The Game Is Afoot: Parodies, Pastiches and Ponderings of Sherlock Holmes

by Marvin Kaye (Editor)

Overview

This long awaited volume finally brings to light several cases of the world's most renowned detective originally suppressed to avoid causing scandal and embarrassment to the Crown, to public figures, or to Sherlock Holmes himself. Now, finally, the truth is revealed about Holmes' exploits involving such figures as Ida Tarbell, Consuelo Vanderbilt, P.G. Wodehouse, and James McNeil Whistler. Related by diverse hands, including Watson, Inspector Lestrade, and Holmes himself, detailing untold incidents involving the Titanic, Holmes' rematch with Irene Adler, the childhoods of both Holmes and Watson, and one unfortunate result of Holmes' facility with disguise, this cornucopia of Sherlockiana will delight fans young and not-so-young.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312117979
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/15/1995
Edition description:	4th ed.
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	1,131,281
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.18(d)

About the Author

Marvin Kaye is the author and editor of more than forty books. He lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

If your heart belongs to Baker Street, don't miss Marvin Kaye's generous anthology.” —Jon L. Breen, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

“The newcomer to Holmes as well as the established Sherlockian, will relish having the best efforts of the best writers who have taken a turn at immortalizing the detective collected in one book.” —Publisher's Weekly

“For the thousands of readers who can never get enough of Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson, and the Baker Street Irregulars, this book promises new insights and hours of enjoyment. Spend an evening curled up by the fire, and prepare to be entertained.” —Mostly Murder

“Rich with thrills and laughter, this is a true delight for all students of the Baker Street menage. Recommended.” —Library Journal

“As a member of the Baker Street Irregulars and Sherlockian for three decades, I think this is the biggest and best anthology of parodies and pastiches since Ellery Queen's The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, now a half-century old.” —Otto Penzler ("The King of Bohemia")

“A masterful job...The Game is Afoot is a mother lode of Sherlockian writings.” —The Armchair Detective

“A three-scoop helping of Holmesiana ranging from reprints of classic parodies to evergreen pastiches to new stories. A sumptuous feast.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

This book by novelist/anthologist Kaye ( Penguin Book of Ghosts ) is a compilation of good-natured lampoons, clever spoofs and somewhat academic examinations of Sherlock Holmes's cases. No matter what form the considerations take, all are motivated by an obvious affection for the Great Detective. The ponderings include a reflection by Dr. Joseph Bell, who was Arthur Conan Doyle's teacher and the model for Sherlock Holmes. Also included is Kaye's lengthy ``Histrionic Holmes,'' a study of Holmes's skill and technique as an actor. Several entries are quite obscure, including ``Sherlock Holmes Umpires Baseball,'' an anonymous piece published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1906; others, like ``Our American Cousins'' by Roberta Rogow, were penned especially for this book. The selections, loosely organized in such chapter titles as ``Pieces Problematic,'' might have been more informative if arranged chronologically to illustrate the reading public's changing image of Holmes. Nevertheless, the newcomer to Holmes, as well as the established Sherlockian, will relish having the best efforts of the best writers who have taken a turn at immortalizing the detective collected in one book. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The magic phrase that rouses joy in the heart of any Holmes fan is an apt title for this latest of many well-deserved paeans to the world's first consulting detective and his friend and Boswell to appear since their introduction in 1887. Although several of the 53 pieces, ranging from the sublime (``Sussex Interview'') to the ridiculous (``The Sinister Cheesecake''), might be familiar to serious Holmesians, there are also a number of original adventures commissioned fresh for this volume. Included are contributions by James M. Barrie, Bret Harte, Fritz Leiber, Robert Bloch, and Basil Rathbone, as well as Dr. Joseph Bell, upon whom Holmes is based and, of course, two rarities by the master himself, Conan Doyle. Together the assorted dispositions by the authors--some to bury Holmes, others to praise him--produce an appropriate equilibrium in the collection. Rich with thrills and laughter, this is a true delight for all students of the Baker Street menage. Recommended for public libraries.-- Michael Rogers, ``Library Journal''

Library Journal