

“I suppose that I am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul.” “Besides, it is the season of forgiveness.” This, however, crowns everything. Holmes cares even about such a mean and cowardly person as James Ryder, preferring to give him a chance of redeeming himself instead of sending Ryder to prison and thus inevitably pushing him towards the world of crime. Also, another instance when Holmes takes judging into his own hands, acting in accordance with his own conscience rather than law.

6. Holmes’s coat

“It was a bitter night, so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped cravats about our throats.” And lastly, this minor detail. Inverness is never mentioned in the canon. Ulster is. Besides, both Holmes and Watson are wearing one.