Discussion Post: The Greek Interpreter
Nov. 20th, 2011 12:26 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60Our case this week is The Greek Interpreter, a favorite of many and it's easy to see why. What did you think about it?
As always, I've got a few questions and thoughts to get the ball rolling. Please add your own!
- Watson's descriptions of the Holmes brothers here are brutal. Holmes is a "a brain without a heart, as deficient in human sympathy as he was pre-eminent in intelligence." Mycroft is "corpulent", with a "broad, fat hand like the flipper of a seal". Do you think Holmes or Mycroft would object to Watson's blunt words being published for everyone to read, or is keeping a positive public persona something unworthy of time and concern for them? Or perhaps they aren't bothered by it since overall the depictions are (mostly) true, even if they are not kind and are embellished for art.
- In a way, Mycroft may deserve the unkind words given the fact he bears a significant amount of blame for the poor outcome of this case. First, he doesn't refer this case immediately to Sherlock despite the fact it is a matter of crime and mortal danger. According to Sherlock, Mycroft considers detective work to be "the merest hobby of a dilettante." Why take it on himself at all?
Then later, he puts the advertisement in the paper, thereby alerting the clearly ruthless criminals to the fact that Melas has betrayed them. In the end, Kratides is dead from poison (not starvation) and Melas nearly so. Do you think the outcome would have been different if Mycroft had brought in his brother from the start?
- Watson does quite a bit of the theorizing in this case and is remarkably good at it! He has some detective skills in his own right.
- Melas isn't the first interpreter. What happened to the first? Dead?
As always, I've got a few questions and thoughts to get the ball rolling. Please add your own!
- Watson's descriptions of the Holmes brothers here are brutal. Holmes is a "a brain without a heart, as deficient in human sympathy as he was pre-eminent in intelligence." Mycroft is "corpulent", with a "broad, fat hand like the flipper of a seal". Do you think Holmes or Mycroft would object to Watson's blunt words being published for everyone to read, or is keeping a positive public persona something unworthy of time and concern for them? Or perhaps they aren't bothered by it since overall the depictions are (mostly) true, even if they are not kind and are embellished for art.
- In a way, Mycroft may deserve the unkind words given the fact he bears a significant amount of blame for the poor outcome of this case. First, he doesn't refer this case immediately to Sherlock despite the fact it is a matter of crime and mortal danger. According to Sherlock, Mycroft considers detective work to be "the merest hobby of a dilettante." Why take it on himself at all?
Then later, he puts the advertisement in the paper, thereby alerting the clearly ruthless criminals to the fact that Melas has betrayed them. In the end, Kratides is dead from poison (not starvation) and Melas nearly so. Do you think the outcome would have been different if Mycroft had brought in his brother from the start?
- Watson does quite a bit of the theorizing in this case and is remarkably good at it! He has some detective skills in his own right.
- Melas isn't the first interpreter. What happened to the first? Dead?
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Date: 2011-11-20 08:39 am (UTC)as for Mycroft - well, he is in Intelligence who knows what the real motives and actions may have been, Watson was clearly in the dark.
Holmes shows barely concealed delight in Watson's ignorance re: Mycroft in The Bruce Partington Plans.
(of course this is all IMO - and IMHO - mostly...)
*apologies for edits