vivdunstan: Part of my family tree (genealogy)
2025-04-07 10:32 am

Physical descriptions of my Irish great granny, her parents and more

Just blogged about physical descriptions of my Dublin great granny and her close family, including both her parents. Fortunately for me all recorded in Irish prison registers. The family was extremely poor, and in and out of prison a lot for petty crimes.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2025-03-20 01:43 pm

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Musgrave Ritual

Onto another story, and unashamed disclaimer up front: this is one of my all-time favourite Holmes stories. spoilers )
vivdunstan: Part of my family tree (genealogy)
2025-03-07 12:52 pm

Genetics

Reminded how many eye colours I know for my Irish ancestors, thanks to them being in prison a lot for minor offences. I need to draw up a family tree annotated with eye colour! Fun task soon. I should also note their hair colour and height. My Dublin g-granny was 4 foot 11 inches per prison records.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2025-03-03 09:29 pm

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Gloria Scott

Continuing my reread of the Memoirs collection, and another story I can barely recall. spoilers ... )
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2025-02-18 06:07 am

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Stock-Broker's Clerk

Resuming this marathon reread now, with another story in the Memoirs collection. spoilers )
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
2025-02-04 09:57 pm

Current reading, non fiction/history

Finished reading a new book about the letters of Mary Queen of Scots last night, Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots by Jade Scott. Review to follow soon on my academic blog. Meanwhile, and continuing the literary theme, I’ve started reading about a 1930s book forgery case, The Book Forger: The true story of a literary crime that fooled the world by Joseph Hone. Likely to review that book in due course too.



vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock)
2024-12-11 03:49 pm

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Cardboard Box

Onto the next in my reread, and a story that has rather a complicated publication history, which means I could read it in a couple of different places in the reading order. But have opted for it now. Mainly to get it out of the way! It is not one of my favourites.

spoilers ... )
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2024-12-04 01:24 am

Sherlock Holmes reread: Silver Blaze

Starting my reread of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. And going to discuss spoilers so into spoiler space ... )
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2024-11-26 11:54 am

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Copper Beeches

Onto the last in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection. And this is one that I do remember. Even though I have a tendency to muddle it with the "Solitary Cyclist" story ...

Into spoiler space ...  )

So that's the end of the first collection of short stories for me. On to Memoirs next week.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2024-11-18 04:26 pm

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Beryl Coronet

On to another one that I can barely remember, and this discussion is going to be full of spoilers, so let's go into a big spoiler cut ... )
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2024-11-12 09:53 pm

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Noble Bachelor

Now this story surprised me. I can't remember it at all from my multiple past reads. Nevertheless it is a well constructed mystery, with a satisfying resolution.

The "noble bachelor" is another member of the upper echelons of society who comes to Holmes for help, the latest in a long line. Though this one is rather arrogant, and I loved this put down from Holmes:
"A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society."

"No, I am descending."

"I beg pardon."

"My last client of the sort was a king."

"Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?"

"The King of Scandinavia."

"What! Had he lost his wife?"

"You can understand," said Holmes, suavely, "that I extend to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to you in yours."

The mystery of the lost wife is well described, though I found it somewhat hard to visualise in places. My own issue with probable aphantasia.

As in a number of Sherlock Holmes stories there is an American connection, with very much a sense of the exotic in its inclusion.

Ultimately the solution to the case is a simple one, as Holmes sums up himself:
"The case has been an interesting one," remarked Holmes, when our visitors had left us, "because it serves to show very clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result when viewed, for instance, by Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard."

So yes, a good story, though not one of the best Sherlock Holmes stories. And a story that had completely slipped my memory, despite multiple rereads.
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
2024-11-06 08:29 am

Sherlock Holmes reread: The Engineer's Thumb

Continuing the short story reread, and onto one of the most gruesome stories in the canon. Going to discuss this with big spoilers from the start, so here's a spoiler cut. )
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
2024-07-31 12:22 pm

Neil Gaiman and the sexual assault allegations

I haven't posted about this publicly before. Mainly because I don't know what to say, and I'm still trying to process it. And I haven't felt that I can contribute to the discussion. Google it if you need to know more. Be warned the details are potentially highly triggering and distressing.

However at best I think there is a serious question mark over any perception of consent. Assuming consent in the circumstances described - hugely skewed in terms of age, power, and employer/employee relations, is highly questionable, and I think untenable. At worst it's potentially criminal sexual assault.

For now I am looking at his books and comics from a very wary distance. Including my recently personally signed and dedicated book.

I will be very surprised if one of his TV series continues, and am doubtful for the other two.

Just currently really disappointed.
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
2024-02-19 06:59 am

Books finished in 2024

Going to start a running list of these, in case any of the titles interest others. Happy to answer questions. I'm expecting a modest list of books read this year, so this list isn't going to get gargantuan.
  1. Wenceslas: A Christmas Poem by Carol Ann Duffy
  2. The Children of Hurin by JRR Tolkien
  3. The Incomplete Framley Examiner
  4. Once Upon A Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire
  5. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
  6. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel