Finally! An update
June 14th, 2009
| Tags: Admin
Welcome to the new home of With Love, S.H.!
As you can see, we’ve upgraded to a blog-style format (using the lovely wordpress) in order to create a more interactive, reader-friendly site. You can now comment on entries, subscribe to the site RSS feed, and search the site using the handy search box, the tag system, or even by category.
So far, nothing new has been added. As of today, I’ve merely transferred everything over from the old site. This is about to change, as I finally have the time and energy needed to get back to my reviewing. In the days to come, expect a couple of new film reviews, as well as the long awaited Russian Television Series review. I hope you enjoy the new site, and my sincere apologies for the hiatus.
Maybe you’ll review Exploits of Sherlock Holmes at some point? I don’t find most of the stories that slashy, but you have a much more trained eye for slash than most of us. And, as I think you have been informed, the final story has them retired in a Sussex farmhouse together. All the more interesting when you consider that Doyle’s son and heir participated in the writing of those stories, and therefore, don’t they rather skirt the line between being pastiche and being Canon?
I also recommend Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders, by Larry Millett, just for the following passages, both spoken by Watson:
“There are in this world only a few men who might fairly claim the right to immortality, and Sherlock Holmes was one of them. The very idea of his demise was an insult to reason, for he was in life so vibrant, so teeming with ideas, so necessary to the well-being of what we are pleased to call civilization, that his demise could only be regarded as a cosmic injustice. I did not see how I could go on without him, and I felt some vital flame deep within in me begin to die out.”
end of first quote.
Second quote, by Watson:
“I gazed back at Holmes and felt a sense of wonder and pride that my life should be part of his, for in this moment his magnificence shown. Standing before me in the hall, his entire body charged with a kind of wild vitality, he was now most completely and joyfully himself, the one and only Sherlock Holmes, the mere mention of whose name struck fear into the hearts of criminals in every dark corner of the civilized world.”
Hi again. I actually do plan to review Exploits at some point, although I’ll have to read them a second time, it’s been so long. I don’t remember them being particularly slashy either. I will have to look for Ice Palace Murders, though it’ll hit the bottom of my to-do list. Too many things, too little time. Well, I’m sure you understand.
Do you think that you’ll ever do a review on the Disney film The Great Mouse Detective? I’ve seen it many times, and it is actually a pretty good portrayle of the characters.
@OctoberHoliday
Will add film to my list, but I don’t expect to get to it anytime soon, sadly.
I would suggest that this doesn’t need to be high on your list. It takes off on Sherlock Holmes in some ways, but a Disney kids’ movie is hardly likely to be slashy.
I realize there is, as you yourself have said “more scholarship than you can shake a stick at,” but I look forward to your review of Russel Brown’s Sherlock Holmes and the Mysterious Friend of Oscar Wilde. It has Holmes involved in the Oscar Wilde scandal, bringing the front and center the issues of how gays were treated at that time, as well as the sexuality of both our heroes. Now, this is a first for me: I’m recommending a book I didn’t enjoy reading at all. It is not a good story, and there are far too many quotes lifted from Canon (and sometimes turned upside down). I couldn’t really follow all the hints and implications, but that would be perfect for you.
In the same vein, The Last Sherlock Holmes Story, by Michael Dibdin, should not be called a Sherlock Holmes story, really. By the time you get to the end, you won’t recognize either Holmes or Watson - both act so far out of the characters we know. But it is not hard to read the behavior of the character-called-Holmes as motivated by a feeling of abandonment by the character-called-Watson.
It’s still a good film, and there are quite a few moments in it that are very cute between Basil (Holmes) and Dawson (Watson), and they’re very noticeable to a student of subtext, as admin is. I think it’s worth a review, but I may be wrong.
@OctoberHoliday
Don’t worry, I will eventually review everything, including Disney’s take.
@JL82
Pastiches are hard to come by sometimes, but I will certainly see if I can get my hands on them. That’s been my biggest stumbling block (short of buying them, which I won’t do if they’re not on par with Canon, it’s hard to find them in libraries).
So many pastiches, so little time, I know. But there is also Revenge of the Hound, Michael Hardwick. The plot is rather complicated political intrigue, but in the meantime, Watson is engaged to marry (for the third time - we are told Mary was the second) and Holmes is totally P’d off, leading to great strain on their relationship. The highlight: a HIGHLY charged scene in which Holmes wrestles Watson down in an attempt to prove that a witness’s story (about being similarly attacked) cannot be true.
@JL82
You know, I’m starting to think you should consider starting your own blog. Writing about Sherlock Holmes. You have a grand passion for the subject. I think you’d do quite well blogging on the subject.
@admin
That would be great! I completely agree with admin on this one, that you be delightful.
@OctoberHoliday
She could call it Holmesapedia. A pooling together of all Sherlockian information in existence. I’d read it.
@Admin
First I have to say I love the new format of the site. I’m a long time reader and user of your site and there have been so many times where reading through your website has made me want to comment and ask question, so having that ability now really makes me happy . Sadly it’s been a while since I have read here, so seeing the new style is a very nice surprise.
Now to the point of the post, I have a question/request and a comment on the Mouse Detective.
First question/request.
I was wondering if you were planning on making a detailed chronicle list of the canon timeline since in all of your studies of subtext you make comment of where you feel stories to should be placed. While I know you have made a laymen’s one, it would be nice to have all the stories listed as to where you feel they should be place with the date next to it.
Now comment.
On the Disney movie the Great Mouse Detective, it should be noted that the movie is NOT based on the canon Sherlock series but the children’s book series “Basil of Baker Street” by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone. So if (more when) you were to review the movie, I do recommend reading the book series before watching it.
@Tea lady
I’m glad you like the new format. I’m really impressed with the Wordpress interface. It’s fantastic to talk to people, rather than simply lecture at them (at least, that’s what it felt like I was doing before I made the switch).
Oh, a chronology. Yes. Yes, I would like to do a chronology, and have been on and off working on one for years, but a chronology is a huge undertaking. It took me a solid year to write Decoding the Subtext. I suspect it would take at least 3 years to do a proper relationship chronology. Don’t discount it, because one day I’ll find myself with a block of time and no interruptions. But don’t count on it being tomorrow. Or even within the next year.
As for the GMD, I did not know it was based off a book, and so I haven’t seen the film or read the book. When I do review things for this site, I review material directly related to SH, so I would review the books as a pastiche, and probably not touch the film (the film being an adaptation of a pastiche). It’s not high on my list, however, as there are a number of other pastiches collecting dust on my nightstand. I think I probably need a clone. Or perhaps a large surprise inheritance, so that I can quit my job and devote my life entirely to SH.
Anyway, welcome.
Oh, darn. Sorry I forgot to tell you it was a based on a book series. I’ve never read them myself, being unable to find them, and so the thing that came to my mind was naturally the movie. My apologies.
@admin
You’ve read the Basil of Baker Street books? Or are you like me and have only seen the movie and know of the books through research?
Sorry, that reply was for Tea Lady. Mistake.
@admin
Oh I was not expecting it anytime soon, but I am happy we will one day have a full relationship time line. But my question was more if you could add to the time line you made and just add the dates you felt the stories came in, since in all the subtext works you ear marked dates you felt the stories came in.
From my reading of the story (sadly only the first book) and watching of the movie, the S/W in the book and movie was little more then the stereotypes that surround most pastiche. While I did find it cute to think of Sherlock or Watson as animals (reminds of Sherlock Hound), certain things will most likely bug you as they bugged me. Also there are 4 books in the series which you should be able when you do the review at your local children library section. Oh speaking of Sherlock animation, have you ever seen Russian Sherlock Holmes cartoon?
When you have time here’s the link to look over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HULUEK0PkbU
@OctoberHoliday
No worries, I have read only the first and that was when I was very young, so I only remember bits and pieces of the book.