Five favorite Holmes canon stories, pt 3: The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans

[marycrawford]

Part 1: The Blue Carbuncle
Part 2: The Copper Beeches

It was a toss-up between Charles Augustus Milverton and Bruce-Partington for my next pick, but janeturenne has named so many of the things that I love about CHAS that I will just point you there. The link between these two stories is that they both feature Holmes and Watson as burglars -- on the side of justice, to be sure, but committing a crime nonetheless, and working closely together in an atmosphere of dark and danger, stealth and competence -- yeah, I'm sure I don't know why that should appeal to me. Phwoar.

The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
In both stories, Watson has objections to Holmes's plans, mostly because he worries that a) Holmes is going to end up in gaol and b) Holmes is going to end up in gaol WITHOUT him. ♥

I think the scene in CHAS where Watson presents Holmes with an ultimatum -- '"You're not coming." "Then you're not going," said I' -- is absolutely wonderful, but I also love the resolution of the similar scene in BRUC:

He sprang up and shook me by the hand.

“I knew you would not shrink at the last,” said he, and for a moment I saw something in his eyes which was nearer to tenderness than I had ever seen. The next instant he was his masterful, practical self once more.

“It is nearly half a mile, but there is no hurry. Let us walk,” said he. “Don’t drop the instruments, I beg. Your arrest as a suspicious character would be a most unfortunate complication.”

This is just -- *flails* I adore both the undercurrents of feeling we get a glimpse of here (and, of course, that Watson uses the word 'tenderness' to describe them) and the way Holmes quickly changes the subject in an effort to pretend that nothing has happened. Also, I am helplessly amused that Holmes casually asks Watson to bring a jemmy, a dark lantern, a chisel, and a revolver to dinner with him and then has the nerve to tell him not to drop them. Hee.

I am also very fond of this story because it's the only Holmes mystery where the London Underground plays such a significant part, as far as I can remember. I love the Underground, despite the grime and foul air, which must have been ten times worse back in 1895, and I would jump at the chance to go on the Victorian Underground. The way it features in this story is really very ingenious, and I have great fondness for Holmes' "Points and a curve" line.

Both the radio and TV versions are full of riches, and both play up the snarky relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft to great effect. Love Holmes pronouncing "He writes like a drunken crab" on reading Mycroft's message in the TV episode, and then tossing it to Watson because he trusts a doctor should be able to read it.

In the radio play, there is the delightful argument between Holmes and Watson in the opening, where Holmes is being insufferable and Watson is not afraid to tell him as much:

Holmes: Did you know that Roland de Lassus composed over twelve-hundred works for human voice?
Watson: No, I can't say that I did.
Holmes: Oh yes, yes, yes. Then he went mad.
Watson: Shared rooms with someone, did he?

And in the TV episode, the burglary is just such a joy from start to finish: Holmes and Watson in the restaurant ("A coffee and a curaçao for my friend!"), the way Watson just can't resist the lure of adventure and Holmes's increasingly blatant efforts at persuasion, and then after they break into the house and find their clue, there is That Scene the next morning, where Holmes and Watson devouring their breakfast, with Mycroft and a police inspector for their audience. I keep replaying to ogle Holmes's devilish, delighted looks, his open collar and dressing gown, and he way he intones "For England, home, and beauty, eh Watson?" and exchanges little conspiratorial smiles with Watson. Siiigh. No matter how you interpret this, it was clearly a very satisfying evening.

Please comment if you feel like talking about this particular story and its radio/TV versions, or other Holmesian favourites!