A Sherlock Holmes Story set during Christmas

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Most Sherlock Holmes stories leave you marveling at the analytical and deductive skills of the master detective. But seldom do Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories engage you emotionally.

Holmes is rarely demonstrative. He values his solitude. He is often impolite and blunt in his assessment, and quite frequently, his friend and colleague, Dr. John Watson, has to bear the brunt of Holmes’s brutal honesty.

A Sidney Paget drawing from the original Strand Magazine publication. Public domain.

But Holmes does possess a kind heart, which the reader can learn through his actions. He is also able to comfort the afflicted.

One of Doyle’s stories that demonstrates Holmes’s empathy is The Blue Carbuncle.

The Blue Carbuncle was first published in The Strand Magazine in January 1892 in the UK. The US edition of The Strand published the story in February 1892. It was also the seventh story of twelve in the short story collection The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published in October 1892.

Set during the Christmas season, the story is about the theft of a rare and priceless gemstone, the “Blue Carbuncle,” from a Countess’s hotel suite. The police arrested John Horner, a plumber who happened to be at the scene of the crime, to repair the room’s fireplace grate. Hormer has a criminal record in the past, but has mended his ways and is now a law-abiding citizen earning an honest living.

An acquaintance presents the case to Holmes, who has a passion for solving conundrums such as these.

This story opens with Holmes giving a masterclass on analysis and deduction just by scrutinizing an old hat. Based on the hat’s condition, Holmes deduces the owner’s financial status, his past, the state of his marriage, and his personality, as well as the recent places visited.

Watson represents the regular individual who notices very little of significance upon looking at the hat and is baffled by Holmes’s conclusions.

Eventually, Holmes provides him with his detailed reasoning behind each inference. The audience is once again reminded that Holmes is not a superhuman but rather one who applies himself intensely and focuses on the details that regular people miss.

In previous stories, the reader had been introduced to Holmes’s older brother Mycroft, who Holmes concedes is his superior in analysis and deduction. But Mycroft is not a superior detective to Sherlock because he lacks Holmes’s drive, determination, focus, and initiative. This is what makes Holmes an inspirational and aspirational figure.

Holmes also possesses a street-smart quality that he applies most effectively in this case.

Holmes needs to extract key information that will lead him to the culprit. When Holmes meets the individual who possesses the information, he deduces that the man is a betting enthusiast. He also realizes that the individual will not provide the information, regardless of the inducement. Hence, Holmes pretends to be engaged in an argument with Watson over a bet; the ‘bet’ is over the information Holmes intends to extract. The betting enthusiast is drawn into the conversation and is determined to resolve the dispute; the key information for the case is readily presented.

As the story progresses, it’s impossible not to sense the compassion of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes cares about saving Horner, the man falsely accused of stealing the Blue Carbuncle. Holmes also displays forgiveness towards the actual culprit because Holmes deems him a pathetic man who was drawn to petty crime out of desperation. Holmes realizes that handing him over to the authorities would make him a career criminal. Holmes cites the season of forgiveness, i.e., Christmas time, for his act of clemency.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, clever, unexpectedly hilarious and poignant, and very Christmassy story.

This almost seems like the Sherlock Holmes story that Charles Dickens would have written.

This is an ideal, easy, and brisk read on Christmas night.

The text of the story can be found here.

This is a link to the audiobook of the story.

This is a link to a BBC Radio Drama adaptation of the story.

The best cinematic or televisual adaptation of the story is in the famous TV Series from 1984, entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

In addition to the mystery and the depiction of the eerie ambience of Victorian England, this adaptation perfectly evokes the celebratory mood during Christmas as well as the spirit of forgiveness, generosity, and kindness.

Consistent with other episodes in the series, the adaptation excels in every department, namely the performances, the cinematography, the production values, the background score, the sound, the costumes, the makeup, the screenplay, the editing, and the direction.

Jeremy Brett, who plays Sherlock Holmes, deserves copious praise:

Brett is the definitive on-screen Holmes. He captured the manic energy and the bloodhound-like focus and determination of Holmes. He also depicted eccentricity and the often fragile mental state of Holmes, who is prone to mood swings and episodes of acute melancholia. In this story, we see the fun side and the compassion of Holmes.

Do watch the adaptation here:

This episode will certainly leave you with a sense of warmth in your heart and a smile on your face.

Merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones.

PS: For my favorite Christmas songs, click here. For my favorite Christmas movies, click here.