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A review by lilyheron
The Adventure of the Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle
4.0
'I am pleased to think that I shall be able to free society from any further effects of his presence, though I fear that it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to you.'
Well, my heart is broken. I swear, a piece of writing this short has no right to be so upsetting. It's a credit to the author and the characters that in what basically amounts to a standalone epilogue (seemingly), you understand and feel the intense emotions, love, loyalty, friendship, commitment between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Honestly to me this read as a desperate last attempt at a man who is fully aware of his fate, longing to cherish the last moments with his favourite person.
The one single interaction between Holmes and Moriarty has to be one of the most powerful I've ever read. The fierce, fiery back and forth dialogue, every word chosen to perfection to demonstrate their intense face-off. Everything, in a matter of possibly less than one page. The author does an incredible job at getting across the capacity and danger of Moriarty in Sherlock's description of him to Watson, and you really get a sense of Watson's intense admiration of Holmes, and the desperate grief at the loss of his friend and companion.
I'm leaving off a star because personally I thought it would have been more effective to have this as the ending of a full length novel. As it is, it feels somewhat sparse structurally. I don't know the context of the original publication so that could be unfair but I can only assess it as a contemporary reader.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
Well, my heart is broken. I swear, a piece of writing this short has no right to be so upsetting. It's a credit to the author and the characters that in what basically amounts to a standalone epilogue (seemingly), you understand and feel the intense emotions, love, loyalty, friendship, commitment between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Honestly to me this read as a desperate last attempt at a man who is fully aware of his fate, longing to cherish the last moments with his favourite person.
The one single interaction between Holmes and Moriarty has to be one of the most powerful I've ever read. The fierce, fiery back and forth dialogue, every word chosen to perfection to demonstrate their intense face-off. Everything, in a matter of possibly less than one page. The author does an incredible job at getting across the capacity and danger of Moriarty in Sherlock's description of him to Watson, and you really get a sense of Watson's intense admiration of Holmes, and the desperate grief at the loss of his friend and companion.
I'm leaving off a star because personally I thought it would have been more effective to have this as the ending of a full length novel. As it is, it feels somewhat sparse structurally. I don't know the context of the original publication so that could be unfair but I can only assess it as a contemporary reader.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5