The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
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The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
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The Complete Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Devil's Foot
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The Adventure of the Devil's Foot (His Last Bow)
Discussion Questions
1) This is one of the first times that Holmes shows some genuine concern and appreciation for Watson, which the latter notes. Why is this? What caused Holmes to express his gratitude for Watson, along with an apology? What is different about this situation compared to others, where he may have put Watson in harm’s way?
2) How did Dr. Sterndale’s traveling experience influence the crime he committed?
3) What role does the “Devil’s Foot” root play in the story?
4) Do you agree with Holmes’ decision to leave the matter alone; solving the case and not turning his discoveries over to the police investigation? Why or why not?
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I guess Holmes apologized because this danger was something other than the usual "threat of physical harm" danger they faced together. Both of them can handle themselves in a fight, but Holmes was unable to protect Watson in this case, and Watson had to save them both.
This was my favourite of the collection, for the gothic Cornwall setting (giving me some flashback to reading Daphne du Maurier), the two murderers, and the Holmesian moment of weaknesses resulting in needing to be rescued by Watson.
Just took a look at the Jeremy Brett episode too, and there's some lovely scenery. Plus, I'm quite taken with a convalescent Holmes wrapped in all his coats and blankets.
I enjoyed being back on the moors with an intriguing tale of family disputes, lust for wealth and a doomed romance. The devil’s foot poison was a terrible weapon, almost indiscriminate in its destructive tendencies. Interesting that Brenda was killed but the men went insane. Could that be due to the relative size of the people involved?I’m not sure that the romance was a healthy one given that Brenda was not going to elope with Sterndale. Would it ever be anything but tragic? I suppose Sterndale could have had news of his wife’s death but I am assuming he had lost all contact with her. Staying in close contact with Brenda must have been painful in the extreme for Sterndale and Brenda.
As for the vicar, he didn’t seem too concerned with the marriage vows, but I won’t condemn him as a hypocrite.
’“The vicar knew. He was in our confidence. He would tell you that she was an angel upon earth. That was why he telegraphed to me and I returned.’
Did he also, like Holmes, follow the ‘eye for an eye’ rather than the ‘forgiveness’ parts of the testaments? The number of stories where Holmes allows a murderer, manslaughterer, fraudster etc to escape the clutches of British legal justice continues to grow as we work through Doyle’s work.
https://gazetteer.sherlock-holmes.org...
The Adventure of the Devil's Foot (His Last Bow)
Availability His Last Bow: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2350
Background Information
"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" from 1910 is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of eight stories in the cycle collected as His Last Bow.
Doyle ranked "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" ninth in his list of his twelve favorite Holmes stories.
Publication History
"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" was first published in the UK in The Strand Magazine in December 1910. It was first published in the United States in the US edition of the Strand in January and February 1911. The story was published with seven illustrations by Gilbert Holiday in the Strand, and with eight illustrations in the US edition of the Strand. An extra illustration was needed for the story's publication in two parts. The story was included in the short story collection His Last Bow, which was published in the UK and the US in October 1917.
The original manuscript of the story is now part of the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library.
A Short Summary
"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" is a chilling Sherlock Holmes story where a case of mysterious deaths and madness in Cornwall leads Holmes and Watson to uncover a deadly, plant-based poison activated by fire, ultimately revealing a family tragedy and a unique twist on justice.