Posted on by Buttons

Weekly Forum: 9 September 2014

Now for Something Entirely Different

This week we will let you decide what the Weekly Forum topic will be. Please comment on the topic of your choice and let’s see if others respond. Any Canonical topic is acceptable.  Be creative and have fun.

7 Replies to “Weekly Forum: 9 September 2014”

  2. I will jump in. For me, the Canon is “atmospheric.” In nearly every story, I am transported, both in time and in setting, to the 1895 of London and England that is so compelling.

    As a kid of eight, I remember the first encounter with gaslight and fog, the sound of carriage wheels, the moors and fens, and the London docks and the Bar of Gold. These were captivating and enchanting and caused me to imagine an entire world made from words and paper. And that began a life-long adventure that has made me whatever it is I am today.

    Watson created a large portion of my life, and I am eternally grateful for that gift. It is the atmosphere that makes it all come alive for me. I remember my British literature professor in college who first told me of the magic of characters in books who–when the pages are turned–come to life again and become real. This was Watson and Holmes. Every time I opened the book, they lived, I was transported to London, and it was 1895. What more can one desire? And that is what keeps me interested in Holmes and Watson: the transportation and the endless new things and nuances I find in every reading.

  3. I’m a late-comer to the Canon (still reading the stories for the first time, at nearly age 40, in fact), but I wholeheartedly agree with Buttons. The stories transport me to a different time and place.

    Holmes and Watson themselves are, of course, larger than life, a part of Western culture, referred to again and again by people who’ve never read the stories but know that Sherlock Holmes is the Great Detective and Dr Watson is his faithful companion. Reading the stories – for me – feels a bit like finally meeting someone (two someones, really) I’ve heard about for years. Do they live up to their reputations? (Spoiler: yes, yes they do, and then some.)

    But if I had to narrow it down to the one thing that draws me to the Canon, it’s the friendship between Holmes and Watson. While I might sometimes wish I were as clever and observant as Holmes, I always hope to be and to have a friend as loyal and true as Watson.

  4. My thing is as a hopeless ‘word nerd’, I am hooked because our Watson has a way with the words. The words are just fun to read–sometimes I read some of it outloud even if there is no one but the dog to listen. It is as much fun to say as it is to read. Even in the weaker examples [YELL?] of the story telling, there is always something that is just beautifully written. I love the part in RETI when Holmes tells Watson to cut out the Poetry, and I”m thinking: oh, no, you don’t! It keeps me coming back time and time again.

  5. I remember using the stories and Holmes specifically to train myself as a 10 year-old kid. I would lay pieces of twine of various lengths on the other side of my bedroom and learn to estimate length by sight. My objective was to be able to tell the difference between 2 inches and 21/4 inches just like Holmes might be able. I began timing distance between telephone poles in order to learn how to determine speed. Over the years, I believe Holmes was responsible for my seeing an entirely different universe than the one I would have experienced without the Canon. And, I still do all of that today.

  6. Buttons: what an interesting picture you just painted with your words! I’m wondering if you should entertain us with a few essays about your 10-year-old (and older) efforts to think like Holmes? Perhaps here, or in the journal, or..maybe book? Or does such a book already exist and I am unaware of it?

Comments are closed.