"Excellent! I cried. "Elementary," said he.

[hollyking]

Sunday I saw the trailer for Sherlock Holmes (2009) which has Rober Downey Jr. as Holmes. I know sirriamnis doesn't care for the film and my first reaction to the trailer I saw on the web wasn't positive. Then I read an interview with Downey where he said that his film was true to the Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. Downey went on to say that a lot of the popular view of Holmes wasn't from the books, but rather different actors portrayals in earlier movies. This made me curious about the new movie.

When I saw the trailer in the movie I tried to keep a more open mind. It still doesn't look like the Holmes I know, but having not read the original books I admit I don't know if it was wrong. Well there's one way to know for sure. Read the books and see for myself. I'm fairly sure these will be books to keep. So does anyone have any particular editions they would recommend?

Speaking of books I have a list of other books I want to read. Yes, I know... Lots of books to read. Like you are any different? But this list was chosen because they are all epistolary novels. Have you read any of these? Are there others you would recommend?

• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Book of Renfield by Tim Lucas
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Carrie by Stephen King
• The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett
• The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
• The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Comments

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

I HAVE read the books, and Downey Jr. is talking out of his ass.

I have also read Dracula, Frankenstein, Carrie and The Moonstone. I started the Screwtape Letters in Jr. High and never finished it.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

As you're not trying to sell me anything and he's an actor trying to promote a new movie I'm going to side with you. Still want to read them though.

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

You should. They're good.

There are some fights in the books, but not huge amounts and not like are in the trailer. And there was certainly no cavorting with a lingerie clad Irene Adler.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Well that's a plus for the movie then... :) No really, why not make a new movie and add whatever you like instead of detracting from an established story line? Don't get me started on I, Robot...

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

I will not see I, Robot. I read the books, and I do not remember a SINGLE scene from the commercials, etc... being in those books.

A pox on Hollywood script writers, a pox I say.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Good for you. See originally it was a movie called "Hardwired." Then some schmuck of a producer noticed a couple of similarities with this other book called I, Robot. So they changed a few names. Added a couple of bits and trashed one of my favorite books. The movie I want will never be made now and the unwashed masses might think that Asimov wrote trash like that.