Monday, May 22, 2023

Sherlock Holmes Day

Have a Happy Sherlock Holmes Day! Perhaps you might want to read about him at this Wikipedia article. From that article:
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

First appearing in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891...

You could read one of the short stories online. An early one -A Scandal in Bohemia- can be read here. It begins,
To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer—excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.

Or perhaps you might want to watch one of the many adaptations. Wikipedia says, "It has been estimated that Sherlock Holmes is the most prolific screen character in the history of cinema." My personal favorite of the adaptations is the Jeremy Brett Holmes. You can watch The Speckled Band here via YouTube:



Enjoy the day!

20 comments:

  1. ...and a happy Sherlock Holmes Day to you.

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  2. I love Sherlock Holmes. That's definitely a day I can get behind and celebrate!

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  3. You can never go wrong with Sherlock Holmes. I wonder if he is the most popular fictional character of all time? Happy Monday.

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    1. Could be. I was surprised he was sooo popular!

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  4. I love Basil Rathbone as Holmes

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    1. It's fun to see Holmes in that time period.

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  5. That was pretty good. Fairly predictable, but fun to watch the old style of filming. :)

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  6. Anonymous9:23 AM

    Happy Sherlock Day! Let's watch them ALL!

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  7. I loved these books in my youth, and still do....Valerie

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    1. The Husband is a huge fan from way back.

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  8. What a fun post and a great way to immortalize a fictional character.

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    1. I'm glad you liked it :) It is a huge fandom!

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  9. I've always loved watching Sherlock Holmes films and TV series 😊. The Hound of the Baskervilles is my favourite. Take care and wishing you a wonderful week! Hugs, Jo x

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    1. The Hound of the Baskervilles also makes for good horror.

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  10. Great to be reminded of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler! Funny thing: I know a woman whose name is Irene Adler (married name so her parents didn't do it). She couldn't be more different!
    I've been a fan since I was around 12 years old, when I read through a collection of the stories.
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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