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Investigating Sherlock: The Unofficial Guide
An essential companion to the hit BBC show
He’s been depicted as a serious thinker, a master of deduction, a hopeless addict, a bare-knuckle fighter. His companion is a bumbler, a sympathetic equal, someone helpless in the face of his friend’s social inadequacies. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson remain the most-adapted fictional characters of all time. In 2010, when Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman stepped into the roles, they managed to meld many previous incarnations into two glorious performances. Over Sherlock’s first three seasons, the Emmy-winning series has brought new life to stories almost 130 years old and, with its Holmes and Watson for the 21st century, created a worldwide fandom unlike any other.
Investigating Sherlock, written by bestselling author Nikki Stafford, examines each episode through in-depth and fun analysis, exploring the character development and cataloguing every subtle reference to the original stories. With biographies of Cumberbatch and Freeman, as well as Arthur Conan Doyle, Investigating Sherlock is the ultimate guide to the great detective.
He’s been depicted as a serious thinker, a master of deduction, a hopeless addict, a bare-knuckle fighter. His companion is a bumbler, a sympathetic equal, someone helpless in the face of his friend’s social inadequacies. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson remain the most-adapted fictional characters of all time. In 2010, when Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman stepped into the roles, they managed to meld many previous incarnations into two glorious performances. Over Sherlock’s first three seasons, the Emmy-winning series has brought new life to stories almost 130 years old and, with its Holmes and Watson for the 21st century, created a worldwide fandom unlike any other.
Investigating Sherlock, written by bestselling author Nikki Stafford, examines each episode through in-depth and fun analysis, exploring the character development and cataloguing every subtle reference to the original stories. With biographies of Cumberbatch and Freeman, as well as Arthur Conan Doyle, Investigating Sherlock is the ultimate guide to the great detective.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 17, 2015
"The world's most famous man who never was" - Orson Welles
An unofficial guide of Sherlock.. Call me intrigued!
The author doesn't give you the usual fan guide that gushes about a show/celebrity/fandom, au contraire, she takes you back to the very beginnings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his life, and how he created Sherlock Holmes.
She then goes to give you the background of both Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, and how everything led to the moment they decided to give us the modern day Sherlock we know and love. The intrigue doesn't end here, Stafford also takes us through the process of casting the show, a glimpse into how Benedict and Martin's got the iconic roles.
If you haven't watched the show (the three seasons), I don't recommend reading the book because there are spoilers, I mean, there is an episode guide, so it is a given.
What I loved about the episode guide is that its not just a run through what happened each episode. It is far more superior than that. Each episode is broken down into:
- Guide
- Highlight for anything funny or notable.
- Did you notice? hints or things the viewers might have missed.
- From ACD to BBC all references to the original Air Arthur Conan Doyle canon.
- Interesting Facts behind the scene information/explanations.
- Nitpicks little things that annoyed the author.
- Oops bloopers!
Isn't that awesome? As a die-hard Sherlockian, I believe that this guide is a must read. If you've been Sherlocked, it deserves a permanent place on your shelf.
* This arc was kindly provided by ECW Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
January 28, 2019
Have you been Sherlocked?
If you love the series, Sherlock, you need to own this book. Filled with interesting facts, episode guides and Nikki Stafford's whimsical writing, it's a must-read.
I love Nikki Stafford and own her Buffy the Vampire Slayer guides (Bite Me!).
If you know someone who is a fan, please do them a favor and buy this book for them! They'll love you for it!
Note: There are spoilers in this book so if you haven't seen a particular episode, please skip over it.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from ECW Press via Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
If you love the series, Sherlock, you need to own this book. Filled with interesting facts, episode guides and Nikki Stafford's whimsical writing, it's a must-read.
I love Nikki Stafford and own her Buffy the Vampire Slayer guides (Bite Me!).
If you know someone who is a fan, please do them a favor and buy this book for them! They'll love you for it!
Note: There are spoilers in this book so if you haven't seen a particular episode, please skip over it.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from ECW Press via Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
January 14, 2016
**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, al opinions are my own**
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Mystery
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger: no
Rating: 3 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 7
Characters: 8
World Building: 8
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 7
In Dept
Best Part: SHERLOCK!
Worst Part: Repetitive if you watched the shows...
Thoughts Had: oh nice!; good tie in.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: yes
Short Review: This is a weird book to review. It basically breaks down each Sherlock episode and compares it to the Doyle's versions. Now i've watched every sherlock so far, including the recent winter edition one, so i already knew what "happens". It was very interesting to see how it compares to the Doyle's stories (Which i haven't read). It gets a bit dry. Is it interesting to read? Yes. Will you get a bit bored? Yes
Review in GIF Form:
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Mystery
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger: no
Rating: 3 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 7
Characters: 8
World Building: 8
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 7
In Dept
Best Part: SHERLOCK!
Worst Part: Repetitive if you watched the shows...
Thoughts Had: oh nice!; good tie in.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: yes
Short Review: This is a weird book to review. It basically breaks down each Sherlock episode and compares it to the Doyle's versions. Now i've watched every sherlock so far, including the recent winter edition one, so i already knew what "happens". It was very interesting to see how it compares to the Doyle's stories (Which i haven't read). It gets a bit dry. Is it interesting to read? Yes. Will you get a bit bored? Yes
Review in GIF Form:
September 2, 2015
This review was written for The Review Diaries
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
I am a huge fan of the BBC Sherlock series, so I was incredibly excited to dig into this unofficial companion guide, and whilst it was an interesting enough read, it failed to really grab me and inspire me in the way I was hoping.
For massive fans of both the TV show and the original stories, this companion won’t provide anything new. The extra information is taken from DVD commentaries and well publicised interviews, as well as information, stories and characters all available through Doyle’s original stories. So if you’ve combed all of the original source material and are an active fan then this book will provide nothing new. It’s an interesting enough read (although some of the delivery of the additional information does come across as a little condescending and pompous) and for those who haven’t seen the episodes or read the stories in a while, this will be a good book to dig into.
However I did have a few problems with it. The writing is a little bit scattered, as if the author is following a train of thought and skips all over the place back and forth between different topics, particularly at the start. As a result it doesn’t feel like a cohesive piece, and the topics aren’t as accessible to the reader as they could have been made.
It was also alarming to discover that some of the ‘facts’ weren’t actually correct and a simple re-watch of the episode could have resolved them. But my biggest frustration was the way fandom was handled. Most shows and movies have a fandom these days, but Sherlock has one of the biggest and most vocal. It felt strange then to be reading a book claiming to be investigating the tv series and all that surrounds it, that all but ignored fandom (apart from one or two very brief nods to theories that the author has enjoyed and some disparaging comments about shippers) when fandom has played such a huge role in the success of the show. The creators themselves have commented on the impact that fandom has had and the show’s worldwide popularity as a result, so to all but ignore it seemed a little odd – a dirty secret that should really be swept under the rug.
The book reads like an essay of one individual’s thoughts on the series and how they feel the episodes portray characters and readings of scenes, and as a result they discard and ignore any ideas or theories that don’t fit in with their mind-set. No-where is this more apparent than in the examination of the final episode of season three, and anyone who disagrees with the authors thoughts may find this more than a little frustrating.
The book has several interviews with long time Doyle fans, backstory on Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Arthur Conan Doyle. It also looks at each episode in detail, giving opinions, comparisons to the original stories, errors and additional facts, plus a couple of additional essays including one on Sherlock’s self-proclaimed status as a sociopath. It’s an interesting read, but as I said, doesn’t really add anything new. So if you’re looking for more theories, more discussion and a more intense break-down of scenes, characters and episodes, you’re more likely to find it for free on tumblr than in this.
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and ECW Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
I am a huge fan of the BBC Sherlock series, so I was incredibly excited to dig into this unofficial companion guide, and whilst it was an interesting enough read, it failed to really grab me and inspire me in the way I was hoping.
For massive fans of both the TV show and the original stories, this companion won’t provide anything new. The extra information is taken from DVD commentaries and well publicised interviews, as well as information, stories and characters all available through Doyle’s original stories. So if you’ve combed all of the original source material and are an active fan then this book will provide nothing new. It’s an interesting enough read (although some of the delivery of the additional information does come across as a little condescending and pompous) and for those who haven’t seen the episodes or read the stories in a while, this will be a good book to dig into.
However I did have a few problems with it. The writing is a little bit scattered, as if the author is following a train of thought and skips all over the place back and forth between different topics, particularly at the start. As a result it doesn’t feel like a cohesive piece, and the topics aren’t as accessible to the reader as they could have been made.
It was also alarming to discover that some of the ‘facts’ weren’t actually correct and a simple re-watch of the episode could have resolved them. But my biggest frustration was the way fandom was handled. Most shows and movies have a fandom these days, but Sherlock has one of the biggest and most vocal. It felt strange then to be reading a book claiming to be investigating the tv series and all that surrounds it, that all but ignored fandom (apart from one or two very brief nods to theories that the author has enjoyed and some disparaging comments about shippers) when fandom has played such a huge role in the success of the show. The creators themselves have commented on the impact that fandom has had and the show’s worldwide popularity as a result, so to all but ignore it seemed a little odd – a dirty secret that should really be swept under the rug.
The book reads like an essay of one individual’s thoughts on the series and how they feel the episodes portray characters and readings of scenes, and as a result they discard and ignore any ideas or theories that don’t fit in with their mind-set. No-where is this more apparent than in the examination of the final episode of season three, and anyone who disagrees with the authors thoughts may find this more than a little frustrating.
The book has several interviews with long time Doyle fans, backstory on Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Arthur Conan Doyle. It also looks at each episode in detail, giving opinions, comparisons to the original stories, errors and additional facts, plus a couple of additional essays including one on Sherlock’s self-proclaimed status as a sociopath. It’s an interesting read, but as I said, doesn’t really add anything new. So if you’re looking for more theories, more discussion and a more intense break-down of scenes, characters and episodes, you’re more likely to find it for free on tumblr than in this.
June 22, 2016
Tolle Ergänzung zu der Serie mit einigen interessanten Hintergrundinfos und versteckten Hinweisen.
March 24, 2017
Definitely for the obsessed. I am not that big a Sherlock fan. I often find the story trajectory contrived, Sherlock just tooooo facile with his mind palace. But my family are fans, and I love being with them while they watch and argue over plot lines. And, I'm reading this one because we're doing a display (at the library) on what to read while waiting for the next season of your favorite tv series to come out on DVD.
Best part of this book: I absolutely loved the introduction of the character Mary to this show and I'm glad that she's written about here. I adored Amanda Abbington in Case Histories and might watch her in anything. (Nikki Stafford, why is she an add-on in Martin Freeman's chapter? Why does she not get her own section of the book?) Also worth reading are the "From ACD to BBC" bits, in which the author shows what was changed and what was woven in from the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
Drawback: Stafford treats the series episode by episode, in order, and provides detailed analysis but no plot summaries. Lots of spoilers, but if you don't remember the story line exactly, reading this won't help.
Fun bit. Written before the most recent series aired, everyone's wrong about Redbeard.
Best part of this book: I absolutely loved the introduction of the character Mary to this show and I'm glad that she's written about here. I adored Amanda Abbington in Case Histories and might watch her in anything. (Nikki Stafford, why is she an add-on in Martin Freeman's chapter? Why does she not get her own section of the book?) Also worth reading are the "From ACD to BBC" bits, in which the author shows what was changed and what was woven in from the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
Drawback: Stafford treats the series episode by episode, in order, and provides detailed analysis but no plot summaries. Lots of spoilers, but if you don't remember the story line exactly, reading this won't help.
Fun bit. Written before the most recent series aired, everyone's wrong about Redbeard.
December 13, 2015
A brilliant read and a fantastic Christmas present for every Sherlockian - 4*
This book stole my day yesterday and I gladly let it be taken by this guide. Okay, it's not the official guide but who seriously cares? This book offers biographies of Steven Moffatt, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sherlock Holmes; it offers an analysis of every episode of the BBC Sherlock series; it highlights the links from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original series and how this influenced and impacted on the BBC series.
I loved that it showed the exact links to the original series. I knew a lot of them but there was quite a lot of links that I had absolutely knew nothing about. It linked exactly to the stories and showed how the BBC series had interpreted this which was a brilliant read.
The 'nitpicks' and 'oops' bothered me quite a bit because who really cares if the clock has slipped a little bit or the skull isn't in the same place as the previous scene? I think this actually detracts the reader from the brilliant adaptation that the BBC have done. Mistakes happen and it should not deter from the plot, the character and the emotions provoked.
I also didn't like the analysis of the 'Blind Banker', there may have been some racial similarities but that does not deter from the plot at all. I do love season one and I think that the 'Blind Banker' was such a brilliant episode and its analysis was such an unfair portrayal of that episode. I also didn't like the analysis of the 'Sign of Three' episode, this is because if they had to do such a 'brutal' analysis on the 'Blind Banker' because of its racial similarities and lack of a link to the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series then surely they should do the same to the 'Sign of Three' episode. This is because I think the 'Sign of Three' episode does not follow the book at all. I feel strongly about this because 'The Sign of Four' is my favourite book EVER! Its not that I don't like the BBC adaptation because I do but I think it is an interpretation of the book and that's fine. I just think that this episode should have been as equally analysed as the 'Blind Banker' episode.
Despite my rant, I think it is an essential gift for all Sherlock fans!
A brilliant Christmas present.
This book stole my day yesterday and I gladly let it be taken by this guide. Okay, it's not the official guide but who seriously cares? This book offers biographies of Steven Moffatt, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sherlock Holmes; it offers an analysis of every episode of the BBC Sherlock series; it highlights the links from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original series and how this influenced and impacted on the BBC series.
I loved that it showed the exact links to the original series. I knew a lot of them but there was quite a lot of links that I had absolutely knew nothing about. It linked exactly to the stories and showed how the BBC series had interpreted this which was a brilliant read.
The 'nitpicks' and 'oops' bothered me quite a bit because who really cares if the clock has slipped a little bit or the skull isn't in the same place as the previous scene? I think this actually detracts the reader from the brilliant adaptation that the BBC have done. Mistakes happen and it should not deter from the plot, the character and the emotions provoked.
I also didn't like the analysis of the 'Blind Banker', there may have been some racial similarities but that does not deter from the plot at all. I do love season one and I think that the 'Blind Banker' was such a brilliant episode and its analysis was such an unfair portrayal of that episode. I also didn't like the analysis of the 'Sign of Three' episode, this is because if they had to do such a 'brutal' analysis on the 'Blind Banker' because of its racial similarities and lack of a link to the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series then surely they should do the same to the 'Sign of Three' episode. This is because I think the 'Sign of Three' episode does not follow the book at all. I feel strongly about this because 'The Sign of Four' is my favourite book EVER! Its not that I don't like the BBC adaptation because I do but I think it is an interpretation of the book and that's fine. I just think that this episode should have been as equally analysed as the 'Blind Banker' episode.
Despite my rant, I think it is an essential gift for all Sherlock fans!
A brilliant Christmas present.
June 25, 2015
Have you been Sherlocked?
If you love the series, Sherlock, you need to own this book! Filled with interesting facts, episode guides and Nikki Stafford's whimsical writing, it's a must-read!
I love Nikki Stafford and own her Buffy the Vampire Slayer guides (Bite Me!).
If you know someone who is a fan, please do them a favor and buy this book for them! They'll love you for it!
Note: There are spoilers in this book so if you haven't seen a particular episode, please skip over it. :)
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
If you love the series, Sherlock, you need to own this book! Filled with interesting facts, episode guides and Nikki Stafford's whimsical writing, it's a must-read!
I love Nikki Stafford and own her Buffy the Vampire Slayer guides (Bite Me!).
If you know someone who is a fan, please do them a favor and buy this book for them! They'll love you for it!
Note: There are spoilers in this book so if you haven't seen a particular episode, please skip over it. :)
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 8, 2015
Nikki Stafford cannot be beat in the game of analyzing episodic TV. I loved this guide as much as I love her Finding Lost series. It is nice to be able to pick this up whenever I need a BBC Sherlock fix in the loooooooing wait between seasons.
July 26, 2015
Check out my review at Tessa's Books and Tea Room! http://wp.me/p3EoiQ-gg
@Tessa_books
@Tessa_books
August 12, 2018
Honestly, I didn't particularly enjoy this book, but I think it was mainly a case of me not being the intended recipient. The book is written mainly for more, shall I say, ordinary fans, who have watched the show a couple of times and want to know a few funny anecdotes and some trivia. I'm sure those people would enjoy this book a lot. For a very big fan such as myself, who has watched the show many times and spent a lot of time analysing the more subtle meanings and symbols in the show, it was a bit of a frustrating read. It felt like the author was trying to do what I myself have spent a lot of time doing, but then only scratched the surface and presented it as the complete picture. A lot of the trivia, I was already aware of, and the entire analysis felt a bit shallow compared with my own. Still, that's just me being elitist and I think the book would be thoroughly enjoyable in someone else's hands. Recommended for normal fans of BBC Sherlock looking for a little something extra.
April 13, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, as a fan of the series. I love the commentary about little details that may have been missed in the episodes, and I especially liked the connections with the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
that last point is the only reason this only gets four stars instead of five. There were several small but obvious errors in the author's summary of the Doyle stories. They are things that would have been clear with just a cursory rereading of the stories, since I am not a Doyle scholar and have only just begun to read the Sherlock Holmes stories. But these small errors were annoying and made me question the other aspects of the book that I couldn't cross reference.
Still, very enjoyable read for anyone who's a fan of the BBC series. I wish it continued through the series 4 episodes.
that last point is the only reason this only gets four stars instead of five. There were several small but obvious errors in the author's summary of the Doyle stories. They are things that would have been clear with just a cursory rereading of the stories, since I am not a Doyle scholar and have only just begun to read the Sherlock Holmes stories. But these small errors were annoying and made me question the other aspects of the book that I couldn't cross reference.
Still, very enjoyable read for anyone who's a fan of the BBC series. I wish it continued through the series 4 episodes.
February 20, 2023
Told you I like reading deep dives. haha! This isn't even near to the last deep dive I'll be reading because one thing I like almost as much as getting into fandoms is reading about people infodumping about fandoms (I say this with my whole chest, no sarcasm, as someone who used to infodump about fandoms in public and lowkey still do) so...watch this space?
This reminds me that I havent actually watched season three of Sherlock yet!! but oh well, I like spoiling myself. I like how it both summarizes and gets detailed with regards to all the BBC Sherlock episodes and even has long-time Sherlockians sharing their own two cents.
Originally posted on Instagram.
This reminds me that I havent actually watched season three of Sherlock yet!! but oh well, I like spoiling myself. I like how it both summarizes and gets detailed with regards to all the BBC Sherlock episodes and even has long-time Sherlockians sharing their own two cents.
Originally posted on Instagram.
June 30, 2019
Seriously. You can't watch the TV show without reading this as well. It gives you insight about the characters, compares the TV show to the books or short stories that they borrowed it from, helps you pick up on things you may have missed when watching it, and so, so, much more. I had recently just finished up watching the fourth season (I know, SO late to the party), and after reading this book along with the first three, I couldn't help but miss how the book pointed out all the important information and things that I had missed. It definitely helped me organize my thoughts after such crazy episodes... I recommend this to everyone who has watched the TV show.
December 29, 2019
This is exactly the book I've been looking for to fuel my Sherlock obsession. I absolutely love the deep character analysis of Sherlock and what all the episodes did for his character. I always knew there was so much to be analyzed about the show and the psychology behind Sherlock Holmes and I'm so happy this book provided it for me. The perfect love letter to the TV show. I only wish season 4 was also covered.
August 18, 2018
A glorious book for an inside look on series 1-3 of BBC’s Sherlock. Having been a Holmes fan for years, watching the series in its entirety 14 times, there were still things I had not observed (Sherlock would be ashamed of me). Hoping for an updated version for series 4 and I’m looking forward to rewatching the series a 15th time.
August 8, 2023
WOW! I thought I had caught a lot of the ACD references in this TV series, but I wasnt even close according to what the author shares in this book. Enjoyed all of the call backs and information they share in addition to a refresh on the story lines in the first three seasons. Hoping there's a season four recap to be found somewhere!
September 29, 2017
Nope! Not my favorite.
The book is well structured, and reads well, but there's that weird 'no spoiler' feeling. It's slightly useless, especially considering that most people reading the books have seen the show.
Read it, and done
The book is well structured, and reads well, but there's that weird 'no spoiler' feeling. It's slightly useless, especially considering that most people reading the books have seen the show.
Read it, and done
May 5, 2020
The author summerises certain things really well but I didn't like the overly familiar writing stile and I didn't agree with some of her views. Also, I found a few mistakes but with such a monumental character, who can keep track?
December 9, 2018
Very interesting for anybody who likes to get a deeper/ different view on things
March 14, 2019
257 - 2019
April 16, 2019
This book made me want to go back and rewatch all the episodes! Lots of fun, informative, and well written.
August 10, 2020
Fun read. Hitting the stories' references were helpful to me.
March 5, 2021
More in depth than I realized. Loved Sherlock and the books. Compared one to the other and I was confused for some of it. True Sherlockians would love this.
July 16, 2021
Strongly subjective but still a great detailed look at and analysis of Sherlock. Wish we had such insight into season 4.
November 18, 2021
I’m obsessed. This was perfect.
July 11, 2016
For huge fans of the BBC TV show and the original Conan Doyle stories, this unofficial guide probably won't tell you anything you don't already know. On the other hand, if you are a big fan, you will probably want to read this anyway. And, if you are only a semi-big fan, this book isn't half bad and you can be grateful that someone else read all the interviews, perused The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders and watched the programs eighteen times.
I like the way the episode guide is arranged. There are sections called:
Highlights
Did you notice?
From ACD to BBC
Interesting Facts
Nitpicks
Oops
Some comments --
On page 38: According to The Baker Street Journal there is no documentary evidence supporting the black armband story and the reward offered for documentation is unclaimed.
On page 58: Comparing Xena Warrior Princess to Sherlock Holmes?? Had to laugh. If there was a comparison to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I missed it.
On page 152-3: Stafford draws comparisons between the BBC Sherlock and book Sherlock. When Sherlock is making deductions about Kitty, he looks at her wrists and says, "Those marks on your forearm: edge of a desk. You've been typing in a hurry, probably." I suppose that BBC Sherlock could be right when someone is typing on a computer keyboard. But then In "A Case of Identity," Holmes similarly notices a woman's wrist: "The double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined." But ACD Sherlock is wrong. A typewritest using a manual typewriter would never press her wrists against the table. You may now deduce that Arthur Conan Doyle handed in manuscripts written in longhand because he certainly didn't know how to type.
On page 221: There is a list of Sources which sort of surprised me. Not that I intend to follow-up on any of them but I appreciate the effort. I have seen more scholarly books than this one without a list of Sources and their authors and publishers should be absolutely ashamed.
There are some rough segues and a few minor glitches (e.g. page 205 "... as long as there's people..." and page 218 "Philip Jose Farmer often wrote several fictional biographies...") but considering how quickly this book must have been written and published to tie in with the BBC Sherlock, it seems there are remarkably few.
The publisher also made some good decisions. The quality of the cover stock is good and I like the cover art. The Acknowledgments are in the back of the book where I like to see them. The list of the author's other books is also in the back instead of in the front.
I like the way the episode guide is arranged. There are sections called:
Highlights
Did you notice?
From ACD to BBC
Interesting Facts
Nitpicks
Oops
Some comments --
On page 38: According to The Baker Street Journal there is no documentary evidence supporting the black armband story and the reward offered for documentation is unclaimed.
On page 58: Comparing Xena Warrior Princess to Sherlock Holmes?? Had to laugh. If there was a comparison to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I missed it.
On page 152-3: Stafford draws comparisons between the BBC Sherlock and book Sherlock. When Sherlock is making deductions about Kitty, he looks at her wrists and says, "Those marks on your forearm: edge of a desk. You've been typing in a hurry, probably." I suppose that BBC Sherlock could be right when someone is typing on a computer keyboard. But then In "A Case of Identity," Holmes similarly notices a woman's wrist: "The double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined." But ACD Sherlock is wrong. A typewritest using a manual typewriter would never press her wrists against the table. You may now deduce that Arthur Conan Doyle handed in manuscripts written in longhand because he certainly didn't know how to type.
On page 221: There is a list of Sources which sort of surprised me. Not that I intend to follow-up on any of them but I appreciate the effort. I have seen more scholarly books than this one without a list of Sources and their authors and publishers should be absolutely ashamed.
There are some rough segues and a few minor glitches (e.g. page 205 "... as long as there's people..." and page 218 "Philip Jose Farmer often wrote several fictional biographies...") but considering how quickly this book must have been written and published to tie in with the BBC Sherlock, it seems there are remarkably few.
The publisher also made some good decisions. The quality of the cover stock is good and I like the cover art. The Acknowledgments are in the back of the book where I like to see them. The list of the author's other books is also in the back instead of in the front.
November 11, 2018
This was a fun and detailed romp through the first three seasons of the BBC Sherlock program.
I really wish that season 4 had been included. The show is rich and detailed and one can watch episodes more than once and get subtle nuances of characters, especially as the series develops. This was a good time.
I really wish that season 4 had been included. The show is rich and detailed and one can watch episodes more than once and get subtle nuances of characters, especially as the series develops. This was a good time.
June 12, 2015
This unofficial guide begins with an account of how the show came to be - if you're a fan of the BBC Sherlock, you're probably already aware of the way it came to be, scribbled out on a train journey between Cardiff and London. It travels on, coming across as being a fairly careful, neutral account - simply what happened. This account goes on to say how the actors were cast, and also includes a short history on Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Doyle himself. Throughout it contains interesting tidbits or quotes, such as a comment from Benedict Cumberbatch on Sherlock: 'I always make it clear that people who become obsessed with him or the idea of him - he'd destroy you ... He is an absolute bastard.'
It moves on to full accounts of each episodes, how it compares to the original stories, interesting facts, nitpicks, and information such as the use of the word deductions is wrong - it should be 'inductions', as 'deductive reasoning begins with a collection of statements known to be true', rather than guesses. The amount of information it has on each episode is staggering, interesting, and yet remains easy to read - making it a joy to relive each episode from wherever you may be cozily reading.
Also important to note, is the huge section of references at the end - enough to keep any fan busy as we wait for the next episode to come about.
This is written with an easy hand, taking quite a lot of fact and blending it in as though it's an easy conversation between friends as you squee over a piece of fandom that's important to you. There's a bit of comic timing included in the writing that Stafford should be proud of. As a fan of the show who is online far too much, I honestly thought there wouldn't be too much I didn't already know - having read the original stories countless times for many years, and seeing many of the adaptions well before and after Sherlock. I'm surprised to say that this account told me quite a bit that I didn't already know (or perhaps had shoved out of my head some time in the past to make room for new information, and has now refreshed itself!), so I completely endorse this guide as being for all fans - even those who think they already know too much. Because really, there's no such thing, is there?
It moves on to full accounts of each episodes, how it compares to the original stories, interesting facts, nitpicks, and information such as the use of the word deductions is wrong - it should be 'inductions', as 'deductive reasoning begins with a collection of statements known to be true', rather than guesses. The amount of information it has on each episode is staggering, interesting, and yet remains easy to read - making it a joy to relive each episode from wherever you may be cozily reading.
Also important to note, is the huge section of references at the end - enough to keep any fan busy as we wait for the next episode to come about.
This is written with an easy hand, taking quite a lot of fact and blending it in as though it's an easy conversation between friends as you squee over a piece of fandom that's important to you. There's a bit of comic timing included in the writing that Stafford should be proud of. As a fan of the show who is online far too much, I honestly thought there wouldn't be too much I didn't already know - having read the original stories countless times for many years, and seeing many of the adaptions well before and after Sherlock. I'm surprised to say that this account told me quite a bit that I didn't already know (or perhaps had shoved out of my head some time in the past to make room for new information, and has now refreshed itself!), so I completely endorse this guide as being for all fans - even those who think they already know too much. Because really, there's no such thing, is there?
April 3, 2016
First of all, a huge shoutout to Sam over at ECW Press for sending over this book! She knows how obsessed I am over Sherlock and offered to send me this book to add in to my collection. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!❤
“He’s been depicted as a serious thinker, a master of deduction, a hopeless addict, a bare-knuckle fighter. His companion is a bumbler, a sympathetic equal, someone helpless in the face of his friend’s social inadequacies“… that’s all you have to know about Sherlock and John, really. The perfect combo, these two lads. And just like the cover, Stafford’s narration was a piece of art!
The guide starts off with an introduction of the genius producers behind the show, the iconic author Arthur Conan Doyle, and even the brilliant casts who starred in the series. It’s a thrill to read about behind the scene auditions these celebrities went through and how they were carefully picked to play the characters of the set, what the directors had to say, and the story that contrasts the victorian and modern era!
I love how the author compares Doyle’s Sherlock to BBC’s. ACD to BBC, as she’d put it. She points out little easter eggs that appeared in BBC’s Sherlock that were supposedly references to ACD’s Holmes which, to me (having to only read a few of the original Sherlock Holmes), were really interesting. It literally made me go ‘oh right, that happened! I didn’t notice!’and it’s just so nice to get to know the film a little better each time I flip the page.
I’ve read Guy Adam’s Sherlock: The Casebook and adored it. However, Stafford’s guide had me look at Sherlock in a completely different way. Both guides differ in a way in which Adam constructs the story through illustrations whereas Stafford through sections such as: highlights (something funny that happened), interesting facts (behind the scenes info), did you notice?‘s (,little easter eggs as I mentioned), and oops‘ (bloopers). A completely different outtake, but equally as fascinating!
Calling out all my fellow Sherlockians to pick up this book – it’s a true masterpiece! If you would like a more in-depth analyzation of this hit TV series, you know what to get the next time you step foot in a bookstore.
“He’s been depicted as a serious thinker, a master of deduction, a hopeless addict, a bare-knuckle fighter. His companion is a bumbler, a sympathetic equal, someone helpless in the face of his friend’s social inadequacies“… that’s all you have to know about Sherlock and John, really. The perfect combo, these two lads. And just like the cover, Stafford’s narration was a piece of art!
The guide starts off with an introduction of the genius producers behind the show, the iconic author Arthur Conan Doyle, and even the brilliant casts who starred in the series. It’s a thrill to read about behind the scene auditions these celebrities went through and how they were carefully picked to play the characters of the set, what the directors had to say, and the story that contrasts the victorian and modern era!
I love how the author compares Doyle’s Sherlock to BBC’s. ACD to BBC, as she’d put it. She points out little easter eggs that appeared in BBC’s Sherlock that were supposedly references to ACD’s Holmes which, to me (having to only read a few of the original Sherlock Holmes), were really interesting. It literally made me go ‘oh right, that happened! I didn’t notice!’and it’s just so nice to get to know the film a little better each time I flip the page.
I’ve read Guy Adam’s Sherlock: The Casebook and adored it. However, Stafford’s guide had me look at Sherlock in a completely different way. Both guides differ in a way in which Adam constructs the story through illustrations whereas Stafford through sections such as: highlights (something funny that happened), interesting facts (behind the scenes info), did you notice?‘s (,little easter eggs as I mentioned), and oops‘ (bloopers). A completely different outtake, but equally as fascinating!
Calling out all my fellow Sherlockians to pick up this book – it’s a true masterpiece! If you would like a more in-depth analyzation of this hit TV series, you know what to get the next time you step foot in a bookstore.
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