#letters from Watson

[thefisherqueen]

Losing my mind a little over this Sherlock Holmes stamp, which was created in 1993 and depicts a scene from 'The reigate squire' short story. It's such gorgeous art. And I absolutely adore how fiercely protective Watson looks here, all like "Don't you DARE bother my friend, he's been seriously unwell, he needs REST". And his hand on Holmes' back, hello?!?!

[doingbad]

Watson writing The Three Garridebs, published in 1924: "For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain."

Sherlock Holmes, who has been taking Watson out to concerts, dinners, and vacations since 1881: "What the fuck?"

[gilgamushroom]

Listing my favorite things about Watson's first letter to Holmes in Baskervilles cause I love this format SO SO MUCH:

"My dear Holmes" ily standard letter greeting <3

How extensive he is in setting the scene. "Hey ik you told me to be brief and you don't really care about this but the views are SO lovely and I care about them so you WILL experience them as if you were here. Deal with it"

The delightful confirmation that watson STILL won't let sherlock live down that he used to be a geocentrist. King behavior. I like to think he pulls that card every time holmes gets a lil too cocky

ALL THE GOSSIP SHARING

The genuine care watson has for literally everyone around him and how he expresses it. Ily watson <3

"You would find him an interesting study" GODD this little domesticity of how well they know each other is everything to me

RIP WATSON YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED THE CONCEPT OF SHIPPING

This man is such a romantic. Very important to the case that Sir Henry and Miss Stapleton shared some most intimate looks

I bet he reads Jane Austen

"See, Holmes, I know you told me to never leave Sir Henry but!! Have you considered!!! I CANNOT be a third wheel they're SO cute together!!! Unrelated but I already appointed myself as the wedding planner. This is helping us in the case."

"You are aware that I am not a very sound sleeper" fuck!! FUCK!!!

[dathen]

“It is a sacrilege, a crime, a villainy to hold that such a marriage is binding. I say that these monstrous laws of yours will bring a curse upon the land—Heaven will not let such wickedness endure.”

Tbh I don’t think Arthur Conan Doyle gets enough credit for featuring domestic abuse survivors in his works, to the point of overlooking or justifying murder, in a time when it was seen as a Private Matter that outsiders shouldn’t be nosey about. Giving voice to a woman to call out the lack of a woman’s rights to be freed from an abusive marriage is a pretty big deal, and Holmes validating and supporting it each and every time is a purposeful authorial choice.

Others have posted about how it’s very likely that, as a doctor, ACD would be privy to all sorts of ugly secrets from “those isolated country manors” as described in The Copper Beeches—but even if he weren’t, there’s certainly a statement being made via his stories.

[224bbaker]

important reminder that holmes and watson transitioned from polite roommates to friends because watson read one of holmes's articles, called it and the writer a hack piece of shit, and holmes went "tell me more. btw i wrote that--no don't stop" and proceeded to call all watson's favorite detectives hack pieces of shit in return

[lesbianliutana]

the problem of thor bridge

he hates this guy so much i'm crying

[granadaholmesdaily]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERLOCK HOLMES —6th January 1854—

[kubo-kubo]

Watson *desperate, tears in his eyes*: "ARE YOU A FLAT EARTHER MR HOLMES???"

[beekeeperspicnic]

Let's play... Bella or Watson?

While waiting for the next Letters from Watson email to arrive, fancy joining me in a little game of BELLA OR WATSON?

Some of these statements were written by Dr John H Watson about his friend Mr Sherlock Holmes. Some were written by Bella Swan about Edward, the hot teenage vampire from Twilight.

[IMG Silhouettes of Dr Watson and Bella Swan, text reads Watson or Bella]

(This was inspired by a tumblr post, but I'm afraid it's lost to the mists of ancient dash for me by now. Answers are under the cut!]

With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted [REDACTED], and [REDACTED].

glanced sideways at the beautiful [REDACTED], who was [REDACTED], [REDACTED] with long, pale fingers

His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence

I turned and he was leaning toward me, his pale, glorious face just inches from mine.

In the darkness he looked much more normal. Still pale, still dreamlike in his beauty, but no longer the fantastic sparkling creature of our sunlit afternoon.

In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing Watson or Bella?

His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. 

An instant later he pulled me back into the blackest corner of the room, and I felt his warning hand upon my lips. The fingers which clutched me were shivering.

It was worth a wound—it was worth many wounds—to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. 

ANSWERS UNDER THE CUT

Question 1 - Watson

With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff.

Question 2 - Bella

I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers

Question 3 - Watson His nostrils seemed to dilate with a purely animal lust for the chase

Question 4 - Bella His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence

Question 5 - Bella

I turned and he was leaning toward me, his pale, glorious face just inches from mine.

Question 6 - Bella

In the darkness he looked much more normal. Still pale, still dreamlike in his beauty, but no longer the fantastic sparkling creature of our sunlit afternoon

Question 7 - Watson

In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing

Question 8 - Watson

His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter. 

Question 9 - Watson

An instant later he pulled me back into the blackest corner of the room, and I felt his warning hand upon my lips. The fingers which clutched me were shivering.

Question 10 - Yup, still Watson

It was worth a wound—it was worth many wounds—to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. 

[johnlockifconvenient]

Holmes: Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Watson

Watson: 👍🏻

Holmes: Watson, it makes me nervous to bring you on this dangerous adventure, but I know you well enough to know you’d never let me go alone

Watson: 👍🏻

Holmes: Watson, do you want to go to a concert with me? And then maybe a nice walk and a night cap?

Watson: 👍🏻

Holmes: If this guy had killed you, I would have straight-up murdered him in cold blood

Watson: oh my god he loves me

[holmesiansource]

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986) dir. John Musker, Dave Michener, Ron Clements

[doingbad]

The thing is, you read the stories written by Dr Watson and you think “this is the most down bad a narrator has ever been” and then you get to the stories written by Sherlock Holmes from his perspective and he’s somehow worse.

[gilgamushroom]

VICTORIANS WHEN BLORBO FROM THEIR COMMUTER'S MAGAZINE COMES BACK FROM THE DEATH AFTER A DECADE LONG HIATUS THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE PERMANENT

[teaspoonnebula]

Enjoy receiving emails from besotted biographers about their genius associates?

Then have I got some email bookclubs starting in 2024 for you!

[IMG A cartoon of Holmes and Watson running side by side, dressed in country tweeds. Holmes is pointing. Lettering reads Letters from Watson, the Novels]

Letters from Watson is reading through the Sherlock Holmes short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle throughout 2023.

In 2024 we'll be reading the novels starting January 1st, with A Study in Scarlet. Hold on for more mystery and adventure with the Great Detective and his dashing doctor.

[IMG A cartoon of Raffles and Bunny running side by side, dressed in formal suits and top hats and wearing masks. Raffles is clutching some pearls and has jewels in his pockets. Lettering reads Letters from Bunny]

But perhaps you'd rather take a little trip to the other side of the law?

Letters from Bunny will be reading the Raffles stories by EW Hornung, featuring gentleman thief (and cricketer) AJ Raffles and his burglar companion Bunny Manders, from the Ides of March (March 15th)

[IMG A cartoon of Jeeves and Wooster walking side by side, Wooster dressed in colourful clothes and a boater, Jeeves in a monocrome suit. Lettering reads 'Letters Regarding Jeeves']

For something a little lighter, Letters Regarding Jeeves will be reading the uproarously funny public domain stories featuring chap about town Bertie Wooster and his bulging-brained valet Jeeves, starting February 14th.

Reblogs appreciated to spread the word!

[dathen]

I think if you put Van Helsing and Sherlock Holmes in the same room they’d actually kill each other.

[224bbaker]

“john watson is an adrenaline junkie who puts up with holmes’s eccentricities and rudeness because he gets to go on adventures” well first of all john watson would walk two miles barefoot over hot coals to hear sherlock holmes rant about the different types of wet dirt so jot that down