The Adventure of The Beryl Coronet: a Sherlock Holmes short story by Arthur Conan Doyle

"The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet”¹ is the twelfth and final short story in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection. According to The Annotated Sherlock Holmes², it was Holmes’ 30th case chronologically.

Dr. Watson, looking out the window one winter morning, observes a well dressed madman excitedly winding his way down Baker Street (nod to Gerry Rafferty). The madman is a prominent London banker, frantically searching for 221B and the residence of Sherlock Holmes.

The beryl coronet, one of Britain’s public treasures, has been stolen, partially recovered, but missing three of the valuable jewels. The police and banker have the culprit, the banker’s son, but he is uncooperative regarding the missing pieces. In customary fashion, Holmes is unimpressed with official police narrative and the game is afoot.

I was a bit disappointed. There was none of the collegial banter between Holmes and Watson, no snide remarks on police competence, no great suspense, and the characters were not very memorable. Holmes did at least go incognito for some nighttime sleuthing, but even that was one of his more pedestrian disguises. The mystery was good, but  the other aspects of the story, just so-so.

 

¹ A note about titles: When first published serially, many Sherlock Holmes short stories did not include the noun phrase “The Adventure of” as part of the title. The noun phrase was only added later, in most cases, when the short stories were compiled into one of five collections: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow: Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holms; and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes. This short story was originally titled The Beryl Coronet, and later changed to The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet when it was published as part of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

² The Annotated Sherlock Holmes attempts to put all of Sherlock Holmes’ cases into their proper, fictional, chronological order.

 

Recap of Novels 241 – 250

    

Average rating of novels 241 – 250:  3.5 stars (out of 5)

 

241.   ★★★★            The Dark Tower #7

242.   ★★★½            Rabbit, Run

243.  ★★★★             North and South

244.  ★★★★             O Pioneers!

245   ★★★½             Skellig
246.  ★★★★             Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
247.  ★★½                The Great God Pan

248.   ★★                  The Counterfeiters

249.   ★★★½            A Prayer for Owen Meany

250.  ★★★½             Loving

 

 

Favorite: The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower #7

 

Least Favorite: The Counterfeiters

 

Best Hero: George Smiley from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

 

Best Heroine: Tie – Alexandra Bergson from O Pioneers

                                Margaret Hale from North and South

 

Best Villain: Pan

 

Most interesting/Complex character: Owen Meany

 

Best Quotation: from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, regarding George Smiley, he feared…the secret fear that follows every professional to his grave. Namely, that one day, out of a past so complex that he himself could not remember all the enemies he might have made, one of them would find him and demand the reckoning.

 

. 

 

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (1929) — novel #252

A High Wind in Jamaica—Not at all what I was expecting. BETTER! But it took me a bit to come round.

 

·      A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

·      Alternate title: The Innocent Voyage

·      Novel

·      Published: 1929

·      Project Gutenberg (eBook, freebook)

·      Setting: Jamaica (briefly), and the high seas, mid to late 19th century.

 

Novel 22 of 50 of The Classics Club Challenge: Round IV

 

The Bas-Thornton children, John, Emily, Edward, Rachel, and Laura lead a blissful and nearly feral life in Jamaica until a storm, the “high wind” destroys their home. The family escapes mostly unscathed. Mrs. Thornton concludes… 

But the danger which their beloved little ones had been through was not a thing to risk again. Heaven had warned them. The children must go.

So the Bas-Thornton children, along with the Fernandez children, Margaret and Harry, are packed off to the safety of England. John, Emily and Margaret are over 10 and provide minimal supervision of the 4 younger children, or lidlies as they call them. England may be safe, but the high seas? Not so much. Their ship, the Clorinda, is seized by pirates. While the pirates are examining their booty, the captain of the Clorinda seizes a brief opportunity to make escape, not realizing the children are all on the pirate ship. The children believe it is just a mid-point hand-off. It takes some time before they realize they are the wards of a band of Spanish pirates.

Somehow, I inferred this was a comical farce, and this was initially confirmed by the omniscient narrator’s tongue-in-cheek account. 

Piracy had long since ceased to pay, and should have been scrapped years ago: but a vocational tradition will last on a long time after it has ceased to be economic, in a decadent form.

or

Possibly a case might be made out that children are not human either: but I should not accept it.

And although I liked it, thought it was great fun, It didn’t quite par with “classic” as it is sometimes called. As the story progressed, I was further confused first by one rather grim development, and then a second even worse. These events were grossly incongruent with the playful narration. I believe this was an intentional, and very affective, device of the author. It matched the children’s attitude. They did not recognize their peril, and thought it all high adventure. They were largely unsupervised and even indulged to some extent by the crew, who were at a loss for what to do with them.

Eventually, I understood. This is not a comic tale. It is a tale of innocence, love, human folly, and good intentions gone bad.

There were parts of this story that were rather far-fetched, and when I thought this was a comedy, that worked. However, once I realized the more somber message of this tale, those implausible moments, were, well, just implausible. But overall, still a very worthwhile read.

My rating 3 ½ out of 5 stars

 

Have you read High Wind in Jamaica? How did you feel?

One last quote by the narrator. There was a friendly pig on board for a time. As a piglet it liked to sleep on the children’s bellies. Before long it was too big for this and the positions reversed, still very much to the children’s liking.

One cannot wish for a more comfortable seat than an acquiescent pig.

 

.

The Magus by John Fowles (1966) — novel #251

Creepy! Creepy and suspenseful. I couldn’t put it down.

The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed. ~ Maurice Conchis, who is, the magus.

• The Magus by John Fowles
• Postmodern novel, mystery, suspense
• Published: 1966
• Revised version: 1977 with a foreword by the author
• Little, Brown and Company (eBook)
• Setting: England and Greece, 1953
• Also by this author (that I’ve read): The French Lieutenant’s Woman; The Collector

 

 

Novel 21 of 50 of The Classics Club Challenge Round IV and my “spin” book for The Classics Club Spin #43

 

My rating 4/5 stars

 

 

I said it was creepy. At first it is rather pedestrian back story. But that doesn’t last long. When the story moves to Greece, it gets creepy fast. Then maddening, then terrifying, all the while confusing, and when I’d almost given up, perhaps…redeeming?

 

Nicholas Urfe is young, middle class, English: his father is a brigadier, and according to Nicholas… 

my mother was the very model of a would-be major-general’s wife.

Nice! See what he did there?

 

Nicholas is a decent chap, Oxford grad, bit of a cavalier with the ladies, bored and without direction. He doesn’t precisely rebel against his parents or England, but he wants something different, and decides on a position in Greece, teaching English at a boys school on the fictional island Phraxos, (actual island Spetses). In his wandering, he discovers the secluded estate of a wealthy Greek recluse, Maurice Conchis. Colleagues and locals warn Nicholas away, and tell him Conchis is unapproachable, yet the first time Nicholas approaches the estate he is welcomed as if expected. The host, Conchis, is mysterious, charming, and intelligent. According to Nicholas…

He was obviously a man who rarely smiled. There was something mask-like, emotion-purged, about his face.

Conchis is highly intuitive, claims to be psychic, and seems to be playing mind-games with Nicholas. God games actually, and Nicholas’ life begins to spin slowly out of control.

 

It took me right up until the end to decide that I liked this book. Though, I was hooked at Conchis first appearance. I knew he was creepy, perhaps dangerous, but he was fascinating. And then there is a cast of characters: literally characters playing parts for Conchis. Nicholas knows they are, usually acting, but are they willing minions, coerced dupes, hypnotized subjects, paid actors, or maybe even schizophrenic? One of them happens to be a beautiful young woman, Lily, or Julie, or Vanessa. There are actually two beautiful young women, the other being Lily's twin. But Nicholas is only obsessed with the Lily, whatever her name is. Time and again, Nicholas confronts them, the twins particularly, and they seem to come clean. Nicholas, along with the reader, exhales a giant sigh of relief, and then…WHAM! Another bizarre turn.

 

Near the end I was getting a bit fed up with Fowles. I’m OK with a brilliant madman character, even a brilliant evil madman, but I was far from certain Conchis was any of that and as a spectator, I was hooked on the drama, but I couldn’t imagine the author’s point. Very near the end, when the God game is very nearly done, when Nicholas and the reader thinks it IS done, Conchis tells Nicholas...

Learn to smile, Nicholas. Learn to smile.

Nicholas should have punched him.

 

But I didn’t yet understand. I don’t approve of Conchis’ methods. You have to believe that the end justifies the means to approve, and I don’t. But I can accept that Conchis believed that. I’m not certain Fowles does. He called The Magus a “Rorschach test in psychology”. That seems about right. He also said “…there is no given ‘right’ reaction.”

 

I wouldn’t recommend it for young readers. There are a few spots that would definitely be "R" rated. If you like psychological terror or suspense, you might love this. If you dislike ambiguous endings, you may not like it, although…

 

I definitely recommend the 1977 revised version. Fowles responded to complaints about the ambiguous ending. In the foreword to the 1977 version he explains: 

I accept that I might have declared a preferred aftermath less ambiguously…and now have done so.

The ending is still ever so slightly ambiguous. However, I am convinced that what happens next is exactly what the reader is hoping for, and the end that in Conchis’ mind justified his means. It ends with a French saying, that can be translated:

Let those love now who’ve never loved;

Let those who’ve loved, love yet again.

Sort of an aside: Nicholas has three girls that he “loves” in this book: Allison, he carelessly breaks her heart before leaving England; Julie on Phraxos; and Jojo back in Jolly Old England. I doubt Nicholas would say he ever loved Jojo, but I say he did. He never slept with her, though she was willing. He unburdens himself on her, rehearses the recent follies of his life. Nicholas says of Jojo… 

She was the strangest priest to confess before; but not the worst. For she absolved me

I enjoyed this novel very much, more than my other reads of Fowles: The French Lieutenant’s Woman and The Collector. Have you read The Magus? Fowles? What did you think.

 

BTW, I've changed my review format. Feedback is appreciated. 

 

. 

 

Love’s Labour’s Lost by William Shakespeare

Love’s Labour’s Lost is a comedy by William Shakespeare, written in the late sixteenth century.

 

Ferdinand, king of Navarre, and three of his noblemen, Lord Berowne, Lord Longaville, and Lord Dumaine, swear off women for three years in order to devote themselves to study.

 

What could go wrong? The arrival of the Princess of France, and her three attendants, Lady Rossaline, Lady Maria, and Lady Katherine.

 

Now get this, you’ll never guess, but the Pincess and her ladies just happen to be beautiful, and single.

 

The play can almost write itself: well conceived for the Bard’s comedic pen.

 

But I had a little problem with it. Although the situation did indeed produce some wonderful comic moments, and witty dialogue, there were also eventualities that I found incongruent, inexplicable, or unnecessary.

 

The incongruity: The greatest weakness, in my opinion, is how how easily the King and company excuse themselves from their oaths. They had sworn that if they should break them they would…

 

Endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise.

 

But they rather flippantly decide that since love is the most worthy study, it’s ok to break their oaths.

 

The comedy is great. Their infidelity is just too easy, too quick, too without shame.

 

The inexplicable. Once they collectively decide to forget about that silly old oath, they disguise themselves as Russians in order to profess their love. Ummm…what?!?

 

Still, great comedy ensues, as the Princess and her ladies learn of this plan, and themselves exchange veils and costumes, so as to confound their lovesick admirers.

 

The Princess explains this…

 

We are wise girls to mock our lovers so.

 

And later, in a bit more detail…

 

The effect of my intent is to cross theirs:

They do it but in mocking merriment;

And mock for mock is only my intent.

Their several counsels they unbosom shall

To loves mistook; and so be mock’d withal

Upon the next occasion that we meet.

With visages display’d to talk and greet.

 

That at least makes sense.

 

The uneccesary: A bit later all deceipt is unmasked, they all have a good chuckle, and are immediately treated to a play of The Nine Worthies: the play within the play, enacted by some other minor characters in Shakespeare’s play. Ohhhkay.

 

Before The Nine Worthies is finished a messenger arrives with sad news that the Princess’ father has died, which is kind of a bummer, considering this is a comedy. In pretty short order, the King and Lords promise to wait a year and a day, while the Princess and Ladies mourn, and then all will be happily married, and all’s well that ends well…pardon the Shakespearific pun.

 

As always, I’m certain it would come off better experienced via stage rather than read. I wasn’t a big fan, due to the inconsistencies I’ve mentioned. It isn’t just me. This is not one of Shakespeare’s more respected plays.

 

Also, I don't get the second apostrophe in the title: Labour's What? 

 

 

 

 

Loving by Henry Green (1945): novel #250

Henry Green’s Loving is generally considered his best novel, though perhaps somewhat under-appreciated. I found it a bit like Downton Abbey meets Jeeves and Wooster. 

It is set in a stately Irish country house, owned and occupied by English tenants, literally named Tennant, and staffed primarily by English domestics. It takes place during the Nazi blitz of England. The Novel opens at the deathbed of the senior butler, Mr. Eldon.

 

The reader is given no background, no backstory, not even so much as I’ve offered in the previous paragraph. It is challenging at first to understand the goings-on, between the upstairs Mrs. Tennant and her daughter-in-law Mrs. Jack (Tennant), and the shakeup in the downstairs staff. Already somewhat ill-at-ease over fear of Nazis and I.R.A., the staff must navigate the new order of things.

 

The tenants are away for much of the story, leaving the servants to fend for themselves. Under-butler Charley Raunce becomes Mr. Raunce and senior butler, not quite to the liking of head-maid, Mrs. Burch. Early on the reader is inclined to agree with Mrs. Burch, as Raunce seems a bit of a scoundrel. Mrs. Burch’s “girls”, Kate and Edith, are more amenable to Mr. Raunce, especially Edith. There is a good deal of blushing and giggling between them. Mrs. Welch is the gin-drinking cook. Her girls Jane and Mary giggle and blush as well. There is Raunce’s next man, shy and flappable Albert, and one Irish servant, Paddy, whom no one can understand, save Kate. Back upstairs Mrs. Swift is nanny for Mrs. Jack’s two daughters,

 

While adjusting to one another, the staff is further troubled over Mrs. Tennant’s missing ring, and the murder of an ostrich. One of the best scenes is when an insurance adjuster comes to inquire about the ring while Mrs. Tennant is away. Raunce is defensive and disobliging, while other staff are naïve and/or terrified. It only confounds things, or makes them more delightful for the reader, that the insurance man is just from the dentist and speaks with a lisp, lithp that is.

 

Loving—the title: well who can know what an author is thinking? There is certainly a love story, and another that may not be quite love, but something like it. I think too, there are other, less conventional loves: self-love, ego whatever you like, familial love, love of safety, peace, comfort, country, forbidden love, and unrequited love.

 

My Rating: 3 ½ stars

Primarily for the characters. The dialogue was a bit hard to follow for this reader, but the fears, foibles, and fantasticness (for the sake of literation) of the characters clearly shines through. Raunce is not a scoundrel after all, not really.

 

Have you read Loving? What did you think? Recommendations for other books by Henry Green? 

 

. 

 

Classics Club Spin #43

It is time for the 43rd edition of the Classics Club Spin – List 20 books from my Classics Club “to be read” list by Sunday, February 8, 2026; the mods will then pick a random number, and I have until March 29 to read the corresponding book. (I’m not quite clear on the penalty for not completing it on time; I’ve never tested those waters.)

 

UPDATE: And the lucky number is... 2

Not feeling so lucky for me. I am underwhelmed.  

 

My spin list:

 

1. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens

2. The Magus by John Fowles

3. The Long Winter (Little House #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

4. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

5. A Spy In The House Of Love by Anais Nin

6. The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers

7. Grendel by John Gardner

8. Things Fall Apart  by Chinua Achebe

9. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

10. Cool Hand Luke by Don Pearce

11. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

12. The Silver Sword (Escape from Warsaw) by Ian Serraillier

13. Post Office by Charles Bukowski

14. The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

15. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

16. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

17. The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman

18. Kim by Rudyard Kipling

19. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

20. The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper

 

I’m probably hoping for Lord Jim, but The Ascent of Rum Doodle would be fun too. I haven’t read McCullers in a while so Sad Café would be my third choice. I’m hoping for something NOT terribly long, so hoping against Dickens or Fowles, but I’ll take what I get. Cheers!

 

.