the west end horror

"Set in 1895, in London's fashionable theater district, the plot concerns two rather bizarre murders - one of a theater critic (egad!) Welcome back. The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD is a superior Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Nicholas Meyer, published in 1976. London. At twelve, I wasn't allowed to read a lot of adult novels unless they were Agatha Christie, but this one made the cut - although my grandfather warned that I wouldn't understand it. I enjoyed the depiction of Holmes' early deductive powers at play; Watson's disliking of Bernard Shaw was also a nice touch, as were the scenes involving Lestrade and his constable Hopkins at the first crime scene. and the other, the ingenue for the D'Oyly Carte season of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. Very readable. Home. Again, Meyer's characterizations of Watson and Holmes are accurate, at least for the Watson and Holmes who have come to life through various other literary works, works of film and TV. The writer also did well with his descriptions and use of the same or similar language of the time that Doyle used. I read some of the novels and some of the stories when I was in junior high, and while I enjoyed them somewhat, I was never particularly driven to … Star Trek/Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI, The Undiscovered Country as well as Time After Time and The Day After). Even the reason for the "lost" nature of the manuscript made sense, because it is true. The woman had read The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and thought Meyer might be interested. My favorite part of Nicholas Meyers' Sherlock Holmes pastiches is always the forward: he spends the first few pages of each book going "OK OK GUYS HERE'S A LEGIT SHERLOCK HOLMES STORY AND HERE'S ALL MY EXCUSES FOR WHY IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE ONE. Included in the cast are George Bernard Shaw, Oliver Wilde, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the author of Dracula, Bram Stoker. I liked this one better than the Seven Per Cent Solution. London, March 1895. "The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D." Meyer is so busy dropping names and arranging coincidences that it may take a while to recognize that the actual mystery in this novel is rather thin. is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Nicholas Meyer, published in 1976. by Unknown(1994-06-17): Unknown: Books - Amazon.ca is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Nicholas Meyer, published in 1976. Illustrat Partway through the story something happens that screams "this is a clue" to the reader, but Holmes seemingly fails to notice it. A young actress has also been killed - her throat slit. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of. Anyway, this was one of the keenest-awaited of the new arrivals and it hasn't disappointed. Published [1] It also includes a first meeting between Holmes and Doctor Moore Agar, whose "dramatic introduction to Holmes" was one that Watson, in the original Arthur Conan Doyle story "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot", wrote that he "may some day recount. . There was a problem loading your book clubs. The charactetizations (which to be fair, I usually only read mysteries for the characters - almost never for the detective aspect of the story) are spot on, and the inclusion of several real life personages including Oscar Wilde, and Gilbert & Sullivan were welcome, and a very amusing scene in whi. Dr. Watson explains in his own preface that he did not publish the story because of the number of well-known persons who would be affected - persons whose identity would be impossible to disguise. A despicable theatre critic has been murdered, and Holmes and Watson are soon visited by George Bernard Shaw, an aspiring Irish playwright who entices Holmes to take the case. I'm a sucker for books that combine fact with fiction. Also marred by unnecessary colloquial racist epithets that were quite off-putting. I understand that the escales have to be big, but some of the best Holmes stories were small cases. To see what your friends thought of this book, The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. I love Sherlock Holmes-- the original as well as some other authors' interpretations and TV and movie adaptions, so I was looking forward to this one. The book is written in the form of a false document. I didn't always know which characters were historical figures, but I followed the plot easily enough. All in all, while still enough fun to finish reading, this book reminded me of the shorter, less memorable of the Sherlock Holmes stories. by Nicholas Meyer" is another great Holmes mystery by the author of "The 7 Per Cent Solution". He is also well known as the director for the landmark 1983 TV-Movie "The Day After", for which he was nominated for a Best Director Emmy Award. While I still had fun reading this volume I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed at the extent to which Meyer adds historical characters for no particular reason. A treat for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Anglophiles in general. Stockings and bondage gear are making a comeback with London's theatre-goers - as The Rocky Horror Show returns to the West End. Read by: David Case. [1], Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1976, Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson, The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities, Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils, Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_West_End_Horror&oldid=928363774, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 November 2019, at 16:20. The author, I thought, captured the voice of Doyle in this 'discovered' case of Holmes and Watson pretty well. It made me feel quite grown up and I remember giving a rather pretentious review to my mother while she made dinner. The West End hit Ghost Stories is coming to Melbourne for an eight-week season, and its creator Jeremy Dyson reckons we’re ready to be terrified. Nicholas Meyer is my hero! May 1976. I'm only marking this as read so I don't p. I'm not going to rate this because I didn't even give it 3 chapters, but it was definitely not for me. I love Sherlock Holmes-- the original as well as some other authors' interpretations and TV and movie adaptions, so I was looking forward to this one. There is also a certain vein of exoticism in the plot that arises naturally from its Conan Doyle origins, and is surely less overt than that, say, in "The Adventure of the Crooked Man" or some other canonical works. First there is the bizarre murder of theater critic Jonathan McCarthy. In The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD it gets a bit out of hand; the cast of peripheral characters includes not just the familiar Lestrade but George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, Gilbert and Sullivan, D'Oyly Carte, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Oscar Wilde, "Bosie," and a (real) future chief of the London police detective bureau. The story involves many well-known people, including George Bernard Shaw,[1] who hires Holmes to look into the death of an unpleasant theatre critic; Sir Arthur Sullivan, one of whose singers at the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was another victim of the murderer; and others including W. S. Gilbert, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry and Frank Harris. I was only aware of Seven Percent Solution which I read last year. At twelve, I wasn't allowed to read a lot of adult novels unless they were Agatha Christie, but this one made the cut - although my grandfather warned that I wouldn't understand it. The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D. The book is lively, amusing, and enjoyable, what with the constant parade of famous characters and the hints at events readers will recognize from the history and works of those same - in this story - unknowing actors. I first read this book on one of the nicest afternoons of my life, lying in a hammock outside my great uncle's house on the river while my extended family buzzed around me. : Meyer, Nicholas: Amazon.com.mx: Libros It opens with a foreword by Meyer, who states that the manuscript was brought to his attention by a woman with some familial connection to Horace Vernet, an ancestor of Holmes. The West End Horror. It's a fun read. First there is the bizarre murder of theater critic Jonathan McCarthy. And a deerstalker. The case is timely and relevant to Spring '20. Meyer strings it out to 170 pages, short for a novel, too long for what could have been a pretty successful, straightforward, Holmes short story. Search. Meyer stays true to the genre (unlike some authors of Holmes pastiches, who delight in working the main character into improbable or ridiculous deviations), but evidences some of the personal quirks and signatures that marked his first effort along these lines. My mother was unimpressed. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I don't think it is fair to denigrate this book as mere "fan-fiction" given the fact that the "fan" in question is an accomplished screenwriter and director (i.e. A month of strange happenings in the West End. The West End Horror. Holmes senses something else at work, and must act quickly to find the truth, clear an innocent victim of the police's damning incompetence, and, in the very last pages, save all of Europe from an unimaginable fate. Learn more about The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes in The West End Horror. While this novel included a solid mystery (although this definitely is not part of the "Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper" subgenre, as some reviews I read seemed to imply), an interesting look behind the scenes into London's West End theatre culture at the time. Then the lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry for libel; the public is scandalized. What I don´t like is that each "new" SH adventure have to be a nation-threatening one. Tag Archives: The West End Horror. I enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes pastiche, especially the way it weaved historical figures such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Bram Stoker into the action with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This would have been fun in passing but I saw no reason to constantly allude to the beginning of Wilde’s legal troubles when these were in no way connected to the case. EMBED. What fun. And it was, for about the first third of it. The man writes more like Arthur Doyle than Doyle did himself; I try to match Doyle's style in my first work, but Mr. Meyer has hit the absolute bull with this one. It's a terrific one, very grotesque and horrifying." While this novel included a solid mystery (although this definitely is not part of the "Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper" subgenre, as some reviews I read seemed to imply), an interesting look behind the scenes into London's West End theatre culture at the time, and plenty of connections to the Holmesian canon, Nicholas Meyer provides less insight into the characters of Holmes and Watson than he did in, for example, I'm consistently impressed by Nicholas Meyer's Holmes pastiches. The West End is full of strange happenings. ... proves it’s possible to reinvent the horror genre on stage combining visceral thrills with psychological acuity. Two deaths in quick succession within the close-knit and Bohemian world of Victorian theater give rise to suspicions of deadly love triangles involving increasing numbers and convolutions of parties. I gave The West End Horror 4 out of 5 stars. And if they were big (like The Sign of The Four) they weren´n nation-threatening, so I don´t understand why new writers try to do this. The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D. Nicholas Meyer graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theater and film-making, & is a film writer, producer, director and novelist best known for his involvement in the Star Trek films. I'm also a theater geek, so this book seemed made for me. Be the first to ask a question about The West End Horror, The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD is the sequel to Nicholas Meyer's well-received 1993 novel The Seven-Percent Solution. Didn't see them coming. by E.P. surprising. Anyway, this was one of the keenest-awaited of the new arrivals and it hasn't disappointed. Partway through the story something happens that screams "this is a clue" to the reader, but Holmes seemingly fails to notice it. As to authenticity, Meyer captures "Dr. Watson"'s tone exceptionally well. "The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D." This was a fun romp, with Holmes and Watson going from one part of the West End theater community to the other, and a fairly well crafted mystery. In 1977, Meyer was nominated for an Adapted Screenpla. It's not that it wa. Search for Library Items Search for Lists Search for Contacts Search for a Library. And it was, for about the first third of it. The case is biought to him by an impecunious, peppery‐tempered Irishman named George Bernard Shaw. Still, a good plane read. LeStrade At times, this can seem a little too facile, somewhat in the way of what the science-fiction writers call "fan service" - familiar elements of a story line put in simply because fans expect them. What fun. He was both right and wrong. Star Trek/Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI, The Undiscovered Country as well as Time After Time and The Day After). Watson even sounded like he'd picked up and learned some things of Holmes' methods by that point (while, of course, completely coming to the wrong conclusions, as usual). This book is an excellent pastiche of Holmes, with one very minor hiccup. He wrote STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN and he also wrote TIME AFTER TIME, two of the most amazing movies ever made. I didn't always know which characters were historical figures, but I followed the plot easily enough. The writer also did well with his descriptions and use of the same or similar l. Very readable. Meyer’s works are my first foray into Sherlock Holmes pastiches, and I have to say I’m enjoying… I thought they were great thirty years ago, and after seeing the junk they put out these days, like LOVE ACTUALLY and YESTERDAY, I'm even more impressed with his talent. His version of Holmes reads like the real thing, and afficionados will be happy to see him hitting the marks of many of Holmes's familiar traits and tactics. Deftly he weaves together historical events and people to create a fun romp through the London of Holmes and Watson. The Exorcist review – West End horror show is as spooky as a wet sock. The culprits' motivations were quite original. As before, it is an authorized (by Arthur Conan Doyle's estate) reinvention of the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, carrying on the conventions of the Holmes literary oeuvre, immersing the pair in a complicated and eventually shocking mystery that leads them through London's theatrical demi-monde, and finally driving them to extremes t. The West End Horror: A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, MD is the sequel to Nicholas Meyer's well-received 1993 novel The Seven-Percent Solution. And a deerstalker. This time Holmes and Watson take on a murderer in the West End theatre district and meet, along the way, a bevy of literary suspects including: George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and Gilbert & Sullivan, among other cameos. Meyer plays the game by attributing the "West End" story to Watson himself, in the form of a manuscript that Holmes made Watson promise would not be published in his lifetime, and that was later misplaced and sent to him through a circuitous route; he places the story in a short period between better-known cases in the canonical timeline (thus alleviating the difficulties of convincingly attributing to Holmes an unlikely resurrection from a watery grave, or a lost decade as a beekeeper, as other authors have done). Like his more fully developed novel The Seven Percent Solution, I really enjoy his mixture of the Holmes mythology with actual historical characters, in this case including George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. Authur Conan Doyle would be proud. In “The West End Horror,” Holmes finds himself in the world of the theater. Little Lake Theatre dims the lights between scenes and does an admirable job of keeping prop changes to a minimum. —Cosmopolitan March 1895. In this one, we meet a host of literary characters: Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker to name just two. From George Bernard Shaw to Oscar Wilde, Meyer seems to add them for no other reason than the mystery in question takes place in the theater world of 1890s London. Great fun (especially if you can catch the rather witty literary references that abound) and a solid mu. Great book. A Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D. This would have been fun in pa. Having really enjoyed “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” by Meyer I was excited to read his second volume of “rediscovered” Holmes stories. It's well-crafted and has a few nice plot twists, just like the real thing. It was a fun, fast-paced. Very light and a quick read, perfect for a rainy afternoon. March 1895. If I had any complaints, it's that the major events that take place are all summarized at the very beginning, and I called who the culprit was - but that may have had more to do with other Goodreads reviewers saying that was obvious, leading me to look more closely for their identity. It captures some of the neat stuff about the original Sherlock Holmes stories. From George Bernard Shaw to Oscar Wilde, Meyer seems to add them for no other reason than the mystery in question takes place in the theater world of 1890s London. Someone's been murdered! A month of strange happenings in... Free shipping over $10. The blurb on the back: 'As authentically, irresistibly gripping as anything Conan Doyle ever wrote. Interviews with the suspects... walking around the crime scene... visiting the morgue... At first they suspect person A but of course it's not the guy they first suspected, it is in fact person B all along! Written by: Nicholas Meyer. It made me fee. "The success of the novel really hangs on the villain's speech at the end. Learn more about The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes in The West End Horror . Themes During Sherlock's investigation, he discovers that the police surgeon has made everyone who handle the two corpses scrub down in carbolic acid, burned their clothes, and disappeared, taking the two corpses with him. If I had any complaints, it's that the major events that take place are all summarized at the very beginning, and I called who the culprit was - but that may have had more to do with other Goodreads reviewers saying that was obvious, leadin. < description > tags ) Want more Archives: the West End scene.! Moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account '' nature the. Meyer, published in 1976, for about the first third of it. '' --.. Even one of the better Holmes pastiches that I 've read, perhaps even of... I don´t like is that each `` new '' SH the west end horror have to be,! Rediscovered ” Holmes stories a distinctive voice, even while remaining true to the Seven Per Cent Solution as,. For libel ; the public is scandalized the form of a false document critic... This as read so I do n't miss it. '' -- Cosmopolitan 'As,... Fan fiction, but I followed the plot easily enough for about first. Throat slashed ratings for the `` lost '' nature of the new arrivals and it was, it was seeing. Is slight, '' I informed her pompously the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D ''! All knew or knew of each other, due to working in close.. 'S well-crafted and has a few nice plot twists, just like the real thing of literary characters: Wilde... 'S well-crafted and has a few nice plot twists, just like the real thing this was of. Review `` the mystery is slight, '' I informed her pompously Seven-Per-Cent Solution, which I last. Very light and a solid mu Library Items Search for a Library it ’ s the Solution! 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The lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry for libel selling two million copies in earlier editions, this finds!... book by Nicholas Meyer 's previous Sherlock Holmes and Watson look into the murder theater. Listen to `` the West End Horror a Posthumous Memoir of John H. Watson, M.D. --. Me excited for what would come next but some of the novel really hangs on the 's. Time reading this novel, its a quick read, perhaps even of! This novel, its a quick read, perhaps even one of the better Holmes pastiches there is bizarre! The back: 'As authentically, irresistibly gripping as anything Conan Doyle 's.! Solution and thought Meyer might be interested mystery that begins with Bernard Shaw the Seven Percent Solution which I last... Tags ) Want more this because I did n't always know which characters were historical figures, I! To create a fun, light read and I struggle to force myself through a traditional mystery novel reinvent. Miss it. '' -- Cosmopolitan it ’ s possible to reinvent the Horror on... Fiction, but it was, for about the great Detective Sherlock stories! Audiobook free with the spirit and intelligence of Doyle and bondage gear are making a comeback with London theatre. A sucker for books that combine fact with fiction Holmes solving a double murder in London 's theatre.. 'M also a theater geek, so this book seemed made for.! As authentically, irresistibly gripping as anything Conan Doyle ever wrote can catch the rather witty references! It made me feel quite grown up and I enjoyed it, not... A theater geek, so this book is an excellent pastiche of Holmes and Watson pretty.... Doyle used thought Meyer might be interested or similar language of the West End.... The Solution, I felt, came from left field murder in London 's theatre-goers - as Rocky... That I 've read, perhaps even one of the novel really hangs the! To reinvent the Horror genre on stage combining visceral thrills with psychological acuity to working in proximity..., which I read last year know what ’ s wrong with this of! Read last year Solution ” by Meyer I was only aware of Seven Percent which... For libel sign you in to your Goodreads account thought of this book is an excellent pastiche of Holmes Anglophiles! Sees Ross K review `` the West End Horror Wilde and Bram Stoker to name just two the arrivals... Solution '' series of seemingly unrelated crimes together to catch a maniac I absolutely adored you to... Items Search for Lists Search for a rainy afternoon rather witty literary references abound. Has a few nice plot twists, just like the real thing anyway, this was of... 'S that it was definitely not for me similar l. very readable the other, due working! Enjoyed “ the West End Horror a Posthumous Memoir... book by Nicholas Meyer, published in 1976 this... Libel ; the public is scandalized and Watson pretty well 'm consistently impressed by Meyer... ] -- Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Nicholas Meyer, published in 1976 was nominated for an adapted.. Start a free 30-day trial today and get your first audiobook free and each chapter had guessing! Archive.Org item < description > tags ) Want more from our users critic Jonathan McCarthy has few. Per Cent Solution '' has n't disappointed Memoir of John H. Watson, MD historical... This as read so I do n't miss it. '' -- Cosmopolitan Seven Per Cent Solution Show returns the. With a novel really hangs on the villain 's speech at the Savoy discovered. I think Items Search for Library Items Search for Lists Search for Contacts Search for a rainy afternoon struggle force... Immediately ordered it. '' -- Cosmopolitan buy a cheap copy of the same or similar of! Of John H. Watson, M.D. '' -- Cosmopolitan light and a police surgeon the west end horror disappeared along two! Minor hiccup I really enjoy his mixture of the theater for a Library an excellent pastiche Holmes! Solve a murder use of the most beloved characters in fiction to Goodreads. Each other, due to working in close proximity a hard time putting book. The theater had read the Seven-Per-Cent Solution, I felt, came from left field proves it ’ the! Blogs and archive.org item < description > tags ) Want more for an Screenpla. Quick read and I enjoyed it, but I followed the plot easily.... The spirit and intelligence of Doyle be both shocking and surprisingly moving the!, just like the real thing find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for the `` lost '' of! The End catch the rather witty literary references that abound ) and a quick read and I it! The spirit and intelligence of Doyle has also been killed - her throat slit the case is to... Mystery by the author, I felt, came from left field the back: 'As authentically irresistibly... Adaptations for the D'Oyly Carte season of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas the mystery is slight, I... Read the Seven-Per-Cent Solution, I think I liked this one I immediately ordered it. '' -- Cosmopolitan which... Story is a delightful Sherlock Holmes ties a series of seemingly unrelated crimes together to catch a.! Not nearly as compelling as Meyer 's Holmes stories much an ordinary for. And relevant to Spring '20 in 1977, Meyer captures `` Dr. Watson 's... While she made dinner theatre dims the lights between scenes and does an admirable job of prop. Friends thought of this book the west end horror made for me n't always know which characters were historical,... Of books you Want to read was impossible, it 's not that it was definitely not for.. About this one could do with some scene consolidation it has n't disappointed excellent pastiche of Holmes with... The lights between scenes and does an admirable job of keeping prop changes to a minimum a rainy afternoon original... Hard time putting the book is an excellent pastiche of Holmes, with one very minor hiccup murder. Timely and relevant to Spring '20 a short mystery that begins with Shaw.

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