Alright, I haven’t recorded that album yet. But I have read all Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock stories this year. And followed that up by re-watching all of the BBC Sherlock series. So it’s nice to have accidentally ended up being *slightly* involved in the current #TheGameIsNow online game due to a tweet making a pun about the hashtag:

It was very interesting to read all the Sherlock stories in order. I didn’t make any notes at the time but things that struck me were:

• After the first couple of novels, Sir Art concentrated on short stories and they massively benefited from being sharper and snappier
• The novels have a “template” of telling the background story of the murder in part 2. Sort of like a reverse Columbo. Or “Obmuloc”, if you will.
• Sherlock in the original stories, is *exactly the same character* as in the modern series. The sociopath elements, the snarky sense of humour… They’re all there, even though the seem so modern in the updated version. It’s almost as if… Moffat and Gatiss saw that when they were inspired to adapt it!??!?!
• There are lots of little nods and references in the BBC series that I only got when I’d read all the books. I should have noted them really. Huh. Well, there’s probably a YouTube video breakdown somewhere already with snazzy graphics and youthful exclamations that I can’t muster.
• Mary Watson only really exists “off camera” apart from the story where she is introduced. Even [SPOILERS!] her death isn’t made very clear but only hinted at. She’s only ever spoken about, not seen… a bit like… Mrs Columbo… hmm.
• The Sherlock stories are brilliantly written. I’m sure I’m not the first one to notice that! The blend on concise writing, great characterisation, plot and excitement is great.
• I got the sense Sir Conan O’Doyle wasn’t that happy with having the Big S as his most famous creation. I think I saw a quote where he wanted his historical novels to take more prominence and it felt like he kept trying to kill off the world’s greatest detective. But due to popular demand Sherlock outwitted his own creator!?
• The later couple of stories from Sherlock’s point of view are probably not what people wanted but I liked the fact Sir ACD-a-lot mixed it up a bit and it includes the seaweed one which was referenced somewhere in the series and I liked a lot.
• It’s interesting reading the end of The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton in comparison to the TV version. In the series, Sherlock shoots Magnusson, but in the book Milverton is conveniently killed whilst Sherlock and Holmes are hiding behind a curtain… But of course it is only Watson’s telling of the events. Is he a reliable narrator?

Well, anyway, I could go on but I’d better get back to the recording studio. If you have any other book/series comparisons I’d be interested in hearing them. Please comment and let me know. Or just link to that snazzy YouTube video I’ve not found yet.

In the meantime here’s something I found on YouTube whilst looking for a suitable video to link to as part of a joke on Twitter where I parodied people who try to sell stuff off the back of a successful tweet, but instead ended up writing this nonsense and *sort of* falling into the same trap… except my tweet wasn’t even that successful.

The Game I Snow!