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sherlock60This week we’re having a look at the first half of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I’ve typed up a few thoughts and questions to get the discussion going—please leave your own ideas in the comments!
Chap. 1
“To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S.,from his friends of the C.C.H.,” was engraved upon it, with the date “1884.” “And he left five years ago—the date is on the stick.” This story is set in 1889. Where is Mary Morstan? Watson needn’t be married yet but it’s odd she isn’t mentioned at all.
"From one or two friends there on the occasion of my marriage." It’s only just occurred to me that this is perhaps an unusual present to give a man about to married—I mean, isn’t something for the home more usual? It’s no wonder Holmes didn’t deduce this point.
“Recognising, as I do, that you are the second highest expert in Europe——" "Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the first?" asked Holmes, with some asperity. It’s amusing how put out Holmes is by this. And yet he calmly accepts his brother has greater skills in deduction than himself.
Chap. 2
“I was exceedingly preoccupied by that little affair of the Vatican cameos, and in my anxiety to oblige the Pope I lost touch with several interesting English cases.” Any thoughts on the “affair of the Vatican cameos”? Out of curiosity, I looked up who would have been pope at this time. It was Leo XIII, and to quote wikipedia: He is well known for his intellectualism, the development of social teachings with his famous papal encyclical Rerum novarum and his attempts to define the position of the Catholic Church with regard to modern thinking. I’m pretty certain Holmes wouldn’t have been Catholic (in CROO he says: "Mrs. Barclay was, it appears, a member of the Roman Catholic Church… “ That sounds like a statement from a non-Catholic to me) but I can see these two men finding some common ground and having a mutual respect.
Chap. 3
“On the death of Sir Charles we inquired for this young gentleman, and found that he had been farming in Canada.” Any thoughts on Sir Henry’s life before he returned to England? How much of a wrench was it to leave his old life behind? He certainly seems entirely positive about embracing his new role. But then, if he knew his uncle had no children when he left for America, he must have been prepared to some extent for inheriting the hall. Also, he appears to think of Devonshire as home still.
“He is not a man with intimate friends.” This is perhaps an interesting insight into Watson’s personality—he may appear more sociable than Holmes but, apart from Holmes himself, he’s equally friendless.
Chap. 4
“The detection of types is one of the most elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert in crime, though I confess that once when I was very young I confused the Leeds Mercury with the Western Morning News.” Anyone feel like expanding on this amusing little reference to Holmes’ childhood? It’s interesting that he says: “to the special expert in crime”—we know he didn’t consider becoming a detective until he was at university, so what was the reason behind his early fascination with types?
He turned into one of the district messenger offices, where he was warmly greeted by the manager. “Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you?” “No, sir, indeed I have not. You saved my good name, and perhaps my life.” Any thoughts on this intriguing reference?
Chap. 5
He would talk of nothing but art, of which he had the crudest ideas, from our leaving the gallery until we found ourselves at the Northumberland Hotel. What exactly do you think Watson means by “the crudest ideas”? In the comments for my previous discussion post on the first half of HOUN![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vaysh makes some excellent and rather erudite points about this.
Chap. 6
“One thing only appears to be certain, and that is that Mr. James Desmond, who is the next heir, is an elderly gentleman of a very amiable disposition, so that this persecution does not arise from him. I really think that we may eliminate him entirely from our calculations.” Is Holmes too quick to discount Mr. Desmond? He hasn’t met him himself or done his own investigations. Was Dr. Mortimer’s character statement enough? Even he has only met Desmond once.
“I was a boy in my teens at the time of my father’s death, and had never seen the Hall, for he lived in a little cottage on the south coast.” What would have been the situation with the hall at this point? Was Sir Henry’s grandfather still alive and in residence? Had there been a falling out between him and Sir Henry’s father perhaps? Or was Sir Charles already the baronet and, as he was off making his fortune in South Africa, the hall was shut up?
Next Sunday, 2nd August, we’ll be completing HOUN by having a look at chapters 8-15. Hope you can join us then.
PS The comm has just passed its 4th birthday, so happy birthday to us! Here's hoping we keep going for many more years ^^
Chap. 1
“To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S.,from his friends of the C.C.H.,” was engraved upon it, with the date “1884.” “And he left five years ago—the date is on the stick.” This story is set in 1889. Where is Mary Morstan? Watson needn’t be married yet but it’s odd she isn’t mentioned at all.
"From one or two friends there on the occasion of my marriage." It’s only just occurred to me that this is perhaps an unusual present to give a man about to married—I mean, isn’t something for the home more usual? It’s no wonder Holmes didn’t deduce this point.
“Recognising, as I do, that you are the second highest expert in Europe——" "Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the first?" asked Holmes, with some asperity. It’s amusing how put out Holmes is by this. And yet he calmly accepts his brother has greater skills in deduction than himself.
Chap. 2
“I was exceedingly preoccupied by that little affair of the Vatican cameos, and in my anxiety to oblige the Pope I lost touch with several interesting English cases.” Any thoughts on the “affair of the Vatican cameos”? Out of curiosity, I looked up who would have been pope at this time. It was Leo XIII, and to quote wikipedia: He is well known for his intellectualism, the development of social teachings with his famous papal encyclical Rerum novarum and his attempts to define the position of the Catholic Church with regard to modern thinking. I’m pretty certain Holmes wouldn’t have been Catholic (in CROO he says: "Mrs. Barclay was, it appears, a member of the Roman Catholic Church… “ That sounds like a statement from a non-Catholic to me) but I can see these two men finding some common ground and having a mutual respect.
Chap. 3
“On the death of Sir Charles we inquired for this young gentleman, and found that he had been farming in Canada.” Any thoughts on Sir Henry’s life before he returned to England? How much of a wrench was it to leave his old life behind? He certainly seems entirely positive about embracing his new role. But then, if he knew his uncle had no children when he left for America, he must have been prepared to some extent for inheriting the hall. Also, he appears to think of Devonshire as home still.
“He is not a man with intimate friends.” This is perhaps an interesting insight into Watson’s personality—he may appear more sociable than Holmes but, apart from Holmes himself, he’s equally friendless.
Chap. 4
“The detection of types is one of the most elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert in crime, though I confess that once when I was very young I confused the Leeds Mercury with the Western Morning News.” Anyone feel like expanding on this amusing little reference to Holmes’ childhood? It’s interesting that he says: “to the special expert in crime”—we know he didn’t consider becoming a detective until he was at university, so what was the reason behind his early fascination with types?
He turned into one of the district messenger offices, where he was warmly greeted by the manager. “Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you?” “No, sir, indeed I have not. You saved my good name, and perhaps my life.” Any thoughts on this intriguing reference?
Chap. 5
He would talk of nothing but art, of which he had the crudest ideas, from our leaving the gallery until we found ourselves at the Northumberland Hotel. What exactly do you think Watson means by “the crudest ideas”? In the comments for my previous discussion post on the first half of HOUN
vaysh makes some excellent and rather erudite points about this. Chap. 6
“One thing only appears to be certain, and that is that Mr. James Desmond, who is the next heir, is an elderly gentleman of a very amiable disposition, so that this persecution does not arise from him. I really think that we may eliminate him entirely from our calculations.” Is Holmes too quick to discount Mr. Desmond? He hasn’t met him himself or done his own investigations. Was Dr. Mortimer’s character statement enough? Even he has only met Desmond once.
“I was a boy in my teens at the time of my father’s death, and had never seen the Hall, for he lived in a little cottage on the south coast.” What would have been the situation with the hall at this point? Was Sir Henry’s grandfather still alive and in residence? Had there been a falling out between him and Sir Henry’s father perhaps? Or was Sir Charles already the baronet and, as he was off making his fortune in South Africa, the hall was shut up?
Next Sunday, 2nd August, we’ll be completing HOUN by having a look at chapters 8-15. Hope you can join us then.
PS The comm has just passed its 4th birthday, so happy birthday to us! Here's hoping we keep going for many more years ^^
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