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The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D. (Nicholas Meyer Holmes Pastiches #2)
March 1895. London. A month of strange happenings in the West End. First there is the bizarre murder of theater critic Jonathan McCarthy. Then the lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry for libel; the public is scandalized. Next, the ingenue at the Savoy is discovered with her throat slashed. And a police surgeon disappears, taking two corpses with him.Some of the the...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
June 17th 1994
by W. W. Norton & Company
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I kind of liked this book. Any new Holmes book is worth trying. This outing, “The West End Horror”, was written by Nichlas Meyer who had earlier written “The 7% Solution” which was made into a pretty good movie in the early 80’s. “The West End Horror” is written rather well, the characters all have the Conan Doyle feel to them and even though this book is set in 1895ish you can still feel “old” London coming threw the page.
Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the trail of a killer striking in the...more
Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the trail of a killer striking in the...more
My very first Sherlockian pastiche, read even before I finished reading the whole canon. I was 12 back then and I thought it splendid- and it certainly sparkled the flame that made of me a Sherlockian and continues up to this day. Now, looking back, I see quite a few defects in it, but I still think the plot is original, the introduction of real life characters (oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker...) is not gratuitous and the "game is afoot" spirit is respected. I liked it better t...more
I enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes pastiche, especially the way it weaved historical figures such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Bram Stoker into the action with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Stoker's segments tickled me, particularly. While this novel included a solid mystery (although this definitely is not part of the "Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper" subgenre, as some reviews I read seemed to imply), an interesting look behind the scenes into London's West End theatre culture at...more
I forever see and hear Jeremy Brett as Mr Holmes, and did so while reading this. George Bernard Shaw is a favorite of mine, and I recognized him immediately from Watson's description while observing him approaching 221B.
The book is good, but not as good as some others in this same genre. Nicholas Meyer is able to include historical figures in his stories without being incredibly annoying or having them out of character. He also doesn't "name drop" and stuff as many as he ca...more
The book is good, but not as good as some others in this same genre. Nicholas Meyer is able to include historical figures in his stories without being incredibly annoying or having them out of character. He also doesn't "name drop" and stuff as many as he ca...more
Last year I re-read and reviewed The Seven-per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer. This year I cracked open the sequel The West End Horror throws Sherlock Holmes into the middle of the London's theater district.
Some reviews point out a similarity between the Jack the Ripper murders and the deaths in the West End Horror but Jack the Ripper is not part of this mystery. He does, however show up in Time After Time, also by Nicholas Meyer.
When I was reading The West End Horror I ...more
Some reviews point out a similarity between the Jack the Ripper murders and the deaths in the West End Horror but Jack the Ripper is not part of this mystery. He does, however show up in Time After Time, also by Nicholas Meyer.
When I was reading The West End Horror I ...more
This is a delightful Sherlock Holmes pastiche by Nicholas Meyer, who also wrote The Seven Percent Solution. Deftly he weaves together historical events and people to create a fun romp through the London of Holmes and Watson. Included in the cast are George Bernard Shaw, Oliver Wilde, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the author of Dracula, Bram Stoker. And Holmes and Watson are their redoubtable selves. Authur Conan Doyle would be proud.
In comparison to Meyer's other S.H. stories, I find Holmes's characterization severely lacking. He has Holmes laughing frequently, where the original Holmes is less demonstrative. He also has Holmes eating healthily through the duration of the case, when it is commonly accepted that Holmes abstains from eating, at least in large, leisurely quantities, when working. Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw, and Bram Stoker appear as name-dropped characters whose existence fails to serve any real purpose in c...more
Mr. Meyer does not fully capture the speed and timing of a true Sherlock Holmes mystery. Maybe I'm a bit of a "Sherlock Snob" but The pace of this story was slow and the characters were not well defined. I really liked all the info on Gilbert and Sullivan, Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wild. Interesting tidbits that help put their place in time clearer to me.
It's been forever since I've read any of Sherlock Holme's exploits by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so when I picked this up I was not only surprised that it wasn't by him but by a contemporary author mimicking him and even more and pleasantly surprised that it really felt like stalking through the dark underbelly of late 19th century London.
Nicholas Meyer again brings Sherlock Holmes and John Watson together with Victorian-era historical figures — this time from London's West End theatre scene. Allusions to Jack the Ripper and Bram Stoker's Dracula make this a fun, macabre tale.
Fairly accurate portrayal of Holmes and Watson characters. Fast pace. Short chapter sections made this more like a short story read than a literature novel. Real mystery to be solved with side character development and misleading turns.
A nice homage to Arthur Conan Doyle's creations, although the cameos of Oscar Wilde, Gilbert & Sullivan, etc. were distracting. I liked the that the motive for the murders was outside the box.
Despite the title it's more mystery than horror, I think. It captures some of the neat stuff about the original Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a fun read.
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Meyer rebooted Holmes for me as no one has since. A terrific little Holmesian thriller that steampunk enthusiasts would enjoy too I think.
Not as good as Doyle but enjoyable none the less. Another book with a long winded explanation.
Well, I read it a lot of years ago and I do not remember it...
Reading this for the third time! It's just a terrific story.
Holmes and Watson meet GBS and Bram Stoker. Good stuff.
It didn't live up to my hopes.
These are kind of goofy, in that Meyer wants to include all of these historical people in the book. The Seven Percent Solution has Freud and Kaiser Wilhelm II. This one has Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Gilbert & Sullivan. I don't know. They're not as good as Conan Doyle. I don't think enjoyed them as much as the Laurie King continuations either. It was just something light to read in down moments, I guess.
Erik Graff
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Sherlock Holmes fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
literature
Meyer's three Holmes novels were all over the place upon publication and I picked up cloth editions of each for a buck or less at used bookstores. Although I'm no great fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, only having read them for fun as a kid, the books were entertaining imitations. A real Baker Street Irregular, however, would get more out of them.
First of all: this is no The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution.
However, it's still a good story. Meyer's takes on Holmes and Watson feel familiar, the story is fast-paced and exciting and the iconic figures that pop up actually work in the piece, rather than distracting it.
However, it's still a good story. Meyer's takes on Holmes and Watson feel familiar, the story is fast-paced and exciting and the iconic figures that pop up actually work in the piece, rather than distracting it.
Bien qu'en dessous de la solution à 7%, qui avait le mérite d'être original, c'est un pastiche plus traditionnel de Sherlock Holmes, bien écrit et distrayant, que nous livre ici Nicholas Meyer. Un agréable moment de lecture.
A modern day Sherlock Homes combined with the Dr. Jeykyll and Mr. Hyde story. It would have been more effective if I'd actually read Dr. Jeykyll and Mr. Hyde.
Zigforas
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Zigforas by:
Reader's Corner (Raleigh, NC)
Shelves:
mystery,
sherlock-holmes
Quite enjoyable for Holmes enthusiasts; and a tidy little sleuthing story for mystery-loving audiences, though perhaps less entertaining for such (Meyer's nods and winks to the canon being lost on the average reader).
Not quite as strong as the 7 Percent Solution, but still enjoyable -- especially with its depiction of George Bernard Shaw and London's theatre life.
A bit melodramatic for a Sherlock Holmes novel, nevertheless an enjoyable read.
fun read
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Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945 in New York City, U.S.) graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theater and filmmaking, & is a film writer, producer, director and novelist best known for his involvement in the Star Trek films. He is also well known as the director for the landmark 1983 TV-Movie "The Day After", for which he was nominated for a Best Director Emmy Awa...more
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