Am reading a book of Holmes short stories. Much better written that I thought they would be, but, surprisingly...
1) A cavalier attitude to the lower classes. Clerks and serving girls come out of it rather badly.
2) Some of the mysteries aren't that mysterious. In one, Holmes notices that a friend's father has a tattoo. Friend's father faints with alarm at the amazing discovery. Days later he takes his own life, leaving behind a long letter about how clever Holmes is to have discerned his secret life as a pirate.
3) I'd forgotten how troubled and lazy Holmes is. He's a stronger character because of it - in between bouts of discovery and derring do, he lies on a sofa, too listless to move.
So enjoying it, I got Without A Clue, the movie about an actor impersonating Holmes for Watson, who's the real brains of the outfit. Oddly lovely film - Michael Caine is perfect as a slightly uneasy Holmes, and Ben Kingsley is wonderfully priggish as Watson. Possibly not the best film ever, but as a one joke film it's better than many!
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