Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra

by Alan Vanneman

Book Overview

"A rollicking adventure story . . . that] puts a superb spin on the intellectual byplay between Holmes and Watson. . . . Splendidly written homage." -- Chicago Sun-Times

With a case as confounding as any in the original Holmes canon and a tale so terrifying it lay hidden for more than a century in Dr. Watson's dispatch box, Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra begins familiarly enough. Elizabeth Trent, a bereft widow...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786711256
• ISBN13: 9780786711253
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Purists be damned! This is fun.

I don't know what all those nay sayers here have been drinking. This book is not at all bad. Personally, I think it's rather interesting to put a bit of a modern twist on the adventures of Holmes and Watson. I thought Vanneman did a half decent job of spinning an engaging yarn while keeping a relatively consistent Holmes-appropriate style. Sure, there were randy parts, which didn't exist in A. Conan Doyle's original stories. But hey, we have to make some allowances for modern sensibilities (modern Americans are ashamed to admit that a quarter of us are celibates, so celibacy must be denied at all times). Vanneman did a nice job of making sure the randy parts were described in appropriately stilted, Victorian language. I think that's a pretty impressive feat. I suppose the SciFi aspect breaks tradition with the original, and no doubt won't appeal to some folks. In this book, we have an evolved species of intelligent rats. So what's wrong with that? As rodents go, rats sure beat all hell out of crap animals like hamsters and gerbils. Rats are actually capable of being friendly and affectionate. So why not have a bit of evolution to make them something more? My only concern was whether the anti-evolution morons would start picketing Vanneman's house. Is this Martha Grimes? No, but it's still interesting and well done. Much better than the last Borthwick my wife forced me to read.

Holmes the adventurer

Although others did not enjoy Vanneman's work, I am not among them. Its true this story strays from the classic Holmes style, but I was intrigued by this fact and could not put the book down until I finished. There were some issues which I could have done without (how many times will Watson get drunk and wake up in danger), but the adventurous tone was refreshing. I enjoyed the captain and the Widow's characters as well as the terror of Holmes' and Watson's journey to the Far East. I'll admit the ending was a bit too sci-fi and it seemed rushed, but I will be awaiting Vanneman's next interpretation of the great detective.

Doyle revisited

If you are looking for writing that reminds you of Doyle, "Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra" comes closer than any I've read...and I've read a lot of them.