Buddy Read - Sherlock Holmes

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "@Savita.. I did read the 2nd chapter.. Forgot to post about it.. I liked this one.. I actually made notes about it but forgot to post.. I liked how extremely observant SH is, he thinks about things..."

(view spoiler)[ Oldacre was really very crafty and malignant. How long he nurses an old grudge! He almost gets away with his scheme! And then he turns his malignant eyes on SH ! Shudder 🙄 ! (hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

Finished Chapter 2. now that was fun. finally something I'd want from a SH story.

[Savita]

Kirti wrote: "Finished Chapter 2. now that was fun. finally something I'd want from a SH story."

Yes , The Norwood Builder was really good fun ! Enjoyed reading it !

[Savita]

I finished The Dancing Men . Good one ! You are right , Sehrish! -(view spoiler)[ The deciphering of the code was interesting but complex . Went above my head too ! 😁 !
I was very disappointed that Hilton Cubitt died . He was such a nice person. And poor Elsie Patrick ! What a bleak life she now had to look forward to ! (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

I finished The Solitary Cyclist . Enjoyed it ! It was a sweet story! 4 stars . (view spoiler)[ I liked the end . Violet inherits a large fortune and marries her sweetheart , Cyril Morton . All's well that ends well !
But , really , how dreadfully greedy people are for money and what schemes they hatch ! How miserable if Violet had remained married to the ugly brute , Mr Woodley , and been forced to spend her life with the scoundrel ! Better to be dead !🤔
Ah yes , Sehrish , I liked your point - love changed a bad person into doing something good .
I liked how SH calmly took over at the marriage scene and managed the villains till the police arrived . Dangerous job though !
(hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

Savita wrote: "I finished The Solitary Cyclist . Enjoyed it ! It was a sweet story! 4 stars . I liked the end . Violet inherits a large fortune and marries her sweetheart , Cyril Morton . All's well that ends ..."

Can't agree more.. All's well that ends well!

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "Savita wrote: "I finished The Solitary Cyclist . Enjoyed it ! It was a sweet story! 4 stars . I liked the end . Violet inherits a large fortune and marries her sweetheart , Cyril Morton . All's wel..."

True ! 😊

[Kirti]

Finished Dancing Men. I saw it on television so I had a little idea as to what the case was but I had forgotten the end to it. all in all, it was a wonderful case.
(view spoiler)[
deciphering the code was a very beautiful aspect of the story. in the story it is difficult to understand but I guess on television it seems easier. it was really disappointing for Mr Cubitt to have died. Which made me wonder how many cases had disappointing endings! However brilliant SH be, but nature always has a step ahead. The indifference SH and Watson had, the lack of sympathy is also something that pissed me. they did feel bad but I think I have seen them feel worse in other cases for the victims.
Also the death or Mr Cubitt and for the Mrs to end up alone marks a very tragic love story especially because the Mr Cubitt was loyal to his words and Mrs Cubitt was devoted to her husband and his pride. They didn't deserve this. but that's life. it sucks!
(hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

Correct Kirti, AC Doyle didn't always mean to make everything happy happy.. It's not possible always and ke kept that in mind in his stories.. I love his work so so much and this is one more added feather on his cap

[Savita]

Agree , Kirti ! (view spoiler)[ " They didn't deserve this, but that's life . " . Yes , sometimes we wonder why bad things happen to good people ? Religions explain this on past karmas - visible / invisible . But , they also say , that our present selfless deeds can mitigate the effects of previous bad karmas . That 's fair and reasonable , I think . (hide spoiler)]
I , also , agree and like msg 309 by Sehrish . I Agree , Agree about A C Doyle and a feather on his cap !

[Sehrish |]

I had stopped at chapter 4, will be resuming today. How about you two?

[Savita]

Thanks for waiting , Sehrish ! I'm on Chapter 5 .

[Kirti]

I will be done with chapter 4 today. if possible will try to do chapter 5 too. so by tomorrow we can be at the same point

[Savita]

Great !

[Kirti]

done with chapter 4. thank God this had a better ending for I would have given up on SH if this turned out to be ominous.
(view spoiler)[
Also I wished for Woodley to die. and Williamson too.
(hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

Finished Chapter 5. looking forward towards your reviews of this one

[Savita]

Finished The Priory School . SH not only makes intelligent inferences , he is also well informed and has painstaking methods . It was interesting to follow up the case with SH and Dr Watson . (view spoiler)[ The cheque was well deserved ! 6000 pounds !
It was sad that Herr Heidegger died such a violent death , but otherwise something good came out of the misadventure . The Duke 's family was reunited . That was lovely ! (hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

I finished The Adventures of The Priory School too.. (view spoiler)[Initially, the case had so many characters, maps, places.. I found it hard to imagine but AC Doyle paints a very clear picture of places, another thing I really like in his stories.. I am glad that the young master was united with his father, but I was angry at the Duke who was so blind with the love of his elder son that he was willing to be a part such a big crime and not give it a second thought.. (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "I finished The Adventures of The Priory School too.. [spoilers removed]"

I generally jot down important names as I go along , otherwise it gets very confusing . (view spoiler)[ The Duke had also written to his estranged wife , so that's another good news 😊 (hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

What do you guys make of the end?

(view spoiler)[
SH found mud on the horse shoes. Now were the original used or a copy was made and the original being stolen?
And what did this imply?
Also I'm a little bit confused by his remark that he was a poor man. Was it because he got a huge amount of money?
(hide spoiler)]
I'd like if you guys can clear it for me

[Savita]

(view spoiler)[ Hayes had shod his horses with shoes which counterfeited the tracks of cows . He must have stolen them from the museum with Wilder's help .
About SH'S remark , I think he made it because of the huge amount of the reward money. 6ooo pounds !! 😳 (hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

Kirti wrote: "What do you guys make of the end?


SH found mud on the horse shoes. Now were the original used or a copy was made and the original being stolen?
And what did this imply?
Also I'm a little bit con..."


@Kirti, I guess when SH said he was poor, did mean it really.. When I read it earlier I thought he was being sarcastic.. But in the next chapter in the opening line itself you'll read.. I have seldom known him claim any large reward for his inestimable services. So unworldly was he—or so capricious—that he frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies, while he would devote weeks of most intense application to the affairs of some humble client whose case presented those strange and dramatic qualities which appealed to his imagination and challenged his ingenuity.

[Sehrish |]

I finished The Adventure of Black Peter:
(view spoiler)[ This case was so simple and a nice read.. (I say simple as if I am the one investigating it.. 😂😂😂 Simple for SH actually)

SH very well said “We all learn by experience, and your lesson this time is that you should never lose sight of the alternative." Hopkins was so distracted by the notebook that he just jumped at the conclusion and arrested young Neligan as soon as he interviewed him.. SH on the other hand blew Hopkins' mind (and mine too) 😂

So sharp he is the way he observes.. Seaman only drink Rum, that is something one would never pay particular attention to right? I'd think a person who drinks would drink any alcohol..but guess not.. This applies to so many of our life events too right? If I am used to doing something, I'd do only that no matter what the situation.. Now that I think about it it's so true.. We are our mannerisms and our habits.. Such a small but something that struck me so hard... I hope I am making sense.. Anyways, didn't mean to get all philosophical 😉

I just hope Neligan would've got what he wanted and cleared his father's name of the creditors.. But I guess not eveyone gets everything, everytime.. We just have to have fate deal with certain things... (hide spoiler)]

I hope you both enjoy this one.. 😊

[Sehrish |]

Finished The Adventure of Charles Augustus Millerton:

(view spoiler)[I liked this case too.. Justice was served at last.. SH was so angry with this Charles Millerton, it seemed like he hated him more than he hated Moriarty.. I wonder what kind of documents this Millerton had to blackmail these women so badly and how much he may have agitated the lady who finally killed him..

When Lestrade bought the case to SH's attention he simply waved it away, but SH as a detective would never let it go.. How come Lestrade didn't even pursue it.. 🤔 (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "I finished The Adventure of Black Peter:
This case was so simple and a nice read.. (I say simple as if I am the one investigating it.. 😂😂😂 Simple for SH actually)

SH very well said “We all learn..."

@ Sehrish . (view spoiler)[ It’s true ! " Old habits die hard ! " Remove the " h " from " habit " and " abit " is left ! Remove the " a " and " bit " is still left ! Remove the " b " and " it " is still left !! 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

Savita wrote: "Sehrish wrote: "I finished The Adventure of Black Peter:
This case was so simple and a nice read.. (I say simple as if I am the one investigating it.. 😂😂😂 Simple for SH actually)

SH very well sa..."

Hahaha Savita..

[Savita]

@ Sehrish. 😄

[Savita]

I finished and liked Charles Augustus Milverton ! Exciting case ! (view spoiler)[ Repulsive description of Milverton : with a smiling face and a heart of marble he will squeeze and squeeze until he has drained them dry. 🙄
I had a good laugh when SH said to Mr Lestrade - " That was rather vague. Why, it might be a description of Watson! " 😁
The end : it was nemesis ! ⚖ ! A private revenge . I 'm glad SH kept his lips sealed even though he recognized the lady 's picture.
Sehrish , while waving away the case, SH does mention what he thought of the murdered man .
Also , the letters used for blackmailing were previous love letters which can do a lot of mischief 😒 . (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

What about you , Kirti ? On which case are you ?

[Sehrish |]

I finished The Adventure of the Six Napoleons:

(view spoiler)[I liked this one but not too much.. I liked the others cases more.. You will be able to guess half-way through that the Italian man is behind something precious that he has hidden in these Napoleon Busts.. The death of the other man was tragic though.. This cases reminded me of Blue Carbuncle.. (hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

I finished The Adventure of the Three Students:

(view spoiler)[This was rather sweet.. I laughed at SH's gestures too when he suddenly turned away from the 3fs student's door and said I will say Goodbye to you now.. Poor professor 😂

I really liked how Bannister helped and made Gilchrist understand what he was doing was wrong and set him on the right path...

All's well that ends well!! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

sorry guys I've been distracted lately. I'll get to this soon and catch up.

[Sehrish |]

no worries Kirti.. take your time.

I finished The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez:

(view spoiler)[This was a such a sad one, I feel so so sorry for the lady, first she was betrayed by her own husband, saw her best friend and love go through so much pain in his own life and finally had to kill herself for murdering an innocent man.. A crime she didn't even commit on purpose.. my heart is aching after reading this story! Absolutely amazing deduction once again by SH (hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

hi. I finished Charles Augustus Milverton.
Milverton was better than Black Peter.
What I wondered was, ACD wrote that he'd not mention names or dates to hide the identity. as a story it makes sense. but does it mean these incidents might have been inspired by real events? Or was it laziness on his part. An excuse to neglect and take a break from details? Anyway, I liked the ending of Milverton. Also, SH did explain his reason that he was favouring the criminal more than the victim. so I don't think it can develop suspicion to Lestrade. The observation in Black Peter was truly remarkable.
I'd also like to appreciate the vocabulary SIR ACD uses if I've already not mentioned before. Brilliant and that really tells us something. Atleast to me. look at the vocabulary we use! Do we dare blame social media? Chatting habits? Vocabulary is a pretentious spice used recently. it was salt in the author's time. it was casual. Right now it is just show off. Descriptions these days are not for us to relive the words. but to show off unnecessarily. to make the novel thicker probably! I sound too harsh and generalising. I apologise. But it was with me since long and I remembered it today to appreciate the vocabulary.

[Sehrish |]

Kirti wrote: "hi. I finished Charles Augustus Milverton.
Milverton was better than Black Peter.
What I wondered was, ACD wrote that he'd not mention names or dates to hide the identity. as a story it makes sense..."

The events could have been inspired by true events, or may be done so just to cause curiosity amongst the readers.. who knows..

I agree with what you've said about the vocabulary too, everything is defined by social media, what's trending, what's the latest slang... no need to apologize for pointing out the state of our lives..

[Savita]

Yes , I've also been admiring Sir Conan Doyle 's excellent vocabulary. It's such a pleasure to read his work !

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "I finished The Adventure of the Six Napoleons:

[spoilers removed]"

I finished The Six Napoleons . (view spoiler)[ Yes , the case was a bit transparent, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Beppo was obviously looking for something precious in the busts . (hide spoiler)]

[Sehrish |]

I have 3 more chapters to go! Will wait for you guys to catch up

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "I have 3 more chapters to go! Will wait for you guys to catch up"

Thank you , Sehrish ! Yes , that would be more fun ! 😊

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "I finished The Adventure of the Three Students:

This was rather sweet.. I laughed at SH's gestures too when he suddenly turned away from the 3fs student's door and said I will say Goodbye to you n..."

I finished The Three Students . Neat and quick work up! I liked the closing lines : (view spoiler)[ " For once you have fallen low . Let us see in the future how high you can rise . "
Yes , I agree it was very nice of Bannister to guide Gilchrist to the right pathway . That's the way it should be.
All is well that ends well indeed ! (hide spoiler)]

[Kirti]

Finished Napoleon busts.
(view spoiler)[
As clear as it was Savita, the reasoning and chain of logic by Sherlock was one of the most remarkable one I've read in all the series. to connect it with something that has happened a year ago. Also, I'm glad he was rewarded with the pearl as I constantly find myself wondering and worrying about their financial situation. LOL.
(hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

Kirti wrote: "Finished Napoleon busts.

Yes , no doubt that the reasoning and logic was very good , Kirti . (view spoiler)[ Tracing the case backward to the theft of the black pearl of Borgias was difficult. Pietro Venucci 's name ( the murdered man) linked to Lucretia Venucci 's name gave the lead . SH'S mind was like a computer. (hide spoiler)]
SH was quite comfortably off . He had several really wealthy clients , who would pay him very well . Therefore no worries ! 😊

[Savita]

Sehrish wrote: "no worries Kirti.. take your time.

I finished The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez:

[spoilers removed]"
I finished The Golden Pince-Nez . (view spoiler)[ Ah yes , another interesting but sad, sad case! Two innocent lives lost ! I hope Alexis gets released from Siberia. At least one good thing will come off it . It is always nice to read about selfless, loving people- both Alexis and Anna , in a world where selfishness and betrayals are not so uncommon 🤔 . (hide spoiler)]

[Savita]

Waiting now for Kirti to catch up . But don't hurry , Kirti , otherwise the beauty of each story gets missed out .

[Sehrish |]

Hello People! How is it going?

@Kirti..how far have you read?

[Savita]

Hi , Sehrish ! Waiting for news from Kirti .

[Kirti]

I have finished Three Students. it was such a relief to see a case without involving a murder or theft. I'd like to see more of such cases. I'm in the middle of Golden Prince Nez. But to be honest, I pick up my Kindle with genuine intention of reading but the day would have squeezed the juice out of me that I literally doze off on it. I'm so sorry but i think it's only fair that you guys can read ahead and I'll drag behind.

[Savita]

Kirti wrote: "I have finished Three Students. it was such a relief to see a case without involving a murder or theft. I'd like to see more of such cases. I'm in the middle of Golden Prince Nez. But to be honest,..."

You have almost caught up , Kirti . We could start off after you finish The Golden Pince-Nez. There is no need to stress yourself out. Reading is after all for pleasure.
Awaiting comment from Sehrish .

[Sehrish |]

Sure.. I am willing to wait so we all can read together

[Kirti]

Done with Golden Prince Nez.
(view spoiler)[
At first it was hard to follow (maybe just my sleepy state) but the suspence was a brilliant one. For a second I wondered if the Professor himself ordered the murder. but his wife hiding in the book case was another level. leaving the ash on the floor was brilliant. a sad backstory again. an honorable death of Anna. She didn't deserve prison for this. death is better.
(hide spoiler)]

Again my sincerest apologies and appreciation to you both for waiting. Thank you. it's nice to encounter few good people left.