The fascination for reviving Sherlock Holmes knows no bounds. Over the years, there has been a flurry of adaptations – some good, some bad and some really forgettable – through books, movies, plays and TV shows. The best known of them is Guy Ritchie’s film revival about two years ago when Robert Downey Jr played the detective with moderate success. The second film of this franchise is expected to hit the screens early next year. Stepping into Arthur Conan Doyle’s shoes and producing a work of quality has proved to be an extremely difficult task. Expectedly, literary adaptations mostly don’t go down well with Holmes’ fans; inevitably, they feel that justice is never done to the world’s best-known and -loved detective.
So it is no small achievement that Anthony Horowitz’s book, The House of Silk, might just be able to please even the purists. Horowitz weaves an intriguing tale with the full cast of characters — Lestrade, Mrs Hudson and the Baker Street Irregulars, among others. And to his credit, he’s managed to pull it off.
Commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate Limited, the plot-line packs a punch, something many recent books on Holmes have been lacking. The preface tells us that Holmes has died recently and Watson wants to tell a story for the future generations. Watson, however, makes it clear that the manuscript is to be locked in a safe and only to be published after 100 years. Horowitz hypes up the book in the first few pages only as he states that the story is “simply too monstrous, too shocking, to appear in print” and that “it would tear apart the entire fabric of society”. Does it end up doing so?
In today’s context, certainly not. But then, if the events had unfolded perhaps 100 years ago, it just might have created a stir. The House of Silk is a riveting tale of two mysteries, and Horowitz’s writing style makes it an extremely gripping read. It is a dark book, perhaps darker than any other of Holmes tales, and the characters are recreated with style, flair and, above all, in the best tradition of a Holmes story, captivatingly.
One of the most important aspects of any Holmes’ adaptation has to be the characterisation of Holmes and Watson. It’s easy to overdo the quirks to the point of caricature. But Horowitz gets it spot on, especially with Watson. The book also offers an insight into probably the greatest literary friendship — another integral part of a Holmes story.
The image of Holmes that Conan Doyle created is of a man who is a little machine-like in his outlook. In House of Silk, Horowitz has made him more human — more sensitive towards Watson, and sometimes more overtly self-critical. Of course, the way Horowitz has woven the plot ensures that “real” Holmes – cool, brilliant and analytical – is very much in evidence too. Some might argue that Horowitz has portrayed Holmes as more sentimental than any of Doyle’s works, but it is fair to say even the emotional bits aren’t over the top.
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To set out the plot in this review is to give away the story. Let’s just say there’s a certain resemblance to The Hounds of Baskerville and, at some points, Watson is left alone to investigate the case. It would be unfair to give much of the plot away, though hardcore fans of Conan Doyle don’t read Holmes’ mysteries for their plots. They look for the characters and a setting that bring Holmes to life, and Horowitz does that quite brilliantly.
Even if you aren’t a Sherlock Holmes fan and just know that he is a detective who solves mysteries with his sidekick Watson, you will thoroughly enjoy the book. If you are a Holmes purist, you might be able to do some nit-picking, but even then you will admit that Horowitz has done a commendable job. If the Sherlock Holmes legacy is to be carried forward in print, then the Conan Doyle Estate might have just unearthed the right man to do it. Once again, the game’s afoot.
THE HOUSE OF SILK
Anthony Horowitz
Hachette
294 pages; Rs 499