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sherlock60This week we’re having a look at The Boscombe Valley Mystery. I’ve typed up a few thoughts to get the discussion going—please leave your own ideas in the comments!
Air and scenery perfect. Is it perhaps surprising that Holmes should include this in his telegram? Is he worried that his work won’t be enough to interest Watson? And does this description mean he’s been to the area before?
“A girl of fourteen, Patience Moran, who is the daughter of the lodge-keeper of the Boscombe Valley estate…” I assume the name of this family is just a coincidence, but any thoughts..?
“...who have retained Lestrade, whom you may recollect in connection with 'A Study in Scarlet'…” The implication seems to be that Watson hasn’t had any contact with Lestrade since that first case. So they haven’t seen each other at all in over seven years. Makes you wonder how they managed to avoid each other when they have Holmes in common...
“I very clearly perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the right-hand side…” This is such an odd thing to say. “Right-hand” indicates a relative position. All a person has to do is turn around and the window will be on their left-hand side. Obviously Holmes means Watson always shaves with the window on his right-hand side, but it seems strange that he should be so inexact in his language.
'He mumbled a few words, but I could only catch some allusion to a rat.' ‘Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under...’ Why does the dying McCarthy try to say “Black Jack of Ballarat” instead of the straightforward “John Turner”? His son wouldn’t have known who he meant anyway. And it’s always possible Black Jack wouldn’t have been connected with the now respectable Turner.
...what does the idiot do but get into the clutches of a barmaid in Bristol..? Oh, these scheming barmaids… I wonder what exactly were her feelings towards to James McCarthy. Did she marry him in hopes of money? He’s not really got any. He’s apparently a handsome lad—was that the attraction? Though she could just have had an affair without marriage. Maybe she did love him and wanted their relationship to appear respectable, so married him despite already having a legal husband. Though... I wouldn’t want young McCarthy to be tied to someone he doesn’t love, but I do wonder if his wife is lying when she says she’s already married. Is she perhaps worried that he’s probably guilty of a violent murder but might still be released? And so wants to be sure he’ll leave her alone?
“And now let us talk about George Meredith…” Here we have Holmes wanting to discuss literature, despite Watson’s list in STUD…
“I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words, and say, 'There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.'" Really? I can’t help but feel a little judgmental about Turner. He murdered those troopers and he was a thief. Yes, he was blackmailed but he still got to keep most of his wealth. And he’d put a gun to McCarthy’s head during that last robbery. I think I might have wanted revenge in those circumstances. McCarthy was not a nice man and blackmail is an awful crime. But you’ve got to have some sympathy for him, and it’s difficult to have a lot of sympathy with Turner.
Next week, 8th March, we’ll be having a look at The Five Orange Pips. Hope you can join us then.
Air and scenery perfect. Is it perhaps surprising that Holmes should include this in his telegram? Is he worried that his work won’t be enough to interest Watson? And does this description mean he’s been to the area before?
“A girl of fourteen, Patience Moran, who is the daughter of the lodge-keeper of the Boscombe Valley estate…” I assume the name of this family is just a coincidence, but any thoughts..?
“...who have retained Lestrade, whom you may recollect in connection with 'A Study in Scarlet'…” The implication seems to be that Watson hasn’t had any contact with Lestrade since that first case. So they haven’t seen each other at all in over seven years. Makes you wonder how they managed to avoid each other when they have Holmes in common...
“I very clearly perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the right-hand side…” This is such an odd thing to say. “Right-hand” indicates a relative position. All a person has to do is turn around and the window will be on their left-hand side. Obviously Holmes means Watson always shaves with the window on his right-hand side, but it seems strange that he should be so inexact in his language.
'He mumbled a few words, but I could only catch some allusion to a rat.' ‘Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under...’ Why does the dying McCarthy try to say “Black Jack of Ballarat” instead of the straightforward “John Turner”? His son wouldn’t have known who he meant anyway. And it’s always possible Black Jack wouldn’t have been connected with the now respectable Turner.
...what does the idiot do but get into the clutches of a barmaid in Bristol..? Oh, these scheming barmaids… I wonder what exactly were her feelings towards to James McCarthy. Did she marry him in hopes of money? He’s not really got any. He’s apparently a handsome lad—was that the attraction? Though she could just have had an affair without marriage. Maybe she did love him and wanted their relationship to appear respectable, so married him despite already having a legal husband. Though... I wouldn’t want young McCarthy to be tied to someone he doesn’t love, but I do wonder if his wife is lying when she says she’s already married. Is she perhaps worried that he’s probably guilty of a violent murder but might still be released? And so wants to be sure he’ll leave her alone?
“And now let us talk about George Meredith…” Here we have Holmes wanting to discuss literature, despite Watson’s list in STUD…
“I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words, and say, 'There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.'" Really? I can’t help but feel a little judgmental about Turner. He murdered those troopers and he was a thief. Yes, he was blackmailed but he still got to keep most of his wealth. And he’d put a gun to McCarthy’s head during that last robbery. I think I might have wanted revenge in those circumstances. McCarthy was not a nice man and blackmail is an awful crime. But you’ve got to have some sympathy for him, and it’s difficult to have a lot of sympathy with Turner.
Next week, 8th March, we’ll be having a look at The Five Orange Pips. Hope you can join us then.
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Date: 2015-03-01 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-01 04:49 pm (UTC)In later cases Holmes is often summary in requesting Watson's time. It's nice to note that he has thanked and appreciated Watson.
Indeed, considering how sometimes Watson can always attend Holmes, and Mary agrees, one wonders if she didn't sometimes phone/write Holmes 'John is looking run down, and your cases always invigorate him.'
One thing puzzles me is Alice 'retaining' Lestrade. Did Watson just mean 'requested'? Or had Lestrade been suspended? It could have been for incompetence, dishonesty or getting up the wrong political nose. Fans of Lestrade will prefer the third option; and it does seem more canoneque.
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Date: 2015-03-01 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-01 06:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-01 06:19 pm (UTC)That's a good point - Watson is the one who's actually written the story. So maybe he's the one who mucked up the explanation about Holmes' deduction.
And that's an excellent point - young McCarthy is perfectly prepared to shoot rabbits... (I wonder if this is one occasion on which ACD actually planned ahead, and he meant to have that contradiction with what Miss Turner says ^^). However, I don't think the fact he's spent 3 days with his wife, necessarily means he wants to be married. He might feel guilty enough to think he ought to spend time with her. He might not want to abandon her out of a sense of responsibility and honour. He might be worried she'd come looking for him, and his father would find out.
It is lovely that Holmes thanks Watson for going with him - even if in the next breath he's very rude about "local aid" ^_^ And that's such a sweet thought - Mary actually arranged this with Holmes.
Yes, I vaguely remember this being brought up in the New Annotated. I suppose it is just a slip on Watson's part. If Lestrade had been suspended, would he be allowed to take on private detective work..? I don't know.