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sherlock602016-02-07 08:01 am
scfrankles.livejournal.com) wrote in sherlock602016-02-07 08:01 am
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Canon Discussion: The Three Garridebs
This week we’re having a look at The Three Garridebs. I’ve typed up a few thoughts and questions to get the discussion going—please leave your own ideas in the comments!
...Holmes refused a knighthood for services which may perhaps some day be described. Any thoughts?
...the date, which was the latter end of June, 1902… In this story we get an intense moment of affection between Holmes and Watson. And yet, in ILLU, which takes place three months later in September 1902, Watson is abruptly living away from Baker Street after living there with Holmes for the previous eight years. Yes, ACD was making it up as he went along, and he changed Watson’s circumstances depending on what the story required. But playing the Game, it’s rather suggestive. In ILLU, Holmes and Watson’s friendship seems perfectly intact—but they just aren’t sharing lodgings any more. And oddly, Watson is only living about a mile from Baker Street.
Any ideas? Some kind of declaration from one man that the other man found hard to deal with? A 60 from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vaysh gives one suggestion. Could it be that Watson was already planning to move out before 3GAR happened? Was he indeed leaving to get married again, as Holmes appears to tell us in BLAN? The last time we discussed 3GAR, winryweiss suggested that perhaps the gunshot wound was worse than Watson let on in the story. And he had to move elsewhere because all the steps in Baker Street were too much for him.
"Have you ever heard the name of Garrideb?" Sherlock Peoria gives us an amusing look at the ‘etymology’ of the name.
"Mr. Holmes?" he asked, glancing from one to the other. "Ah, yes! Your pictures are not unlike you, sir, if I may say so.” Do Holmes and Watson look like each other? No, wait—bear with me. In the illustrations (and indeed in TV and film adaptations) Holmes and Watson look significantly different. But maybe this is just for ease of identification and to make an interesting image. In real life we do tend to favour people who look like us. I mean, couples in general tend to resemble siblings. (Though I’m not suggesting Holmes and Watson are necessarily a couple.)
From the descriptions we have of Holmes and the description of Watson we have from CHAS, they do seem to have different builds. But ‘John Garrideb’ can’t instantly pick out Holmes—he has to consider both men first. So are they facially similar? Are the illustrations of Holmes faithful but not Watson’s—because he looks too much like Holmes?
“Just ring him up, Watson." Holmes must have been keen to get a telephone. 3GAR begins in “the latter end of June, 1902” and according to Exploring 20th Century London: “London's first telephone exchange opened on 1 March 1902 near Blackfriars.”
“[Killer Evans] Escaped from penitentiary through political influence.” That’s rather an intriguing statement. Any thoughts?
It was worth a wound — it was worth many wounds — to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask… For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. “For the one and only time”..? Is this possible? But perhaps the relevant words in those two sentences are “depth” and “great”. Watson must surely have been aware of Holmes’ affection towards him over the years, but they are both men who keep their cards close to their chest. However, in the reaction to the gunshot wound, Watson has clear proof for once that Holmes loves him.
“If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive.” What exactly does Holmes mean by this? Does he perhaps not mean it literally—is it just a way of saying, “I bloody love that man, and I’m really quite upset that you attempted to murder him”? Or perhaps he meant that if had been immediately apparent Watson had been fatally shot, then Holmes would have shot and killed Evans, rather than attempt to incapacitate him?
What I love most about Holmes is his nobility, and his concern for those weaker than himself. Surely, even if Watson had bled to death in his arms, he wouldn’t then have gone and shot a stunned and helpless Evans. Would he?
We heard later that our poor old friend never got over the shock of his dissipated dreams. This does feel like an out of the blue ending for Nathan Garrideb. It must have been a huge disappointment, and Garrideb was eccentric and isolated—but going into a nursing home over it?
Next Sunday, 14th February, we’ll be having a look at The Illustrious Client. Hope you can join us then.
...Holmes refused a knighthood for services which may perhaps some day be described. Any thoughts?
...the date, which was the latter end of June, 1902… In this story we get an intense moment of affection between Holmes and Watson. And yet, in ILLU, which takes place three months later in September 1902, Watson is abruptly living away from Baker Street after living there with Holmes for the previous eight years. Yes, ACD was making it up as he went along, and he changed Watson’s circumstances depending on what the story required. But playing the Game, it’s rather suggestive. In ILLU, Holmes and Watson’s friendship seems perfectly intact—but they just aren’t sharing lodgings any more. And oddly, Watson is only living about a mile from Baker Street.
Any ideas? Some kind of declaration from one man that the other man found hard to deal with? A 60 from
vaysh gives one suggestion. Could it be that Watson was already planning to move out before 3GAR happened? Was he indeed leaving to get married again, as Holmes appears to tell us in BLAN? The last time we discussed 3GAR, winryweiss suggested that perhaps the gunshot wound was worse than Watson let on in the story. And he had to move elsewhere because all the steps in Baker Street were too much for him."Have you ever heard the name of Garrideb?" Sherlock Peoria gives us an amusing look at the ‘etymology’ of the name.
"Mr. Holmes?" he asked, glancing from one to the other. "Ah, yes! Your pictures are not unlike you, sir, if I may say so.” Do Holmes and Watson look like each other? No, wait—bear with me. In the illustrations (and indeed in TV and film adaptations) Holmes and Watson look significantly different. But maybe this is just for ease of identification and to make an interesting image. In real life we do tend to favour people who look like us. I mean, couples in general tend to resemble siblings. (Though I’m not suggesting Holmes and Watson are necessarily a couple.)
From the descriptions we have of Holmes and the description of Watson we have from CHAS, they do seem to have different builds. But ‘John Garrideb’ can’t instantly pick out Holmes—he has to consider both men first. So are they facially similar? Are the illustrations of Holmes faithful but not Watson’s—because he looks too much like Holmes?
“Just ring him up, Watson." Holmes must have been keen to get a telephone. 3GAR begins in “the latter end of June, 1902” and according to Exploring 20th Century London: “London's first telephone exchange opened on 1 March 1902 near Blackfriars.”
“[Killer Evans] Escaped from penitentiary through political influence.” That’s rather an intriguing statement. Any thoughts?
It was worth a wound — it was worth many wounds — to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask… For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. “For the one and only time”..? Is this possible? But perhaps the relevant words in those two sentences are “depth” and “great”. Watson must surely have been aware of Holmes’ affection towards him over the years, but they are both men who keep their cards close to their chest. However, in the reaction to the gunshot wound, Watson has clear proof for once that Holmes loves him.
“If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive.” What exactly does Holmes mean by this? Does he perhaps not mean it literally—is it just a way of saying, “I bloody love that man, and I’m really quite upset that you attempted to murder him”? Or perhaps he meant that if had been immediately apparent Watson had been fatally shot, then Holmes would have shot and killed Evans, rather than attempt to incapacitate him?
What I love most about Holmes is his nobility, and his concern for those weaker than himself. Surely, even if Watson had bled to death in his arms, he wouldn’t then have gone and shot a stunned and helpless Evans. Would he?
We heard later that our poor old friend never got over the shock of his dissipated dreams. This does feel like an out of the blue ending for Nathan Garrideb. It must have been a huge disappointment, and Garrideb was eccentric and isolated—but going into a nursing home over it?
Next Sunday, 14th February, we’ll be having a look at The Illustrious Client. Hope you can join us then.
no subject
If Holmes shot Evans immediately while he was still armed, then I would accept that was self-defence and justified. But Holmes incapacitates and disarms Evans before going to help Watson. I couldn't face Holmes going back and shooting an unarmed and stunned man - it revolts me. It goes against everything I admire about Holmes.
But in a sense, it would be easier to bear if Holmes was doing it partly to save Lestrade from himself.
no subject
Of course, we only have Watson's words for all this - and he might have been delirious from pain all the way through.