Sherlock Holmes; an enthusiast's musings

Apologies for the long post, bear with me. I'm not usually passionate for anything :P

 

"...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth..." -  Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four

As some of you may know, I am quite a Holmes fan. I don't know when it started, but I grew a deep affection for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest creation; Sherlock Holmes. He was referenced in pop culture everywhere, and I guess I just wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The picture above is my copy of the complete works of Sherlock Holmes (bought long ago at Borders (sadfaec)), and I finally finished it for the second time recently.

I believe the genius of his work stems from every human being's appreciation for a sharp, intelligent mind. For those who have specific passions, it is easy to appreciate a master at work. For example, as a violinist myself, while watching Itzhak Perlman play the haunting theme from Schindler's List, or the exciting gypsy tune Zigeunerweisen, I'm able to appreciate the subtle things that he does with expression or how he plays, because I know how hard it is to do. However for an outsider, it may only be the tune itself that makes an impression. 

Two things that all humans have in common is a brain and a body. It is no wonder then, that when people rise to master these two aspects of themselves, that the whole world can appreciate it. Sportsmen are revered around the world for their athletic finesse, celebrities are given much popularity by how they look, and (increasingly) scientists such as Stephen Hawking or my favourite, Neil deGrasse Tyson [twitter], who are also admired by many.

Sherlock Holmes is an example of an expert mind at work. The logical deductions he makes seem so simple when illustrated for us in the novels or short stories, but from the facts alone, we would not know what to deduce. Obviously, being a story, he's always right in his deductions (okay, there are some stories where he screws up, but still!). But this is the reason why we love Sherlock so much; we understand the logic that is required to arrive a certain conclusion, but we could never do it ourselves.

"Inspector Lestrade: In another life, Mr. Holmes, you would have made a excellent criminal. Sherlock Holmes: Yes, and you an excellent policeman." - Sherlock Holmes (2009)

The movies directed by Guy Ritchie are Sherlock Holmes with much more action. I enjoyed these movies (especially the second!) due to the fact that Sherlock was played so well by Robert Downey Jr. A curious mix of laconic and yet with bursts of energy and eccentricity that was his wont. Jude Law as Watson was also quite well done, and the way they interacted with each other was awesome. (epic bromance =D) The plots were original, and very well executed. Mycroft was beautifully enacted by Stephen Fry (another of my idols due to QI), but I think Irene Adler could have been better done (although Rachel McAdams is HOTTTT). EPIC MOVIES REGARDLESS.

"Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street." - Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes (BBC series)

Recently finished watching the Sherlock series by BBC; found it funny that each episode ran approximately the same length as the movies themselves LOL. The modern-day adaptation of the stories that came from the short stories was immaculate. A Study in Pink (Scarlet in the original), The Hound of Baskerville, A Scandal in Belgravia (Bohemia in the original) were all referenced quite well. The plots were well done for a modern-day adaptation, and the way technology was interspersed was amazing (texts, blogs, and the media showing off his public image with the deerhunter HAHA). 

I loved how it was presented. I especially adored the way Irene Adler was treated in this series...the series made the romantic connection between her and Sherlock quite well. However, the other characters I wasn't as impressed with. Moriarty was bonkers, literally, and not the upper-class sophistication as he was in the movie and the books. Mycroft was much too energetic for the lethargic, robust man he was in the books. Watson had a darker past than I thought was necessary, and Sherlock was...not as well played as Robert Downey Jr. He was good as an eccentric being, but he had no laconic, lazy feel to himself. That being said, the plot and writing was amazing; the comedy was contrasted by the darkness of the plot, and all the subtext was hilarious.

/poshrant

THANKS IF YOU'VE READ THIS FAR, I LOVE YOU =D you don't have to agree with ANYTHING I say; I'll still love you all the same.