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32 reviews for:
Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: The Adventure of the Deadly Dimensions: Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu
Lois H. Gresh
3.0 AVERAGE
32 reviews for:
Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu: The Adventure of the Deadly Dimensions: Sherlock Holmes vs. Cthulhu
Lois H. Gresh
3.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Look. All this book had to do was deliver a mostly harmless, fun adventure and it would have been an easy 2.5-3.0 stars. It is instead an aggressively unfun slog. Whenever the story starts to pick up the pace and gets going, it then grinds to a halt with Watson going on for pages and pages about he's so concerned for his wife and son or some other inane, unrelated tangent. There were some creepy bits with Dagon cultists, but even they went on for far too long. This book is four hundred pages long and they all feel like a chore.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I realize this book is inspired by Sherlock Holmes, but there were some details that really took me out of the story due to not quite lining up with the original books.
I was NOT prepared for back-to-back rape scenes in the middle.
They aren’t long or overly graphic but I really wish I knew about that beforehand and I don’t think they quite fit in with the rest of the story.
I was NOT prepared for back-to-back rape scenes in the middle.
They aren’t long or overly graphic but I really wish I knew about that beforehand and I don’t think they quite fit in with the rest of the story.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It has much to recommend it: well written, feels very Sherlockian, liked the increased participation of Watson's family (and especially his inner concerns about them). But the menace doesn't come together like one would hope, more like a Call of Cthulhu adventure with different menaces about the place, and honestly, I was a bit disappointed when Sherlock called the outworldly menaces "impossible". It didn't seem like him to try and dismiss what his senses were telling him.
An enjoyable read, but like other reviewers have noted, the concept is a tricky one to pull off due to the nature of the characters. Holmes and Watson, men of science and reason are pitted against the forces of Lovecraftian supernatural monsters. The mystery itself is well structured, but I felt that the book dragged in the middle, especially since it seems like an unsolvable mystery for the sleuths. The Holmes/Watson dynamic was well done but I felt that the chapters from other characters perspectives were distracting, especially when phonetic accents made their way into the text.
I enjoyed this enough to consider the other books in the series, but this first entry could have been stronger. Read if you love Sherlock Holmes or Lovecraft and have a decent deal of patience!
I enjoyed this enough to consider the other books in the series, but this first entry could have been stronger. Read if you love Sherlock Holmes or Lovecraft and have a decent deal of patience!
I enjoy reading genre mash up featuring famous fictional characters. Holmes and Watson are asked to investigate a murder of a tram engineer, an easier case for the brains of Holmes or so it seems. However, they are thrown into a supernatural situation after bodies are turning up stripped of flesh with strange symbols are etched on the bones.
Whilst eventually Holmes may come across the Cthulhu, the title was a bit deceiving and I would have emphasized the sub title instead as that explained the story. Holmes and Watson were recognisable from the start. Everyone has their own interpretation of the two iconic characters and whether you have read the books or watched the TV or films, there are characteristics that stand out. I like that the author picked out the best bits of both and then added her own twist on the characters. She showed the loyalty of Watson and how he was torn between the love of his life Mary and Holmes. As I was reading this story, I could picture them striding over London looking for clues.
Whilst I enjoyed the story, I felt that some of the back stories were irrelevant to this story, and whilst these characters may appear later in the series, it gave it a disjointed feel and I wanted to get back to the Holmes situation. The Holmes and Watson story was gripping and their story flowed smoothly. The addition of Order of Dagon was the link to the Cthulhu and gave the story the fantasy/horror feel. The killings were detailed and unusual and baffled the police from the start. However true to form, Holmes did not let the unknown get in his way and where possible found a scientific explanation.
I will carry on with this series as I want to see where the story takes me and whether Holmes will get closer to the Cthulhu.
Whilst eventually Holmes may come across the Cthulhu, the title was a bit deceiving and I would have emphasized the sub title instead as that explained the story. Holmes and Watson were recognisable from the start. Everyone has their own interpretation of the two iconic characters and whether you have read the books or watched the TV or films, there are characteristics that stand out. I like that the author picked out the best bits of both and then added her own twist on the characters. She showed the loyalty of Watson and how he was torn between the love of his life Mary and Holmes. As I was reading this story, I could picture them striding over London looking for clues.
Whilst I enjoyed the story, I felt that some of the back stories were irrelevant to this story, and whilst these characters may appear later in the series, it gave it a disjointed feel and I wanted to get back to the Holmes situation. The Holmes and Watson story was gripping and their story flowed smoothly. The addition of Order of Dagon was the link to the Cthulhu and gave the story the fantasy/horror feel. The killings were detailed and unusual and baffled the police from the start. However true to form, Holmes did not let the unknown get in his way and where possible found a scientific explanation.
I will carry on with this series as I want to see where the story takes me and whether Holmes will get closer to the Cthulhu.
CW: Rape. Once of a female and once of a male.
I have read all of Sherlock Holmes and I have read some stories by Lovecraft, including the Cthulhu stories. It is difficult to replicate another author's style and it is almost impossible if, as I suspect of this author, you've never read either of the authors you're trying to emulate. Reading cliff notes is not sufficient. Especially if you go after authors of such hugh calibre.
Watson was irrational and didn't trust Homles, Holmes was unbelievably dumb, Lestrade was key. The whole thing was bland and completely off. I don't know who okay'ed this to be published but they haven't read Doyle or Lovecraft either.
I can't even say that this author shows promise because I could not follow the storyline. I don't know if this is because it made no sense or that the writing was so boring that I couldn't concentrate on the plot. I reread some parts, wondering if I was just stupid, but if I can follow Sherlock and Lovecraft, why was this so confusing?
Bottom line: this should never have been written or published.
I have read all of Sherlock Holmes and I have read some stories by Lovecraft, including the Cthulhu stories. It is difficult to replicate another author's style and it is almost impossible if, as I suspect of this author, you've never read either of the authors you're trying to emulate. Reading cliff notes is not sufficient. Especially if you go after authors of such hugh calibre.
Watson was irrational and didn't trust Homles, Holmes was unbelievably dumb, Lestrade was key. The whole thing was bland and completely off. I don't know who okay'ed this to be published but they haven't read Doyle or Lovecraft either.
I can't even say that this author shows promise because I could not follow the storyline. I don't know if this is because it made no sense or that the writing was so boring that I couldn't concentrate on the plot. I reread some parts, wondering if I was just stupid, but if I can follow Sherlock and Lovecraft, why was this so confusing?
Bottom line: this should never have been written or published.
This book was hard to get into. The first section of the book really dragged for me. It did pick up eventually, which is why it isn't rated lower, but it was definitely a bit of a slog getting to the good parts.
Enjoyable. Thoroughly. Although I do have some spoilery questions I'd love too discuss with someone who's read the story. Regarding the ending.