Book review

[elaby]

I wonder if I ought to have a Holmes tag after all of this posting XD

I finished reading My Dearest Holmes, by Rohase Piercy, after two days. I had to absolutely rip myself painfully away from it whenever my breaks were over at work. caitirin read this a few years ago, so you may have heard of it from her, but if not, it's a short novel of two "lost" manuscripts written by Watson and sealed to be opened 100 years after they were written. It's about Holmes and Watson's relationship, supposedly the truth about it, and it's beautiful and heartrending.

I really, really loved most of it. It was so sad, since it focused on Watson being besotted and Holmes being, um, Holmes, and on Holmes' faked death. But it did end happily. It was written very much in the Conan Doyle style, and it even used lines from the canon stories sneakily slipped in occasionally. It didn't deviate terribly far from how I think their characters are, and the raciest it gets is one kiss. It's not even a detailed kiss. I was thankful for this :) It's all extremely restrained, obviously, considering how the two of them (Holmes especially) are.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the angle that Watson's been gadding about the gay circles in London and practically everybody he runs into is like "Oh, Dr. WATSON" *eyebrow waggle* In some parts it seemed like he'd been absolutely secretive, and it others it seemed like everybody knew he liked men and all of his and Holmes' problems, the danger they were in at various points, was a result of his supposed "indiscretions". In the context of the time, it was extremely realistic, I just didn't feel like it was them. I'm more in the "extremely close but not sexually attracted to one another" camp with these two.

But the book as a whole was really wonderful, and I enjoyed it immensely. I think it'll be a favorite of mine. I sure am lucky Caitirin bought it :)

Comments

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

I love that book. I read it when it first came out, long before I had access to slash. It's not perfect but -- the second story still makes me wibble. The ending is just right.

[redatt.livejournal.com]

I loved this book when I first read it in my teens, because it was the first time I came across anyone else doing with characters what I did in my head. That was so happy making.

ETA: Oh ... and considering that SH is out of copyright here and mostly out of copyright your way (and that there are semi-academic books which discuss and argue for (0.0) the SH/JHW), it's always amazed me that there aren't more published stories like My Dearest Holmes 'cause there are LOADS of published apocryphal SH stories generally.

[jiatra.livejournal.com]

Watson's been gadding about the gay circles in London

Nah, I don't buy it. Watson's always been getting enough with the ladies (how many wives did he have??).

"Oh, Dr. WATSON" *eyebrow waggle*

That I buy.

...Have you ever read The Seven-Percent Solution? Not very relationship-oriented, but very interesting nonetheless.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

It really, really is. And it's such a wibble-inducing book ;_;

[elaby.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful! I was surprised that it existed, and I'm so glad it does.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Ha, I know! There really ought to be more. I'm not at all surprised about the academic arguing-for-slash thing. Before I hit grad school, it was like NOBODY talked about it, and then I started grad classes (at the same university) and suddenly everywhere all of my classmates and teachers were suggesting homoeroticism and it just delighted me to no end.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that! I'll look for it, though. It sounds like it'd be interesting!

The relationship was done really, really well in that book, but the other-than-with-Holmes Watson interactions I felt were a little unconvincing. For my tastes :)