Canon Discussion: The Golden Pince-Nez
Oct. 11th, 2015 08:11 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sherlock60This week we’re having a look at The Golden Pince-Nez. I’ve typed up a few thoughts and questions to get the discussion going—please leave your own ideas in the comments!
...the repulsive story of the red leech… the terrible death of Crosby the banker… the Addleton tragedy… the singular contents of the ancient British barrow. The famous Smith-Mortimer succession case… the tracking and arrest of Huret, the Boulevard assassin… Any thoughts on these cases?
...he engaged with a powerful lens deciphering the remains of the original inscription upon a palimpsest… I wonder where Holmes got the palimpsest from and what he was hoping to learn from it.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
laurose8 pointed out in the previous GOLD discussion that historical scholarship does seem to be a regular thing for Holmes. And that it’s “a good use of detective skills.” It does appear to be not crime itself that attracts him—rather, being able to solve a puzzle.
...I deep in a recent treatise upon surgery. Is Watson actually working as a doctor at this point—after giving up his own practice? Or is he simply reading out of general interest? Or is he maybe trying to keep his skills up to date just in case?
I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a peculiarly ingratiating way with women, and that he very readily established terms of confidence with them. Has Watson mentioned this before? Holmes does in general seem to be adept at calming people—male and female, and he’s usually polite and thoughtful. (Though he can be a bit hit and miss on that front.) But “a peculiarly ingratiating way with women”..? It seems a surprising ability on Holmes’ part.
He had bounded across the room and had wrenched a small phial from her hand. Why was Anna carrying poison? She surely wasn’t expecting to commit suicide that day. In the previous GOLD discussion post, I did suggest that maybe Anna carried the means to commit suicide because, after being sent to Siberia, she never wanted to risk being in someone else’s power ever again. Andthesmallhobbit suggested that maybe Anna was already seriously ill and carried the poison in case she got to be in too much pain and wanted to end it all. But then—maybe the phial didn’t contain poison as such. Maybe it was medicine—but if an overdose was taken, it would kill.
“You are going to head-quarters, no doubt. I think, Watson, you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy." I find this ending rather touching. The case is over, the puzzle is solved—but Holmes takes personal responsibility for ensuring the papers are immediately handed over so an innocent man can be freed.
Next Sunday, 18th October, we’ll be having a look at The Missing Three-Quarter. Hope you can join us then.
...the repulsive story of the red leech… the terrible death of Crosby the banker… the Addleton tragedy… the singular contents of the ancient British barrow. The famous Smith-Mortimer succession case… the tracking and arrest of Huret, the Boulevard assassin… Any thoughts on these cases?
...he engaged with a powerful lens deciphering the remains of the original inscription upon a palimpsest… I wonder where Holmes got the palimpsest from and what he was hoping to learn from it.
laurose8 pointed out in the previous GOLD discussion that historical scholarship does seem to be a regular thing for Holmes. And that it’s “a good use of detective skills.” It does appear to be not crime itself that attracts him—rather, being able to solve a puzzle. ...I deep in a recent treatise upon surgery. Is Watson actually working as a doctor at this point—after giving up his own practice? Or is he simply reading out of general interest? Or is he maybe trying to keep his skills up to date just in case?
I may have remarked before that Holmes had, when he liked, a peculiarly ingratiating way with women, and that he very readily established terms of confidence with them. Has Watson mentioned this before? Holmes does in general seem to be adept at calming people—male and female, and he’s usually polite and thoughtful. (Though he can be a bit hit and miss on that front.) But “a peculiarly ingratiating way with women”..? It seems a surprising ability on Holmes’ part.
He had bounded across the room and had wrenched a small phial from her hand. Why was Anna carrying poison? She surely wasn’t expecting to commit suicide that day. In the previous GOLD discussion post, I did suggest that maybe Anna carried the means to commit suicide because, after being sent to Siberia, she never wanted to risk being in someone else’s power ever again. And
thesmallhobbit suggested that maybe Anna was already seriously ill and carried the poison in case she got to be in too much pain and wanted to end it all. But then—maybe the phial didn’t contain poison as such. Maybe it was medicine—but if an overdose was taken, it would kill. “You are going to head-quarters, no doubt. I think, Watson, you and I will drive together to the Russian Embassy." I find this ending rather touching. The case is over, the puzzle is solved—but Holmes takes personal responsibility for ensuring the papers are immediately handed over so an innocent man can be freed.
Next Sunday, 18th October, we’ll be having a look at The Missing Three-Quarter. Hope you can join us then.
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Date: 2015-10-11 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-11 05:57 pm (UTC)And this particular story does take place in 1894, when Holmes has only just come back. Watson has sold his practice and may still be getting over the death of his wife. So he may have made the decision to take some time off from being a doctor for a little while, but will be going back to it.