That's one cold bastard

[prof_pangaea]

Alright, I've just started reading The Game (yay for libraries); I've actually had it for a few days, but for some reason I didn't immediately jump onto it. In any case, I'm only far enough in for the plot to still be exposition, and Holmes starts explaining what led him to the three year Hiatus. He says that his explanation to Watson about finishing up with the Moriarty gang was false -- so, I think, 'Hmmm... I'm wondering what the real reason was. It must have been important to MAKE YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD THINK YOU WERE DEAD FOR THREE YEARS. SO here's what he says:

Once at the top, setting my face to the East, I paused. In fact, I sat among the bushes and stones for so long, I saw Watson reappear in a panic on the path below me. I saw the poor fellow find the note I had left there, saw him... He wept, Russell; my loyal friend broke down and wept, and it was all I could do not to stand and hail him. But I was silent, not because I wished to cause him pain, nor even because I had a thought out plan of action. No, it was merely that I had been given the priceless gift of choice, and could not bring myself to throw it away.

I'm sorry, but... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT??? You don't tell Watson you're alive because you feel like it? That's worse than Doyle's explanation!! MUCH WORSE!

Well, the only other people on my friends list who will care about this exchange have already read this book, so tell me (without spoilers -- I am still on page 26) what you think of this. Holmes doesn't even sound sad, or chagrined, when he says this -- and Russell didn't have what I would call a normal reaction either (i.e., ANY reaction). Is Laurie R. King trying to show us HOW MUCH of an asshole Holmes was back in the day? Is she just saying, "Oh, that Holmes -- he's so zany! You never know what he'll do next!" Or does this have to do with King's overall low opinion of Watson?

Comments

[kels.livejournal.com]

I do agree that King does not place much importance on Watson's character (her portrayal of him reminds me more of good 'ol loyal, simple Samwise Gamgee). But did I interpret Holmes as cruel in that scene? No, not at all. When I read it, I really felt that Holmes was just so... tired. Tired of everything. I really could sympathize with that feeling of just being so drained - emotionally, physically, and mentally - that he just wanted to escape. He needed more than a "nice holiday", he needed to literally disappear for awhile and get his head/heart/soul back in order. It didn't seem cold to me at all.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.

P.S.

[kels.livejournal.com]

"I had reached a point at which the future stretched long and dull ahead of me. I was, remember, a young man, scarcely thirty, and the thought of returning to the choking fogs and humdrum life of London was suddenly intolerable."

Jeez, I feel like that almost every day! And I don't have nearly as much pressure on me as Holmes did then. The man sounds like he was one step away from either a complete nervous breakdown, or suicide. I felt pity and sympathy when I read the whole scene. Yes, it was rather cruel to leave Watson like that, but not unforgivably so. And certainly not intentioanlly so, at least not in my opinion.

Re: P.S.

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

Wah! I just wrote a monster response down under Cesario's comment, in which I address (I hope) both of your guy's points. Not in a disputatious manner, either! (again, I hope) However, I must say I can't imagine you watching me cry over the spot where I thought you had died, and then failing to tell me you were actually alive for three years... I also always pictured Holmes doing rather personal things while he was away, with perhaps the occasional favour for his brother, but that's just my own brain version of events and as such should not be held against Laurie R. King.

Re: P.S.

[kels.livejournal.com]

I must say I can't imagine you watching me cry over the spot where I thought you had died, and then failing to tell me you were actually alive for three years...

Well, as I said before, Holmes had much more pressure on him then I ever have, or probably ever will have.

Perhaps my feelings on the matter have been influenced by the fact that Brandon has been watching a lot of Star Trek TOS lately. I do see a certain parallel between Holmes and Spock... Both make a concerted effort to disguise their emotions. I'm obviously not the first person to see this parallel.

Anyway, I felt a lot of emotion on Holmes' part in that scene... When I read it, I saw a lot of feeling in the pause. I dunno, I am a rather empathic person by nature anyway. I do agree that it is a great loss for King to place such low importance on Watson. An Edward Hardwicke portrayal would be awesome! Ah well.

[cesario.livejournal.com]

I think you and Kelsey both hit on it. Laurie King seems never to have made the transition from NigelBruce!Watson to EdwardHardwicke!Watson (or even DavidBurke!Watson for that matter).

Although....inveterate Holmes/Watson shipper though I am....I still don't find myself disgusted by that slightly lame explanation. Even if I considered King's Watson to be less out of character, I can fully understand Holmes wanting to go away. It's not about a holiday, it's about a relentless, terrifying, dangerous, highly stressful lifestyle.

I think it's a symptom of Myers-Briggs types who are T's. No feeling, however strong, influences the decision of someone who's a firm Thinker. I can totally see myself in Holmes' position and making the same choice he did.

Maybe we should strap her to a Clockwork Orange-like contraption and make her watch Edward Hardwicke

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

Personally, I've thought for a long time that Holmes had prepared for his confrontation with Moriarty to be his last case -- not in a "now I shall change my profession" type of way, but in a "I'm ready to die" way. Holmes was most likely (and reasonably) expecting a much more comprehensive final encounter with Moriarty. Frankly, the professor's actions were fairly strange -- meet for a fight to the death with a much younger, fitter man alone on the side of a waterfall with no weapon? I have no theories on why Moriarty of all people would want to commit suicide, but I have plenty on why Holmes would (without even including slash reasons).

So, I completely understand the impulse to run away... if it is framed in that manner. Perhaps I am making Watson's persistent mistake in expecting too much from Holmes, but the way he speaks about his decision simply did not convince me that his life had been pressing on him so hard... and that's really what I had been expecting to read. He says, "When I set off for my meeting with Moriarty, I anticipated that our final confrontation might well cost my life" and I thought he might hint at the idea that he had been not only expecting to follow, but indeed hoping to. But he doesn't. He says that he had "grown weary of the game" and that "the thought of returning to the choking fogs and humdrum crime of London was suddenly intolerable". I submit that for his actions, the thought of returning should have been more than wearying and "suddenly intolerable", but something truly soul-crushing, terrifying even. (Of course, this is one of the many wonderful instances in the Canon where slash makes certain things infinitely more reasonable. If you've read Kdorian's "Lies" you know what I mean).

Even accepting the above arguments, Holmes' behaviour towards Watson was unacceptable. The mature, thoughtful, 63-year-old Holmes of the Russell books would certainly see that, I think... and thus the real reason for my inablility to comprehend this little sequence. Why no remorse? Why no thought for how deeply he must have hurt his friend? The only indication is that slight hesitation during his little speech when he mentions Watson weeping. A younger Holmes, the one who silently watched Watson from that cliffside, might have said as little as that, but this Holmes? Even the 33-year-old Holmes offered Watson "a thousand apologies".

Well, we all know that Holmes is not really a cold man, but a passionate one who often is not able (because of a concerted effort on his part, I believe) to express himself in the ways that many others would find normal (for instance, audibly). But, like Watson wrote in The Empty House, "his sympathy was shown in his manner rather than his words." Ah well. At this point, I'm fairly certain this all stems from King's inability to appreciate Watson, which is really too bad; if she'd let herself then I think her stories would be the richer for it (and we would have a lot more finely written Watson in the world -- always a good thing).