Canon Discussion: The Six Napoleons
Mar. 30th, 2014 10:27 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60This week we’re looking at The Six Napoleons. And as usual, I’ve typed up a few thoughts to get the discussion going.
It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome to Sherlock Holmes… One of the lovely aspects of this story is that we get a portrait of the friendship that has grown up between the three men. Lestrade and Holmes aren’t close friends in the way Holmes and Watson are (Lestrade still addresses Holmes as “Mr. Holmes” and I couldn’t really imagine Holmes asking Lestrade to come to a concert with him), and in their friendship the emphasis is still on work. But now they appear to be co-operating more than competing against each other.
I don’t think we ever learn anything of Lestrade’s private life. Is he a single man, do you think? Watson says that it wasn’t unusual for Lestrade to come round in the evening, and twice in this story, Holmes asks Lestrade to come round to Baker Street at 6pm, for the purposes of the case. Even Watson, during his marriage, mentioned occasionally that he needed to go home. Yes, Lestrade is a professional policeman and duty comes first but it doesn’t seem likely to me that there is a Mrs. Lestrade and little Lestrades anxiously awaiting the inspector’s return.
“…the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day.” Any thoughts as to what the “dreadful business” was? I did wonder if maybe the butter was poisoned, and the poison was causing the butter to melt more quickly than might be expected, even on a hot day. And maybe each member of the Abernetty family was unknowingly trying to poison all the others…
I was still dressing in my bedroom next morning when there was a tap at the door and Holmes entered… Oh, well done, Watson! You’ve got him partially trained—at least now he’s knocking before coming in.
“I suggest that you go on your line and I on mine. We can compare notes afterwards, and each will supplement the other." And in this story they really do complement each other. They aren’t trying to score points off each other. Lestrade’s information is genuinely of use to Holmes. Holmes knows that Beppo is looking for something in the busts, but it’s only because Lestrade identifies the murdered man and Holmes recognises the name, that Holmes realises Beppo is looking for the pearl.
“Serve me right for engaging a man with such a face.” “No, I have never seen this face which you show me in the photograph. You would hardly forget it, would you, sir, for I've seldom seen an uglier.” Not terribly comfortable with Beppo’s appearance being linked with his actions—the idea that you can see his criminality in his face. At least ACD isn’t consistent with this idea: in ILLU Baron Gruner is extraordinarily handsome, with a most fascinating manner and a gentle voice. (Though he is of course also a foreigner…) And in CHAS, Milverton is described as having something of Mr.Pickwick’s benevolence in his appearance, marred only by the insincerity of the fixed smile and by the hard glitter of those restless and penetrating eyes. It’s not his features that are unpleasant; it’s only what he’s doing with them.
Holmes knows about manipulating people’s impressions of himself through his disguises but as he says in SIGN after meeting Miss Morstan: “It is of the first importance… not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities… I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.” (Incidentally, I haven’t forgotten about Holmes’ racism in 3GAB. But it’s so bizarrely out of character I just find it difficult to take it seriously as part of his make-up.)
Of course, Miss Morstan does live up to Watson’s first impression and turn out to be lovely, and Beppo has committed awful crimes. However, he had once been a skilful sculptor and had earned an honest living, but he had taken to evil courses… I wonder if the way people treated him and the way they made assumptions about his character due to his face, partly led him to behave in the manner they expected him to behave in.
“I fear that I am a little late; but the trains were awkward.” We must assume Mr. Sandeford was travelling with one of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thesmallhobbit’s ancestors… (See this journal entry.)
'I desire to possess a copy of Devine's Napoleon, and am prepared to pay you ten pounds for the one which is in your possession.’ Is it really necessary for Holmes to pay for the bust and ask Mr. Sandeford to relinquish all claims to it? Couldn’t the police simply seize it if they suspect it contains stolen property? And surely Mr. Sandeford wouldn’t have any right to keep the pearl whether he signed the paper or not. I suppose though it does mean that they get the bust without any fuss.
"Put the pearl in the safe, Watson…" It’s nice to see that they’ve upgraded from the drawer they were using in DANC. Hope Holmes has let Watson have his own key this time… (And shouldn’t it be Lestrade’s decision as to what happens to the pearl?)
Next Sunday, 6th April, we’ll be moving on to The Three Students. Hope to see you then!
It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, to look in upon us of an evening, and his visits were welcome to Sherlock Holmes… One of the lovely aspects of this story is that we get a portrait of the friendship that has grown up between the three men. Lestrade and Holmes aren’t close friends in the way Holmes and Watson are (Lestrade still addresses Holmes as “Mr. Holmes” and I couldn’t really imagine Holmes asking Lestrade to come to a concert with him), and in their friendship the emphasis is still on work. But now they appear to be co-operating more than competing against each other.
I don’t think we ever learn anything of Lestrade’s private life. Is he a single man, do you think? Watson says that it wasn’t unusual for Lestrade to come round in the evening, and twice in this story, Holmes asks Lestrade to come round to Baker Street at 6pm, for the purposes of the case. Even Watson, during his marriage, mentioned occasionally that he needed to go home. Yes, Lestrade is a professional policeman and duty comes first but it doesn’t seem likely to me that there is a Mrs. Lestrade and little Lestrades anxiously awaiting the inspector’s return.
“…the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a hot day.” Any thoughts as to what the “dreadful business” was? I did wonder if maybe the butter was poisoned, and the poison was causing the butter to melt more quickly than might be expected, even on a hot day. And maybe each member of the Abernetty family was unknowingly trying to poison all the others…
I was still dressing in my bedroom next morning when there was a tap at the door and Holmes entered… Oh, well done, Watson! You’ve got him partially trained—at least now he’s knocking before coming in.
“I suggest that you go on your line and I on mine. We can compare notes afterwards, and each will supplement the other." And in this story they really do complement each other. They aren’t trying to score points off each other. Lestrade’s information is genuinely of use to Holmes. Holmes knows that Beppo is looking for something in the busts, but it’s only because Lestrade identifies the murdered man and Holmes recognises the name, that Holmes realises Beppo is looking for the pearl.
“Serve me right for engaging a man with such a face.” “No, I have never seen this face which you show me in the photograph. You would hardly forget it, would you, sir, for I've seldom seen an uglier.” Not terribly comfortable with Beppo’s appearance being linked with his actions—the idea that you can see his criminality in his face. At least ACD isn’t consistent with this idea: in ILLU Baron Gruner is extraordinarily handsome, with a most fascinating manner and a gentle voice. (Though he is of course also a foreigner…) And in CHAS, Milverton is described as having something of Mr.Pickwick’s benevolence in his appearance, marred only by the insincerity of the fixed smile and by the hard glitter of those restless and penetrating eyes. It’s not his features that are unpleasant; it’s only what he’s doing with them.
Holmes knows about manipulating people’s impressions of himself through his disguises but as he says in SIGN after meeting Miss Morstan: “It is of the first importance… not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities… I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.” (Incidentally, I haven’t forgotten about Holmes’ racism in 3GAB. But it’s so bizarrely out of character I just find it difficult to take it seriously as part of his make-up.)
Of course, Miss Morstan does live up to Watson’s first impression and turn out to be lovely, and Beppo has committed awful crimes. However, he had once been a skilful sculptor and had earned an honest living, but he had taken to evil courses… I wonder if the way people treated him and the way they made assumptions about his character due to his face, partly led him to behave in the manner they expected him to behave in.
“I fear that I am a little late; but the trains were awkward.” We must assume Mr. Sandeford was travelling with one of
thesmallhobbit’s ancestors… (See this journal entry.) 'I desire to possess a copy of Devine's Napoleon, and am prepared to pay you ten pounds for the one which is in your possession.’ Is it really necessary for Holmes to pay for the bust and ask Mr. Sandeford to relinquish all claims to it? Couldn’t the police simply seize it if they suspect it contains stolen property? And surely Mr. Sandeford wouldn’t have any right to keep the pearl whether he signed the paper or not. I suppose though it does mean that they get the bust without any fuss.
"Put the pearl in the safe, Watson…" It’s nice to see that they’ve upgraded from the drawer they were using in DANC. Hope Holmes has let Watson have his own key this time… (And shouldn’t it be Lestrade’s decision as to what happens to the pearl?)
Next Sunday, 6th April, we’ll be moving on to The Three Students. Hope to see you then!
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no subject
Date: 2014-03-30 05:07 pm (UTC)Good idea about Beppo, too. He likely felt he felt he needed money more to get girls, and perhaps even friends.
I was a bit surprised, myself, when Holmes said his first try at recovering the pearl had failed. I wondered if he'd known about the maid, and decided not to arrest her, a la Blue Carbuncle. Especially if she's done it for her brother, or under his influence, as so often in the Doyleverse. She'd have had to lose her job, of course. I can't remember a case when Holmes does send a woman to prison.
A non-Holmesian addition I'll delete if you want. I've just found out there's a pterodactyl named Arthurdactylus conandoylei, a fine fifteen foot wingspan. From South America, of course.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-30 09:08 pm (UTC)Maybe although the maid had had the opportunity to take the pearl, she apparently hadn't had the opportunity to dispose of it (she hadn't left the hotel, say, between the time the pearl was last seen and the time the theft was discovered). Holmes suspected she'd passed it on to someone else but was unable to prove who. Perhaps Holmes simply didn't view the maid as important enough to be arrested - she was just a part of the puzzle leading him to the main criminal. Certainly in BLUE Holmes doesn't seem to pay any attention as to whether or not Catherine Cusack should be punished - he's only concerned with James Ryder.
I think you may be right - we never see Holmes directly involved in sending a woman to prison. In ILLU Kitty Winter probably goes to prison but that's not through Holmes' efforts. There is LADY - Annie Fraser escapes at the end but I'm sure Holmes would be happy to see her and her accomplice in prison.
I've just been looking up Arthurdactylus conandoylei ^^ (You seem to think I'm stricter about the comm than I am - feel free to chat about whatever you want :P) How very interesting. And what a wonderful tribute to ACD ^_^
no subject
Date: 2014-03-30 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-30 09:56 pm (UTC)I think Holmes' purchase of the Napoleon is tied up with his love of the theatrical. Of course the police could have taken the bust, but if Holmes is to break it then it will cause less of a problem if he is the rightful owner. Also there can then be no problem with Sandeford demanding the reward.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-31 09:30 pm (UTC)And I simply hadn't thought about there being a reward. It does explain why Holmes is so generous when buying the bust. He does deserve the reward - he worked everything out and Mr. Sandeford just happened to be in possession of the pearl by chance. But the pearl was contained in Mr. Sandeford's property; it would have been a little mean to take it off him without some kind of token reward.