What's your favorite Holmes quote?

[Brontodon]

Mine is from "The Sign of the Four":

“My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession,—or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.”

Listen to Jeremy Brett deliver it here, at 5:25 (for some reason Granada put this scene into "A Scandal in Bohemia"):

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

On 3/31/2025 at 4:41 PM, Brontodon said:

for some reason Granada put this scene into "A Scandal in Bohemia"

You have a good memory!  I've read both stories, but never noticed that scene had been "borrowed."  Have you spotted any other "borrowed" scenes in the Grenada series?  (Heaven knows there's a ton of them in the BBC Sherlock series.)

Not sure what my favorite Holmes quotation might be, but there's one that I find quite memorable in that it puzzles me -- namely the bit to the effect that once you eliminate any impossible explanations, then whatever remains ("no matter how improbable") must be the real explanation.  But how does one distinguish between "impossible" and "improbable"?  Surely there's a substantial gray area between.

For example, the four-minute mile used to be considered impossible -- but once somebody actually did it (in 1954), the change in runners' attitudes [ADDED: perhaps with an assist from better shoes] has enabled a considerable number of others to accomplish the "impossible."  According to the New York Times, "More than 2,000 elite-level men have run a mile under four minutes, as have more than two dozen American high school runners."

 

[Brontodon]

I suppose Holmes himself makes the judgement as to what is impossible versus merely improbable in a given situation.  One thing I have noticed about his observations is that they rely heavily on stereotypes -- that a certain person in a certain occupation or situation will look or behave in a certain way.  I guess this brings us back to the psychohistory discussion of a few months ago:

>>while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant.<<

So Holmes might find himself helpless if faced with a nonconformist.  He was successful precisely because so many people he encountered were stereotypical.

[Brontodon]

27 minutes ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Have you spotted any other "borrowed" scenes in the Grenada series?  (Heaven knows there's a ton of them in the BBC Sherlock series.)

I haven't noticed any other such irregularities so far.  I do appreciate that the Granada series tries to adhere to the canon (which is why I find it puzzling that they moved the quote in question from "The Sign of the Four" to "A Scandal in Bohemia.")  "Sherlock," on the other hand, likes to subvert expectations -- for example, the nature of Mary Morstan.

[Carol the Dabbler]

4 hours ago, Brontodon said:

Holmes might find himself helpless if faced with a nonconformist.  He was successful precisely because so many people he encountered were stereotypical.

I've observed before that many of Cumberbatch's Sherlock's deductions seem to consist of "flashes of insight strung together with logic."  Do you think that might also be true of ACD's Holmes?  In which case he has more than one tool in his kit.

 

[Brontodon]

14 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

I've observed before that many of Cumberbatch's Sherlock's deductions seem to consist of "flashes of insight strung together with logic."  Do you think that might also be true of ACD's Holmes?  In which case he has more than one tool in his kit.

 

I don't think he's only a "one-hit wonder" -- I just notice that when he makes his famous string of deductions that astounds his audience, very often he is basing his deductions on stereotypes.  Certainly he draws on his vast knowledge in other areas when investigating and concluding.

This may interest you:

1. The Sign of the Four:

   • "Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth."

   • "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"

2. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet:

   • "It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

3. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans:

   • "We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

4. The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier:

   • "...when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks for those quotes!  I still wonder, though, how he distinguishes between "impossible" and "however improbable."

[Brontodon]

What I like about the fact that the same concept is reiterated in a number of stories is that it reinforces the Holmes character, gives him continuity and personality.  He's not just saying something once, but he returns to it each time the situation comes up, as a real person would.  That, to me, is good character development.

[J.P.]

On 3/31/2025 at 10:41 PM, Brontodon said:

“My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. (...) I crave for mental exaltation.

I can relate to this, even if on a bit different level.

[Brontodon]

I have a new theory on why the scene from "A Study in Scarlet" was placed into the TV episode of "A Scandal in Bohemia."  "Scandal" was the first episode of the TV series, just as "Scarlet" was the first episode in the Sherlock Holmes series.  "Scarlet" was a full novel, and the TV producers elected to adapt one of the short stories first.  The line I quoted as my favorite basically introduces the Holmes character to the audience, initially as to why he takes drugs, but more importantly, what he does for a living and why it's unique.  I think that's why the TV producers put it into the first episode of the series -- to "introduce" Holmes to the audience and explain a little bit about why he is the way he is.

[Carol the Dabbler]

4 hours ago, Brontodon said:

The line I quoted as my favorite basically introduces the Holmes character to the audience, initially as to why he takes drugs, but more importantly, what he does for a living and why it's unique.  I think that's why the TV producers put it into the first episode of the series -- to "introduce" Holmes to the audience and explain a little bit about why he is the way he is

That makes perfect sense!  Besides which, it frees up a bit of room in their "Scandal" episode for a fuller treatment of that story.

 

[Brontodon]

I have discovered a fascinating podcast that addresses many of the issues we're discussing here.  It's called "The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast," and it discusses the Granada TV series in great detail.  It goes through each of the episodes, it has interviews with people involved in the production, and talks about all varieties of Sherlockiana.  If you like Sherlock Holmes (and of course you do!), and particularly if you like the Granada TV series, I think you'll enjoy this podcast.

[Carol the Dabbler]

20 hours ago, Brontodon said:

"The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast," [...] discusses the Granada TV series in great detail.  It goes through each of the episodes, it has interviews with people involved in the production, and talks about all varieties of Sherlockiana.

Thanks, Brontodon!  Here's a link for anyone who's interested: http://sherlockpodcast.com/

Next time we watch Brett's Holmes series, I'll make a point of following along with that podcast.