Q&A with Laurie R. King discussion

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I think you're referring to the "Twenty years, even ten, but now." comment? I think he was referring to finding an Apprentice to train.


That statement, "Twenty years ago...even ten. But why here? Now?" can also be read as Holmes' comment on his search for an apprentice, as Watson mentions later. Holmes wanted to share his skills with someone who could carry on his work, but he had never run across a mind like his before. He seems to be wondering why after being retired for 12 years, after moving to Sussex, would he find that one perfect mind. I have always loved that he didn't say, "Why a girl?" as even then Holmes accepted Mary Russell as more than just female, but someone whose mind could be trained to use the skills he had developed. There is much in that missing thought of why a girl and much in his wondering if "Now" he had the strength, patience, and will to take on a very young apprentice. I'm so glad he did. **grin**

Garment of Shadows hit Audible today (Tuesday Sept.11)

I disagree. I have never thought that Holmes was talking about finding an apprentice.
He is a mature man. He has been searching all his life, consciously or otherwise, for the one woman who is his equal. He finds her—and she is 15 to his 54!
It is to his credit that he doesn't act on his feelings until Russell comes of age. But to say that he does not HAVE feelings or recognize them—sorry, I don't buy it. The whole story line indicates that he does.

I trust that it is Wright that you are disagreeing with, not me, because it is clear that you and I agree. Two cats mating do not make a man think of taking an apprentice. The idea is absurd. The mating cats cause him to realize the impossibility, at least for the foreseeable future, of his and Russell's doing likewise. Oh, he knows she's female and he's male. It is Russell's delusion that he does not look at her as female that enables her to become his apprentice. This informs the next several books. Again to descend to a personal level: I will never forget the day a prisoner escaped from the court room. Everybody in the building except the police were evacuated, and the police were searching the building. Clinton, in his fifties, saw me going by pistol in hand, and the look on his face was unforgettable. I was 23 and all curves, facially and everywhere else, and looked much younger than I was--yet my apprenticeship to him had brought me into mortal danger, and that was the first time he let himself realize it. To his credit, he merely looked at me for minute nd then turned and headed the other way. So would Holmes have done, the first time he realized that hi staking Russell as an apprentice had put her in mortal danger. I KNOW HOW THIS KIND OF SITUATION FEELS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO BEING IN IT.


Whenever I'm puzzled by a statement in a book, I always check to see what context it was said in. In this case, when Holmes says, "Twenty years ago, even ten. But here? Now?" I think it helps to keep in mind the beginning of the chapter where it says, "The discovery of a sign of true intellect outside ourselves procures us something of the emotion Robinson Crusoe felt when he saw the imprint of a human foot on the sandy beach"
During the scene under the beech tree when Holmes tells Russell about herself, and than asks her to do the same… she shocks him with her raw deduction abilities, and right after this he makes that comment. He's shocked, that after 54 years, he has finally encountered a mind that works so much like his own. Yes he says it after there is a commotion in the flower beds and two cats go off chasing each other, but I'm curious why you assume they were mating? Couldn't they be playing? Chasing a bird? Defending their territory? I suppose it could be a subtle Freudian joke, but in this case, we need to keep in mind the man involved… It's Sherlock Holmes, who has held intellectual pursuits higher than primal urges his entire life, so no, I don't think he would see two cats mating and automatically think… I'm going to make sweet love to this 15 year girl. There is also the slight matter of the book's title.
In regards to the statement from MREG that he wanted to do that 'since the first time he laid eyes on her' really can't be taken literally, because he did think she was a boy when he first laid eyes on her and was ready to dismiss her until she whipped her cap off. It wasn't until he realized that she was a girl that he was caught off guard and gobsmacked, not before, so I'm not sure how it would cause him 'some minutes of consternation' of wanting to kiss her while he thought she was a young man.
These of course, are just my opinions, but I do love discussing my favorite book series and love that they are so complex that they generate such differing views.

It's only because I try to emulate your clear and concise responses. :D

If you were a thoroughly masculine male, and suddenly found yourself wanting to kiss someone you thought was male, wouldn't it cause you some moments of consternation?Remember that we know now, although we did not know then, that he had already enjoyed a period of intense sexual relationship with Irene Adler.
Finally, remember that this is seen THROUGH THE EYES OF RUSSELL, and she sees what she would see at her age and her state of innocence. She cannot be considered a totally reliable narrator. In the incident of the cats, she tells us what happened and leaves us to draw our own conclusions. Of course the cats could have been playing or fighting. But the overall thrust of the book and the series makes it clear to me that the cats were mating. A writer as good as Laurie King would not put something like a pair of cats into a fraught moment if she didn't have an excellent reason for doing so. Cats playing or fighting isn't a reason for inserting the cats into the story. Cats mating is a good reason.
Of course I'm autistic, so I might not be a reliable narrator either, but I've written a good many books and taught writing in four universities in two states, so I have a pretty good idea how a book is written.

In joint pursuit of a common goal -- as Holmes would be with an apprentice who had the capacity to become a partner.


If you reread their first meeting along with BeeKeeping for Beginners, you'll notice that while Holmes thought Russell was a boy, he viewed her as a pest who he wanted to brain over the head with his rucksack, which is not conducive to kissing.
That's the reason why I don't take what Holmes said on the Dock as completely literal. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely an instant lightning like connection between the two when they first met, but it had nothing to do with romantic love at that point. It went far deeper.
People often say that they fell in love at first sight (I make that claim with my own husband) but it's something you only really say after you've acknowledged your love. In reality, it's a little more complex than that. In the case of Holmes and Russell there was six years (three books) between their meeting and the Dock scene and they both grew and changed in different ways during that period.
Lenore, the 'two cats working towards the same goal' argument is an excellent point! And their conversation under the Beech tree is the reason for the title of chapter 2, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".

He calls her "child" even late in BEEK – clearly after the relationship between them has started to shift and there are references to his being a father figure late as well.
Is Holmes just in denial? Or was Laurie not sure where the characters were going at this point? Did she feel a need to just ignore some of the latter apprentice-relationship when the characters developed in a different way? That was my question to her.

If you reread the..."
That "something deeper" is true love. "Love at first sight" is usually "lust at first sight." My husband and I were not in love when we were married, but we knew that we walked the same walk and talked the same talk, and could make a good life together. The love came later and gradually. Anyway, I'll take Laurie;s word for it. I think Holmes was somewhat in love from the beginning, but Russell wasn't ready and didn't really know what she needed until she was older. Holmes knew what he needed. "My God, it can think."

I'm so confused. Are you saying that Holmes wanted to both beat boy Russell over the head with his rucksack and kiss boy Russell at the same time?


I'm thinking maybe you might have missed reading the e-novella, Beekeeping for Beginners'. It's also in the back of the soft cover Pirate King. It tells the story of their meeting from Holmes' POV, where he states: '(I) stifled the urge to leap to my feet and physically drive away this boorish child with my rucksack.'
Hi all, sorry if I missed answering yours, but many of the above have been moved into the individual threads, so you might check there to see if I've picked up on it.
Anne wrote: "I did take it as literal. A perfect gentleman can (and when it is appropriate will) conceal his attraction to the lady. Am I the only one who saw the significance of what Holmes said when the cats ..."
Hmm, I'd thought he was musing on the length of time it had taken him to find an adequate apprentice. Maybe I should re-read it...
Hmm, I'd thought he was musing on the length of time it had taken him to find an adequate apprentice. Maybe I should re-read it...

You are in for a treat!
Mike wrote: "I'm currently in the middle of
The Game
which is not only an interesting mystery but also full of native customs, information and terminology. I do find it a bit disconcerting that Laurie has taken some chronological license with the mention of aeroplanes in a couple of instances. The development of passenger planes was only after WWI and hence after the time frame of this novel. But I'll forgive her for that."
The Game takes place in 1924, when passenger service was very well established. But then, others caught this first, for which thanks, all.
The Game
which is not only an interesting mystery but also full of native customs, information and terminology. I do find it a bit disconcerting that Laurie has taken some chronological license with the mention of aeroplanes in a couple of instances. The development of passenger planes was only after WWI and hence after the time frame of this novel. But I'll forgive her for that."
The Game takes place in 1924, when passenger service was very well established. But then, others caught this first, for which thanks, all.
Paul wrote: "I have just started reading "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" and am enjoying it! Thanks for the invite. Question: Which is your favorite of the original Sherlock Holmes stories and why?"
I'd have to choose the Hound of the Baskervilles, for its sheer over-the-topness. Glowing dogs! Lobotomied felon on the loose! London detective living in stone-age dwelling!
I'd have to choose the Hound of the Baskervilles, for its sheer over-the-topness. Glowing dogs! Lobotomied felon on the loose! London detective living in stone-age dwelling!
Julie wrote: "I just re read "Beekeeper's Apprentice" and "A Montrous Regiment of Women," while I wait for my new book to arrive, probably tomorrow...I watched carefully for the reference to Lord Peter Whimsey, and LOL at how very obscure it had to be. I must admit I missed it the first time I read the book and would have missed it this time if not alerted to it. Was this really a purposeful reference or just fans gleaning from a little bit of fun writing? Have you hidden other little gems in your books?."
All kinds of hidden tidbits, my way of nudging fellow readers in their ribs, or tipping my hat at them, depending.
All kinds of hidden tidbits, my way of nudging fellow readers in their ribs, or tipping my hat at them, depending.
Margaret wrote: "Okay, how did Russell learn Spanish? And will Mrs Hudson learn to make preserved lemons?"
I'd guess she had a Spanish-speaking nursemaid in San Francisco. And I can't see Mrs Hudson cottoning on to this foreign food, but you never know.
I'd guess she had a Spanish-speaking nursemaid in San Francisco. And I can't see Mrs Hudson cottoning on to this foreign food, but you never know.
Abby wrote: "Hi Laurie,
How many Mary Russell books are you planning to write? I love this series!!!"
As many as my mind and body will produce.
How many Mary Russell books are you planning to write? I love this series!!!"
As many as my mind and body will produce.
Jared wrote: "I have two questions about the series as a whole. How and when do you see the Mary Russell series coming to a conclusion?"
Ditto to the above.
Ditto to the above.
Dawn wrote: " As the author, do you have much say in the book covers, particularly those designed for the international market? I have an American copy of "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", with Mary in an enchanting dressing-gown on the front (a real-life version of which I have desired for six years!), and really like the look of the American covers for the latest books, but am not a huge fan of the cover-art used on the UK editions. They don't seem to quite fit the character of the books; they look quite 'modern' and dark. I wish I could get a hold of the full set in American covers!"
Those covers with the dressing gowns were on two hardbacks, and on some of the mass market paperbacks, although not all. In my experience, the writer has some say in the cover art when it comes to rejecting an impossible one, or suggesting ways to make it stronger, but not in proposing art to begin with. The ways of the publisher's Art Department are often inscrutable.
Those covers with the dressing gowns were on two hardbacks, and on some of the mass market paperbacks, although not all. In my experience, the writer has some say in the cover art when it comes to rejecting an impossible one, or suggesting ways to make it stronger, but not in proposing art to begin with. The ways of the publisher's Art Department are often inscrutable.
Julie wrote: "what's the deal with Mycroft? He has certainly been more fleshed out in this series than any other, yet he remains an enigma and perhaps an important literary foil to Holmes. His murky role in the government and his relationship with Sherlock does make one wonder just how these boys were raised. Will that be revealed? ."
Indeed, what is the deal with Mycroft? Perhaps in some future book I will at last tackle The Mycroft Problem and see just what he a) does, b) wants, and c) will do with the world.
Indeed, what is the deal with Mycroft? Perhaps in some future book I will at last tackle The Mycroft Problem and see just what he a) does, b) wants, and c) will do with the world.
I apologize for the disjointed nature of this discussion--maybe next time I won't schedule it in conflict with a book tour!
Laurie
Laurie

Yes, Anne, you are correct. I was disagreeing with Wright, not with you. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
But it turns out that Laurie agrees with Wright, and her view certainly trumps mine!


Laurie"
No apologies necessary. This has been great fun, and the generous time you have offered greatly appreciated. I have learned a lot about the books and process of writing from the discussions. It all has made me feel even more connected to Russell and Holmes. You are the genius!


LOL! Now I will have to reread everything to find the tid bits!

YES! I second this request!

YES! I second this request!"
Well, those who follow Laurie's blog know that she took a trip to Japan this year. And we know that the next book is a Touchstone sequel. I think somewhere along the line -- I could definitely be wrong about this -- Laurie said something about the next Russell being set in Oxford. (I could have hallucinated this.) SO -- we can deduce that the Japan adventure will likely appear in 2014 or 2015. As a lawyer, I must advise you that this prediction comes with no warranties, express or implied. ;)

A late addition to the Mary Sue discussion. While re-reading Justice Hall, I was reminded that, for all her scholarship and specialized training with Holmes, Russell is still intimidated by Phyllida -- clearly her intellectual and professional inferior -- just because Phyllida is elegantly dressed and made up and radiating upper classness. Surely no Mary Sue would be subject to such mundane psychological stresses!
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I always took that as a sign that Holmes was thoroughly overcome during the Dock scene, so much so, that he started babbling romantic sentiments. I never took it as literal. Regardless, Holmes was a perfect gentleman and never pressed her until Russell made her desires very clear on the Dock.