![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amado1I finally finished this book yesterday (after a good month of on-off reading) and I wanted to get my thoughts on paper!
First, the overview, then the bad stuff, then the good stuff, then quotes, okay?
Overview: Dr. John Watson of the Sherlock Holmes novels is now a Medical Officer stationed at Flanders Field in the midst of the Great War. His aim is to introduce citrated blood and blood transfusions to the war hospitals, but quickly, he becomes caught up in what appears to be a deliberate poisoning. With Holmes' voice haunting him, Watson is driven to solve the murder using the techniques he and Holmes used a thousand times in the past, as a duo. Only this time, Watson is alone.
Bad stuff:
— It's not explicitly gay 😞 Look, I'm spoiled and I know it. The book started off with what appeared to be a promising lesbian relationship between side characters Mrs. Gregson and Miss Pippery. But over time, it became clear that both Pippery and Gregson had crushes on men. One man. Dr. Watson. Come on!! BOTH of them have a crush on Watson? I get it, Watson is sexy as hell. (Okay, maybe he's not MEANT to be sexy, but he's presented here as smart, kind, compassionate, etc. so it's hard not to like him). Still, when Pippery is in her early 20s and Gregson somewhere around 30, it was a bit off that both of them crush so hard on our 70-year-old doctor. And it's implied that young Nurse Jennings has a thing for Watson too, possibly reciprocated.
— On that note, Holmes and Watson aren't explicitly gay either 😆 I didn't really have high hopes for that one, but still.
— The solution to the poisoning mystery is "ehhhh" at best. It reminded me of the plots I'd come up with as a 12-year-old who was a little too into Agatha Christie and European history. We've got a serial killer in the trenches, which is already a bit goofy, although handled well. And we've got an old folk song that turns out to have real origins. We've got doppelgangers and stolen identity, traumatic gang rape and angry rape babies seeking revenge for their mothers' trauma, and ... at this point I suppose I've basically spoiled it 😆
— Although the period-typical sexism is mostly handled well, there's one line that struck me as silly. Nurse Jennings admits to disliking the fiery feminist Mrs. Gregson, and says something along the lines of, "She just makes the rest of us look so pale and weak." This had me rolling my eyes a little. Of course there are female characters in the book who look down on suffragettes to varying degrees, and that's actually handled fine imo, but this one instance struck me as poorly-written.
The good stuff:
— EVERYTHING ELSE
But seriously, I won't do this as a list, because the book, just in general, is really solid.
The prose: I'm not a historian, but WWI (with a focus on shell shock) was one of my big interests for a LONG time, and I've got a little library of books like "War of Nerves", "Goodbye to All That" ... shit, I can't remember the titles. Recently the interest narrowed into Lawrence of Arabia, so I've got a whole shelf and a half on him that I could probably recite by memory, but... The point is, in my admittedly amateur opinion, this is very well-researched. The research pours onto the page. The descriptions are so stunningly detailed! When I think about the effort put into writing a single paragraph, it boggles my mind.
At the same time, even with all this detail, the prose is crisp, clear-eyed, and engaging. It rolls along at a slow but magnetic pace that really draws you in and gives the characters time to unfold.
On characters:
Our main guy is of course Dr. Watson. At the start of the story, we know only that he and Holmes have had a terrible falling out, and Watson expects never to be friends with him again. By the middle of the novel, we know that it's not that serious. Holmes was just worried when Watson announced his intent to go to the front. Both of them said sharp things to each other, and both now believe the relationship is forever severed ... Holmes is the one to reach out and fix things, which was very sweet and satisfying to read.
We do get plenty of cameos from Holmes! They're excellent cameos imo. There's an undercurrent of sadness, because Holmes' age is far more evident than Watson's, but overall, those scenes are classic Holmes, a bit zany and eccentric, but full of character.
The side characters, by the way, are great! Fully-fleshed, charismatic, and believable. Primarily, we have Mrs. Gregson, a suffragette and motorcyclist -- in the hands of a less-skilled writer, she'd be dreadful. You know how it is, for example, when Hollywood writers try to shoehorn a feminist message into their story, but they don't have the skill to pull it off? So instead you get, like, a super feminine but allegedly muscular badass with long flowing locks who spends the whole movie rolling her eyes at men, making snarky remarks, and of course, falling in love with the below-average male hero?
...Well, I can't say Mrs. Gregson ISN'T like that, because now that I think of it, she does in fact roll her eyes at men, make snarky remarks, and fall in love with Watson 😆😆 It's just, you know, done well. She seems like a real person. She has flaws: she's a bit hasty to judge people, she's very headstrong, she's always looking for a fight. And at the same time she's got insecurities: very carefully hidden trauma from her time in a suffragette's prison, lies about her supposedly-dead husband who actually divorced her and whose name she still carries, anxiety that her time in prison will be revealed to her boss if she doesn't behave. Mrs. Gregson's relationship with the younger Miss Pippery really seals the deal. Pippery is young, traditionally feminine, and highly religious. She's been "corrupted" by Mrs. Gregson, so to speak -- Mrs. Gregson introduced her to the world of female motorcycling and feminism, which Miss Pippery isn't nearly as passionate about. But more importantly, Gregson looks after Pippery and protects her from bullying Sisters in the battlefield hospitals. When Pippery, a devout Catholic, finds out that Mrs. Gregson is divorced instead of a widow, it's a major deal, and the conclusion is very moving.
Also, the soldiers in the Leigh Pals battalion are likable and fun, and it's pretty damn sad when the mysterious poisoner starts targeting them one by one. Another side character I loved was Bert, a young boy who gets reluctantly drawn into Holmes' schemes back home. An interesting point about ALL characters is that Ryan keeps them likable but flawed. Watson is a pro-suffragette, but he's very old-fashioned and often sticks his foot in his mouth; at one point, he white-knights for Nurse Jennings (young and conventionally pretty) but fails to see that Mrs. Gregson is the one who actually needs protection. True to life, imo, Mrs. Gregson is too resilient and self-sufficient to ever tell Watson what she goes through, and Watson learns his lesson about Jennings, but never really understands that it was Gregson who needed his help. Holmes, too, has a reputation as a woman-hater, and was even involved in a case that sent nine suffragettes to jail, where they suffered greatly. But the author takes a nuanced tone here. Mrs. Gregson is understandably not well-disposed toward Holmes, because she too was mistreated in prison as a suffragette. But at the same time, it's another instance of Mrs. Gregson judging people too quickly/harshly; as Watson points out, the suffragettes in question had planned to blow up a packed government building, and Mrs. Gregson's insistence that the building would be empty doesn't hold water. The building is never empty. Holmes' arrogance and occasional cruelty is evident in some scenes; in others, we get to see his vulnerability as an aging, not-quite-so-sharp detective, and his fierce love for Watson, and this softens the bad moments.
(I'm the type who can't stand to read character-bashing. I actually almost abandoned this book when Mrs. Gregson insulted Holmes, because I love Holmes so much. But I forced myself to keep reading and saw, to my relief, that Watson was mad at Mrs. Gregson too 😆 I think Ryan does a good job of showing Holmes & Watson as flawed men without bashing them)
And for a final note on "the good stuff" -- although it's not explicitly gay, there's plenty of Holmes/Watson shipbait, and whether you like them as lovers or friends, the author keeps you thoroughly fed. Now here are some highlights I made!
First, the overview, then the bad stuff, then the good stuff, then quotes, okay?
Overview: Dr. John Watson of the Sherlock Holmes novels is now a Medical Officer stationed at Flanders Field in the midst of the Great War. His aim is to introduce citrated blood and blood transfusions to the war hospitals, but quickly, he becomes caught up in what appears to be a deliberate poisoning. With Holmes' voice haunting him, Watson is driven to solve the murder using the techniques he and Holmes used a thousand times in the past, as a duo. Only this time, Watson is alone.
Bad stuff:
— It's not explicitly gay 😞 Look, I'm spoiled and I know it. The book started off with what appeared to be a promising lesbian relationship between side characters Mrs. Gregson and Miss Pippery. But over time, it became clear that both Pippery and Gregson had crushes on men. One man. Dr. Watson. Come on!! BOTH of them have a crush on Watson? I get it, Watson is sexy as hell. (Okay, maybe he's not MEANT to be sexy, but he's presented here as smart, kind, compassionate, etc. so it's hard not to like him). Still, when Pippery is in her early 20s and Gregson somewhere around 30, it was a bit off that both of them crush so hard on our 70-year-old doctor. And it's implied that young Nurse Jennings has a thing for Watson too, possibly reciprocated.
— On that note, Holmes and Watson aren't explicitly gay either 😆 I didn't really have high hopes for that one, but still.
— The solution to the poisoning mystery is "ehhhh" at best. It reminded me of the plots I'd come up with as a 12-year-old who was a little too into Agatha Christie and European history. We've got a serial killer in the trenches, which is already a bit goofy, although handled well. And we've got an old folk song that turns out to have real origins. We've got doppelgangers and stolen identity, traumatic gang rape and angry rape babies seeking revenge for their mothers' trauma, and ... at this point I suppose I've basically spoiled it 😆
— Although the period-typical sexism is mostly handled well, there's one line that struck me as silly. Nurse Jennings admits to disliking the fiery feminist Mrs. Gregson, and says something along the lines of, "She just makes the rest of us look so pale and weak." This had me rolling my eyes a little. Of course there are female characters in the book who look down on suffragettes to varying degrees, and that's actually handled fine imo, but this one instance struck me as poorly-written.
The good stuff:
— EVERYTHING ELSE
But seriously, I won't do this as a list, because the book, just in general, is really solid.
The prose: I'm not a historian, but WWI (with a focus on shell shock) was one of my big interests for a LONG time, and I've got a little library of books like "War of Nerves", "Goodbye to All That" ... shit, I can't remember the titles. Recently the interest narrowed into Lawrence of Arabia, so I've got a whole shelf and a half on him that I could probably recite by memory, but... The point is, in my admittedly amateur opinion, this is very well-researched. The research pours onto the page. The descriptions are so stunningly detailed! When I think about the effort put into writing a single paragraph, it boggles my mind.
At the same time, even with all this detail, the prose is crisp, clear-eyed, and engaging. It rolls along at a slow but magnetic pace that really draws you in and gives the characters time to unfold.
On characters:
Our main guy is of course Dr. Watson. At the start of the story, we know only that he and Holmes have had a terrible falling out, and Watson expects never to be friends with him again. By the middle of the novel, we know that it's not that serious. Holmes was just worried when Watson announced his intent to go to the front. Both of them said sharp things to each other, and both now believe the relationship is forever severed ... Holmes is the one to reach out and fix things, which was very sweet and satisfying to read.
We do get plenty of cameos from Holmes! They're excellent cameos imo. There's an undercurrent of sadness, because Holmes' age is far more evident than Watson's, but overall, those scenes are classic Holmes, a bit zany and eccentric, but full of character.
The side characters, by the way, are great! Fully-fleshed, charismatic, and believable. Primarily, we have Mrs. Gregson, a suffragette and motorcyclist -- in the hands of a less-skilled writer, she'd be dreadful. You know how it is, for example, when Hollywood writers try to shoehorn a feminist message into their story, but they don't have the skill to pull it off? So instead you get, like, a super feminine but allegedly muscular badass with long flowing locks who spends the whole movie rolling her eyes at men, making snarky remarks, and of course, falling in love with the below-average male hero?
...Well, I can't say Mrs. Gregson ISN'T like that, because now that I think of it, she does in fact roll her eyes at men, make snarky remarks, and fall in love with Watson 😆😆 It's just, you know, done well. She seems like a real person. She has flaws: she's a bit hasty to judge people, she's very headstrong, she's always looking for a fight. And at the same time she's got insecurities: very carefully hidden trauma from her time in a suffragette's prison, lies about her supposedly-dead husband who actually divorced her and whose name she still carries, anxiety that her time in prison will be revealed to her boss if she doesn't behave. Mrs. Gregson's relationship with the younger Miss Pippery really seals the deal. Pippery is young, traditionally feminine, and highly religious. She's been "corrupted" by Mrs. Gregson, so to speak -- Mrs. Gregson introduced her to the world of female motorcycling and feminism, which Miss Pippery isn't nearly as passionate about. But more importantly, Gregson looks after Pippery and protects her from bullying Sisters in the battlefield hospitals. When Pippery, a devout Catholic, finds out that Mrs. Gregson is divorced instead of a widow, it's a major deal, and the conclusion is very moving.
Also, the soldiers in the Leigh Pals battalion are likable and fun, and it's pretty damn sad when the mysterious poisoner starts targeting them one by one. Another side character I loved was Bert, a young boy who gets reluctantly drawn into Holmes' schemes back home. An interesting point about ALL characters is that Ryan keeps them likable but flawed. Watson is a pro-suffragette, but he's very old-fashioned and often sticks his foot in his mouth; at one point, he white-knights for Nurse Jennings (young and conventionally pretty) but fails to see that Mrs. Gregson is the one who actually needs protection. True to life, imo, Mrs. Gregson is too resilient and self-sufficient to ever tell Watson what she goes through, and Watson learns his lesson about Jennings, but never really understands that it was Gregson who needed his help. Holmes, too, has a reputation as a woman-hater, and was even involved in a case that sent nine suffragettes to jail, where they suffered greatly. But the author takes a nuanced tone here. Mrs. Gregson is understandably not well-disposed toward Holmes, because she too was mistreated in prison as a suffragette. But at the same time, it's another instance of Mrs. Gregson judging people too quickly/harshly; as Watson points out, the suffragettes in question had planned to blow up a packed government building, and Mrs. Gregson's insistence that the building would be empty doesn't hold water. The building is never empty. Holmes' arrogance and occasional cruelty is evident in some scenes; in others, we get to see his vulnerability as an aging, not-quite-so-sharp detective, and his fierce love for Watson, and this softens the bad moments.
(I'm the type who can't stand to read character-bashing. I actually almost abandoned this book when Mrs. Gregson insulted Holmes, because I love Holmes so much. But I forced myself to keep reading and saw, to my relief, that Watson was mad at Mrs. Gregson too 😆 I think Ryan does a good job of showing Holmes & Watson as flawed men without bashing them)
And for a final note on "the good stuff" -- although it's not explicitly gay, there's plenty of Holmes/Watson shipbait, and whether you like them as lovers or friends, the author keeps you thoroughly fed. Now here are some highlights I made!
Watson winked, as if they were sharing a guilty secret. The man was right; there was a dangerous thrill to conflict, and marvellous comradeship. Some thrived on it, no matter how gruesome the conditions. There was much Watson had missed when he left the army. That, however, had been a different kind of war. Although he supposed some things never changed - the thrill of being tested in battle and coming through head held high, eating, sleeping and fighting alongside men you would lay down your life for, the bittersweet elation of a victory, no matter how small. It could be a euphoric mixture. He had rarely experienced anything quite like it since, apart from when Holmes had stirred him out of his comfortable existence.
*******
She frowned at such flippancy. 'I quote Matron-in-Charge Challenger: are we here to go dancing or save lives?'
Can't one do both, he wondered, but the fight wasn't in him.
*******
'You have a way with words, Major Watson.'
'Nonsense.'
'Then what did you say to Brindle in the tent? If it isn't too personal.'
'I said I knew what it was like to lose a close friend. A male friend.'
*******
The external rococo plasterwork was pitted and, in many places, had been dislodged altogether. Many of the heavily mullioned windows still had their glass intact and most were hung with either blast or gas curtains on the inside, which made the chances of an interior shot impossible in most cases. (I just highlighted this as an example of the environmental descriptions Ryan does, for me to study and cannibalize)
*******
Watson scanned the following pages, picking out words and phrases and sighing. Holmes had always been admirably succinct in speech; he could analyse and solve a conundrum and present the solution not only quickly but eloquently. But here, he was rambling and imprecise. Did this bee-lovers' rag not have an editor?
Watson took a deep breath. He was tired, emotional and, he had to accept, not a little jealous of the new collaborator. Who on earth was he? He could think of no intimate of that name and Holmes had never mentioned any enthusiasts he admired. Patrick? he said to himself, rolling the name around. Thomas Patrick? Holmes and Watson had always had a good, solid ring about it. But Holmes and Patrick?
(Note: Holmes sends Watson a scientific journal containing an article on beekeeping, which was allegedly written by Holmes and his partner of three years, Thomas Patrick. Holmes' writing is indeed rambling and imprecise, but that's because the entire article is a cipher. In fact, it's his apology to Watson, but Watson won't know that until later, when he suddenly remembers that Tommy Patrick was a villain he and Holmes faced years before)
*******
It was the first time the detective had spoken since they had left the cottage.
'I must say, you look quite dashing, Watson.'
'Thank you. Aquascutum does wonders for a man's figure. And you look well. A little thinner, perhaps.' Gaunt might be closer to the truth, he supposed. Holmes's skin had a chalky quality, as if minerals had leached out of the soil.
*******
He then wrote down a full account of all that had happened to him since his arrival in the CCS. Not, as he once did, for posterity, but because he felt certain he would be called to account for his actions at some stage, and as Ho--
--and as he knew, even the most trivial details might turn out to be important.
Especially the trivial details, came the soothing voice. But he wasn't listening to ghosts. Not today.
*******
As (Bert) was sketching, he glanced over and saw a familiar figure among the crowd. It was the Tweedy Man. Bert had first seem him that day, more than a year ago, when he had been flying his kite. Then, he had been arguing with another, shorter man, a soldier, judging by his cap and the epaulets on his coat. He had often glimpsed the taller one since, striding over the Downs whatever the weather, usually dressed in something eccentric, sometimes the scuffed tweed suit he had on now. The man had aged in the interval since that row with the army officer. He appeared more stooped, his movements stiffer, the once impressive stride shorter.
(I enjoyed seeing the effects of the argument on Holmes, from an outsider's POV)
*******
When he stood, the man had regained his old, erect posture. He looked around, as if for an ally or witness, and his eyes alighted on the boy. Bert quickly went back to his sketching. He was aware, though, that the Tweedy Man was coming across.
He apologized for interrupting in a surprisingly soft, soothing voice. But he required some help.
*******
Ernst loved her for that. It had been good for his soul. If only because it reminded him he had one. But, as the corporal had said, it had just been a little, comforting dream.
(This single quote ... really, it's the entire point of Ernst's chapter. He's a German sniper who has occasional chapters scattered throughout the novel. In this one, he gets two days' leave and sees his girlfriend, Hilde. But Ernst feels out of place. Now, for him, the trenches are real life, and the hotels and bars on leave, Hilde, even his soul, just feel like dreams.)
*******
Watson ducked under the barn lintel as the horse clopped out onto the cobbles, with the doctor wondering when was the last time he'd been foolish enough to get on a strange horse. And, later, how he came to ask all the wrong questions.
(Again, I highlighted this to study and cannibalize. This is the ending line for a long, intriguing scene where Watson interrogates one of the Leigh Pals. As a reader, you're sucked in and you think Watson is on the right track, discovering new clues, or close to a breakthrough. The little line about asking all the wrong question just notches the suspense up even more, and you wonder what other questions Watson could have possibly asked!)
*******
'Miss Pippery's parents will tell you I corrupted her to a world of leather, oil and grease.'
😏😏😏
*******
Watson felt something grab at his throat even a she looked at them.
(I always say "His throat tightened". I thought this was a cool alternative to keep in mind)
*******
'I was testing a new rifle. Austrian. And new ammunition. Breech blow back. Bolt took the eye. The phosphorus powder burned my face. Shrapnel severed a nerve in my face. I learned to shoot with my left eye, but they said my sniping days were over.'
(more cannibalizing)
*******
'My Dear Watson,
I pray this finds you well. I have thought long and hard about what to say in this letter. How to express the anguish I felt, and still feel, at the manner of our parting and the anxiety every time I hear the news from France.'
(This is page 343 of 470, when we finally learn that Holmes' scientific article was actually an apology. It's very satisfying.)
*******
But at times like this, when his opinion was sought, he relished the fact that his mother had allowed him to come and assist. Although her permission was granted only after she had insisted on scrubbing the place to her standards (she clearly didn't think much of 'the girl'), blacking the front doorstep and putting fresh sheets on the narrow bed shoe-horned into the boxroom. Before his first overnight visit she had taken Bert aside and said: 'Even if he is a bit funny, he isn't likely to cause you too much trouble with that back of his, is he?'
(Holmes enlists Bert as an apprentice. Bert's mother is worried that the 'funny' detective has designs for her son. I found the acknowledgment refreshing ... that other people would see Holmes, an elderly bachelor with a 'funny' personality, as a potential threat to children. And of course, since gay men are often equated with pedophiles, I found it interesting from a Gay Reading standpoint as well)
*******
'Holmes always said (your father) was the best of the Scotland Yarders.'
Lieutenant Gregson nodded, then added with a twinkle, 'He also said that wasn't actually saying all that much.'
Watson, who had been the real author of that comment, said, 'Nonsense. We always liked him. How is he?'
*******
She tried to take a deep breath, but more bubbles appeared and there was that hideous whoosh of free air. 'I'll prepare the way,' she said.
'For what?'
'For Mrs. Gregson. I'll tell God she is a good woman. Her work over here. She should be judged on that. Not ... not the other things.'
(I was sneakily reading this book on the desktop kindle app at work. This passage, where a side character dies, was my karmic payback. Suddenly I was blinking back tears at my desk 😆😆)
*******
A new general order had been issued that junior officers going into battle must dress like regular Tommies to stop them being targeted. Sticks, the badge of office, were prohibited during attacks. Watson doubted it would help. Snipers and machine gunners would still aim for the man with the revolver or the chap encouraging his platoon forward. But just thinking about the trenches gave him a hollow feeling, as if he had left some part of himself behind. Perhaps that was why men kept going back. To find the part of them that was missing when they were away from the front.
(This is incredibly moving but I also suspect he cannibalized it from T.E. Lawrence. I just can't remember where Lawrence said it, so I'm left with vague suspicions and no proof!)
*******
She frowned at such flippancy. 'I quote Matron-in-Charge Challenger: are we here to go dancing or save lives?'
Can't one do both, he wondered, but the fight wasn't in him.
*******
'You have a way with words, Major Watson.'
'Nonsense.'
'Then what did you say to Brindle in the tent? If it isn't too personal.'
'I said I knew what it was like to lose a close friend. A male friend.'
*******
The external rococo plasterwork was pitted and, in many places, had been dislodged altogether. Many of the heavily mullioned windows still had their glass intact and most were hung with either blast or gas curtains on the inside, which made the chances of an interior shot impossible in most cases. (I just highlighted this as an example of the environmental descriptions Ryan does, for me to study and cannibalize)
*******
Watson scanned the following pages, picking out words and phrases and sighing. Holmes had always been admirably succinct in speech; he could analyse and solve a conundrum and present the solution not only quickly but eloquently. But here, he was rambling and imprecise. Did this bee-lovers' rag not have an editor?
Watson took a deep breath. He was tired, emotional and, he had to accept, not a little jealous of the new collaborator. Who on earth was he? He could think of no intimate of that name and Holmes had never mentioned any enthusiasts he admired. Patrick? he said to himself, rolling the name around. Thomas Patrick? Holmes and Watson had always had a good, solid ring about it. But Holmes and Patrick?
(Note: Holmes sends Watson a scientific journal containing an article on beekeeping, which was allegedly written by Holmes and his partner of three years, Thomas Patrick. Holmes' writing is indeed rambling and imprecise, but that's because the entire article is a cipher. In fact, it's his apology to Watson, but Watson won't know that until later, when he suddenly remembers that Tommy Patrick was a villain he and Holmes faced years before)
*******
It was the first time the detective had spoken since they had left the cottage.
'I must say, you look quite dashing, Watson.'
'Thank you. Aquascutum does wonders for a man's figure. And you look well. A little thinner, perhaps.' Gaunt might be closer to the truth, he supposed. Holmes's skin had a chalky quality, as if minerals had leached out of the soil.
*******
He then wrote down a full account of all that had happened to him since his arrival in the CCS. Not, as he once did, for posterity, but because he felt certain he would be called to account for his actions at some stage, and as Ho--
--and as he knew, even the most trivial details might turn out to be important.
Especially the trivial details, came the soothing voice. But he wasn't listening to ghosts. Not today.
*******
As (Bert) was sketching, he glanced over and saw a familiar figure among the crowd. It was the Tweedy Man. Bert had first seem him that day, more than a year ago, when he had been flying his kite. Then, he had been arguing with another, shorter man, a soldier, judging by his cap and the epaulets on his coat. He had often glimpsed the taller one since, striding over the Downs whatever the weather, usually dressed in something eccentric, sometimes the scuffed tweed suit he had on now. The man had aged in the interval since that row with the army officer. He appeared more stooped, his movements stiffer, the once impressive stride shorter.
(I enjoyed seeing the effects of the argument on Holmes, from an outsider's POV)
*******
When he stood, the man had regained his old, erect posture. He looked around, as if for an ally or witness, and his eyes alighted on the boy. Bert quickly went back to his sketching. He was aware, though, that the Tweedy Man was coming across.
He apologized for interrupting in a surprisingly soft, soothing voice. But he required some help.
*******
Ernst loved her for that. It had been good for his soul. If only because it reminded him he had one. But, as the corporal had said, it had just been a little, comforting dream.
(This single quote ... really, it's the entire point of Ernst's chapter. He's a German sniper who has occasional chapters scattered throughout the novel. In this one, he gets two days' leave and sees his girlfriend, Hilde. But Ernst feels out of place. Now, for him, the trenches are real life, and the hotels and bars on leave, Hilde, even his soul, just feel like dreams.)
*******
Watson ducked under the barn lintel as the horse clopped out onto the cobbles, with the doctor wondering when was the last time he'd been foolish enough to get on a strange horse. And, later, how he came to ask all the wrong questions.
(Again, I highlighted this to study and cannibalize. This is the ending line for a long, intriguing scene where Watson interrogates one of the Leigh Pals. As a reader, you're sucked in and you think Watson is on the right track, discovering new clues, or close to a breakthrough. The little line about asking all the wrong question just notches the suspense up even more, and you wonder what other questions Watson could have possibly asked!)
*******
'Miss Pippery's parents will tell you I corrupted her to a world of leather, oil and grease.'
😏😏😏
*******
Watson felt something grab at his throat even a she looked at them.
(I always say "His throat tightened". I thought this was a cool alternative to keep in mind)
*******
'I was testing a new rifle. Austrian. And new ammunition. Breech blow back. Bolt took the eye. The phosphorus powder burned my face. Shrapnel severed a nerve in my face. I learned to shoot with my left eye, but they said my sniping days were over.'
(more cannibalizing)
*******
'My Dear Watson,
I pray this finds you well. I have thought long and hard about what to say in this letter. How to express the anguish I felt, and still feel, at the manner of our parting and the anxiety every time I hear the news from France.'
(This is page 343 of 470, when we finally learn that Holmes' scientific article was actually an apology. It's very satisfying.)
*******
But at times like this, when his opinion was sought, he relished the fact that his mother had allowed him to come and assist. Although her permission was granted only after she had insisted on scrubbing the place to her standards (she clearly didn't think much of 'the girl'), blacking the front doorstep and putting fresh sheets on the narrow bed shoe-horned into the boxroom. Before his first overnight visit she had taken Bert aside and said: 'Even if he is a bit funny, he isn't likely to cause you too much trouble with that back of his, is he?'
(Holmes enlists Bert as an apprentice. Bert's mother is worried that the 'funny' detective has designs for her son. I found the acknowledgment refreshing ... that other people would see Holmes, an elderly bachelor with a 'funny' personality, as a potential threat to children. And of course, since gay men are often equated with pedophiles, I found it interesting from a Gay Reading standpoint as well)
*******
'Holmes always said (your father) was the best of the Scotland Yarders.'
Lieutenant Gregson nodded, then added with a twinkle, 'He also said that wasn't actually saying all that much.'
Watson, who had been the real author of that comment, said, 'Nonsense. We always liked him. How is he?'
*******
She tried to take a deep breath, but more bubbles appeared and there was that hideous whoosh of free air. 'I'll prepare the way,' she said.
'For what?'
'For Mrs. Gregson. I'll tell God she is a good woman. Her work over here. She should be judged on that. Not ... not the other things.'
(I was sneakily reading this book on the desktop kindle app at work. This passage, where a side character dies, was my karmic payback. Suddenly I was blinking back tears at my desk 😆😆)
*******
A new general order had been issued that junior officers going into battle must dress like regular Tommies to stop them being targeted. Sticks, the badge of office, were prohibited during attacks. Watson doubted it would help. Snipers and machine gunners would still aim for the man with the revolver or the chap encouraging his platoon forward. But just thinking about the trenches gave him a hollow feeling, as if he had left some part of himself behind. Perhaps that was why men kept going back. To find the part of them that was missing when they were away from the front.
(This is incredibly moving but I also suspect he cannibalized it from T.E. Lawrence. I just can't remember where Lawrence said it, so I'm left with vague suspicions and no proof!)
