Friday 27 April 2012

Dear Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson

I have recently been obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. I cannot put my finger on exactly why I am so totally taken by this character, but at least I am not alone. SH does hold the record for the most adapted literary character. I was listening to Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat discuss Doyle's stories – and they said at the heart of these stories lies the friendship of Watson and Holmes, that very male* friendship as in it is very understated. The other thing that I believe makes these stories a joy is that Holmes is a genius, and his genius lies only in observing where other people only see. Doyle makes friendship and excellence accessible to us, no wonder we bite the bait.

In lots of ways, this is a returned obsession rather than a new one. I read in bed before going to sleep, and no matter how enjoyable, it is not a good idea – if the book is distressing I can't sleep, if the book is good I get impatient and I still can't sleep. To circumvent this problem I decided to only re-read books during the final year of high school. And there were two books I re-read  that year – one was the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes and the other was a book of deep philosophy; both were great as lullabies. (and of both, I can barely remember a word!)

However, what made Sherlock Holmes fantastic in my life earlier is precisely what makes it quite ridiculous now. Then, I read because I wanted to read; now I want to read because there is so much I want to know about, form an opinion about. Getting obsessed with Holmes leaves me with little time to read the massive pile I have created with such eagerness.

Talking about which, can someone tell me if Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is worth my time?    

 

*Gatiss' and Moffat's opinions, I can't say if I agree or not. For myself I can't say, I have grown up with wonderful brothers who love me, and beyond the fact that my heart brims up and I beam at them, there hasn't been a way I have expressed my love; and beyond the fact that I have told my Mum and Dad how useless they are, and completely ignored their big – brotherly advise, I haven't expressed my anger. I have failed to find a difference between how men become friends and how women become friends – so I can't say if I agree or disagree with the previously mentioned gentlemen.

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