sherlockholmes

The Adventure of the Creeping Man (Annotated) | Arthur Conan Doyle

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Cuilin @dabbe

Thoughts, Sherlockians?

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CatLass007 I wouldn‘t call it science fiction. I would call it fantasy. The answer just seems so silly to me. 1d

Read4life This one just left me disappointed. Sci-fi, fantasy call it either but it was out there. The critique was justified IMO. 23h

Cuilin I‘m not sure I would describe it as sci-fi as there are many tales told regarding the elixir of life. It‘s probably more in the fantasy genre. 18h

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CogsOfEncouragement I had to look up risible to see it means such as to provoke laughter. Huh. I thought this short story was giving a couple lessons. Old men shouldn‘t chase younger women, we should age appropriately - accept it - and be spiritual, people peddling poisons should be held accountable… 16h

eeclayton For me personally, the reason why the sci-fi element is “risible“ is that none of the earlier stories had been set up like that, and the “science gone awry“ explanation came out of the blue for me. I enjoy it much more when SH solves the mystery based on overlooked evidence and logic; but I like a good sci-fi story when I expect to read one. 14h

dabbe @CatLass007 @Read4lif @Cuilin @CogsOfEncouragement @eeclayton In preparing to present this one, I did a bit of research. The story was inspired by real 19th-century medical experiments, such as French physiologist Brown-Sequard‘s injections of animal testicular extracts to combat aging, which were widely reported (and mocked) in scientific journals. ⬇️ 12h

dabbe Doyle‘s premise, while extreme, mirrored fringe scientific trends of his era, blurring the line between fiction and contemporary pseudoscience. Modern parallels (e.g., steroid-induced “roid rage“) further validate the story‘s core idea. Thus, labeling it “risible“ ignores its roots in real-world quackery. ⬇️ 12h

dabbe Yet, “The Creeping Man“ retains Holmes‘ empirical approach: he deduces the serum‘s effects through physical clues (e.g., knuckle deformities, the dog‘s aggression) rather than accepting “magic“. The story‘s tension arises from misapplied science, not its impossibility—a theme consistent with Jekyll and Hyde or Frankenstein. ⬇️ 12h

dabbe Doyle‘s allegory about tampering with nature aligns with Victorian anxieties, making it more Gothic morality tale than pure sci-fi. 12h

Cuilin @dabbe I love the term Gothic Morality tale. Fits. 12h

Librarybelle That‘s good to know this is based on 19th-century medical experiments—not good that they experimented on animals, of course, but it just seemed so out there. Not my type of reading, for sure! It did make me wonder where Conan Doyle got the idea to write this, and a “ripped-from-the-headlines” esque story makes sense. 12h

dabbe @Cuilin 🩵🎯🩵 12h

dabbe @Librarybelle It does, doesn't it? 12h

CogsOfEncouragement @dabbe @Librarybelle @CatLass007 @Read4lif @Cuilin @eeclayton
Gothic morality tale. Yes! I typed and deleted the term fable a few times because that just wasn‘t right. lol 11h

eeclayton @dabbe Thanks for the backstory. It's interesting to see that the contemporary reader would most probably make the connection to the newspaper reports, and reading it without this knowledge may take away some of the inplied meaning. 11h

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement 🩵💙🩵 8h

dabbe @eeclayton I was actually shocked that this was inspired by true experiments. 😱🤩😍 8h

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dabbe

The Adventure of the Creeping Man (Annotated) | Arthur Conan Doyle

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Cuilin @dabbe

Thoughts, Sherlockians?

CatLass007 I liked the way Watson talked about being aware of the need Holmes had for Watson‘s companionship. 1d

Read4life I also liked what Watson said about Holmes‘ need for him as @CatLass007 mentioned. Otherwise, not my favorite at all. 23h

Cuilin Honestly, it started off strong, dipped in the middle and then abruptly ended. I also knew early in the mystery that this was going to be an older man, wishing he was younger because of a woman. Lol 18h

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CogsOfEncouragement This one has one of my favorite quotes: Come at once if convenient--if inconvenient come all the same. S.H 17h

eeclayton Like @Cuilin , I thought the story had a strong start, and it held my attention. At the end, I felt cheated with the sci-fi-y ending. I would have been happier with a more down-to-earth solution, although I admit that within the story's limits/worldbuilding it was a rational explanation to the professor's change of behaviour. 14h

dabbe @CatLass007 @Read4Life I thought that insight of Watson was intriguing as well. It made me think of Watson as being Sherlock's muse. 12h

dabbe @Cuilin Kind of similar to Shrek drinking a potion to appeal to Fiona! 12h

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement I love this quote, too. It reveals Holmes‘ true priority—the case matters more than Watson‘s schedule. But we all know Watson will come no matter what, highlighting their friendship and Watson‘s loyalty. 12h

dabbe @eeclayton Agree 💯. The ending feels abrupt, leaving key questions (e.g., Presbury‘s recovery, Alice‘s fate) unanswered. 12h

Librarybelle Watson‘s insight was a good one. Very astute. This story was…odd. Bizarre. Not very strong, in my opinion. There was one moment I thought Conan Doyle would attempt to go the vampire way, but the monkey angle was pretty far fetched. 12h

dabbe @Librarybelle 🎯🩵🎯 12h

24 likes11 comments

Bookwomble

The Cambridge Companion to Sherlock Holmes | Janice M. Allan, Christopher Pittard

pick

I loved this! 5🔎😊

I think that most Holmes aficionados would find something of interest here, and personally I enjoyed all the essays, though they're probably not for casual readers of the stories (apologies if that sounds elitist - it does in my own ears!)
The chapters examine a variety of themes including colonialism and Holmes's cultural role in defending and normalising the moral threat to Victorian society of its perpetration of the ⬇️

Bookwomble ... horrors of imperialism (sadly, still relevant), gender and sexuality in the Canon, the interplay of Sidney Paget's illustrations and Doyle's text as first printed in The Strand, and (I think my favourite) a study of the tension in The Hound of the Baskerville's between the scientific and the supernatural, and the processes of elucidation and obfuscation. Loads of other interesting stuff. Recommended 😊 1d

36 likes1 comment

Bookwomble

The Cambridge Companion to Sherlock Holmes | Janice M. Allan, Christopher Pittard

I'm attending a weekend conference in Derbyshire and, not feeling the necessity of checking my ticket, I've arrived at 8:30 for a 9:00 start, but it actually kicks off at 11:00! 🤦🏻‍♂️
Oh, well, there's worse ways of spending a couple of hours than sitting in a conservatory with a book and a coffee 📖☕😌

Suet624 Thankfully you have your book with you. 2d

RaeLovesToRead Those gardens look fancy... 👀 2d

Bookwomble @Suet624 Two! And a couple of magazines. I have form for this kind of thing, so always come prepared 😁 2d

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Bookwomble @RaeLovesToRead They're very nice, and well kept. I'm sitting in the sunny garden now with the bees and butterflies 🐝🦋😌 Turns out arrival was scheduled for 11:00 and the conference starts at 12:00! 2d

Cuilin And what a fabulous choice of literature! 2d

Bookwomble @Cuilin 🔎😉 2d

dabbe #sherlocked 🩵💙🩵 1d

37 likes7 comments

LitsyEvents

The Adventure of the Creeping Man (Annotated) | Arthur Conan Doyle

Repost for @dabbe

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes

Interesting discussion yesterday Sherlockians. Can you believe we‘re down to our last FIVE stories? 😱 Next up: (TAo The Creeping Man”. Discussion will be in TWO WEEKS due to the 4th of July and will be led by @dabbe

Link to summary and analysis (spoiler alert) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qA3tgB41JGwXKTAXP8oyCtDombnYohks/view?usp=shari...

dabbe TY! 🥰 2w

33 likes1 comment

dabbe

The Adventure of the Creeping Man (Annotated) | Arthur Conan Doyle

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Cuilin @LitsyEvents

Interesting discussion yesterday, Sherlockians. Can you believe we're down to our last FIVE stories? 😱 Next up: “(TAo The Creeping Man“. Discussion will be in TWO WEEKS due to the 4th of July and will be led by @dabbe. Hope your week goes well. And an early Happy 4th! 💙🤍♥️

Link to summary and analysis (spoiler alert): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qA3tgB41JGwXKTAXP8oyCtDombnYohks/view?usp=shari...

Daisey, erzascarletbookgasm, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, Aimeesue, Larkken, Librarybelle, mom2bugnbee, Chrissyreadit, Read4life, StayCurious, CatLass007, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, eeclayton, dabbe, IndoorDame, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, 5feet.of.fury, Tineke, Fr3NcHtOaSt, Blackink_WhitePaper, RayHallucinogen, Pageturner1, PageShifter, AnnR, kimrenee, aroyse, CrystalE02

Librarybelle So hard to believe! Thank you! 2w

dabbe @Librarybelle IKR? And thanks for today's questions! I finally answered! 💙🩵💙 Give those boys a kiss for me! 🖤🐾🐾🐾🐾🖤 2w

Librarybelle 😻😻😻😻 2w

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Cuilin I can‘t believe we‘re down to final five!!!What a ride!! 2w

dabbe @Cuilin IKR? 🤩😍🤩 2w

kelli7990 Wow 2w

33 likes6 comments

Cuilin

The Problem of Thor Bridge | Arthur Conan Doyle

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes

@pageshifter @AnneCecilie @indoordame @librarybelle @theAromaOfBooks @Aimeesue @kelli7990 @5feet.of.fury @Read4Life @AnnR @mom2bugnbee @pageturner1 @eeclayton @erzascarletbookgasm @aroyse @dabbe

Cuilin @mollyanna @Tineke @Larkken @StayCurious @kimrenee @alldebooks @CogsOfEncouragement @catlass007 @CrystalE02 @curiouserandcurioser @Larkken @BeeCurious @Blackink_WhitePaper @Daisey @RayHallucinogen @Born.A.Reader @Chrissyreadit @Fr3NcHtOaSt @Anishalnkspill 2w

eeclayton Mrs Gibson was a mere cliché in this story. Grace was more 3D, but I didn't understand her reasoning of staying with the family to be a positive influence on Mr Gibson. Was it an excuse that she had invented for herself? 2w

CogsOfEncouragement I feel like women do take it out on the other woman far too often instead of the man who made vows to them, but I would have liked to see this story flip that and have the straying (to whatever degree) husband framed instead. Have the anger pointed to the truest offender. Those poor kids, no matter what. 2w

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dabbe @Cuilin @eeclayton @CogsOfEncouragement Boy, it truly did stink to be a woman in that era! And why did Maria have to be another “creature from the tropics“ (talking to you, Bertha). Does “tropical“ now mean hot-headed, emotional, and out of control? 2w

dabbe @eeclayton Agree 💯. I thought it was weird that Grace stayed, but then we wouldn't have much of a story if she had left, I guess. 2w

dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement I wanted Gibson to get it and get it good! 😂 2w

Cuilin @dabbe Gibson got away with too much IMHO. 2w

Librarybelle Definitely Gibson got away with a lot…another case of a powerful man getting out of a jam with barely a blemish. 2w

Cuilin @Librarybelle while I enjoyed this mystery, Gibson getting away with his predatory behaviour was frustrating. 2w

dabbe @Cuilin “Boy“ did he!!! 🎯🩵🎯 2w

24 likes10 comments

Cuilin

The Problem of Thor Bridge | Arthur Conan Doyle

eeclayton I'm not sure I believe that the two chips on the parapet can be indentical, but other than that, I found the plot clever. 2w

CogsOfEncouragement I liked it. I‘ve read another popular mystery that had something similar that was of course written after this, so now I wonder if this one sparked the idea for the other. No spoilers, I won‘t even mention the other famous author. 2w

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dabbe @CogsOfEncouragement Oh shoot, I think I just did in the previous post. 😬 2w

dabbe @Cuilin @eeclayton @CogsOfEncouragement I would think this plot device would be far-fetched if it hadn't actually happened! I enjoyed how Doyle turned it into a love triangle instead of a ploy to collect insurance money for your family. 2w

Cuilin @dabbe yes, I read this was based on a true story. 2w

Librarybelle Definitely a good twist, and I could see this being based on a true story @Cuilin . 2w

Daisey I enjoyed this one, and I actually thought the pair of pistols had to be key early on for framing the governess especially with the murder happening near the water. 6d

Cuilin @Daisey yes, a pair of pistols and one is missing??? Suspicious 🤨 6d

19 likes9 comments

Cuilin

The Problem of Thor Bridge | Arthur Conan Doyle

eeclayton I enjoyed it. Lately I've ran into quite a few disappointments readingwise, and it was nice to return to ACD be kept interested. 2w

CogsOfEncouragement I liked this one. I just would have changed who got framed lol 2w

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dabbe @Cuilin @eeclayton @CogsOfEncouragement This one had quite an intriguing resolution. It reminded me of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. I also liked that this one had more psychological depth, exploring Gibson‘s troubled marriage and Maria‘s vengeful wrath. 2w

CatLass007 I had a hard time focusing on this one. I may just need a break from SH. I pretty much figured out the who and why but I didn‘t know how SH would come to the same conclusion. 2w

kelli7990 I enjoyed this story. 2w

Cuilin @eeclayton oh my gosh same!!! ACD for the win!!! 2w

Cuilin @CogsOfEncouragement Agreed. 2w

Librarybelle I liked this one, and much like @dabbe said, found that it has more psychological depth. It was an ingenious end of story too. I didn‘t think of Christie, but there is a Murder, She Wrote episode that has a similar twist—man frames his enemy by committing suicide with a gun on a rope pulley. 2w

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Bookwomble

The Cambridge Companion to Sherlock Holmes | Janice M. Allan, Christopher Pittard

"Sherlock Holmes has a fair claim to being the most immediately and widely recognisable fiction character in English literature, even if this recognition often depends on mythologised versions of Doyle's texts."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

dabbe #sherlockedalways 🖤 2w

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