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Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories
Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2
Sherlock Holmes' adventures continue in thirteen surprising cases.
In Part One, Holmes and Watson investigate an alleged haunting at the Diogenes Club, vandalism at a prominent art gallery, the case of a frightened amnesiac, the takeover of 221B by vicious criminals, the sequel to "The Engineer's Thumb," the defiling of Holmes' Stradivarius violin, and a Christmas story featuring a graveyard with angry insults carved into the headstones.
In Part Two, Holmes solves cases in alternate universes and alongside famous historical and fictional figures. In the title story, Watson is slandered by mysterious forces who spread the rumor that the good doctor pushed Holmes off of Reichenbach Falls. In other cases, Holmes solves a real-life murder aboard a train; partners with G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown in a murder case; helps the crusading lawyer Grace Quackenbos Humiston (affectionately nicknamed "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes"); seeks out someone capable of filling his brother Mycroft's shoes; and investigates a plagiarism lawsuit involving H.G. Wells. The game is afoot!
In Part One, Holmes and Watson investigate an alleged haunting at the Diogenes Club, vandalism at a prominent art gallery, the case of a frightened amnesiac, the takeover of 221B by vicious criminals, the sequel to "The Engineer's Thumb," the defiling of Holmes' Stradivarius violin, and a Christmas story featuring a graveyard with angry insults carved into the headstones.
In Part Two, Holmes solves cases in alternate universes and alongside famous historical and fictional figures. In the title story, Watson is slandered by mysterious forces who spread the rumor that the good doctor pushed Holmes off of Reichenbach Falls. In other cases, Holmes solves a real-life murder aboard a train; partners with G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown in a murder case; helps the crusading lawyer Grace Quackenbos Humiston (affectionately nicknamed "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes"); seeks out someone capable of filling his brother Mycroft's shoes; and investigates a plagiarism lawsuit involving H.G. Wells. The game is afoot!
386 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 7, 2022
In my experience as a high school teacher I have had the joys of reading and teaching many of the famous Sherlock Holmes stories written by the indomitable Arthur Conan Doyle. This volume published by MX Publishing and written by Chris Chan was my first venture into the world of adaptations and new stories based on Doyle's creation.
Many beloved literary characters have received this treatment from Holmes, to James Bond, to Hercule Poirot. Much like Chan says in the introduction to this volume, sometimes these characters are so cherished we desire more than what already exists in the canon. And so, I was interested in how a new writer would treat the complexities of Holmes, the charm of Watson, and the subtle plotting of Doyle himself.
What interested me the most with this volume was actually Chan's focus on Mycroft, Holmes' brother. Ever elusive in Doyle's stories, it was interesting to meet this character in a new light as well as witness Holmes' sheer admiration of him. There was something wonderfully human about this that I enjoyed greatly.
The stories themselves bounced between typical yet humorous pastiches of Holmes and Watson, and brief stories, somewhat quickly resolved and lacking in memorability. But this is not to say Chan's characterisation was off the mark. In fact, his Holmes is very reminiscent of the man we have come to love through Doyle's original stories and several TV and film adaptations since. The story with the old lady and the ice-pick (I'll say no more) was a superb rendering of Holmes' genius and humanity.
Watson, however, was a little more annoying than charming in this collection. I felt Chan's portrayal made Watson less critical and respectful of Holmes and more pandering and, if anything, like a little lost puppy when he didn't get Holmes' approval. While this relationship is famous for its back and forth, I feel Chan did not capture the independence and wisdom we know Watson possesses.
Thus, it goes without saying that these stories do not match up to the originals but I do not imagine this is MX Publishing's goal. Instead, what you do get is a collection that any lover of the canon can enjoy, as long as you are willing to appreciate that the writer is working both with what exists and also their own desire for what they want Holmes and Watson to be.
Many beloved literary characters have received this treatment from Holmes, to James Bond, to Hercule Poirot. Much like Chan says in the introduction to this volume, sometimes these characters are so cherished we desire more than what already exists in the canon. And so, I was interested in how a new writer would treat the complexities of Holmes, the charm of Watson, and the subtle plotting of Doyle himself.
What interested me the most with this volume was actually Chan's focus on Mycroft, Holmes' brother. Ever elusive in Doyle's stories, it was interesting to meet this character in a new light as well as witness Holmes' sheer admiration of him. There was something wonderfully human about this that I enjoyed greatly.
The stories themselves bounced between typical yet humorous pastiches of Holmes and Watson, and brief stories, somewhat quickly resolved and lacking in memorability. But this is not to say Chan's characterisation was off the mark. In fact, his Holmes is very reminiscent of the man we have come to love through Doyle's original stories and several TV and film adaptations since. The story with the old lady and the ice-pick (I'll say no more) was a superb rendering of Holmes' genius and humanity.
Watson, however, was a little more annoying than charming in this collection. I felt Chan's portrayal made Watson less critical and respectful of Holmes and more pandering and, if anything, like a little lost puppy when he didn't get Holmes' approval. While this relationship is famous for its back and forth, I feel Chan did not capture the independence and wisdom we know Watson possesses.
Thus, it goes without saying that these stories do not match up to the originals but I do not imagine this is MX Publishing's goal. Instead, what you do get is a collection that any lover of the canon can enjoy, as long as you are willing to appreciate that the writer is working both with what exists and also their own desire for what they want Holmes and Watson to be.
July 13, 2022
A moderately entertaining collection of stories. The ideas are clever, but the tellings are pedestrian, competent without any particularly memorable flourishes. Stylistically, they could take place in almost any era, without strong voices capturing the uniqueness of the characters. As the stories are not particularly remarkable in themselves, one's interest and entertainment value gained will likely depend on how much they enjoy the premises.
The best of these is the one that inspired the title. "Of Course He Pushed Him" is a tale of psychological torture where a rumor that Watson killed Holmes and Moriarty at the Falls begins spreading, and the effects it might have on Watson and his wife.
Several take actual historical fact -- HG Wells was sued for plagiarism, a noted lawyer in NYC was called "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" -- and present the cases to the reader with Holmes wrapped around them. These don't have much to them beyond the details given. They read like short history lessons, given a familiar narrator to attract the reader's attention.
I was most interested in those with Mycroft. "The Diogenes Club Poltergeist" was disappointing, as I don't care for Holmes stories with supernatural overtones, even when they turn out to be otherwise. (Shades of a Scooby-Doo episode here.) My favorite was "The Heinous Half-Crowns", continuing from the original "Engineer's Thumb", providing some much-needed justice, even if the plotting is rather convoluted.
"The Search for Mycroft's Successor" is all premise, without a satisfactory conclusion, but it does show Chan's skill in creating deductions for Holmes to demonstrate. Too many Holmes stories skip that part, as they're difficult to do well. Chan doesn't shy away from tackling this challenging aspect of the character.
"Intruders at Baker Street" lets Watson save the day, which was refreshing, although overall there's a bit too much whump on our heroes for my tastes. There's also a Father Brown crossover.
I always appreciate author's notes giving background on the stories, explaining their inspirations, and so on. Those appear here, but all lumped together in the front, requiring much flipping back and forth.
Not a waste of time to read, but not a book I will likely return to, either .
The best of these is the one that inspired the title. "Of Course He Pushed Him" is a tale of psychological torture where a rumor that Watson killed Holmes and Moriarty at the Falls begins spreading, and the effects it might have on Watson and his wife.
Several take actual historical fact -- HG Wells was sued for plagiarism, a noted lawyer in NYC was called "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" -- and present the cases to the reader with Holmes wrapped around them. These don't have much to them beyond the details given. They read like short history lessons, given a familiar narrator to attract the reader's attention.
I was most interested in those with Mycroft. "The Diogenes Club Poltergeist" was disappointing, as I don't care for Holmes stories with supernatural overtones, even when they turn out to be otherwise. (Shades of a Scooby-Doo episode here.) My favorite was "The Heinous Half-Crowns", continuing from the original "Engineer's Thumb", providing some much-needed justice, even if the plotting is rather convoluted.
"The Search for Mycroft's Successor" is all premise, without a satisfactory conclusion, but it does show Chan's skill in creating deductions for Holmes to demonstrate. Too many Holmes stories skip that part, as they're difficult to do well. Chan doesn't shy away from tackling this challenging aspect of the character.
"Intruders at Baker Street" lets Watson save the day, which was refreshing, although overall there's a bit too much whump on our heroes for my tastes. There's also a Father Brown crossover.
I always appreciate author's notes giving background on the stories, explaining their inspirations, and so on. Those appear here, but all lumped together in the front, requiring much flipping back and forth.
Not a waste of time to read, but not a book I will likely return to, either .
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews