I found the execution of the whole thing mediocre, but the idea was novel enough (even in today's oversaturated landscape of ideas) and the author skilled enough with his language that it was all quite enjoyable anyway. I liked Chesterton's mental acuity in dreaming up these scenarios that seem so obviously to be one thing in the beginning and then still, on some at least, being able to pull the rug out from under even modern readers because of our presuppositions, even if they did all rely on highly extraordinary circumstance. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't figure out the reveal of the final story until the final story, as in retrospect it should've been at least partially obvious through most of the book, but Chesterton was skilled at obscuring that I should even be wondering about that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
Fantasyfan beat me to that quote! Coincidentally, I've been working my way slowly through the entire Doyle œuvre about Holmes and I find I don't really like it and for just the reasons this quote implies. They're too carefully structured to admit of only one possibility and it all seems so silly and artificial to me. These frothy and antic stories hold a lot more appeal. Although if I had been Rupert or Swinburne, I'd have been tempted to knock Basil's block off if he had laughed at me one more time, offering no explanation for what was going on...
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Holmes has always been somewhat annoying to me, whether in film or book, though I'm still determined to read more of his stories eventually. I appreciate that this was partly a satire on Holmes, though I think in Basil Grant Chesterton made someone equally as insufferable.
I cannot decide if this was on purpose or accidental. After all, the point is that Grant is the anti-Holmes, relying on instinct and definitely not on facts as they appear. But he has that same unsavoury quality as Holmes of always being assured that he is right (which, like Holmes, he always is), and he purposely withholds what he knows from his friends and fellow investigators and often laughs at them until he finally condescends to explain (or until they finally figure it out for themselves). Although, it must be said, Rupert and Swinburne were both quite dull-witted at times.
I did like Basil's joie de vivre though and his unshakeable pleasantness, and my favourite scene was the already-mentioned post-scuffle repartee and debate between Basil and his equally pleasant captive lying on the floor.