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I have been cleaning up my Netflix Queue lately, and I think 'Sherlock' will be coming up soon! I want to go through series one again, and then just fluidly transition right into series two.
Sure thing on all accounts, I would be happy to help!
Holmes stories are very seductive, indeed. I have seen editions elsewhere that almost make me want to buy them even though I own all the stories just because they have a cool introduction, bits of background on the stories between the margins, or simply a cool cover. I recently got this massive edition that has all the Sidney Paget Holmes illustrations in it, and it was at a bloody bargain outlet in the most perfect condition and priced for only 7 dollars. Scotland Yard should've sent Lestrade for me, because that's a steal! It would've been worth hundreds of money alone to view the great illustrations of Paget in the best quality I have seen them in ever, printed just as they appeared in the Strand Magazine over 120 years ago. Sensational...
The great (and also the most ironic) thing about classic literature is that they are the cheapest books out there, though their contents are worth literally thousands in knowledge and beauty. You can't get much better than Conan Doyle either, I say.
"'The Count of Monte Cristo'? But '50 Shades' involves a guy tying a girl up and spanking her for three consecutive books!"
I don't know anything of '50 Shades' but 'Monte Cristo' is a pretty awesome book. The revenge tale to end all revenge tales. I only read the abridged copy which cuts off quite a bit of the revenge aspect of the plot apparently, so I will have to revisit it in full later in life when I can get more out of it. I love, love, love Dumas.
Speaking of '50 Shades', @Creasy47, since I heard they are casting the film now, you must realize that you will no doubt be dragged to the theaters to see it by your girlfriend. You are in my thoughts when that time comes. ;)
Yes, I've come to that realization myself. My gal was disgusted at the thought of Hunnam and Johnson playing the two main characters - no clue why, I never read it - but she said she will still be there to see it.
Bing Translation: "but she said she and I will still be there to see it."
I also have 'Catching Fire' to look forward to this year thanks to her. No matter, I managed to drag her to see 'You're Next' twice :)
From the trailer I saw, Catching Fire looked really dark and badass. I read Hunger Games for a college assignment and liked it much more than I thought I would, but I don't know if I will give the film a go just yet. I do like the look of CF though.
I googled her, and while she doesn't look amazing, she is okay to look at, so at least you get that out of it.
I love how that film too has been getting trashed by the 'fans' because they don't agree with the casting decisions. People seriously need to get a life and let the actors try first before they are doomed to failure forever.
Yeah, it seems like people jump to assumptions and refuse to give things a chance anymore. Look at the reaction from fans involving Heath Ledger being cast as The Joker, and then look at the final product.
Exactly. Heath had such a scary dedication to that role it is amazing. Truly one of the greatest performances in a film ever, one that even stacks up against the greats of old like Brando and Bogart.
Concerning The Count of Monte Cristo, amazing book by an amazing author. Read anything you can from Dumas, he's worth it.
Indeed! He sure is one of my favorites. I want to learn French just to read his work and that of others like Hugo in their original, untranslated form.
She is the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Yep.
You couldn't pay me enough money to go see Twilight or 50 Shades of anything.
Back to Holmes and Dumas: I am happy about Ian playing a very much older retired Holmes. I hope it has a great script! He can act anything, truly. I just read The Four Muskateers by Dumas during the last year; splendid writing. I have not read The Count of Monte Cristo - so thanks for reminding me! It just went on my list.
1) Sherlock Holmes was originally going to be called Sherrinford.
The name was altered to Sherlock, possibly because of a cricketer who bore the name. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Holmes, was a fan of cricket and the name 'Sherlock' appears to have stuck in his memory. Doyle was also a keen cricketer himself, and between 1899 and 1907 he played ten first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club -- quite fitting, since Baker Street is situated in the Marylebone district of London.
2) The first Sherlock Holmes novel was something of a flop.
The detective made his debut in the novel A Study in Scarlet (1887), written by a 27-year-old Doyle in just three weeks. Famously, Doyle was inspired by a real-life lecturer of his at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Joseph Bell, who could diagnose patients simply by looking at them when they walked into his surgery. The other important influence was Edgar Allan Poe's fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin. Doyle wrote the book while he was running a struggling doctor's surgery down in Portsmouth. The novel was rejected by many publishers and eventually published in Beeton's Christmas Annual (named after the husband of Mrs. Beeton). It didn't sell well, and more or less sank without trace.
3) The second Sherlock Holmes novel was the result of a dinner party with Oscar Wilde.
One person who had admired the first novel was the editor Joseph Stoddart, who edited Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. He convinced Doyle, at a dinner party in 1889, to write a second novel featuring the detective, for serialization in the magazine. Wilde, who was another one of the diners, agreed to write a novel for the magazine -- his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
4) Sherlock Holmes didn't wear a deerstalker hat. Much.
The famous image of Holmes wearing a deerstalker hat is a product of the celebrated images which accompanied the short stories, which appeared in the Strand magazine from 1891. It is when the stories began to appear that Sherlock Holmes became a worldwide sensation. Sidney Paget, who drew the illustrations, had Holmes wearing a deerstalker when the detective went into the country to investigate mysteries at country houses and in small rural villages, but most people think of the detective as always donning the hat when off to investigate a case.
5) Sherlock Holmes is the most-filmed fictional character.
According to IMDb, Holmes has appeared in 226 films and been played by dozens of different actors since the advent of cinema in the late 19th century.
6) Sherlock Holmes is not the most-filmed fictional character.
That is, not if you include non-humans (or partial humans). Dracula has been filmed more times than the great sleuth, at 239 times, but since Dracula is part-man, part-vampire, Holmes is the most-filmed fully human character.
7) Sherlock Holmes doesn't make deductions.
Instead, and if we want to be technically accurate, he normally uses a logical process known as abduction. The difference between deductive and abductive reasoning is that the latter is based more on inference from observation, where the conclusion drawn may not always necessarily be true. However, in deduction, the conclusion drawn from the available data is always necessarily true. But then again, since Holmes's reasoning always seems to be correct, perhaps it is deduction after all!
8) Holmes never says 'Elementary, my dear Watson.'
Not in the canon of original Conan Doyle novels and stories. Holmes says 'Elementary!' and 'my dear Watson' at various points, but the idea of putting them together was a later meme, which possibly arose because it neatly conveys Holmes' effortless superiority to his 'dear' friend and foil. The first recorded use of this exact phrase is actually in a P. G. Wodehouse novel of 1915, Psmith, Journalist.
9) The Sherlock Holmes Museum both is and isn't at 221B Baker Street.
Although the museum in London bears the official address '221B' in line with the celebrated address from the stories, the museum's building lies between 237 and 241 Baker Street, making it physically -- if not officially -- at number 239.
10) There's more to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle than Sherlock Holmes.
Among other achievements, his legal campaigning led to the establishment of the Court of Criminal Appeal. He was knighted for his journalistic work during the Second Boer War, not for his achievements in fiction, law, or medicine. A story he wrote in the 1880s popularized the myth of the Mary Celeste. He wrote historical novels which he prized more highly than his detective fiction. Winston Churchill agreed, and was a devoted fan of the historical novels. Doyle also wrote science fiction romances, such as The Lost World (1912), which would inspire Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, and, subsequently, Steven Spielberg's film (the sequel to the novel and film being named, in homage to Doyle, The Lost World). Doyle also took up legal causes himself: read Julian Barnes's novel Arthur and George for his most famous real-life case.
Oliver Tearle is an author and a lecturer in the English Department at Loughborough University. He runs the blogging site Interesting Literature, where this post first appeared.
For your reading pleasure!!!
I knew only some of them. Always a pleasure to read more Holmes background info.
Here are some fascinating videos featuring bartitsu, or as Doyle wrote it, baritsu, a fighting style he wrote into the canon as an explanation as to how Holmes defeated Moriarty at Reichenbach:
And this is madly fascinating:
http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/3026/was-sir-arthur-conan-doyle-responsible-for-the-piltdown-man-hoax
Let the review begin ...
It was a scandal, I say! Yes, first let me say, that the late 1800's were hardly a time when women were given equal status to men, freedom in many ways we take for granted now (voting, owning property, able to get a divorce, higher education, etc.) or even highly regarded as a sex when compared intellectually to men (talking about western culture, as this is what I am familiar with). And yet, along comes this relatively new author, Arthur Conan Doyle, who gives us - in only his 3rd story of Holmes - an independent, strong, and very clever woman. This story of Irene Adler went against the grain of the times, I feel sure. Doyle daringly takes his new brilliant detective character and gives him a surprising match: a cunning and quick-witted adversary who turns out to be, of all things a woman and nearer his equal than any other in terms of being clever and quick-witted, and who is not such a villain after all. A rather short story of twists and turns and a very memorable woman indeed: The woman, as far as Holmes himself is concerned.
Holmes – Confident in his own abilities, he is in good form in this outing. Also able to laugh at himself a bit, which helps keep him human (a good attribute for a main character in a series, even a cold and brilliant one such as Holmes).
Watson – We find him happily married and cheer him for that, yet we are so pleased he is able and more than willing to help his good friend, Holmes. Dependable Watson, very solid.
Villain – Well indeed, there is no terrible evil villain in this story after all. Not even a slimy, slippery one. That is the surprise and strength of this story. I like very much that Doyle did not feel constricted by the form of this kind of story (he was helping reshape the detective story as he wrote these). We are told Irene has done the king wrong and holds something over his head, like blackmail. Then it all turns on a dime; we end up thinking less of the king and much more highly of Irene. Very smart, fun, and rather brave of Doyle to write is as such, especially seeing as it was early in the series.
Supporting characters – First and foremost, Irene Adler of course! But what surprises the reader who reads this story after seeing her character in film and TV is how short a story this is and how little is actually written about her. She made a lasting impression from a quite short appearance. Adventuress? Dubious? Clever? Beautiful? "Would she not have made an admirable queen?" admits the king admiringly. Yes, well, she chose her own path, married a man who loved her, and outwitted the one and only Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Not bad for a young woman in 1888 (setting; the story was published in 1891, I believe). Memorable indeed.
Anybody else? There is also a King of Bohemia who has a much inflated opinion of himself.
Atmosphere – Not highly atmospheric at all, but still discusses life in London so you feel you are there in Irene's and Sherlock's parts of the great city.
Suspense – Well this isn't about a killer or evil-doer so the suspense is in the trickery: How will Holmes catch her and recover the photo? How will he do it; he doesn't inform Watson (or us) of his specific plans, so we watch it unfold. Indeed, how clever he was to have her show him where she kept the photo! Brilliant! But ... oops, she figured that out immediately, too, and then wrong-footed Holmes. So the suspense is trying to watch the characters one up each other, so to speak. A different kind of suspense for a Holmes story; great fun, actually.
Violence – None really, just a fake fight.
Humor – Well, I put the humor category with the cleverness category because this story is amusing and it is wry. I think this story is admirably able to josh Holmes and have Holmes come out still on top, with his dignity and character more firmly in place than ever; even though he "lost" to Irene.
Cleverness – This is the key to the enjoyment and lasting qualities of this story. Cleverness abounds - not here will you find evil, or deep dark mysteries, or throbbing with atmosphere - it is the cleverness, wit, scheming, and quick thinking of Irene and Holmes that make this story sparkle and be such a memorable success.
Case – Sounded so simple. Stop a blackmailer and get the goods. It all changed so quickly. This story was not about great detective prowess, but rather it gave us another dimension to Holmes. I think if we did not have this story, see this heart and admirable respect that Holmes shows us a glimpse of, it would have lessened the series. Holmes is very well served here by Doyle.
Doyle – What a versatile and independent writer he truly was. This story was unconventional to say the least. And he risked it, I feel. How safe it would have been to trod the more obvious path for Holmes in his third outing. Not only was this a short story, coming on the heels of two very long ones, but it turns its main character on his head, so to speak. Doyle at his best was brilliant, and this is one of his best.
Final verdict – One of my favorite Holmes stories. Clever, Witty. Brilliant. A shining star in the canon and one that filmmakers adore to explore. Deservedly so!
Doyle really went out on the line here, this being his first foray into presenting Holmes in a short story, and sunk it right out of the gate. It is a miraculous story, with an impact I doubt even Sir Arthur was prepared for. At the end of it all, Irene ends up being as unforgettable to readers as she was to Holmes himself. Their relationship in this story and numerous adaptions are some of the most impactful to date, fueling decades upon decades of debate. Is the moniker of "the woman" Holmes uses a mark of respect? Is it love they share? If not love, what is it? What they have is so unique, so utterly complex and unintelligible that I still to this day have no idea, and their dynamic sheds light on just how complex humans can be. While I am concrete in my thoughts on their relationship in the story, adaptions like BBC's Belgravia add interesting new flames to the debate. The episode is one of my favorites things ever, and truly one of the greatest character studies into the character of Holmes, Irene, John and the whole group I have ever seen. Is Sherlock trying to impress Irene, or does he just respect her more than most? Is he playing his violin because he loved and lost, or was mourning a respected friend? Is Irene actually gay, and if so, why does she seem to fall for Sherlock, if she indeed has? All these questions and more are keys to the beauty of this story and its impact, where there is an interesting divide, with one side claiming it's love, and another side stating they only share admiration for each other. In adaptions like BBC's, we have two characters, both with complex human emotion, both at the same moment realizing that they aren't god-like and untouchable, and finally see some of their barriers broken down. In such adaptions you really get to the raw heart of characters, who they are, why they do what they do, and explore their feelings in new and interesting ways, and ultimately provide timeless debate. And we have Sir Arthur to thank for all that, a man so under-appreciated for his monolithic contributions to the literary world and beyond to film, television, gaming, and more.
As far as Belgravia is concerned, I think Mark Gatiss put it best about Sherlock and Irene's relationship as depicted in the episode:
"What I love about it, it's so complicated. That's thrilling about it. She's gay, he's not interested in anything apart from brain work, but something happens, and it doesn't actually have to be as mundane as a love story. It's much more interesting than that."
Yes, filmmakers and for us fans of the BBC series with Cumberbatch we can add tv also, have cut a wide swathe from what was a rather short story. Irene is special, she has taken on more life in these adaptations and I am happy with the direction that the BBC show has taken. Interesting is only putting it mildly.
Did you also post this on the BBC Sherlock page, 0Brady? I hope so.
The video you mean? If so, no, I haven't.
If folks are daunted at starting out reading one of Doyle's long ones, they should try A Scandal in Bohemia.
I look forward to more of Irene in the BBC series - I hope! We certainly don't hear from her again in the original stories, more's the pity.
Back in Doyle's time, we have not much to go on. Perhaps Paget wanted to keep her mysterious. Here is Paget's drawing of Irene in disguise, saying "Goodnight, Mr. Sherlock Holmes" from the first printing in The Strand magazine (1891):
and in the church marrying Mr. Norton, a glimpse of her profile, again by Sidney Paget:
(Note: For some publication of the story - I could not find which one - a Gibson girl was used; but it was not in the original publication. )
And for cinematic Irenes, here is a smattering:
This Irene is the lovely Rachel McAdams from the films with Robert Downey, Jr.
They do seem to have a nice chemistry.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Played by Rachel McAdams
Sherlock Holmes (2009) Played by Rachel McAdams
Hmmm. I found this list on Imdb; Irene through the ages: (Beginning in present time and I'll add some photos soon ...)
And here is from the U.S. show, "Elementary" - Natalie Dormer as Irene
- The Woman (2013) TV episode, Played by Natalie Dormer
- Heroine (2013) TV episode, Played by Natalie Dormer
- Risk Management (2013) TV episode, Played by Natalie Dormer
Holmes & Watson. Madrid Days (2012) Played by Belén López
No Place Like Holmes: Storm in a Tea Cup (2012) Played by Karin Rydle
"Sherlock"
- A Scandal in Belgravia (2012) TV episode, Played by Lara Pulver
This is from a web series I had not heard of. Does anyone know it? It's called
"No Place Like Holmes"
Here is Karin Rydle's Irene:
- The Creature in the Rye (2011) TV episode, Played by Karin Rydle
- Holmes in Time for Christmas (2010) TV episode, Played by Karin Rydle
- The Dubious Spiritualist (2010) TV episode, Played by Karin Rydle
Meitantei Konan: Bekâ Sutorîto no bôrei (2002) Played by Sumi Shimamoto / Laurie Steele
... aka "Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street" - International (English title) (literal title)
The Royal Scandal (2001) (TV) Played by Liliana Komorowska
"Wishbone" the PBS show for young kids. How I wish I could find a photo! This is one of my favorite children's tv shows, back in the mid 90's and the character, Wishbone, is a dog. Yes a dog and the series often acted out classic stories with the dog in character. Holmes was played by a Jack Russell terrier wearing a deerstalker in the episode. More than cute. ;) I'd love a picture of Irene in this one (it featured people, too, of course)
- A Dogged Expose (1998) TV episode, Played by Sally Vahle
The Hound of London (1993) (TV) Played by Carolyn Wilkinson (as Irene Norton)
"Saturday Night Live" (several listed)
... aka "Saturday Night Live 25" - USA (twentyfifth season title)
- Jeremy Irons/Fishbone (1991) TV episode, Played by Victoria Jackson
Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death (1984) (TV)
... aka "The Masks of Death" - UK (original title) I believe this was Anne Baxter's last project. She had a remarkable career.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (the BBC series with Jeremy Brett)
- A Scandal in Bohemia (1984) TV episode, Played by Gayle Hunnicutt
Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976) (TV) Played by Charlotte Rampling
And here is Roger Moore as her Holmes:
"Sherlock Holmes"
- A Scandal in Bohemia (1951) TV episode, Played by Olga Edwardes
A Scandal in Bohemia (1921) Played by Joan Beverley
*****
By the way, I have not watched Elementary yet (the U.S. show). But while looking for photos of Natalie Dormer in character as Irene on the show, I read some major spoilers. I must say, I will get around to watching Elementary some day - but the surprises did not make me want to see this show. I'm not saying anything else, except I do respect that there will be many variations of Holmes/Watson/Irene to come, and I will watch Elementary at some point, but I cannot imagine a better series (for a modern Holmes) than BBC's Sherlock. To me that really is, well, elementary.
Doyle's Irene is pretty much nothing like either TV show's version, in my humble opinion; other than being a strong, independent woman.
Regarding Elementary I have see a few episodes during a long flight from the US to Germany and I was, like I stated before, very disappointed. I didn't like it at all and mind you, I'm usually a fan of Jonny Lee Miller (though not his fault at all). I think I know which spoilers you are referring and really, I don't even know what to say about that except shame on you to whoever thought about it :( I can't stand having Irene portrayed as a criminal in so many adaptations, she may misbehave (nowhere as obvious as in Sherlock) but she is not a criminal.
I think filmmakers want to just turn her into many different things, to make things more "exciting" or "diabolical". I rather want to say one of my favorite Watson expletives: "Ineffable twaddle!" Hurrumph! Because Doyle only wrote about her once, and rather sparingly, I think filmmakers just feel they can take off and do whatever they like with her. Indeed, copyright-wise they can. The story is in the public domain.
Now as for the special Irene that is so far different from Doyle and other portrayals, yet I like her: Lara Pulver's Irene on BBC's Sherlock. I find a VERY different Irene, to put it mildly - one who is manipulative and far more nontraditional sexually. Yet, because of the way it is written and played by the actors, I don't object to this Irene. If she
I will watch Elementary at some point (probably fast forwarding often), but when I read the major spoiler of the finale (no, I won't give it away) I didn't think, "Wow! Clever! Great!" nope. Even if it was well acted, I didn't like it. It did not sit well with me.
Anyway, I hope folks enjoy looking at these photos and reading a bit about the woman, Irene Adler. :)>-
The first clue is......
...... drums roll.....
Boxing
We'll be eagerly waiting your wildest guesses.