A Study in Scarlet: Studied

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Study in Scarlet
Title: Studied
Author: hisietari
Rating: G

From my earliest days I have dedicated myself to studies. It wasn’t meant to be a gathering of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but to find out about what was meant to stay hidden. To find myself the field of someone’s research myself is a strange, yet interesting sensation. Not a bad listing system, dear Watson. Truly not bad.

Discussion Post: The Sussex Vampire

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

It's Sunday, so let's talk canon, shall we? What did you think of The Sussex Vampire? It may not be supernatural, but it certainly is unsettling. As always, I've written up a few of my random thoughts and questions about the story. Please add your own!

- I liked the telling way each character reacts to the possibility of the supernatural. Holmes simply dismisses the notion out of hand, Watson tries to explain the bizarre circumstances medically, and their client Robert Ferguson simply does not know what to believe -- he leaves that job to the professionals.

- Why is it that the later these stories were written, the more Watson says Holmes rarely or never laughs? Here we get from him a "dry chuckle which was his nearest approach to a laugh." But in Study in Scarlet, their first case together, Watson specifically mentioned Holmes' laugh ("merry" or "explosive") a number of times. So, any theories? Is it a misrepresentation? Which is the truth? Or did Holmes become more reserved about his mirth as he aged?

- Enter... the giant rat of Sumatra! Or hints about it, anyway. It's too bad the world will now never be prepared to hear that story. It must be a doozy.

- Speaking of hearing stories, we get another glimpse of what's in Holmes' index. What wouldn't I give to get my hands on that book! With forgers, circus acts, snakes, and monsters (both gila and undead) listed in just the portion of the letter V's entries Holmes gives us, what might the rest be filled with?

- I have to say, few characters in these canon cases are creepier than Jack here. His relationship to his father is... disturbing. Is a year at sea any kind of punishment or rehabilitation for Jack for attempted fratricide? It seems ridiculous as a suggestion from Holmes. With Jack's disability, is that even possible? Why would Holmes suggest it as a solution? What really happened with Jack after this?