August Reading – Part 3

 

Continued from previous post …

 

15. Sherlock Exploits: The Adventure of the Abbas Ruby by Adrian Doyle

Sherlock and Watson are up against the 'death' of a gentleman (while his wife is fatally wounded) by what appears to be a murderous and suicidal behavior of the said gentleman. Murder doesn't even seem to be a possibility since the 2 were found dead immediately after shots were heard and people rushed to the scene of the crime which was a room bolted shut from the inside. It is deemed as suicide albeit a bit strange one hence the involvement of Sherlock Holmes.

 

16. Short Story: The Sultan's Battery by Aravind Adiga

Frankly speaking this story made no sense to me at all. I had heard some good things about Arvind Adiga's 'The White Tiger' and when I came across 2 of his short stories; I decided to start with them rather than the Tiger. But now I am not so sure about reading the Tiger. I am tempted to drop AA from my list but as usual, I give a second chance before abandoning

 

17. ACD Shorts: A Point of View by Arthur Conan Doyle

 

An American journalist writes somewhat viciously about the butler or the servant in the English household who serviced his 'masters' with unquestionable devotion to the extent of servitude behaving at times like a slave. The journalist wrote about these men losing their dignity and individuality and behaving like instruments of service. A person serving the role does get offended and approaches the journalist to change his point of view … by words or by force ! 

 

18. ACD Shorts: One Crowded Hour by Arthur Conan Doyle

 

This one is a story of a highway robber who stops cars and then loots the occupants off a gun-point. He loots 3 cars in the night and seems very satisfied.

The story then shifts to next morning to the house of a gentleman whose friend visits him and accuses of highway robbery. Interesting revelations

 

19. Sherlock Misadventures: The Mary Queen of Scots Jewel by William O. Fuller

Some precious jewels are stolen from the Hotel room of American visitors and they approach Sherlock to get the jewels back. There is a backdrop of the American's visit a family dinner where the jewels are closely examined and marveled at by all the guests as well as the butler.  As in the earlier serious story about Sherlock and his capabilities, this story also highlights the deducting logic of the master detective consultant. He finds the jewels in the most dramatic of manners.

 

20. Short Story: The Elephant by Aravind Adiga

A simple story of a delivery boy who works with a furniture shop delivering the furniture from the shop to the buyer's house; living on the paltry payment of the shop owner as well as the occasional tip from the buyer on delivery. The short story is about his aspirations and attempts to take up a more respectable and better paying job which end up in failures

There is nothing extraordinary about the story or its writing style. I must say both the short stories have not really spiked my interest in Aravind's novel. Hope it is as good as the hype around it. Will pick it up in coming months.

 

21. PKD Shorts: The Eyes Have It by Philip K Dick

 

This one was a funny story about a man who discovers about alien invasion while reading a story. The events described in the story convince him that the characters in the story are not humans but aliens in disguise and the author, who is narrating the story in such a matter-of-fact manner, not finding anything unusual; is surely an alien himself.

This is one of those stories where you can't help but smile and then laugh … and might just end up 'Rolling on the Floor Laughing' (ROTFL). The last line (a short sentence) is a real clincher ! 

 

22. ACD Shorts: The Fall of Lord Barrymore by Arthur Conan Doyle

 

Sir Charles Tregellis and Lord Barrymore are warring gentlemen and it would delight them to see the fall of the other. The difference being Charles has a notorious nephew who approaches him asking for a thousand pounds; in return of causing the downfall of Barrymore. The nephew manages to bring about the same much to the satisfaction of Charles.

 

23. Sherlock Misadventures: The Ruby of Khitmandu by Hugh Kingsmill

A hilarious tale of how 2 assistants assume their masters to be mistaken in their decisions and apply corrective actions only to be told by their masters later that the corrective action has in fact acted in contrary to the intended action. The result is that the both assistants end up creating a mess of the situation. One of the master-assistant pair is Sherlock and Watson where Watson tries in vain to impress Sherlock; even jeopardizing a case Sherlock have already solved.

 

To Be Continued …