Summary, Dissection, and a Bit Extra

When I last posted, I had just begun reading The Hound of the Baskervilles. Since then I have read several more short stories: A Case of Identity, A Scandal in Bohemia, and The Adventure of the Red-headed League to name a few. Rather than spend twenty minutes summarizing all of these, I will focus on my continued reading of the full-length story, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Starting from where I left off, Sir Henry Baskerville has lost a boot. Several boots to be exact. It is unclear what role the missing boots will play in the future, but what is clear is that we can expect great things from the boots. After all, footwear in the past did great things. Terrible! Oh yes, but great. Additionally, Holmes volunteered Watson to accompany Baskerville back home, so that happened. Keep this page bookmarked because in another one to three weeks I may post an update.

Now on to the second part of the post. You know, the completely voluntary and in no way required part. Well as I was saying, this time I will be dissecting the, "emotional journey of a round character in my novel". I should clarify, this previous use of quotations in no way references someone's telling me what to write about, that's just how I, "talk". You wouldn't know because you've never spoken to me; you've only read my thoughts written out. Unless you have spoken to me. But even then can you really be sure? Perhaps you've just never noticed. Perhaps you've just never noticed a lot of things. Perhaps the people you thought you knew, you never knew at all; and the people you didn't know, never really existed. This has been Food For Thought, a new, third segment I am introducing effective immediately. It will continue to be included in these posts until a time I no longer think it necessary, or until I forget.

And now, you're regularly scheduled post:

Doctor John Watson has undergone quite a trek these last few stories. When he first met Holmes, the good doctor was an out-of-work vet, looking for a place to live. Now he is married with his own practice as well as the continued side-business of aiding his friend in solving crimes. But do these physical changes in circumstance equate to equally radical changes in emotion, or do they simply present the facade of change while allowing the person to remain emotionally stagnant? While it always depends on the character, in this instance I believe the first position to be more accurate. Doctor Watson has grown over the course of his time spent with Holmes. He has become more open, more observant, and more caring. And while these changes might have occurred without Holmes' intervention, they most certainly would not have had the same effect. 

Entry Five: The One That Comes After Four

To begin, a summary of recent reading. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the next story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that I have chosen to read, and it's looking good so far. I'm hopeful for this one in particular since it is one of the few that have been adapted in the BBC's modern retelling, Sherlock. Quick editorial: watch Sherlock if you haven't already. seriously, stop reading right now, and go watch it! Alright, now that that's out of the way (for now), I'll get started with the summary. the story opens on Holmes and Watson discussing the owner of a walking stick they had discovered in their flat after arriving home. Holmes presses Watson to make several deductions of his own, but unfortunately for Watson's pride, they turn out to be incorrect. They soon uncover the identity of the stick's owner when the man returns to hire Holmes. Without getting to specific, the man is a doctor and one of his patients (an old man) has died. The patient believed that his family was cursed and the doctor has come to believe it was this very curse that was responsible for the old man's passing. Holmes is intrigued by the supernatural aspect of the case, and agrees to assist. The game--is on!

And now a word from my sponsors: "Contrast one round and one flat character."

Well you heard them readers, and since "they" are the ones that make this blog possible, I suppose I must comply. Here we go. When it comes to a round character, that is to say a character that is well-rounded or developed, look no further than the title character; mister Sherlock Holmes himself. Although Holmes displays qualities of a flat character to an unobservant eye, a keen reader will observe that he uses this flatness to distance himself from others and aid in his deductions. He would be the first to tell you that the moment you develop a personal attachment to something, you become compromised. Apart from this, we also glimpse Holmes' vulnerable side: through his addiction to opiates. Additionally, Holmes has developed a strong friendship with Watson, going against his own practices. Why does he do this? Because he's human. He may not like to remember it, but Sherlock Holmes is very much a human with emotions and feelings. And now, in accordance with the sponsors' wishes, I present to you a flat character: any of the "assisting" detectives. These so-called professionals are basically only good for calling in Sherlock Holmes for help. They have little to no back story and limited dialogue. And certainly no development to speak of, perfectly embodying the term "flat".
Sorry for all the colons, I don't know why I used so many: weird.
Do you see what I did there?