Two SH book reviews: “Ms Holmes of Baker Street” and “The Tale Not Told”.
In this post I’m going to voice some of my feelings regarding the books “Ms Holmes of Baker Street” by C. Alan Bradley, William A.S. Sarjeant and “The Tale Not Told” by Constance Wilder-Wokoun (I'm not really writing book reviews as such as I've forgotten what format you're supposed to use when writing them, it's been a long time since I did it at ( Read more... )
I am of the opinion that had Fraser been a woman and Ray Vecchio the man they would no doubt have ended up married with kids. It would just...fit. Had Ray been a woman and Fraser been a woman pretending to be a man I can see the same scenario. I mean there is the whole Ms Fraser in cnaon wherein they are mistaken for a married couple. Put Fraser in a dress and that's what you get.
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I can't say it ever occurred to me before I came across the book. I expected the argument to fall down somewhere along the way, but I was surprised how well it did hold up considering the fact that Doyle never intended him to be a woman. An extract of the first few pages is available to read on amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Ms-Holmes-Baker-Street-Sherlock/dp/0888644159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214174809&sr=8-1
It could work within the canon in the right hands.
It really could which is why I had such high hopes for "the Tale Not Told", but unfortunately the writer decided to work outside of the canon.
Had Ray been a womanThe problem I have with that scenario is that Fraser is afraid when any woman shows signs of ( ... )
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I can't say it ever occurred to me before I came across the book. I expected the argument to fall down somewhere along the way, but I was surprised how well it did hold up considering the fact that Doyle never intended him to be a woman. An extract of the first few pages is available to read on amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Ms-Holmes-Baker-Street-Sherlock/dp/0888644159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214174809&sr=8-1
WOW that has been very cleverly done. Just those few pages begin to present a very convincing argument. I loke the way they have used the excerpts from canon. The ones they oick are ones at the time I would never have read into but they are convincing.
It really could which is why I had such high hopes for "the Tale Not Told", but unfortunately the writer decided to work outside of the canon.
That's a shame.
The problem I have with that scenario is that Fraser is ( ... )
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After I read them I had to read the rest of the book to see how the rest of the arguments went. Also, I wanted to see which two instances they were referring to when they said that Holmes had twice been pregnant. Though I did guess at one of them.
I loke the way they have used the excerpts from canon. The ones they oick are ones at the time I would never have read into but they are convincing.I wouldn't have read anything into them either. It does make me wonder though if they were such odd things to say for a Victorian male, why on earth did Doyle write them? Assuming that he wasn't intending for Holmes to come across as a woman, was it just as a way of making him seem more eccentric ( ... )
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It is very intriguing. I think I can guess at one of them though I could be wrong...that's a very itneresting take on explaning certain things - pregnancy.
wouldn't have read anything into them either. It does make me wonder though if they were such odd things to say for a Victorian male, why on earth did Doyle write them? Assuming that he wasn't intending for Holmes to come across as a woman, was it just as a way of making him seem more eccentric?Indeed that was my thought. Doyle wasn't writing holmes as a woman but as Holmes so if those phrases were unusual it must have been part of his way of showing Holmes as no ordinary man, a brilliant detective but eccentric. It would be one way of showing eccentricity. I get the impression that Holmes didn't have much time for society or playing ( ... )
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I think you'd probably be right if you're thinking of the obvious one.
Given the circumstances when they meet it's not implausible that Ray would show restraint flirting wise which would help establish an early bond to allow Fraser to become comfortable witha female Ray as a friend.
Female Ray would probably get annoyed with Frannie flirting with Fraser (possibly more so than male Ray does) when he's just lost his father. I'm not exactly sure how the relationship would move from friendship to lovers in such a situation, because how does female Ray let Fraser know she likes him that way without the flirting which would scare him off?
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Female Ray would probably get annoyed with Frannie flirting with Fraser (possibly more so than male Ray does) when he's just lost his father. I'm not exactly sure how the relationship would move from friendship to lovers in such a situation, because how does female Ray let Fraser know she likes him that way without the flirting which would scare him off?I would think that ray would have to wait for Fraser to make a move. It's not inconcievable Fraser would do so. If we take the slash interpretation you could see that happening perhaps post-VS. I think Fraser could fall in love with female Ray given he might be one of the few women not to flirt overtly with him. Logically he would be a good choice if Fraser was looking for love and Ray's actions at times in VS can be interpreted as that of a lover (if you go for slash). It might take a long time for Fraser to have enough courage to move from friendship to lovers. i see it working as ( ... )
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I think it's probably the most interesting non fiction book on Sherlock Holmes I've come across lately.
I would think that ray would have to wait for Fraser to make a move.
You could be right, though, I'm not sure I can picture Fraser doing so. I wonder if the likes of VS would work the same way. Would Fraser still become so deeply involved in Victoria or does he just do so because he believes she is his last chance at happiness with a woman and is perhaps confused by deepening feelings for Ray. Whereas if Ray were a woman would he not remain hopeful of one day becoming involved with her.
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Same here, very interesting.
You could be right, though, I'm not sure I can picture Fraser doing so. I wonder if the likes of VS would work the same way. Would Fraser still become so deeply involved in Victoria or does he just do so because he believes she is his last chance at happiness with a woman and is perhaps confused by deepening feelings for Ray. Whereas if Ray were a woman would he not remain hopeful of one day becoming involved with her.One interpretation could be that Fraser hasn't ever had a normal relationship with a woman so he honestly wouldn't be sure how to cope with one with Ray (if he was a woman) and Victoria would still be a huge part of his past. He could have all kinds of guilt over wanting another woman when for ten years he believed there was only one woman for him> and the deep emotions with Victoria would still have been there - the near death experience they shared is a powerful thing. Fraser might ( ... )
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Isn't that more of a native American (or Canadian) type viewpoint? Isn't it part of their values to help any child within the village. Which would also explain why Quinn takes responsibility for Fraser when they first meet (in Easy Money).
And Bob Fraser, although he makes it clear Benton is his son, also mentions that Benton's desire to tlak about feelings is a woman thing.I think because of Bob Fraser using the term "son" it rules out anything but an AU on the idea that Fraser would be a woman disguising herself as a man. In the case of Holmes, in the Greek Interpreter the first story which features Mycroft, he says "Come in Sherlock, come in sir", instead of the easier "Come in gentlemen", which could be because he doesn't want to openly lie about his sister. Dead Bob would have no reason to lie ( ... )
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It could be but Fraser takes on the responsibility of caring for the baby pretty much single handedly. He cajoles Ray into burping him but as soon as he has Fraser takes over. The way he does with that baby is more suggestive as a woman. And it is a baby rather a young child. The native American viewpoint of helping children in the village certainly fits with Willie (and you can draw a parallel with Fraser taking Willie under his wing as Quinn taking young Fraser under his wing). But would a man ina village take responsility in the same way for a young baby? Fraser is an older child when Quinn begins to mentor him.
I think because of Bob Fraser using the term "son" it rules out anything but an AU on the idea that Fraser would be a woman disguising herself as a man. Unless that Bob Fraser is osme ( ... )
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