JM Barrie and His Three Sherlock Holmes Pastiches | Reviewed and Ranked!
MY EVENING WITH SHERLOCK HOLMES (1891)
Interestingly, this was written only four months after the publication of Arthur Conan Doyle's Scandal in Bohemia, making it a quite early jab, indeed. This parody-pastiche at Barrie's hand warranted a mention in a letter ACD wrote to his mother. Apparently, the line runs in such a way as to not offer feelings on the matter but to inform her that it was Barrie who had (anonymously) done it.
"I perceive, Mr. Anon, from the condition of your cigar-cutter, that you are not fond of music," I replied blandly, "Yes, that is obvious." And so, Anon and Holmes trade barbs in the form of deductions in much the same manner as did Holmes and Mycroft in The Greek Interpreter. Although here, there is no billiard-marker or the other, and the role of Watson is played by Doyle, much more flabbergastedly-so. (& "well-simulated.")
Except for in this exchange, it's one-sided and Anon fairly pummels Holmes at his own game. I've said before, just once and not publicly, I prefer canon and am quite picky with pastiche--of which I find the best to be buried in parody. I can't help but wonder if ACD had this bit in mind when he had Holmes and Mycroft stand shoulder to shoulder and duel two years later.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO COLLABORATORS (1893)
This one was written as a gift for Doyle, on the event of their co-writing a comic opera in the same year, "Jane Anne; or, The Good Conduct Prize." The two Scots were great pals from the well-back and each, of course, superb writers. This should guarantee success but alas it did not. Audiences were disappointed and bored. A line in this parody runs: "They are two collaborators in comic opera, and their play has not been a triumph."
There's much springing to the ceiling "(which is much dented)" and maybe they're simply less egregiously "mere authors." Holmes, in the end, shrinks away into a smoke ring and is gone off from Watson and their two visitors. I'm sure their interaction means something deeper than finding blame for their flop. But like that flop, this one is a miss. Plus, having Watson 'ejaculate' time and time again would have been much, much funnier; hindsight being 20/20.
THE LATE SHERLOCK HOLMES (1893)
This one was published a single month after The Final Problem in which Holmes meets his end. Or, as we now know it, at the onset of the Great Hiatus. The most interesting thing about this one is that it teases at the Watson as a serial murderer idea I've seen floating about recently. I admittedly am newly privy to said floating but it does have the stench of age on it with a lingering hint of ebbing & flowing.
Anyway, this bit of pastiche was published in The St. James Gazzette, a London newspaper, and made to fit that theme. SPOILER ALERT ON A 129-YEAR-OLD STORY: Watson is arrested for the murder of Holmes but then Holmes shows up quite alive at Baker Street. Could this have been a spoiler as to Holmes' return? Maybe Barrie had his (educated?) suspicions Doyle wasn't really done with his creation? Who knows.
In any event, this one falls in-between the first two in terms of my bogus rankings. If you're still wondering who JM Barrie is, he's the fellow who wrote Peter Pan. He and ACD were, as noted above, great friends from the beginning of Doyle's writing career until his passing. They didn't talk much about Doyle's Spiritualism at the request of Barrie, but there was some wise-cracking in regards to Barrie's diminutive stature. Truly besties.
Online resources for this article include: The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia, Wikipedia (Jane Annie) particularly The Referee May 14, 1893.
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