#3GAB

[dailyholmes]

"'Stop! Where are you going?' 'To Scotland Yard.'" The Adventure of the Three Gables. Published in The Strand Magazine. Howard K. Elcock, 1926

Source

[eirinstiva]

Three what?

After reading The Adventure of the Three Gables (in English and Spanish) I almost throw away my copy of the book.

The title of this story is usually translated as La aventura de los tres gabletes, but my edition translated it as La aventura de los tres frontones so everytime I read the OG title I couldn't remember anything.

The translation in Todo Sherlock Holmes sounds slightly less racist because three words (black, n-word and another one) were translated for a neutral term in Spanish.

The notes of this story are mostly about "how ironic, sarcastic and funny" is this case, the comeback of Watson and the "wonderful Spanish eyes" that, maybe, bewitched Holmes.

Sir, did we read the same story?

To finish on a better note, let's enjoy the elegance of Mycroft, my toy penguin:

[stephensmithuk]

The Three Gables

The lack of posts on this one is a clear demonstration of the clear rejection of the racism running through this story.

I can't say that I'm particularly enthusiastic about doing this one, but I can't pretend this one doesn't exist.

Here we go then:

First published in 1926, the Americans again got this one first.

Boxing for money was heavily regulated to the point of outright bans in much of the United States; illegal fights would frequently end as "no contest" when the police turned up.

The Bull Ring in Birmingham is a major shopping area that goes back to a market established in 1154 under royal approval. The area is named for a ring of iron that bulls were tied to for the purposes of bull-baiting, a 'sport' banned in 1835.

The area was redeveloped in the 1960s into an enclosed shopping centre considered an epitome of Brutalist architecture and which became more unpopular over time. It was replaced in 2003 by a more modern centre, branded "Bullring" that is just as controversial.

Harrow Weald is a suburban area of what is now Greater London. It still contains a large amount of ancient woodland despite major development in the early 1930s, such as Harrow Weald Common.

One highly notable resident of the area was W.S. Gilbert of operetta fame, who lived at a house called Grim's Dyke and died of a heart attack in the lake in 1911 while saving a 17-year-old girl from drowning during a swimming lesson. The lake was mostly drained after that and what is left was filled with algae during my visit to the area early this year - the London Loop footpath goes through the area.

The "Weald Station" is probably, as per Bernard Davies, Harrow & Wealdstone station. This is today the northern terminus of the Bakerloo Line, which reached there in 1917 when services were extended on the newly electrified lines to Watford Junction; London Overground services call there on their way to the latter destination. LNWR and Southern services also are available, while Avanti West Coast and Caledonian Sleeper trains go through without stopping on platforms generally closed unless a train is calling there.

The station was also the site of the worst peacetime rail disaster in British history in 1952 (only the 1915 Quintinshill rail disaster has a higher death toll) - an express train collided with the rear of a local train in fog and then another express train hit the wreckage. 112 people died and 340 were injured. Since the crew of the express train died in the crash, the precise reason why they failed to respond to two signals was impossible to establish. The result of the report was a faster introduction into service of the Automatic Warning System or AWS that gives a driver an in-cab indication of the state of a signal by visual and auditory means.

A two-station branch line to Stanmore Village closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.

Paregoric is a 4% tincture of opium, then available over the counter without prescription. Its main uses would be for treating diarrhoea, treating teething pains in children and as a cough medicine. It is today a Schedule III controlled substance in the US i.e. prescription only.

Crown Derby refers to Royal Crown Derby, a porcelain company founded c.1750 and still going today; it may be the oldest still active company in that field in England.

Langdale Pike is clearly a pseudonym, referring to a series of peaks in the Lake District.

This is, fortunately, the only time we have the n-word being used in the canon. It was considered a crude term even then.

Pernambuco is a state in NE Brazil, then a centre of sugarcane cultivation, still a major part of its economy. It was historically Portuguese, not Spanish.

Yes, let's stereotype Latina women, shall we, Mr. Doyle? I'm not calling you Sir Arthur in this discussion; you're not acting like a knight.

This whole thing leaves a rather ugly taste and if I could strike a story from the canon, I would do it for this one.

[holmesillustrations]

Left: “Watson, would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic?” Valley of Fear, Arthur I. Keller, GH Doran US Novel Feb 1915 Characters: Holmes, Watson

Right: “Holmes raised his pipe, languidly smiling.” Three Gables, FD Steele, Liberty Sep 1926 Characters: Holmes, 'Steve Dixie'

[skyriderwednesday]

November 15th Quick Chronology

I've moved things again! So in quick fashion... (bold titles changed, see bottom for notes)

GLOR - Summer 1875

MUSG - Spring 1879

STUD - Jan to Mar 1881

SHOS - May 1881

RESI - Oct 1881

YELL - Mar 1882

SPEC - Apr 1883

BERY - Feb 1884

LADY - May 1884

CHAS - Winter 1884

HOUN - Oct to Nov 1885

COPP - Spring 1886

GREE - Summer 1886

VALL - Jan 1887

REIG - Apr 1887

SIGN - Jul 1887

CARD - Aug 1887

NOBL - Oct 1887

SCAN - Mar 1888

STOC - Jun 1888

NAVA - Jul 1888

SECO - Jul 1888

CROO - Aug 1888

FIVE - Sep 1888

BOSC - Spring 1889

TWIS - Jun 1889

ENGI - Summer 1889

DYIN - Nov 1889

IDEN - Sep 1890

REDH - Oct 1890

BLUE - Dec 1890

FINA - Apr to May 1891

EMPT - Apr 1894

WIST - May 1894

NORW - Aug 1894

SILV - Sep 1894

GOLD - Nov 1894

REDC - Dec 1894

SOLI - Apr 1895

3STU - May 1895

BLAC - Jul 1895

BRUC - Nov 1895

VEIL - Early 1896

MISS - Feb 1896-7

ABBE - Feb 1897

DEVI - Mar 1897

SIXN - May or Jun 1898

DANC - Jul 1898

SUSS - Nov 1898

RETI - Summer 1899

PRIO - May 1901

THOR - Oct 1901

3GAR - Jun 1902

ILLU - Sep 1902

BLAN - Jan 1903

MAZA - Summer 1903

3GAB - Summer 1903

CREE - Sep 1903

LION - Jul 1907

LAST - Aug 1914

Notes:

LADY, moved to May 1884: Lady Frances Carfax originally disappeared (sorry) in Spring 1901. After discussions started by LFW reaching it, I've decided it makes more sense pre-Hiatus and early(ish) in the canon.

COPP, moved to Spring 1886: The Copper Beeches originally sat in the spot now occupied by Lady Frances in Spring 1884. I shifted it ahead by two years because Holmes needs more time to get sick of young lady clients.

SILV: Please do not @ me about Silver Blaze. It's my chronology and I only care about publication dates when it's funny/historical.

REDC: I'm still unhappy with The Red Circle being in December 1894. If anyone has any better ideas for when it takes place, I'm all ears.

[darchildre]

Because of my current Rathbone Holmes project, I keep thinking that maybe when I'm done reading all the Raffles ever, I should do a general reread of the Holmes canon. Like I mentioned last night, there are stories that I very rarely reread and it could be fun to do that again.

And then I remember that this would also mean rereading, y'know, LION and 3GAB, etc, and then I decide that I don't need to do that.

[geeoharee]

#what does that mean is it the four first letters???

I can help! It's usually just the first four letters. There's a few weird outliers - Case Of Identity is IDEN because CASE would be too vague, and anything that starts 'The Three... whatevers' is 3GAB or 3STU or 3GAR because otherwise we'd have multiple cases called THRE.

And the Engineer's Thumb is ENGR not ENGI, to annoy me, personally. They were invented by this guy called JFC and then we all just used them forever. https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/title-abbreviations.html

Watching The Empty House and oh my god Watson literally fell to the ground when he saw Holmes alive again THAT'S emotion and then LOOK AT HIS FACE he's so happy my heart 🥺🥺

Holmes, always keen to a dramatic touch. Like, my man's throwing ballet poses while he stretches just look at that

Also going from David Burke's To Edward Hardwick's Watson wasn't as shocking as I thought it'd be. He's just as charming as Burke.

Also also! I am SO drawing this frame:

[teaformrholmes]

Surely no man would take up my profession if it were not that danger attracts him.

Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Three Gables

[astudyinimagination]

Also I need suggestions for face-claims for Isadora Klein from “The Three Gables.” Right now, Michelle Gomez is the only actress I can think of offhand who’s Spanish/Hispanic, 40s/50s-ish, and very beautiful. If anybody has some other recommendations along those lines, please reply! ;)

[travelingwithoutthedoctor]

Holmes is absolutely unimpressed by a woman.

[oldfashionedbooklove]

REDC : The Adventure of the Red Circle

REDH : The Red-Headed League

REIG : The Adventure of the Reigate Squire

RESI : The Adventure of the Resident Patient

RETI : The Adventure of the Retired Colourman

SCAN : A Scandal in Bohemia

SECO : The Adventure of the Second Stain

SHOS : The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place

SIGN : The Sign of Four

SILV : The Adventure of Silver Blaze

SIXN : The Adventure of the Six Napoleons

SOLI : The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist

SPEC : The Adventure of the Speckled Band

STOC : The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk

STUD : A Study in Scarlet

SUSS : The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire

THOR : The Problem of Thor Bridge

3GAB : The Adventure of the Three Gables

3GAR : The Adventure of the Three Garridebs

3STU : The Adventure of the Three Students

TWIS : The Man with the Twisted Lip

VALL : The Valley of Fear

VEIL : The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger

WATS : How Watson Learned the Trick

WIST : The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge

YELL : The Adventure of the Yellow Face

I absolutely need to memorize the abbreviations for the Sherlock Holmes stories.

From https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/Abbreviations_for_the_Sherlock_Holmes_stories:

ABBE : The Adventure of the Abbey Grange

BAZA : The Field Bazaar

BERY : The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet

BLAC : The Adventure of Black Peter

BLAN : The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier

BLUE : The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

BOSC : The Boscombe Valley Mystery

BRUC : The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans

CARD : The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

CHAS : The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton

COPP : The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

CREE : The Adventure of the Creeping Man

CROO : The Adventure of the Crooked Man

DANC : The Adventure of the Dancing Men

DEVI : The Adventure of the Devil's Foot

DYIN : The Adventure of the Dying Detective

EMPT : The Adventure of the Empty House

ENGR : The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

FINA : The Adventure of the Final Problem

FIVE : The Five Orange Pips

GLOR : The Adventure of the Gloria Scott

GOLD : The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez

GREE : The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter

HOUN : The Hound of the Baskervilles

IDEN : A Case of Identity

ILLU : The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

LADY : The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

LAST : His Last Bow

LION : The Adventure of the Lion's Mane

MAZA : The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

MISS : The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter

MUSG : The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual

NAVA : The Adventure of the Naval Treaty

NOBL : The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor

NORW : The Adventure of the Norwood Builder

PREF : Preface

PRIO : The Adventure of the Priory School

[holmesillustrations]

oh another story fully out of the game: 3 gables is defeated!

[skyriderwednesday]

November 21st Quick Chronology

Update! I now like where I've put all the stories!! (Recent changes in bold, see bottom for notes)

GLOR - Summer 1875

MUSG - Spring 1879

STUD - Jan to Mar 1881

SHOS - May 1881

RESI - Oct 1881

YELL - Mar 1882

SPEC - Apr 1883

BERY - Feb 1884

LADY - May 1884

CHAS - Winter 1884

REDC - Jan 1885

HOUN - Oct to Nov 1885

COPP - Spring 1886

GREE - Summer 1886

VALL - Jan 1887

REIG - Apr 1887

SIGN - Jul 1887

CARD - Aug 1887

NOBL - Oct 1887

SCAN - Mar 1888

STOC - Jun 1888

NAVA - Jul 1888

SECO - Jul 1888

CROO - Aug 1888

FIVE - Sep 1888

BOSC - Spring 1889

TWIS - Jun 1889

ENGI - Summer 1889

DYIN - Nov 1889

IDEN - Sep 1890

REDH - Oct 1890

BLUE - Dec 1890

FINA - Apr to May 1891

EMPT - Apr 1894

WIST - May 1894

NORW - Aug 1894

SILV - Sep 1894

GOLD - Nov 1894

SOLI - Apr 1895

3STU - May 1895

BLAC - Jul 1895

BRUC - Nov 1895

VEIL - Early 1896

MISS - Feb 1896-7

ABBE - Feb 1897

DEVI - Mar 1897

SIXN - May/Jun 1898

DANC - Jul 1898

SUSS - Nov 1898

RETI - Summer 1899

PRIO - May 1901

THOR - Oct 1901

3GAR - Jun 1902

ILLU - Sep 1902

BLAN - Jan 1903

MAZA - Summer 1903

3GAB - Summer 1903

CREE - Sep 1903

LION - Jul 1907

LAST - Aug 1914

Notes:

LADY, moved to May 1884: Lady Frances Carfax originally disappeared (sorry) in Spring 1901. After discussions started by LFW reaching it, I've decided it makes more sense pre-Hiatus and early(ish) in the canon.

REDC, moved to January 1885: The Red Circle was originally shoved into December 1894 because I had no idea where else to put it, but I have since realised it makes way more sense as an earlier case. Thank you @transholmes for the suggestion.

COPP, moved to Spring 1886: The Copper Beeches originally sat in the spot now occupied by Lady Frances in Spring 1884. I shifted it ahead by two years because Holmes needs more time to get sick of young lady clients.

SILV: Please do not @ me about Silver Blaze. It's my chronology and I only care about publication dates when it's funny/historical.

[sarahthecoat]

mmhmm, and i can't miss that bit about "the man whom above all others i revere"!

Martin is not involved in the game/play/etc because John's ""not important"" in this part of the story?

No, it’s actually way cleverer than that. @devoursjohnlock​ touched on “John erasure” over a year ago in this meta (x), but basically, in the Case-Book era of stories, or rather, everything written from The Valley of Fear and after, Watson starts to downplay his own role in the cases:

Now for a moment I will ask leave to remove my own insignificantpersonality and to describe events which occurred before we arrivedupon the scene by the light of knowledge which came to us afterwards.

– The Valley of Fear (1914)

There remain a considerable residue of cases… […] In some I was myself concerned and can speak as an eye-witness, while in others I was either not present or played so small a part that they could only be told as by a third person.

– The Problem of Thor Bridge (1922)

His Last Bow (1917) is written in third person. The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone (1921) is written in third person. Holmes narrates two – The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier (1926) and The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane (1926) – and Watson isn’t even in them. People are really indignant about John’s diminished role in S4 but the fact is, it fits with canon perfectly.

But when you look at the other Case-book stories, you realize that while Watson leaves himself out of the surface narrative, he’s actually using the cases to vague about his own life’s drama in far more graphic detail than would ever be otherwise appropriate. He’s using his personal turmoil as inspiration; he’s using characters as mirrors to blab about his own private affairs. And then, in case you couldn’t figure out that was what Watson was doing, Watson writes up a case where a guy literally does this:

Could I have believed that a gentleman would do such an act? He wrote a book in which he described his own story. I, of course, was the wolf, he was the lamb. It was all there, under different names, of course, but who in all London would have failed to recognize it?

– The Adventure of the Three Gables (1926)

So while in some ways John is erasing himself from the narrative, in other ways the narrative is more about John than ever. Just like S4.

Apart from these unfathomed cases, there are some which involve the secrets of private families to an extent which would mean consternation in many exalted quarters if it were thought possible that they might find their way into print. I need not say that such a breach of confidence is unthinkable, and that these records will be separated and destroyed now that my friend has time to turn his energies to the matter. There remain a considerable residue of cases of greater or less interest which I might have edited before had I not feared to give the public a surfeit which might react upon the reputation of the man whom above all others I revere.In some I was myself concerned and can speak as an eye-witness, while in others I was either not present or played so small a part that they could only be told as by a third person. The following narrative is drawn from my own experience.

– The Problem of Thor Bridge (1922)

He’s telling you: “The following narrative is drawn from my own experience.”

[bohemiansoulscanondiscussion]

I think it is of help, without my giving away any plot points, to mention that the word “creature” has a more obscure definition in use in Victorian times that I believe applies in STUD. It can mean a servant or someone under the control of another. So the use of “creature” to describe a certain character is not as negative as one might think- in terms of being either inhuman or exoticised. ACD uses “creature” in this sense in a later story, The Mazarin Stone: “..you have gone out of your way to annoy me. Because you have put your creatures upon my track.” “My creatures! I assure you, no!” “Nonsense! I have had them followed. Two can play at that game, Holmes.” … “I assure you you are mistaken about my alleged agents.” And again in Lady Carfax; “I had no difficulty in finding the ex-servant and in learning all that she could tell me. She was a devoted creature, who had only left her mistress because she was sure that she was in good hands.” There are certainly many other times in Canon where the word is used to put someone apart from humanity (SIGN) or to show a degree of attraction (3GAB), or that someone is especially exotic (THOR), but I don’t think there is negativity in its use in STUD.

[thetimemoves]

Writer Meme

I was tagged by @discordantwords and @calaisreno - thank you!

Name: thetimemoves / thetimemoves(WriteOut) on AO3

Fandoms: BBC Sherlock

Where you post: AO3

Most popular multi-chapter: I’ve not yet written one! I’ve got three multi-chapter WIPs, coincidentally all BBC updates of canon stories, so we’ll see how those turn out.

Fic you were most nervous to post: It’s always nerve-wracking, but I’ll say Abditory, which was my first fic. Even though I’d been reading Sherlock fic since 2011, I was super late to the fic-writing party and didn’t join until after S4. I had no idea what to expect. I followed my first fic up with a Sally Donovan-centric fic, Carpe Vinum. It was only my second story and I wasn’t sure how it would be received. Based on hits/kudos, it’s my least popular work, but it found a lovely and receptive audience. I’m quite fond of my Sally and plan on writing more.

How do you choose your titles: They’re usually the first thing about a story to come to me. Bits from songs, poems, and canon stories seem to be the most popular for me so far. I’m pleased with most and wish I could retitle one or two.

Do you outline: Not really, hence my growing list of unfinished multi-chaptered WIPs. I make lots of notes, which are fine for shorter stories, but I’m learning I need more structure for the longer ones. 

Complete: 15! Who would’ve thought? NOT ME. 7 of those are 221b ficlets, which I’ve discovered I love to write.

In progress: Let’s not talk about my 2018 Spook Me fic about the Bogeyman. Okay, fine. Yesterday Upon the Stair (title is tentative, might just be straightforward and call it Bogeyman). John and Sherlock are on a nasty case involving a serial burglar turned possible serial killer. The fic is set in the present day (not sure when in canon, maybe post-S3) as they have their final confrontation with the Bogeyman, but it relies heavily on flashbacks that both set up the case and (hopefully) provide some insight into John’s background and character. I REALLY want to finish this one. I’m quite pleased with what I’ve done so far, but need to take time to fully flesh out the story. 

Ironically, I saw a Tumblr post this week that talks about the proper way to use flashbacks and I’m pretty sure my fic breaks all those rules. Ah well. 

And then there is Of Shags and Squires. A BBC ‘verse update of REIG that I’ve mixed up with the legend of the Buckland Shag, a local legend I stumbled across by accident when doing some area research. The story follows canon loosely, in that John drags a recovering and reluctant Sherlock down to the countryside to relax. As in canon, their relaxing weekend goes sideways when they get caught up in a case, only this time it’s not as straightforward a solution.

Coming but not soon:  A BBC ‘verse updated of 3GAB centered around Sally Donavan (her POV, her story) and a BBC ‘verse update of GLOR that will feature my version of Victor Trevor. Whee!! Sherlock takes a case that opens up his past. That one will be titled The Ghosts of Our Old Lovers. 

Do you accept prompts? Sure, although the only prompts I’ve so far written have been for the Holmestice exchange. I do love writing 221b ficlets and would happily try my hand at any prompts for those. Longer stories, probably not right now.

Upcoming story you are most excited to write: Each one excites me in some way, but I’m really stoked to write Victor Trevor and his mother (not father) Alice Trevor.

Upcoming story you are most excited about: my FTH story by @reveling-in-mayhem! It’s going to be so. so. good. I’m following lots of excellent WIPs, there’s my ever-growing MFL list, and finally all of the upcoming fics I’m seeing in these memes. Yay!! There’s no such thing as too many fics, but there is certainly too little time in which to read them all! 

If you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged. I’d love to know what everyone is working on these days! Fics, vids, art, anything.