Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

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A Matter of Faith Mar 01, 2017

Show notes

"embrace the true faith" [STUD]

We see glimpses of religion in a number of stories, from plot devices to red herrings, saintly inferences to clever disguises. What role did religion play in the Sherlock Holmes stories?

And Arthur Conan Doyle's own faith had some bearing on what we see as well. It's a chat about religion, faith, and their multitude of instances in the Canon.

Links

The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes

Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

The Wrinkle in The Beryl Coronet Feb 22, 2017

Show notes

"it is a very sweet little problem" [BERY]

One of the more comical openings to a story occurred in "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," in which the banker Alexander Holder raced his way through to snow to 221B Baker Street, which he followed by beating his head against the wall.

You don't get much more dramatic than that. But when it comes to reporting the crime, would the criminal, Holder, or the owner of the beryl coronet have been more at risk if the details came to light? After all, the coronet was a public holding and its absence could have been an embarrassment.

Links

Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

John, James and Mary Feb 15, 2017

Show notes

"what's amiss with the names?" [VALL]

One of the most puzzling passages in the Sherlock Holmes stories is when Mrs. Watson referred to her husband, the good Doctor, as "James." However, we know that his given name is John. What could be afoot here?

Was it a typo? An impostor? A slip of the tongue? We review some of the longstanding theories and even provide a few of our own to see if we might get to the bottom of this mystery.

Links

"The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip"
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Sources by Donald A. Redmond

Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Dating the Missing Three Quarter Feb 08, 2017

Show notes

"a puzzled quarter of an hour" [MISS]

The Sherlock Holmes stories are filled with hints of dates, places and people that cause them to be intertwined with reality. It is therefore natural to think that we can arrive at some certainty as to the date of an adventure when Watson gives us a specific month in which a case begins. It is also wrong to think so.

"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter" is one such example. We're given a February date (hence the release date of this episode) and yet, as we can plainly see, that date is impossible, given other facts. So we follow the path of many Canonical chronologists who attempted to determine the actual date of this adventure, using logic and history as our guide. Were they right? Tune in to find out.

Links

"The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter"
An online version of some of the chronologies of the stories
"The Date Being—?"
The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by William S. Baring-Gould
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes by Leslie S. Klinger
The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library: The Return of Sherlock Holmes

Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Moral Relativism in Charles Augustus Milverton Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

Charles Augustus Milverton was considered by Sherlock Holmes to be "the worst man in London." Watson tried to shield the date of the case — not to protect Milverton, but to protect his victims.

And Holmes and Watson went to extraordinary lengths to defeat the odious blackmailer, from burglary to destruction of property, and even a faux engagement by Holmes. While reputation was everything in Victorian times, did the pair go too far? Their willingness to break the law was in service of victims, but what about their own reputations and adherence to the law?

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Guilt in The Abbey Grange Jan 25, 2017

Show notes

"vox populi, vox dei" [ABBE]

Sir Eustace Brackenstall met with a grisly, if appropriate end in "The Abbey Grange." Ultimately, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson let his killer go free.

But was Captain Crocker solely responsible for Brackenstall's death? Other individuals were involved with the calm plotting of the aftermath of the death — but whose shoulders bear the ultimate brunt of the guilt in the end?

Links

"The Abbey Grange"
"The game's afoot" as found in King Henry's speech "Once more unto the breach" in Henry V.

Simpson's Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

"something a little nutritious at Simpson's" [DYIN]

Dr. Watson tells us that he and Sherlock Holmes visited one London restaurant two times. And while the gustatory habits of the famed Baker Street duo are not entirely well-documented, we have a good sense as to what they must have eaten at the famed Simpson's in-the-Strand.

This is a case of fact meeting fiction, as Simpson's is very much a real establishment in London — one that was recently in danger of losing its identity. We bring you inside this gem that dates from the 1820s as a cigar and chess divan and explore what dining like Sherlock Holmes was like.

Links

Simpson's in-the-Strand
Restaurant Frequented by Sherlock Holmes May Vanish — I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
"The Illustrious Client"
"The Dying Detective"

Watson in the City Jan 11, 2017

Show notes

The opening lines of A Study in Scarlet are rich with details about Dr. Watson's past. His medical degree, his army service, even his injury. He recalls how he came to London without knowing anyone in the city and proceeded to blow through his cash reserves.

Just how far could one get on 11s. 6p. per day in 1881? And how fortunate we are that Watson couldn't keep to his budget. For his cash situation is what required him to find a flatmate...

Links

The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes: the Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Andrew Lycett
Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle by Daniel Shashower
A Study in Scarlet

Optimism Jan 04, 2017

Show notes

The new year usually brings resolutions and offers a new beginning. In our new podcast which begins in January 2017, we thought it was the ideal time to look at optimism in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Was there more hope or despair in the Canon? Certainly, many cases began with despair, but which ones ended in optimism?

From "The Stockbroker's Clerk" to "The Copper Beeches," we have clients who were optimistically heading into new jobs. But all was not as it seemed... And what ends well for Sherlock Holmes does not always mean the same thing for his clients.

Links

Maria Konnikova on Episode 91 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, discussing The Confidence Game.
The Sherlock Holmes stories online

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