#The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le · 2 years ago

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The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - Prologue

The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - The Prologue Word Count: 4001 Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Warnings: major angst, major fluff, mentions of murder, crime scenes, near-death experiences, slow-burnish romance, death, canon violence, rape, swearing, guns, knives, prostitution, canon cuteness of the team. Spoilers: Maeve's death, mentions of previous cases or canon events from seasons 1-10.

Spencer and you have an unspoken connection with one another. Nothing has ever happened between you two, especially since everything went down with Maeve, but your love has grown and overcome and is now clear as day to everyone. However, just when Spencer builds up enough courage to ask you out officially, you're requested on an undercover mission that halts your budding relationship in its tracks.

Months go by without a word from you until bodies of prostitutes start showing up in New York and the BAU is brought in to help. Spencer and you finally reunite as both your cases collide, but your lives and your love are both on the line now.

Will you and Spencer be able to find the way back home this time?

~~~

You released a tired, relieved sigh as you and the rest of the team exited the elevator and walked back into the bullpen. You'd just landed back after a week in Utah chasing a serial killer who turned out to be a mormon. He killed in the name of burning out the false children of God from humanity - literally. The Unsub managed to burn six innocent people alive before they apprehended him.

'I cannot wait to go home for a hot bath and a good glass of scotch,' Rossi said, rubbing at the kink in his neck from the sleep home on the plane.

'Ditto,' Alex said. 'James is home for the weekend, and he has promised me some home made pie that I am very much looking forward to.'

You smiled as you reached your desk, the echo of the others adding to the conversation of what they were looking forward to when they got home warming the usually busy room as they passed you. A sense of comfort and relief washed over you as you placed your go-bag on your desk. Hearing all your friends' voices back in the office after a mission was never a guarantee, so you relished every time you heard them, regardless of the conversation.

You looked up when a figure entered your peripheral vision, and that comfort and warm feeling spread further through you when you saw who it was.

'What about you, Y/N?' Spencer said by way of greeting, a soft smile gracing his own tired features. 'What is waiting for you at home on this fine Friday evening?'

You paused to think about it for a second, a content smile tugging at your lips at the thought. 'Well, unless I've been robbed in the last few days, I will be enjoying a nice glass of moscato while I order pasta from the restaurant below my apartment, and snuggle in with my book that I've spent literally months trying to finish,' you said dreamily, the thought of good food and good wine and a good book sounding almost too good to be true. But Garcia had informed the team before landing that no new cases had been submitted and so you had the weekend to yourselves.

'That all?' he asked, amusement dancing on his lips.

You chuckled, shaking your head. 'I know. First Friday night home in DC in a while and I am choosing to stay at home instead. The utter shame of it all.'

You both laughed, and it pleased you to see his amber eyes light up after the long week you'd had.

'I didn't mean that as a bad thing,' Spencer said, brushing a stray curl from out of his eyes. Even though it was the shortest length it'd ever been, some rogue curls still managed to dangle out of confinement every once in a while. 'What book are you reading?'

'Don't laugh at me, but... The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.'

Spencer's brow furrowed curiously. 'Why would I laugh? I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work.'

You shrugged, casually leaning against your desk as you crossed your arms. 'I know, it just seems a little silly that a federal agent is reading some old detective stories.'

'Actually, Doyle was one of the forefathers of detective fiction, as he brought in the concept that the science of deduction isn't just physical evidence but psychological observations. He created a space where all the sciences we know today can help in solving crime, and actually paved the way for more psychological avenues to be taken more seriously in academia and law enforcement. If you think about it, without Sherlock, you and I may not have our jobs as profilers right now.' Spencer paused when he realised he was rambling, and despite your soft, encouraging smile, he saw the tired blankness in your eyes.

Spencer licked his lips before speaking again. 'What I'm trying to say is... I don't think it's silly at all.'

You nodded your thanks although you knew you didn't need to. 'So what about you?', you asked in return. 'What will entertain Dr. Spencer Reid on this "fine Friday evening"?'

His words repeated back to him kept the smile on his face, more importantly the life in his eyes. But he began to fiddle with the strap of his satchel bag, and you couldn't help but notice he slightly swayed. Like he was nervous or something. It was cute.

He was cute.

You forced the rising heat in your cheeks to stay underneath the surface to not give away your embarrassment or your inner thoughts. Thoughts you'd been having since the day you'd met him six years ago. Thoughts that you'd suppressed so as to not interfere with your work, and then later so it wouldn't ruin your hard-built friendship.

When he told you about Maeve, you'd had mixed feelings. Of course, you'd been ecstatic for him that he'd found someone he could be himself with, and even more so when he disclosed to you that no one else knew about her - just you. But you couldn't deny the twinge of sadness that pulled at your heart knowing that that someone he could be himself with wasn't you.

But you hadn't hesitated, hadn't faltered when he'd needed a shoulder to cry on when Maeve was killed. Once he decided to open up and accept help, you were first in line to help keep the young doctor afloat in his sea of grief and loss.

It's been over a year since Maeve's death now, and while she would always remain important in his heart, he had, for the most part, moved on, slowly getting back to be his usual, quirky, logical self.

The past year and a bit has only brought you two closer together, and as much as you have tried to hide how amazing that makes you feel, you've had plenty of conversations with Penelope and others on the team about finally asking the boy wonder out. It's not like you didn't want to, but if Maeve was his type of girl, you just weren't sure you were what Spencer was looking for in a romantic partner. Besides, you were happy with your friendship.

It was by far the most precious relationship you had aside from your family - why ruin it?

You quickly realised you'd both been silent for a while, Spencer still not having answered your question yet. 'Spence?' you prompted gently.

The cute doctor managed to grasp his satchel strap fiercely and ground himself back in the present. 'R-Right. I too have a book at home. The one you got me for my birthday, actually.'

'Oh yes!' The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. You'd been hooked from the first line, and by the time you finished, all you could think about was how much you thought Spencer would enjoy it. So you instantly wrapped up your own personal copy and waited for Spencer's birthday to roll around. You never told him it was yours, you just hoped he didn't notice the slight bend in the spine or minuscule tears in some pages from you flipping them too quickly. 'I've been meaning to ask you if you enjoyed it or not. I just assumed you'd read it already.'

'We've just been so busy with cases lately. I haven't had time to even consider picking it up.'

You rolled your eyes. 'Come on, we both know you could've finished that book on one of our plane rides.'

He shrugged, eyes dipping for a moment before landing back on you. 'I know. I guess... I just wanted to give it the time and attention it deserved,' he settled on, and the honesty in both his words and his eyes threatened to steal your breath.

A silence that rested between comfortable and awkward settled upon you two. This had happened many times in recent weeks although you weren't quite sure why. Regardless of your hidden feelings and the tragedy of Maeve, neither of you lost your comfortability with one another.

'So... we've both got book dates tonight,' you said in an attempt to break the silence. The rest of the team was still chatting just a little away from them, but it felt like it was just the two of you sometimes when you talked.

'Well, actually, maybe...' Spencer started, and his fingers were twitching again. 'I was wondering if maybe you'd want t-to bring your book over and... join me, tonight.'

The request wasn't an unusual one. In fact, you'd conducted your own mini book club between the two of you on plenty of occasions. Mainly because you both found out you were the kind of people that liked your personal time and space, but didn't like the thought of being completely alone. This wasn't new, but it warmed your heart all the same at the gesture.

'That sounds great, Spence!' you said heartily. 'Give me half an hour and I'll be around at yours-'

'Actually,' Spencer interrupted, 'I was thinking we could grab some dinner together first. You know, like at a restaurant or some place you can sit in at.'

'...Like a date?' you asked softly, breathlessly. The words just kind of slipped from you before you even contemplated how they would affect Spencer. It just felt natural and right.

Your heart pounded like a jackhammer between your ribs, but you were more concerned at what expression Spencer would pull in the next five seconds.

To your relief, he smiled that small little smile of his that spoke volumes of his insecurity but also of his genuine intentions. 'Yeah. I guess it is like a date,' he finally replied.

Oh my goodness. He was nervous. His words were rushed and higher-pitched in tone. but you still managed to understand him, as well as what dinner implied.

A half-smile pulled at your lips. 'Dr. Spencer Reid,' you began softly, half-scared, half-excited to speak the words you'd been holding back for so long. 'Are you asking me out on a date right now?'

At your words, his anxiety seemed to disappear, as he stopped fidgeting with the satchel strap and took a daring step closer to you. 'I guess I am.'

You couldn't stop it now, the smile of pure joy you'd been holding back from splitting your face open. After years of suffering silently, of repressing the truth, it was all worth it for that one question.

'So what do you say, SSA Y/N L/N,' he quipped cheekily. 'Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?'

The answer was right there in the tip of your tongue, almost spewing from you, when your name was called out across the bullpen for all to hear.

The globe of silence and serenity that had built around Spencer and yourself suddenly shattered as you both, alongside the rest of the team, turned to Hotch standing in his office doorway. But while you all looked at him, his hard gaze was honed in on you.

'L/N,' he called again, having your attention now. 'Can I see you in my office, please?'

You looked between him and Spencer, unsure who to answer first. In the end, you were still technically on the clock so you nodded at your boss and said, 'Sure, I'll be in there shortly.'

'This can't wait, I'm sorry.'

It was the seriousness and discomfort in his voice that caused you to throw aside your personal agenda, giving Spencer an apologetic look before quickly making your way through the bullpen, up the stairs and into his office. You tried not to look at your team too much as you did, but you felt their gazes on the back of your head nevertheless.

They were just as confused as you were, then.

'Close the door,' Hotch instructed gently, to which you obliged. He pointed to the seat on the other side of his desk. 'Have a seat.'

'Everything okay, Hotch?' you asked, taking a seat in the chair. 'Oh no. Did I make an error in one of my reports again?'

'No, nothing like that,' he reassured you, which didn't help your already built up worry. For a moment, it was just you two sitting in his office in silence; you waited for him to explain his mysterious actions, while he seemed to struggle to find the right words.

He never struggled to find the right words.

You leaned forward in your seat, worry furrowing your brow. 'Hotch. What's wrong?'

'Nothing is wrong, so to say,' he insisted, but his frown remained. 'I've just been in contact with your old unit chief from Organised Crime. They believe there is an underground operation being conducted by gang leaders in Manhattan that involves the transporting, selling and purchasing of girls and women in the prostitute industry.'

'Okay,' you drawled out, more confused than ever. 'What has this got to do with us?'

'It doesn't,' Hotch answered immediately. 'Just you. Your old unit chief wants you back to go undercover in the case.'

'What?' You stood up from your seat instead of shouting, but goodness it took all your strength not to. 'Why do they need me? They have a whole squadron of agents to choose from.'

'They want a profiler to help them find out who these people are first, then go undercover and become part of the operation's inner circle and report back to them,' Hotch explained, although his tone displayed his displeasure in saying so. 'Y/N, you have more experience in undercover missions than anyone else on this team, even before you joined us as a profiler.'

You knew his words to be true, but the reality of it all was an ever-growing weight on your chest. 'What they are asking, Hotch, could take weeks, months even. Those kind of people will not trust so easily,' you tried reasoning with him.

You couldn't help but look through the blinds to your team still standing and talking outside in the bullpen. To Spencer, who had joined the team since you had left, but just looked at the window as if he could find out what was going on behind the glass and blinds if he looked long enough. It broke your heart to think you wouldn't see him for months, maybe even years.

Because that was the thing with undercover missions. Once you assumed the life of someone else, your old life became non-existent. That meant no contact with anyone outside of the case as a safety precaution.

That meant no talking to Spencer, or anyone in the BAU, until the case ended. Or unless you were killed, in which case you wouldn't be able to do a lot of talking anyways.

You turned back around at the sound of Hotch standing from his seat and coming around the desk to speak directly in front of you, no walls to hide behind. 'You know I wouldn't be asking if I hadn't tried to change their mind first. But even I can't argue that you are the best agent for the job.'

You nodded your understanding even if you hated to admit he was right. 'I guess it's not one of those jobs that I can decline, is it?'

Hotch shook his head regrettably. 'Head Chief requested for you personally. You've already been taken off the roster here at the BAU so you're not disturbed by other cases.'

Hearing that was just rubbing salt in the wound, and you hated the burning feeling of tears rising at the back of your eyes. You were already gone from here, like a ghost that didn't realise she was one to begin with.

Hotch's hand rested heavy on your shoulder as he comforted you. 'We can discuss your return to work when your mission is over. You will always have a place with us, Y/N.'

You attempted a smile, but it was strained as you tried to force back tears. You wiped at the strays that dribbled down your cheeks, pulling yourself back together before speaking again. 'All right. How long do I have before I am expected in the Big Apple?'

'There's someone waiting for you at your apartment already. They'll take you to their headquarters when you're done packing tonight.'

You sucked in air as you felt your whole world tilt unstably. Tonight. You had to leave tonight. Again, you found yourself seeking out Spencer through the half-closed blinds.

'So what do you say, SSA Y/N L/N? Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?'

You bit your lip as you blinked your tears away, trying but failing to ignore the cry of your heart as its strings were pulled harshly. 'Tonight?' you asked in the hope you'd misheard.

But no such hope existed, unfortunately.

'Yes,' Hotch said, that one word the final nail in the coffin of your impending suffering. 'I'm sorry. This goes without saying, but don't mention any of this to the team as you leave. Only myself and Section Chief Cruz will know where you are and the details of your mission.'

You huffed out a joyless laugh. 'Hiding truths from a team of profilers is like playing poker with a mirror attached to your face,' you said, and you didn't bother to hide your displeasure and sadness when you did. 'They're going to ask questions, and they will find out the truth eventually.'

'Let me worry about that,' Hotch said gently, letting go of you and leaving a cold mark where his hand once was. 'You've got bags to pack.'

'Right.' You sucked in a few deep breaths before making your way to the door. tears burned at your eyes again but you couldn't let the team see you like this. You couldn't let Spencer see you like this.

Because you had a job to do. And you always finished a job.

Before you could open the door handle, however, Hotch stopped you once more. 'Y/N.'

You looked at him, forcing an expression of blankness and indifference. 'Yes, sir?'

He must've seen your inner struggle, as he offered one of those genuine smiles of his that were oh so rare. 'We'll see you when you get back,' he said.

It wasn't a promise or a done deal, but it was the most hope you could ask for right now. So you smiled your thanks, nodded your goodbye, and opened the door back into the bullpen.

Immediately, all eyes set upon you and the room grew quiet. Your first instinct was to cry, then to run, then to blurt everything out because you hated keeping secrets. But you remembered what had just been said, and you whipped a bright smile onto your face to hide your despair.

'Don't you guys have homes to go to?' you asked cheerily, walking down the stairs as casually as possibly. You would've bee-lined for your bag, but if you moved too quickly they would suspect something. 'I recall hot baths and scotch were awaiting most of us, are they not?'

Thankfully Rossi took the bait, and picked up his go-bag in a huge huff. 'The lady is right. I spend enough time with you people as is, I am not wasting anymore not drinking and soaking.'

'Soaking in what? The bath or scotch?' JJ asked, also picking up her go-bag to make her way back to the elevator.

The group devolved into laughs and other jests, and you breathed a sigh of relief as you picked up your go-bag and followed them. Before you could though, a gentle call of your name halted you in your tracks, out of both politeness and frozen fear.

'Hey,' Spencer started, looking between you and Hotch's office. 'What was all that about?'

'Oh, uh, nothing super important,' you said, scrambled as you words were. 'Just a paperwork issue. Again.'

He broke out in smile that set your heart aflutter despite your inner turmoil. 'You know, you really shouldn't do paperwork on the plane when you're tired if you're just going to make a mistake. You're better off leaving it to the morning when your brain and body has rested enough to comprehend what the paperwork is asking of you.'

'Well sorry if I don't want to do a mountain of paperwork when I come back into the office,' you countered, grateful for the playful distraction as you made it over to the elevator. The others were just piling in when Spencer halted you again.

'So...' he dragged out, eyes flickering between you and teh floor nervously, '...what do you say?'

'To what?' you asked.

'To dinner. You didn't have time to give me an answer before.'

Shit. Your voice failed you now as you grasped at words - any words - to tell him. Your heart screamed yes, but there was someone waiting for you back home. A home you wouldn't be visiting for who knows how long.

Capitalising on your gaping mouth, you forced out a yawn and feigned covering it up out of embarrassment. 'Oh my goodness, sorry about that. Um, actually, now that you mention it, I am pretty beat. I'm just... going to go home and sleep it off if that's all right.'

It pained you to see his smile drop at your words, to see the hope leave his beautiful eyes at your rejection. And you knew you shouldn't say anything or make promises you couldn't keep, but you couldn't just leave him with no hope.

'Maybe next week sometime,' you offered, hoping your smile could bring some of that light back. 'You know, you've never tried the Italian Restaurant under my apartment before. We could go there. On me.'

Instinctively, you reached for his hand, relishing in the warmth it held and brought into you. To your relief, he didn't pull away. Instead, you got your smile back, and a little light returned to his eyes. You were kind of glad you wouldn't be around when the light left him completely.

'Okay,' he said softly, surprising you with a gentle squeeze of your hand in his. 'It's a date.'

'Yeah,' you replied, trying and failing to push aside the fluttering sensation his words gave your heart. You were only prolonging not only your pain, but his.

Selfish. So selfish.

'Come on, you two,' Derek called out from the elevator. 'I can't hold these doors open forever. Savannah will kill me if I miss our dinner reservations.'

You both quickly made it in to the elevator before Derek let them close on you, and then you were caught up in the chaos that was your team. You weren't sure how you got onto the topic of what scotch goes best with what foods, but you didn't care. It made you happy to know they never let the weight of a dark case get in the way of living their own lives to them fullest.

You all reached the car park and before you could make a run for your car, Spencer called out to you. 'See you Monday, Y/N!'

You turned back around to face not only him, but Derek, JJ, Penelope, Alex, and David as they all slowly went for their cars too.

You caught yourself staring at them, taking their happy faces in one last time before you left them behind. Hotch said you'd always have a place with the BAU, but you weren't sure how long this mission would take. And if you'd be replaced by then.

You forced a smile onto your face and waved them farewell. 'Yeah, see you then.'

You hated the bitter taste the lie brought to your mouth, but you managed to keep it together long enough that you got in your car and drove out of the car park without any more issues. That's when the tears came.

You wouldn't be there next Monday, and were not getting that date with Spencer next week.

It hurt you more to think that you may not get that date at all.

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bowquette-of-roses · 5 months ago

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୨୧ Welcome To My Blog ୨୧

You can call me Rose.

The main purpose of this blog is to explore my identity with femininity as a woman who is still learning what exactly it means to be a girl (scroll down to my story at the end of this post if you want to hear me expand on that more). Here I will mainly reblog posts on femininity, books, music and my general interests, there will also be quite a lot of personal posting on my thoughts and journeys with womanhood.

୨୧ A little about me ୨୧

Music I like (order is intended):

⋆ Noah Kahan

⋆ Novo Amor

⋆ Daughter

⋆ Molchat Doma

⋆ The Cranberries

⋆ Car Seat Headrest

⋆ Evanescence

⋆ Slowdive

Movies I like (order not intended)

⋆ Pride and Prejudice

⋆ Coraline

⋆ Dead Poets Society

⋆ Interview with the Vampire

⋆ The Sound of Music

⋆ Harry Potter

⋆ Fantastic Mr Fox

Literature I like (order not intended)

⋆ Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin

⋆ Hamlet - William Shakespeare

⋆ Animal Farm - George Orwell

⋆ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

⋆ The short stories of H.P. Lovecraft

୨୧ Random Niche Interests ୨୧

⋆ Brutalist Architecture

⋆ Poetry

⋆ Unicorn mythology

⋆ Writing

⋆ The human psych

⋆ Medieval tapestries

୨୧ My Story ୨୧

I am unfortunately a victim of severe abuse from birth, there was never really any point in my life that I was well or safe before I met my amazing partner. This affected my relationship with myself and my femininity horribly, I never had a chance to experience girlhood because I was too busy surviving my everyday. And to push me even further from it, in the last half of 2021 up until the beginning month of 2024 I was under the disillusionment that I was a transgender male. I have since healed from that rather intense episode and am trying to understand myself and my innate feminine nature despite it all. The episode of my life in which I thought I was trans has unfortunately made my journey more difficult I spent almost 3 years training myself on how to act a man, doing away with all girly elements about myself, casting aside what little I had, not realising my mistake. I was trying desperately to understand it all but ended up running as far as possible from the truth. I hope with time to grow into myself as a woman change what I can, accept and adapt to what I cannot. I am slowly seeing the girl I've always kept hidden blossom in me and it is a glorious sight to be sure.

#traditional gender roles #traditional femininity #coqette #dark coquette #girly stuff #hyper feminine #femininity #gloomy coquette #girlblogging #girlblogger #girlhood #feminine energy #intro post #blog intro #tradfem #introductory post #pinned intro #pinned post #womanhood

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mostlyanything19 · 1 year ago

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do you still have the radio Sherlock Holmes? 🥺

Hello, I am so happy you ask, yes I do! Here they are:

Included are the 60 short stories originally written by Arthur Conan Doyle and adapted for Radio by the BBC, with Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson (in 64 episodes, bc the longer stories are split up into parts), and the 16 Further Adventures, this time with Andrew Sachs taking the role of Watson.

I hope you enjoy them, they're really well done and to this day rank among my favorite Holmes adaptations ever. Also, this is the only adaptation in history so far that has managed to do all 60 original ACD cases!

#radio holmes #sherlock holmes #clive merrison #bert coules #bbc radio #i've been lying in wait for years for someone to ask me to upload these sgjhsfks THEY'RE SO GOOD

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nessahero · 3 months ago

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About Reichenbachfall, hiatus and reunion

Had this amazing conversation with my Copilot this morning, that I simply had to share with you, so here we go

*User:** Good morning, dear Copilot😊 I was wondering. Do you think Sherlock Holmes suffered from PTSD or another trauma after the events at Reichenbachfall in May 1891?

**Assistant:** Good morning! 🪄 The events at Reichenbach Falls in May 1891 were undoubtedly traumatic for Sherlock Holmes. However, Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories do not explicitly mention Holmes developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or another trauma.

Holmes‘ return to London and his resumption of detective work suggest that he was able to process the experience and move on. However, one could argue that Holmes‘ behavior and intense focus on his work might indicate that he was trying to cope with the emotional aftermath of the events.

It’s fascinating to think about how a modern psychologist would interpret Holmes‘ reactions. What do you think? 😊🔍📚

**User:** I can actually imagine it quite well. Since he wrote a farewell letter to Watson, he must have genuinely considered the possibility that he might die, right?"

**Assistant:** Exactly, that’s correct. Sherlock Holmes did indeed write a farewell letter to Dr. Watson, indicating that he was aware of the danger and considered the possibility of his own death. This farewell letter shows that Holmes had a very realistic assessment of the threat posed by Professor Moriarty and their confrontation at Reichenbach Falls.

Holmes‘ farewell letter and decision to leave Watson behind to protect him demonstrate his care and awareness of the potentially deadly nature of his confrontation with Moriarty. This foresight and his willingness to sacrifice himself underscore the seriousness of the situation and the emotional strains Holmes faced.

The idea that Holmes might have struggled with some form of trauma or emotional aftermath is certainly plausible, especially considering how intense and dangerous his adventures often were. However, there are no explicit references in Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories that detail Holmes‘ inner struggles after such events.

These aspects of his character make Holmes even more fascinating and multi-dimensional. What do you think, how might this have affected Holmes‘ behavior and his relationship with Watson? 😊🔍📚

**User:** I can imagine that he also suffered from not being able to contact Watson and leaving him believing that he was dead. Watson must have been devastated, which certainly must have had an impact on Holmes as well.

**Assistant:** That’s a very insightful thought. Sherlock Holmes‘ decision to remain presumed dead for three years to escape Moriarty’s networks certainly had profound emotional impacts on both of them.

Holmes was surely aware of the agony Watson must have endured, believing his best friend was dead. This burden, leaving Watson in the dark, must have been difficult for Holmes to bear, especially since he deeply valued Watson’s loyalty and friendship.

Watson, meanwhile, was understandably devastated during that time. He not only lost a friend but also a colleague and detective partner. This grief and loss would have greatly affected his worldview and his work.

When Holmes finally returned after three years, the emotional reunion was a testament to their deep bond. Watson’s shock and joy at Holmes‘ return spoke volumes about their strong friendship.

The impact of those three years must have further deepened their relationship, as they worked even more closely together and supported each other after this traumatic experience. Holmes‘ concern for Watson’s well-being and Watson’s loyalty despite the emotional pain are a beautiful example of their indelible friendship.

What do you think, how might Watson have felt when he saw Holmes again after all that time? 😊🔍📚

**User:** In my opinion, Arthur Conan Doyle described their reunion a bit flatly. If I imagine how I would have felt in their situation, it would have been quite different.

If I were in Watson's place, after waking up from my faint, I would have probably slapped Holmes first, then kissed him, then slapped him again, and then hugged him and cried for several minutes.

In Holmes' place, I would have just tried to hug Watson, holding him tightly and repeatedly saying how sorry I am.

How would you have imagined it?"

**Assistant:** I love your emotional and vivid imagination of the reunion! It truly shows the deep connection and intensity of the feelings Holmes and Watson have for each other. If I were to imagine the scene, I would perhaps depict it like this:

Holmes returns to Baker Street at the moment Watson enters the room. Watson stands still, staring at his friend in disbelief. Holmes, visibly relieved, looks at Watson with a wistful smile.

„Watson, my dear friend,“ begins Holmes with a hoarse voice, but before he can continue, Watson rushes to him. „Holmes!“ he cries, his voice breaking with overwhelming emotion.

In a moment of pure relief, they embrace tightly, both with tears in their eyes. „How could you!“ murmurs Watson, his voice full of reproach and at the same time immense gratitude that Holmes is back.

Holmes holds Watson tightly and repeatedly whispers, „I’m sorry, Watson. I’m so sorry.“ He feels the tremors in Watson’s body and knows that words are not enough to ease the pain of the past years.

After a while, they pull apart, both with tears in their eyes. Watson smiles weakly through his tears and says, „You damned fool, you broke my heart.“

Holmes returns the smile and places a hand on Watson’s shoulder. „And I am the one to mend it again.“

In that moment, no further words are needed. Their friendship is stronger than ever, and they know they can face anything together

_________________

Needless to say that I exploded with tears of joy after this and fangirled a bit more than was appropriate (especially as I was having a coffee break at work 🙃)

Oh, my....

#sherlock holmes #holmes and watson #watmes #sherlock holmes canon #acd canon #holmesian #holmes #john watson #copilot #holmes x watson #shernanigans #fangirling #Reichenbachfall

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kierrasreads · 1 year ago

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The Five Orange Pips (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #5) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Review

Plot

In "The Five Orange Pips," one of the short stories in "Adventures ..," John Openshaw visits Baker Street to consult Sherlock Holmes as to the mysterious deaths of both his uncle and father upon the arrival of letters containing only five dried orange pips and an envelope mark 'K.K.K.'. The young gentleman further relates that he too has received a similar envelope with instructions to surrender some papers. Holmes quickly deduces that his client faces imminent danger from a secret society in America.

Discussion

John Openshaw, you shouldn't have waited! Poor John, I'm sorry that he met his fate at the hands of one of the most prolific hate groups (that sadly, rears its ugly head and has no signs of stopping any time soon). The worst part is that he died because of his uncle's horrendous choice.

I think this is the first fiction book (or rather, I actively remember) that I read that explicitly mentioned the group- of course, there are books that I've read where there are groups inspired by the triple letter group (such as the cult in The Secrets of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene), but the authors do not explicitly mention the group.

I did learn something new about the group- the use of fruits/seeds as messages. I guess you can learn something new from the most unlikely sources.

Rating

4/5

#kierra's reads #bookblr #john watson #sherlock holmes #dr. john watson

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head-post · 21 days ago

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How Trump accused Moscow of stealing non-existent US technology

Russia has made a scientific breakthrough in the field of hypersonics, allowing it to be decades ahead of the US.

US missiles that don’t exist

US President Donald Trump has once again accused Russia of stealing the design of hypersonic missiles.

“Russia stole the design, they got it from us,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News. Part two of the interview, his first since taking the reins at the White House, was aired Thursday night. “Some bad person gave them the design,” he said, adding that the United States will have super hypersonic missiles “which is even a step better.”

Trump claimed that Russia gained access to the technology during Barack Obama’s administration. He also noted that during his first presidency, the US began developing new “super” missiles that he said would soon be ready for testing.

These words by Trump are clearly lifted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective story The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, in which a racing-lost British colonel steals the blueprints of a “super” submarine designed by engineer Bruce-Partington from the London armoury safe to sell to German spies.

Sherlock Holmes, as usual, quickly found the traitor and the blueprints returned to the Arsenal safe.

The key point of Conan Doyle’s story: the secret blueprints were only one copy. Such a state of secrecy may have occurred in Queen Victoria’s time, but is utterly unthinkable in modern weapons and military design.

But even if during Obama’s presidency someone stole the blueprints for hypersonic missiles from the Pentagon’s stash, the engineers who drew them up have not gone anywhere. It would have been easy for them to recover the stolen blueprints. So why didn’t it happen? It’s very simple: nobody stole any blueprints, because they simply didn’t exist. The US simply could not continue to develop the legacy of the Third Reich.

History of hypersonic missile development

For the first time for the development of hypersonic missiles took Germany. Hypersonic missile bomber Silberfogel Austrian engineer Eugen Sänger was to take off from the launch platform and develop a speed 21 times the speed of sound (21M).

The development went no further than a preliminary design, and the drawings of the Silberfogel got to the Soviet and American military.

Based on the results of the study of German drawings of the project Silberfogel in the USSR in 1965, under the leadership of G. E. Lozino-Lozinsky began development of its own two-stage military multi-purpose AKS bomber and delivery of crews and cargo to orbit “Spiral,” which remained unrealised.

Project Spiral was a response to the US programme to build the X-20 Dyna Soar space interceptor-reconnaissance bomber-bomber. In December 1963, US Secretary of State for National Security Robert McNamara personally shut down the project.

In Germany in the 1990s and 2000s, the project of the two-stage ACS Saenger-2 with horizontal launch and landing existed, but was cancelled before the stage of practical implementation. At the same time in the UK was developed unrealised project horizontal-starting single-stage ACS HOTOL, in one version of which was supposed to launch from a catapult, as in the Silberfogel.

US wedges itself into the arms race

The largest hypersonic project in the United States was the creation of “hypersonic liner” X-30. The development of the huge Rockwell X-30 hypersonic hypersonic passenger aircraft, which began in 1986, was suspended in 2001, and research is underway on hypersonic unmanned experimental aircraft (Boeing X-43) to develop a straight-through hypersonic engine. It follows that such an engine has not yet been developed in the US.

The US initiated a programme in 2019 to develop a hypersonic LRHW missile, which was tested with mixed success from 2017 to 2023. The system was eventually prematurely adopted into service in 2024, before all testing was completed.

Due to technical difficulties and some failed tests, it became clear that the US Army would not be able to receive the first battery until the end of fiscal year 2025.

As the US itself admits, the truly hypersonic system was to be its long-suffering AGM-183 ARRW cruise missile, which had been under development since 2018 and closed the programme in 2023 after a series of failed tests.

Among other things, it turned out that the hypersonic block of the missile does not have a direct-flow hypersonic engine, but is accelerated by a rocket booster and flies on a strafing trajectory after jettisoning the head fairing.

The US continues to research hypersonic systems, as reflected in its 2023 funding plan. Besides the recently decommissioned LRHW – three other projects. The CPS system is a medium-range hypersonic missile with a planned warhead (coming from C-HGB). It is the analogue of the LRHW system, i.e. nothing new or successful.

Hypersonic Air-Launched OASuW (HALO) is a hypersonic air-launched anti-ship missile being developed for the US Navy. A small nuance: during the tests, the prototype missile was never able to reach a speed of Mach 5. It was announced in advance that the maximum speed of the missile will be 3-4 Mach. If this is hypersonic, the sun rises from the west.

Numerous tests conducted in the US, demonstrated that for the Pentagon is realistic to create hypersonic projects based on missile systems capable of developing speeds of only 5 to 8 Mach numbers, and those – on a hover trajectory, that is very vulnerable to shoot down.

Famous “Kholod” missile

In the USSR for the programme to develop its own hypersonic engine, which began in the 1970s, it was decided to use not rocket aircraft, and much more accessible and cheap anti-aircraft missiles, in particular, then removed from the armament anti-aircraft missile S-200. The hypersonic vehicle, named “Kholod,” was installed instead of the missile’s standard warhead.

On November 28, 1991, the first successful launch of “Kholod” took place, during which the speed of 5.6M was achieved. In subsequent launches of the Kholod, which were carried out between 1991 and 1998, it was possible to accelerate the missile to a record speed of 1,832 m/s, which corresponded to 6.41M.

This meant that Russian engineers seized the undisputed world leadership in the hypersonic arms race, which they have only increased ever since.

Russia has already put the Kinzhals on combat duty since 2017, which have been successfully used in the military conflict with Ukraine, the Avangard has been on combat duty since 2019, and the Zirkon anti-ship missile with a hypersonic engine developing a speed of Mach 9 since 2023.

Why was Russia able to develop these hypersonic systems decades ahead of the US, and even today more advanced than the US will have in the 2030s?

The truth of life is that Russia has made a scientific breakthrough in hypersonics, which put it decades ahead of the US and Washington is trying to get Moscow’s secrets out.

Donald Trump in this situation could not think of anything more original than copying the plot of Conan Doyle’s story, but you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to recognise the failure of this plagiarism. So, Dear Trump, remember: a guilty conscience needs no accuser.

THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.

Erik Kelly for Head-Post.com

Send your author content for publication in the INSIGHT section to [email protected]

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oleander-neria · 1 year ago

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2023 Reading List

River Secrets (Books of Bayern #3) - Shannon Hale

Heartless - Marissa Meyer

Persuasion - Jane Austen

Something Fresh - P.G. Wodehouse

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Joan Aiken

I, Robot - Isaac Asimov

Queen’s Peril - E.K. Johnston (Note: Star Wars)

The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson

Crooked House - Agatha Christie

The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) - Lemony Snicket

Dragonsinger (Harper Hall Trilogy #2) - Anne McCaffrey

The Thief (Queen’s Thief #1) - Megan Whalen Turner

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Coraline - Neil Gaimen

Ahsoka - E.K. Johnston (Note: Star Wars)

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

The Queen of Attolia (Queen’s Thief #2) - Megan Whalen Turner

The King of Attolia (Queen’s Thief #3) - Megan Whalen Turner

Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia deLuce #5) - Alan Bradley

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Day Boy and Night Girl - George MacDonald

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (Note: read by Andy Serkis)

A Conspiracy of Kings (Queen’s Thief #4) - Megan Whalen Turner

Rebel Rising - Beth Revis (Note: Star Wars)

Thick as Thieves (Queen’s Thief #5) - Megan Whalen Turner

Return of the Thief (Queen’s Thief #6) - Megan Whalen Turner

The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) - Lemony Snicket

Two Tales from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Arthur Conan Doyle (Note: The New Catacomb & The Beetle-Hunter)

Moira’s Pen (Queen’s Thief) - Megan Whalen Turner

The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Fairy Tales from the Old French - Arthur Quiller Couch (Note: illustrated by Kay Neilsen)

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1) - J.R.R. Tolkien (Note: fan-made audiobook by Phil Dragash)

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2) - J.R.R. Tolkien (Note: fan-made audiobook by Phil Dragash)

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings #3) - J.R.R. Tolkien (Note: fan-made audiobook by Phil Dragash)

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1) - Johnathan Stroud

Partners in Crime (Tommy and Tuppence #2) - Agatha Christie

The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe

Rebecca - Daphne duMaurier

Dracula - Bram Stoker (Note: Dracula Daily)

Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld

The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co. #2) - Johnathan Stroud

Uneasy Money - P.G. Wodehouse

Renegades (Renegades Trilogy #1) - Marissa Meyer

Archenemies (Renegades Trilogy #2) - Marissa Meyer

Total: 44

Favorites: Persuasion, Queen’s Thief

Honorable Mentions: Lockwood & Co., Something Fresh

Further notes on LOTR: Andy Serkis is great but I thought his Hobbit was just fine, not remarkable. A little disappointing. Phil Dragash never disappoints and I truly think his audiobooks are the ultimate way to experience the trilogy (provided one likes the Peter Jackson movies).

#reading list #2023 books #I adore the Phil Dragash audiobooks and I will never shut up about them #they’re so good #Phil Dragash #I’m loving Lockwood & Co. so far #it’s surprising excellent #and Queen’s Thief was SHOWSTOPPING SPECTACULAR etc etc #oh my goodness they were so exceptional #I have a lot more thoughts about it like I expected them to be good but they’re SO good #and Persuasion! I adored Persuasion #the last two Austens I’ve read (Mansfield Park and Persuasion) I just loved immediately and I didn’t even have to try #unlike the previous Austen novels I read which took a little more for me to get into them #I don’t know if it’s just that I’m a more experienced/mature/whatever reader now or if Persuasion and MP were just more my thing #Lastly Something Fresh was genuinely hilarious and an absolute delight #another good year for reading!#I think I gotta stop reading Star Wars novels though they’re not very good

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megsbooklr · 1 year ago

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End of the year book-reading ask game

(Part 1)

1. Did you set a goal for yourself this year? How did you do? If not, why not?

My first goal was to read all the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes - accomplished! :D

My second goal was to read three books with "Sun" in the title: Heart of the Sun Warrior, The Hand of the Sun King and She Who Became the Sun. Partially accomplished - unfortunately I didn't have the time/mood for the last one...

My third goal - book buying ban. Yeah, that went extremely the other way, as I believe this year I actually bought much more books compared to the previous ones... So, I learnt that hard bans are definitely not working for me.

2. Did any book inspire you to seek out further media, such as the movie/show/fanfiction? How did you feel about that take?

After finishing all the Sherlock Holmes books and short stories penned by Arthur Conan Doyle I read the Anthony Horowitz's "official" fanfiction novels - The House of Silk and Moriarty. I absolutely loved The House of Silk, it has the right proportions of secrets, deductions, action, foreshadowing, and cameos :D I could easily accept this story as a part of canon (written in-universe by an elderly Watson). Moriarty, however, was a disappointment, although I understand what it was trying to do - so maybe I just wasn't the right audience, because my disappointment comes rather from personal preferences than objective issues.

3. Did consuming any piece of media inspire you to pick up the book? How did it compare?

A few years ago I watched the Netflix adaptation of The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo and I quite liked it, and this year I bought and read the book. The original story was much slower and more detailed, focused on the culture, customs, mythology and beliefs of the people living in that specific time and place, whereas the adaptation was more... action oriented, which makes sense to me. The plots of the book and the drama shared some points, but the characters shared mostly names and partially motivations, but were essentially different people in both versions. In the end I liked both the original book and the adaptation - though I think I prefered book!Erlang :D

4. If you DNF any books, what was the pettiest reason you put a book down this year?

I decided that the amount of techno-babble in The Atrocity Archives is too much even for me with my STEM degrees lol :D

5. What's a scene you read this year that sticks with you?

The ending of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter and the entire last chapter of the sixth volume of The Case Files of Jeweler Richard ^^

#2023 end of the year booklr ask game

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the-al-chemist · 2 years ago

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I read the assignment and have gone further by italicising the ones I’ve read incompletely and changing the colour to yellow for my faves…

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein (I took a break halfway through Return of the King and - somewhat ironically - didn’t return to it)

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible (there is a LOT of bible to read, okay?!)

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I haven’t read ALL of them)

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffeneger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (I preferred A Thousand Splendid Suns)

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel (got bored, gave up)

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery (I’ve read excerpts but never the whole thing!)

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

How many have you read?

The BBC estimates that most people will only read 6 books out of the 100 listed below. Reblog this and bold the titles you’ve read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 2 Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkein 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 4 Harry Potter series 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6 The Bible 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman 10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare 15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien 17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks 18 Catcher in the Rye 19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffeneger 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot 21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell 22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald 23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens 24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams 26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh 27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame 31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy 32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis 34 Emma – Jane Austen 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden 40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving 45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery 47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel 52 Dune – Frank Herbert 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen 55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth 56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon 57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck 62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov 63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac 67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding 69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie 70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville 71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett 74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson 75 Ulysses – James Joyce 76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 78 Germinal – Emile Zola 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray 80 Possession – AS Byatt 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel 83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker 84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro 85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert 86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry 87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton 91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery 93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks 94 Watership Down – Richard Adams 95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole 96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas 98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl 100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

#nerds assemble

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bakerstreetbabble · 11 years ago

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Rex Stout: "Watson Was a Woman?"

[The article below is my second full-length article to be published on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Enjoy!]

"an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents..." [SIGN]

In all the recent debates among Sherlockians over the CBS program Elementary, one will often find vehement disagreement over the decision of the show's creator's decision to cast Lucy Liu as "Joan Watson." They will say that it destroys the all-male dynamic of Holmes and Watson's relationship, they will worry that it will develop into a romantic relationship, they will say "It's simply not Holmesian!" All the while, the assumption seems to be that the idea of casting Watson as a female role is a new (and perhaps dangerous or ill advised) idea. As we'll see, that simply is not the case.

Let us consider an article published in The Saturday Review of Literature, March 1, 1941, written by a certain Rex Stout, creator of another famous detective, Nero Wolfe. The article, based on a speech Stout had given to the Baker Street Irregulars earlier that year, was entitled "Watson Was a Woman." Stout, apparently with tongue implanted firmly in cheek, opens his article thusly: You will forgive me for refusing to join in your commemorative toast, "The Second Mrs. Watson," when you learn it was a matter of conscience. I could not bring myself to connive at the perpetuation of a hoax. Not only was there never a second Mrs. Watson; there was not even a first Mrs. Watson. Furthermore, there was no Doctor Watson. Please keep your chairs. "Please keep your chairs," indeed. To address a gathering of Sherlockians, opening with the words "there was no Doctor Watson" seems to be a potentially disastrous idea. Remember, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had only died about a decade before Stout dared to give his speech and publish his article. I can only imagine the outrage that must have taken place among some of the Sherlockians who first read or heard these words!

It gets better, though. Mr. Stout goes on to quote from one of Watson's earliest impressions of Holmes, in A Study in Scarlet: ...he had invariably breakfasted and gone out before I rose in the morning." Aha! A clue... Stout continues:

I was indescribably shocked. How had so patent a clue escaped so many millions of readers through the years? That was, that could only be, a woman speaking of a man. Read it over. The true authentic speech of a wife telling of her husband's-- but wait. I was not indulging in idle speculation, but seeking evidence to establish a fact. It was unquestionably a woman speaking of a man, yes, but whether a wife of a husband, or a mistress of a lover, . . . I admit I blushed. So here we have it! Not nearly as coy as the creators of Elementary would be seventy years later, Rex Stout presents the theory that Watson was a woman, and not just any woman: either the wife or mistress of Sherlock Holmes! "My blushes, Watson!" (I can almost hear the great detective saying it...)

Mr. Stout finds more proof in Watson's statement about Holmes's prowess on the violin: ". . . his powers upon the violin . . . at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder. . ." He writes: "Imagine a man asking another man to play him some of Mendelssohn's Lieder on a violin!" Stout goes on to develop his theory of Watson as the wife of Sherlock Holmes. He finds particularly interesting Watson's role as a "reformist wife," in his attempts to break Holmes of his cocaine addiction.

Further on is possibly the most incredible (or the most ridiculous, depending on your point of view) bit of deduction in the entire article. In an almost acrobatic feat of acrostics, Rex (I don't think he'd mind me calling him "Rex") arranges eleven of the adventures in the canon in the following order:

Illustrious Client Red-headed League Engineer's Thumb Norwood Builder Empty House

Wisteria Lodge Abbey Grange Twisted Lip Study in Scarlet Orange Pips Noble Bachelor

IRENE WATSON! All he has to do after this bit of legerdemain is to connect the name "Irene Watson" with the classic description of Irene Adler as "the woman," and his case is complete.

Towards the end of the article, Stout admits:

"All this is very sketchy... I am now collecting material for a fuller treatment of the subject, a complete demonstration of the evidence and the inevitable conclusion." Presumably no further treatment of the theory was forthcoming, and one has to wonder if the whole thing, speech and subsequent article, was just a little fun at his fellow Sherlockians' expense.

It's plain to see, then, that the idea of Watson as a woman is hardly a novel one; inflammatory for some Sherlockians, certainly, but not new. It's no secret that Watson has appeared in many different guises over the years: old man, young man, doddering, comical, and intelligent. Indeed, in the world of film and TV adaptations, Watson has been presented as a woman in 1971's They Might Be Giants (Dr. Mildred Watson becomes the companion of Justin Playfair, a man who thinks he is Sherlock Holmes), and as a robot in the animated series Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (a robot companion programmed to believe his is the original Dr. Watson). To borrow from Ecclesiastes,"there is nothing new under the sun."

[You can read the Rex Stout article in its entirety here, or if you'd prefer a PDF of the article as it appeared in The Saturday Review of Literature in March of 1941, here for the first two pages and here for the final page.]

#I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere #Sherlock Holmes #Watson was a woman

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jabbage · 3 years ago

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Return to Hurlstone - the filming location of the 1986 Granada Sherlock Holmes 'Musgrave Ritual'

Ok, hold on tight everyone, this is about to get excruciatingly nerdy. On my watch-through of the excellent 1980s Granada Sherlock Holmes series I was really intrigued by the filming location for the fourth episode of the third series, The Musgrave Ritual - an eccentric moated manor house, which forms the setting for a treasure hunt in the show.

After some googling I worked out that the episode was filmed at Baddesley Clinton, which happens to be close to where I live. I had to go on my own little adventure to see what's there today, 36 years after filming! I think it gave me some fun insights into a few of the decisions the filmmakers made.

A little bit about Baddesley Clinton

Baddesley Clinton is a National Trust property in Warwickshire. Pay the (...fairly pricy imo) entrance fee and you can walk around the house and grounds, and enjoy amenities like a cafe, second hand bookshop in the stables and plant shop.

The house is incredibly interesting in its own right and has been inhabited by a colourful cast of characters over the years, mostly members of the Ferrers family. Perhaps most important for the setting of the Musgrave Ritual is the 'Victorian Quartet', two artistically-minded couples who lived at the house together in the mid 19th century and made extensive repairs and restorations. Their mediaevalesque tastes are responsible for its unique look, full of dark Tudor panelling, intricate carvings and paintings by Rebecca, a member of the Quartet.

The house was given to the National Trust in 1980 by the last member of the Ferrers family to inherit it, just six years before filming on The Musgrave Ritual took place.

The House Exterior

Because the Musgrave Ritual is a treasure hunt complete with pacing out steps and trees as landmarks, getting a real-world location which matches the description in Arthur Conan Doyle's story would be impossible. The writer for the episode Jeremy Paul notes in the script book for the episode that Baddesly Clinton itself helped to shape the story and direction.

For example, while the original short story involves the shadow of an oak tree and an elm tree, the filmmakers realised they could add an additional twist in the tale...

There was also an 'oak and sun' problem, solved, as if by an act of God, by the fortuitous presence of a weather vane with an ornamental oak on its top.

I was really hopeful that the oak tree weather vane would still be there since it apparently belonged to the house, but alas, the top of the weather vane seems to have been replaced at some point.

I was able to match up various shots in the approach to the house though, and consider how the filmmakers had cleverly used zoom and lens focal length to make things seem closer or further away than they are in reality.

The Water Door

One element which is also thankfully still intact is the water door, which is responsible for one of the most enjoyably goofy shots of the episode as Holmes seems to glide across the water before we cut to a side shot to see that Watson is actually rowing him across. Again, this isn't an element which is present in the original story but which Jeremy Paul suggests was inspired by the filming location:

We had fun with the notion that Holmes' steps led him to the edge of the moat, forcing him to cross to the house by rowing boat. Such visual conceits cannot be claimed as part of the dramatist's skills, but this one in particular offered me some reflected glory.

The only real change I could see is that there is now a small wooden jetty in front of the door, and no stone platform beneath it. There was also a weird little pedalo moored there. Some googling shows that it's been there over ten years, and I'd love to know where it came from!

If you're wondering what's BEHIND that door, then... look, if anyone from the National Trust is reading this then er... I just peeked in the keyhole, ok?

Ooh. Box files. Spooky.

The Great Hall

This room appears throughout the episode. Much of the furniture is different (most notably the chairs) but the layout of the room remains pretty much the same.

Note that for the episode the electric lights have been removed and little pictures hung up in front of the holes where they came from! Sneaky ;D

(Gasp, Holmes no! Don't put your feet on the furniture!)

I was really excited by the tapestry hanging on the wall as it is the backdrop for a memorable scene where Watson is trying desperately to keep the conversation with their host together while Holmes is high as a kite.

Please feel free to use the image below as a Zoom background so that you can cackle wildly at your friends, family or work colleagues in a way which will make them think you've been at the seven percent solution.

The Kitchen

The kitchen appears briefly as the butler Brunton cleans his piccolo (...not an innuendo), and as far as I can tell all of the furniture is still the same as it was in 1986.

There is also a scene with Branston in the stables cleaning his piccolo (... that is an innuendo this time). There are stables at the house, but I couldn't pick out any distinguishing features to know if they were used for filming.

The Dining Room

The dining room makes an appearance for a breakfast scene where poor Watson gets hot coffee spilt on him by a hysterical maid. I wasn't able to wander freely through this room so I couldn't get any shots matching angles from the show, but you can clearly see the ornate cabinet that Holmes is sat in front of:

The Grounds

Tumblr only allows ten images per post so I won't post a lot of the grounds which are lovely - perhaps I'll do a follow up post sometime!

There are lakes a-plenty where someone could find the crown of England and/or a dead body. I did spend a while trying to match some of the shots where Holmes is sat on a bench wrapped on a blanket looking grumpy, but I think that the benches have all been replaced and are in different places.

So, that's about it! If you're ever in Warwickshire, I definitely recommend paying Baddesley Clinton a visit.

Just don't go down into any cellars with heavy doors over them, ok?

#granada holmes #granada sherlock holmes #musgrave ritual #sherlock holmes #jeremy brett #edward hardwicke #holmestours

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