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bloodyrosemccoyThe Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is awesome.
Okay, it’s no secret that I love the hell out of Sherlock Holmes. And while I am not dogmatic about what is canon and what is not, my love for the original stories means I will watch your attempts at reinterpreting Holmes with a fearsome look of cool appraisal in my eyes. Usually I will deem it unworthy and simply delete it from my mind.
But sometimes I’ll find something I like, and this time around that is Enola Holmes.
Nancy Springer’s portrayal of the younger sister (by at least two decades) of Sherlock and Mycroft is everything you’d ask of a Holmes. Enola’s intelligent, independent, multi-talented, and resourceful. And best of all, she does this all within the labyrinthine confines of Victorian England etiquette—a twist that earned Springer my undying respect.
This isn’t your average story of a 21st-Century tomboy displaced; this is historically accurate portrayal of a Victorian Suffragist, giving you everything from the writings by Mary Wollstonecraft to Enola’s mother’s preference to wear “rationals.” She also makes certain not to let Sherlock Holmes’s awesomeness eclipse his flaws—dude’s as dismissive of women in this story as he is in the originals. But this isn’t really his story—Enola does not barge into his canon and start mucking around, another thing I respect, so what we get is the story from one of the women he dismisses.
Enola’s resourcefulness draws heavily upon the ninjalike ability of women from that era to get around the social mores and ridiculous rules. She uses the language of flowers to communicate with her mother, and can read messages coded in the placement of postage stamps, of fans, and even of undergarments. She would never part with her corset—while she refuses to tighten it, it’s a perfect place to hide a dagger, serves as armor against others’ daggers, as well as having many other uses she points out through the story. It’s the details that get me—I go absolutely wild with glee when she turns something to her advantage.
And the story is good, too—putting Enola on the run from Sherlock (if he finds her, she is legally bound to follow the orders of her elder brother Mycroft, who wants to send her to boarding school) pits her wits against the world’s greatest detective—whom she idolizes. And she’s a terrific match—anyone who uses Holmes’s own failure to account for intelligent women to outsmart him wins extra super bonus points with me.
Oh, and it’s listed as juvenile fiction, but I want to make this clear—Springer doesn’t stop for slow readers. You’re expected to keep up with the references and the language, which is another way to earn my undying respect. She does hit you over the head a bit with the ciphers (YES, WE GET IT, IT'S "ALONE" SPELLED BACKWARDS), but for the most part she refuses to hold your hand. It's GREAT.
In conclusion, I loved the goddamn hell out of this book, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I know not all Holmes fans will like the same thing, but if you’re into Sherlock, give this a shot.
Enola Holmes is awesome.
Okay, it’s no secret that I love the hell out of Sherlock Holmes. And while I am not dogmatic about what is canon and what is not, my love for the original stories means I will watch your attempts at reinterpreting Holmes with a fearsome look of cool appraisal in my eyes. Usually I will deem it unworthy and simply delete it from my mind.
But sometimes I’ll find something I like, and this time around that is Enola Holmes.
Nancy Springer’s portrayal of the younger sister (by at least two decades) of Sherlock and Mycroft is everything you’d ask of a Holmes. Enola’s intelligent, independent, multi-talented, and resourceful. And best of all, she does this all within the labyrinthine confines of Victorian England etiquette—a twist that earned Springer my undying respect.
This isn’t your average story of a 21st-Century tomboy displaced; this is historically accurate portrayal of a Victorian Suffragist, giving you everything from the writings by Mary Wollstonecraft to Enola’s mother’s preference to wear “rationals.” She also makes certain not to let Sherlock Holmes’s awesomeness eclipse his flaws—dude’s as dismissive of women in this story as he is in the originals. But this isn’t really his story—Enola does not barge into his canon and start mucking around, another thing I respect, so what we get is the story from one of the women he dismisses.
Enola’s resourcefulness draws heavily upon the ninjalike ability of women from that era to get around the social mores and ridiculous rules. She uses the language of flowers to communicate with her mother, and can read messages coded in the placement of postage stamps, of fans, and even of undergarments. She would never part with her corset—while she refuses to tighten it, it’s a perfect place to hide a dagger, serves as armor against others’ daggers, as well as having many other uses she points out through the story. It’s the details that get me—I go absolutely wild with glee when she turns something to her advantage.
And the story is good, too—putting Enola on the run from Sherlock (if he finds her, she is legally bound to follow the orders of her elder brother Mycroft, who wants to send her to boarding school) pits her wits against the world’s greatest detective—whom she idolizes. And she’s a terrific match—anyone who uses Holmes’s own failure to account for intelligent women to outsmart him wins extra super bonus points with me.
Oh, and it’s listed as juvenile fiction, but I want to make this clear—Springer doesn’t stop for slow readers. You’re expected to keep up with the references and the language, which is another way to earn my undying respect. She does hit you over the head a bit with the ciphers (YES, WE GET IT, IT'S "ALONE" SPELLED BACKWARDS), but for the most part she refuses to hold your hand. It's GREAT.
In conclusion, I loved the goddamn hell out of this book, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I know not all Holmes fans will like the same thing, but if you’re into Sherlock, give this a shot.
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Date: 2010-01-21 10:14 am (UTC)I was a little less into the split personality of Lady Cecily--seemed a little too bizarre. But on the other hand, it might have worked for a Holmes story--I seem to recall a Holmes story where the solution was completely impossible Mad Science. Good times.
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Date: 2010-01-21 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 10:44 pm (UTC)Damn, she's starting to get as observant as her brother now. It's becoming even more fun!
I like the insecurities that plague her, too--her distress over worrying her brother (and his worrying at all!) was touching, but I think my favorite thing was how the attempt to kill her hurt her feelings. It's something a lot of writers seem to gloss over, but if you're young and naive, even if you're smart enough to prepare for an attack, actually being attacked for the first time is a real shock. It makes her a much more understandable character to me.