I just didn't get it. . . a book review, . ."The Final Solution" by Michael Chabon

I normally like books about Holmes' life after retirement. I have read a few I really have enjoyed.
Sure, all of them are speculation, but who amongst us has not done some of that.
We have all pictured him in retirement in his cottage by the coast with this bee's.
And I like to imagine a younger person discovering an older Holmes and learning of the great detective and his history and methods.

"The Final Solution" did none of that for me.
I really didn't like the Holmes that was created in the book. Now it can be argued that it never says anywhere that it actually was Holmes, but most readers know that it is. This 'Holmes' left me understanding why he is alone and a mess.

Chabon's Holmes, for me, offered none of the characteristics I envision Holmes taking into his retirement.
He is cranky, decrepit and slovenly. Cranky I could maybe live with, but not the other two.

The narrative is way over written and, again, for me, has none of the cadence of a good Doyle short story.
Several reviewers I have read compare the style to Doyle's writing which I did not find to be the case.
After quoting one lengthy paragraph one reviewer writes; ". . what I love about that passage is the way that it reminds me of reading about Sherlock Holmes's apartment when I was a kid. It's is the same life, only everything is fifty years older."
But to actually read the paragraph you will find it has none of the brevity or descriptive clarity of Doyle.

To really get much out of this book one must already have a good understanding of the Holocaust or must be welling to do some research to understand the 'mystery' in the book. A book leaving us wanting to know or understand more is not in itself a bad thing.

But I found myself wanting to skip over parts because the description became to thick. Perhaps some would argue that it is I who is thick and not the book
But for me, the book did not flow well.

The mystery and the history I could accept, but it was way over written.

And good article on "The Final Solution" and Holocaust imagery can be found here.

Although I enjoyed the history, the mystery and the style left me wanting something else.

A little local Sherlockian History

The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn put on the first St Louis area Sherlockian convention in the early 1990's (we ended up doing two). We called these conventions, The Games Afloat, and we held them on an old showboat called the Goldenrod. (It is on the National Historic Register)
Ten years before, before I know of scion societies and Sherlockian groups, I had attended the play "Sherlock Holmes', done as a comedy on the Goldenrod. I still have the play bill somewhere and will add it when I find it. It was a very fun night.
I just found this bit of news about the Goldenrod.

Here is a picture of what it looked like in it's glory as a working show boat.

Goldenrod Showboat Set for Scrapyard

The new owners of the century-old Goldenrod Showboat say as soon as the Mississippi River rises high enough, they’re going to float their boat straight to the scrapyard.

A local non-profit group hoping to prevent that have only been able to raise about $28,000—less than half of what they need to buy it back.

The Admiral was torn up and sold for scrap a couple of years ago.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #45 - 'The King', Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley (1935-1977) (Where were you when you heard he had died?)

Made his film debut in 1956's "Love Me Tender"

which also featured Richard Egan (1921-1987)

who starred in 1952's "Blackbeard the Pirate"

with the pirate himself, Robert Newton (1905-1956)

who had his last film appearance in 1956's "Around the World in Eighty Days"

in which Sir John Gielgud (1904-2000) also participated (has did half of Hollywood)

who we already connected with in 1979"s "Murder by Decree"

So, there you have it, there you are.

Before you get withdrawals. . . .

Sherlock Holmes Season 4 Updates: Benedict Cumberbatch Starrer To Turn Into A Full-length Movie? Moriarty’s Return The Focus Of Season 4? BBC Series Producer Steven Moffat Address Rumors!

By Staff Writer | Mar 27, 2014 06:27 PM EDT

(Photo : Steven Moffat, Wikipedia.org, Photo by Gage Skidmore)

Fans of the hottest BBC series Sherlock Holmes are getting impatient with the 2-year wait that they have to endure just to see Benedict Cumberbatch strut his hat and cape again, but it seems the executive producers are not even sure if the return of "sexiest detective" is all set.

"I have no idea," executive producer and writer of the hit BBC show Steven Moffat said when asked by The Guardian if it may be as long as two years until the premiere of Sherlock Holmes Season 4.

"Sue's working on the schedules right now. I just started with Capaldi on the new series of Doctor Who. You know, we'll do what we can, but with no sacrifice inquality -- that's the thing. If people have to wait two years, they'll have to wait two years. When's the next James Bond film? You know, it's not that kind of show that turns up all the time. It's just not. But the good news is, that probably means it will turn up sporadically for a very, very long while."

It is confirmed though that the Sherlock Holmes Season 4 is all plotted out.

"Rather excitingly, Mark and I, for no particular reason, we just got out of the rain and sat at the top of the [Sherlock] production bus ... and we just started plotting out what we could do in the future," said Moffat, reports The Guardian.

"And we plotted out the whole of series four and five. So we have got plans -- but our plans don't tend to be 'Let's blow up the world or cast the most famous person in the world' they tend to be 'Whatexciting twists and turns can we add to this?' And I think we've got some crackers! The ideas we had that day, I thought were the best we've ever had," the "Doctor Who" writer added.

Steven Moffat was quick to dispel the rumour that their franchise which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the eccentric genius detective, will be turned into a full-length movie, adding that there are no plans since each episode is already the length of a feature.

What's winding up loyal Sherlock Holmes' fans is Moriarty's return on the last scene of Season 3. In the last few minutes of the finale episode, Moriarty is seen across screens worldwide saying "Did you miss me?"

Moffat was careful not to reveal any details of this new twist to Vulture, saying:  "I can't really say what we're doing with that, but there is no last-minute whim in this."

"We've had what we're going to do with Moriarty in place from before the second season. Exactly what we're going to do. I remember talking it through with Andrew Scott, who plays Moriarty. Wait and see what's going to happen."

Source

For all my fellow tea lovers - advanced skills 101

Simpson's-on-the-Strand

Now doesn't that make you think Sherlock Holmes or what!

On another Sherlockian discussion blog I follow a poster asked,

"Places for SH tourism? my local paper today wrote about London's Baker Street, Meiringen (Switzerland) and Prague(!). Any recommendations for SH places to see?"

Well there were, as you may guess, a lot of recommendations.
I suggested Simpson's and a couple others seconded that suggestion.

And all this talk of Simpson's put me in a reminiscing frame of mind about my visit there many years ago.

The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn put together a trip to England to visit Sherlockian sights. About five members were able to make the trip, which spent half it's time in London and half outside of the capital looking for more rural sites.

While in London we made the required visits to most Sherlockian sights and even visited with some notable Holmesians.
We planned an early dinner at Simpson's with a local Sherlockian, and we arrived straight from one of our sight-seeing walks.
I hadn't really known what we were getting into with this planned dinner stop. We weren't that Internet connected back then (1993), so I had not done proper research into menu or dress code.
It had been a fairly warm July day so I had spent the day walking around just in slacks and button down shirt.
The other two gentlemen in our group were of a more professional occupation than myself, so they naturally went around in a jacket as habit.

When we arrived at Simpson's the maitre d' informed us (me) that a jacket was required.
I thought I was going to be out of luck and would have to find something else to do while my fellow travelers enjoyed the food and company at this great establishment.
But alas, as old and experienced as Simpson's is, they were prepared for uncouth travelers like myself (but I do have good table manners).
I wish I could have, and commented so at the time, taken home the jacket they provided because it fit really well and I liked it.

This performance all took place near the entrance to the hallowed establishment.

And once properly attired I was able to start taking in my surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was not the old wood work or ornate trim, but the centuries old aroma of cooked beef, and it was not, to me, an unpleasant aroma at all.
It was indeed an enticing aroma, and if I hadn't already known I was going to have the beef, it would have changed my mine. I  felt as if I had arrived at a place that had been doing the same thing over 

and over again for many years, and was still doing it, and doing it very well.
We were escorted to the Grand Divan for our meal, where the beef was carved right at the table, and served from a silver serving cart and looked much like the picture to the left.
For a Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding loving Yorkshire-man like myself, it was culinary heaven.
We dallied over dinner for quite a while talking with our guest and amongst ourselves, and taking in these historic surroundings.
I was able to purchase for my collection a cup and saucer with their logo on the side, and it sits proudly in my china cabinet.
And the walk back to our hotel in Mayfair, a walk of about two miles, completed an excellent Sherlockian day.
I have not yet been able to return to Simpson's, but it has not yet been removed from my bucket list.

It is interesting to note that included in the list of famous people who have taken a meal at Simpson's; Van Gogh, Charles Dickens William Gladstone, etc, they actually list Sherlock Holmes.
Didn't anyone ever tell them. . . . . .  . . . Dr. Watson was with him many times and should be listed also.

I hope you can make the pilgrimage some day.

Will knowing how spoil it for you?

Matte Painting Sherlock Holmes and others.

Pine Nuts or Cumberbitch's, this is funny!

Pine Nut?

A study in Scarlet. . .

Credit where credit is due.

What's your favorite Sherlockian accoutrement? Or how many favorites do you have?

As Sherlockians we are always ready and willing to point out all the things non-Sherloclian's associate with Sherlock Holmes; the deerstalker, the curved pipe and the Iverness cape, amongst other things. And no matter how many times we state the fact that, "Holmes did not use any of those!", they still remain iconic images of the great detective. And that's okay. Just because it doesn't say he did use them, it doesn't mean he couldn't have. And all three have made him the recognizable image he is today.
Even the most august Sherlockian journals and blogs don't mind using those symbols as representation in or on their pages. It's hard to fight a myth you help perpetrate.

The most recent popular adaptations of the stories, the RDJ movies, Sherlock and Elementary have for the most part not embraced the use of these symbols as stereotypical accoutrements of the great detective. Sherlock is the only one so far to find a way to incorporate them into it's show, but in a very subtle way. They use an over sized coat as a faux representation of the Iverness (it could be argued), and the deerstalker has been used as a comical prop.

And let's face it, even though, to show our Sherlockian knowledge, we are quick to point out they where not used, most of us are pretty comfortable with the image they suggest.

But that is not why we are here today.

My question to you is, like stated in the title; "What is your favorite Sherlockian accoutrement?"
If you had one thing you could chose to put in your home, your Sherlockian room, what would it be?
Would in be the knife in the mantle or the slipper next to it?
Would it be the Gasogene?
Our would you have an extra space built in your garage for a Hansom Cab?
Would you have Mrs. Hudson polished coffee service on your side board?
Or Watsons comfortable chair?
I might chose one of the walking sticks or the fenders around the fireplace.
Most of us can not afford to replicate an entire room from 221b, and many of us who do have an item from that time period may have come by it by luck or accident (I have a bulls-eye lantern I just love).

So the question remains; "What would be the first thing you would chose to fill that space?"