Revisiting 221B, Baker Street!!

'Omne ignotum pro magnifico' 

(The unknown is always thought to be magnificent)

     This is my favorite phrase from Latin. A very true one. As long as we do not get to know someone from very close quarters, we look at them in awe. But on getting close and discovering their mortality and imperfections, the awe dies down. But, I am witness to an exception - the most extraordinary exception. The character, who introduced the phrase to me more than a decade ago still appears as magnificent as he did on that fateful day or probably even more! What an irony to call him an exception who always rejected them - "I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule." Yes, the magnificent one is none other than Mr.Sherlock Holmes!! 

      Tough to capture the essence of Sherlock in words. Or is he just beyond description? The best I have come across yet is his own! As he states in 'The Sign of Four': "There are in me the makings of a very fine loafer and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow. I often think of those lines of old Goethe - Schade dass die Natur nur Einen Mensch aus Dir schuf, Denn zum wuerdigen Mann war und zum Schelmen der Stoff. (Nature, alas, made only one being out of you, Although there was material for a good man and a rogue.)"

      Given his character, he could have gone on to be the best philosopher or scientist in the world of fictional literature. But, he was Sherlock and he had his own way of doing things - a way no one else could even think of!! "My mind, rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." The world's first and beyond doubt the best consulting detective! “The only unofficial consulting detective. I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection." One whose singular ability to deduce truth has never had any near competition in the universe.

       Holmes, the master of the Science of deduction, is not just a fictional character brought to life by the imaginative genius of Sir Arthur Canon Doyle; but is that charisma and enigma which has shaped the way detective fiction, criminology, forensic science, human psychology, the science of cognition, the philosophy of logic and reasoning have evolved over generations. He is of that rarest breed of characters who elevated criminal investigation to a fine art and a science demanding subtle observation and intelligent research. The impact of the over 150 year old character (his first appearance was in 1857) on the field is so profound that in 2002, the Royal Society of Chemistry bestowed an honorary fellowship of their organisation upon Holmes, for his use of forensic science and analytical chemistry, making him the only fictional character to be thus honoured! His influence on serious academic research is also noteworthy. Google scholar shows up the mention of Holmes in highly regarded research papers in fields as diverse as expert psychology, analytical chemistry and medical jurisprudence among many others.

        He is also one of the finest intelligent entertainers - a hot favorite on stage and on screen as well. The Guinness World Records has consistently listed Sherlock Holmes as the "most portrayed movie character" with more than 75 actors playing the part in well over 200 screen adaptations and the list is still growing strong! (If you never watched 'Jeremy Brett' play Holmes to perfection, curse yourself for not yet catching up the performance of the bygone century! Also Benedict Cumberbatch does make a sound impression in the BBC's fine recreation of 'Sherlock'.)

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock on screen.

         The chemistry between Holmes, the character and Doyle, his creator is one which has no parallels in the realm of literature. Theirs was probably a duel like no other. Maybe Holmes out lived Doyle in all the ways. Doyle did almost kill Holmes in the 'Final problem', may be he was desperate to - "even if I buried my bank account with him," he wrote in his autobiography. He was relieved during the 'Great Hiatus', as is evident from his statement - "I have been much blamed for doing that gentleman to death, but I hold that it was not murder, but justifiable homicide in self-defense, since, if I had not killed him, he would certainly have killed me." But Holmes worked his way out! Doyle had to relent to the mounting pressure from publishers and public alike, Holmes reappeared in the 'Adventure of the empty house' outwitting death too! Despite the enormous success and following Doyle enjoyed, courtesy Holmes, he actually complained in his later years - "If I had never touched Holmes, who has tended to obscure my higher work, my position in literature would at the present moment be a more commanding one."

      We talk of Holmes and we don't talk of Watson, we are not talking of Holmes! Or, as Holmes himself rightly pointed out, “Where would I be without my Boswell?” One of the finest friendships, with its unique intricacies. I don't think it an exaggeration to say, any guy shall feel jealous of Holmes for having a companion as good as Dr.Watson! "Come at once if convenient — if inconvenient come all the same" is how Holmes sends for Watson! Though very cold blooded and never a man for sentiment, Holmes has a very special regard for Watson, which is seldom revealed. Except in an adventure where Watson gets hurt and recalls it as a worthy wound, "it was worth many wounds - to know the depth and loyalty of love which lay behind the cold mask. The clear hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as a great brain."

       Despite Watson's claims that Holmes' "ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge", Holmes does at times appear to be a polymath. He quotes from Goethe, remembers details of little known historical facts, his knowledge in Chemistry is simply amazing and the geography of London is a child's play to him! Maybe he knew too well that to master the important, the biggest prerequisite was to recognize and leave behind the unimportant. 

     Why does his character stand out for more than a century and a half, that too in times of such immense changes? Because there was none like him before and there can none ever be like him, except him. As straight forward as it gets - "I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among their virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one's self is as much a departure from the truth as to exaggerate one's powers." Absolutely logical, unflawed reasoning - "It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Undying yearning to learn - "Education never ends Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last." Much beyond us, but still like us - "It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it." The most vigilant eyes, tailor made for detail - "You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear." Subtle and subtle to the core - "It is, of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles."

      Holmes is one of variety. Each Holmesian has his own reason to adore the Master. Despite the differences, he is never less than an obsession to each one. What work and cocaine were to Holmes, that is Holmes to us. For me, what absolutely stands out in the master sleuth is his philosophy towards life. There is no dearth of philosophical insights in his monologues and punch lines - "Everything in this world is relative, my dear Watson."; "When one tries to rise above Nature one is liable to fall below it."; "Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent." He can go on and on like this for a very long time. Credit, recognition, fame were never among his incentives. To him work and work alone was the source of all pleasure in life. Cocaine served as a feeble substitute in the absence of challenging work. "The work is its own reward." - the line by which he lived and almost died! His clarity in this approach never witnessed a change. It was always - "I prefer to work anonymously, and it is the problem itself which attracts me." Never could the temptation of jumping to conclusions beat him - "It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment." A fair acceptance of he too being a mortal like us despite his far reaching abilities - "Slips are common to all mortals, and the greatest is he who can recognise and repair them." 

       Never the one to get carried away by emotions, Holmes does respect the emotions of others. "I have never loved, Watson, but if I did and if the woman I loved had met such an end, I might act even as our lawless lion-hunter has done. Who knows?" Though in a handful of cases he lets go of the one who commits a crime when the circumstances make the crime justifiable, he is not the one to expressly voice his opinions on their acts. "It was my duty to bring the facts to light, and there I must leave it. As to the morality or decency of your conduct, it is not for me to express an opinion." 
         Holmes does seem arrogant. He is at times a bit over confident, but what difference does exist there when you are dead sure of it?

"I followed you."
"I saw no one."
"That is what you may expect to see when I follow you."

       I too like Watson "had no idea that such individuals exist outside of stories." But I think I may be wrong because I don't see anyone and how I wish I am being followed!!