The Game is the first book I’ve read by Laurie King.
What drew me to this book was the crime fighting couple – Sherlock Holmes and his wife and partner Mary Russell. Yes, Sherlock Holmes is married! I guess Sherlock Holmes is a public domain figure now.
Mary Russell is the first person narrator in the book and the story revolves mostly around her adventures.
There is nothing characteristic of Sherlock Holmes in this book other than him being a really smart person who serves Britain. Mary Russell could have been married to anybody and the story would work. Having Holmes’ name connected with the book merely made it unnecessary to describe Russell’s husband. Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes and what he does. Russell is suppose to be Holmes’ considerably younger partner in solving crimes against the Crown and later married him.
The story also involves Kimball O’Hara – the character in Rudyard Kipling’s book Kim. Kim and Holmes are treated as “real” people in The Game. When Russell learned of Kim’s involvement in a spying operation, she said, “He’s real, then? Kipling’s boy?” “As real as I am,” said Sherlock Holmes.
The mystery was enjoyable and intriguing. It could be classified as a historical fiction with its setting in the early 1900’s when India was under England’s rule and Gandhi was mentioned. But I don’t read fiction to learn history. I just want to find out whodunnit. This book didn’t fit into that style. But there were some twists in the plot that made it fun to read.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Here’s a comment from my friend Laurie Wilson:
My first thought was how can anyone change the background to an established English detective character like Sherlock Holmes in the way that Laurie King has done?!
He is not the same if he does not have Dr Watson with him on a case and should be for ever chasing criminals in London via hansom cabs in dark London streets playing his violin….
Sherlock Holmes is an out and out bachelor – I could not imagine him getting romantically involved with anyone. Wikipedia backs me up on this – see “Holmes and Womenâ€.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Hi Katy, yes I will certainly pray for your biopsy and good results. I know of at least two people in our church with the same situation. One of them swears that her regimen of special anti oxidants has helped her. Keep me updated. I came to write my comment but ended up reading your blog for half an hour (an appt no showed me, so I had time).
January 30th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Thanks, Jimmy.
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