Chapter Eight

In Chapter Seven, I mentioned that I'd picked up some classic paperbacks at a book sale at my local library. Well, I've actually read 2 of them since then, and my opinion can be found below. I also added 2 more libraries to my weekly search, which brought in 2 more books, one of which will also be mentioned below. Finally, there are 2 new Sherlock Holmes items to discuss, so dive in....

Series

The Death of an Irish Tradition - Bartholomew Gill ($6.99/$.50, 335 pages, copyright 1979, paperback)
This is the first of the Gill series that I've read, though not the first chronologically. It features Chief Inspector Peter McGarr, and his staff of underlings, and deals with e murder tied in to the Dublin Horse Show. The descriptions of Dublin and it's environs, as well as the Irish (upper and lower class) bring it all to life. McGarr is an interesting and at times amusing character, as are his subordinates. My only beef is that there are too many "Mc" or "Mac" characters which confused things for me (although I imagine it's really like that in Dublin). I enjoyed it.

Miscellaneous

Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut ($6.99/$.25, 215 pages, copyright 1969, paperback)
Billed as one of the world's greatest anti-war books (another of which "Johnny Got His Gun" was just added to The Pile), I remember reading this back in the early 70's. It is the life story of Billy Pilgrim who is unstuck in time. He lives moment-to-moment, though not in any chronological sense. The scenes about Dresden ring true, because Vonnegut actually lived them. I remember the movie, vaguely, and would like to see it again. I certainly enjoyed reading it again.

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess ($1.25/$.25, 191 pages, copyright 1962, paperback)
Again, I remember reading this back in the early 70's, but I don't remember whether I saw the movie ( X Rated)  first, or read the book. Whichever, I found myself visualizing the scenes as I read, including seeing Malcolm McDowell as Alex. A version of a future England, where youth and its violence meets government and its retribution. I'm pretty sure I used the glossary the first time in order to understand the slang. This time, I read it right through, picking up the meanings by the content. Either way, I enjoyed it.

Sherlock Holmes

The Veiled Detective - David Stuart Davies ($9.95/ Gift Card, 246 pages, copyright 2004, Trade Paperback)
I have to admit that I was put off by this book at first. Having read the first 2 chapters, the author, to my mind, was taking too many liberties with the Canon (the original stories). On second thought, I realized that what he's changed are aspects outside of the Canon and, therefore, fair game. The book deals with the early years, from the start of the Holmes/Watson partnership, up to "The Final Problem", giving Watson a back story I didn't like, and bringing in Moriarty too early. It's OK, but not my cup of Holmes. That said, on to...

Movies/DVD

Sherlock Holmes

There was a lot of hype about this movie when it premiered last year and being a fan of Robert Downey, Jr. and Sherlock Holmes, I almost went myself. Instead, I finally got to see it on DVD. I'm glad I waited. As movies go, it was like watching Gibson and Glover in a Victorian "Lethal Weapon". As an ACTION movie, it's enjoyable if you suspend belief for a while, which I love to do. But as a Holmes movie....? Not so much. There are references to stories in the Canon, some taken almost word-for-word. Jude Law makes for a good Watson, and Downey plays up the eccentricities of Holmes, yet he doesn't ring quite true to me. He brings out the physicality of the character, something not seen so often, but he doesn't "look" the part. The villain (Mark Strong) looks more like the Holmes that I know, which was very distracting to me. And, finally, I had trouble at times understanding him, although he did maintain his accent all the way through. I can only rate it as OK.

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