#the adventure of the blanched soldier

[sherlockianscholar]

“the good watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which i can recall in our association.” from “the adventure of the blanched soldier” is referenced a lot.

but the following sentence is heart-wrenching.

“i was alone.”

[principiumindividuationis777]

[thelastofthebookworms]

For more polls, see my pinned post.

[sherlockheolmes]

I'm just genuinely asking. Is it just me who feels that The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes with Watson POV is much much much better than Holmes POV?

I hope Mr. Sherlock Holmes doesn't hate me after I ask this, but I can't with The Blanched Soldier. 😭

[analysisn3rd]

Holmes and Watson - why they mean so much to one another

The way I see it, Holmes and Watson are two halves of a whole. This is for many reasons.

First and foremost, they compliment one another personality wise. Where Holmes is seen as cold and calculating, Watson is depicted as warm and welcoming. Holmes can be rather impulsive at times, while Watson has a sort of steadiness and routine to his life, which makes him appreciate his adventures with Holmes further. They’re similar, yet they’re different. They’re both smart, though in different fields and manners, as Watson is more emotionally intelligent and Holmes is more intellectually intelligent. They’re both kind people, despite expressing their care for others and for one another in their own individual manner, where Watson’s way of showing care is more orthodox while Holmes is anything but. Not only do they mean so much to one another, but they also wouldn’t be alive without each other. 

Each of them needs the other to live, quite literally. 

Of course they would’ve made it if they hadn’t known each other; Holmes would’ve solved a few cases for the police here and there, and he would’ve taken cases from Mycroft, but he would’ve never make a name for himself further than that, since all his writings are very academic and that doesn’t really appeal to the people, and Watson would’ve run a surgery and worked as a doctor. Neither of them would’ve been the characters that we know and love now if they hadn’t met one another.

Additionally, I think that, given the circumstances that both of them were going through at the start of ‘Study of Scarlet’, I don’t think that they would’ve lived as long as they had without one another.

As we’ve seen in most of the Holmes short stories, Holmes doesn’t really care much about his physical, or mental, health. He brushes off injuries, even if they are a bit concerning, and although he would care were he to get severely injured during a case, he wouldn’t mind risking it if it meant finding the solution. He continuously endangers himself and the only person to take care of him afterwards is Watson. Without Watson, I think that it’s not unreasonable or illogical to assume that he would’ve died of some wound infection or an illness that he refused to get treated for.

Although it’s not well-discussed in the books, I would say that Watson definitely helped Holmes to stop his drug addiction and on his road to sobriety. He cares a lot about Holmes’ health and he would always be worried when he’s in one of his ‘dark moods’ that he’s on drugs.

Alongside that, he’s a lot happier with Watson. I don’t think he would’ve admitted to anyone (and I would say that the closest thing to admitting it was when he wrote about Watson leaving him for a wife in ‘The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier’ and how upset he was about that), but he’s always been rather lonely. Having Watson, a companion who tries to understand and help him as much as he could, someone who cares about him, someone who loves him (regardless of the type of love), has made him significantly happier. Watson means so much to him; he’s his ‘Boswell’ and he has refused, on several occasions, to help his clients if it meant that Watson wouldn’t be there (and then they’d relent and let them both handle the case). He's always there with Holmes and he's always there for him, he's his "one fixed point in a changing world" and Holmes would be absolutely distraught (as seen in 'The Adventure of the Three Garridebs', where Holmes was quite distressed about Watson getting hurt).

Furthermore, as I mentioned before, Holmes probably wouldn’t have had his ‘household name’ if it weren’t for Watson’s publications. The people (both fictional and real, but I’m talking about the fictional ones here) enjoyed reading about his adventures and it was through them that they got several clients, who were people that Holmes would’ve never reached if he was on his own.

Watson, on the other hand, desperately needed someone, anyone, to restore his love of life after he came back from Afghanistan. He came back a “broken man”, essentially. He hadn’t had any close friends, any relatives, anyone really, and he was completely and utterly alone in London. He needed someone to, for a lack of a better word, “cure” this loneliness that he’s faced after the war.  Holmes was that “cure”. He gave him a “purpose” in life; a “raison d’etre”. He allowed him to help people. He gave him the opportunity to go on adventures, do things that he would’ve possibly never imagined doing, and provided him with excitement, leading him to love life and living again. He helped Watson become who he really is, and not the shell of a human being that he (understandably) was after returning from the war.

They both complete one another, and they’re sort of two halves of a whole. If I were to be a bit poetic, I’d say that they’re the sun to one another’s moon. They both provide the other with light, in different manners, and they both conduct it to the other. They wouldn’t be who they are without one another, very simply. I think the best way to conclude this is to quote The Crane Wives’ ‘The Moon Will Sing’, “I shine only with the light you gave me” is a very accurate descriptor for Holmes’ and Watson’s relationship with one another.

[victorianpining]

Tentative Announcement!

Tentative because my spring semester hasn’t started yet, so I may be slightly underestimating my workload in the coming weeks (or overestimating it, you never know). But as of this moment, it is my intention to publish The Stories in Our Veins in daily installments throughout the month of February, beginning with the first and ending with the twenty-ninth (as good a day as any, Johnny).

Keep your eyes out for more teasers and updates throughout the month of January! For now, here is a preview of the fic description to whet your appetite 🍷

You hold in your hands a leather-bound book inscribed with the title The Stories in Our Veins. No author is named by the cover. On the first page, the following passage has been written in an elegant, cursive hand: A confederate who foresees your conclusions and course of action is always dangerous, but one to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate. Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1926.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: February 9/24

Happy Friday everyone! Got 5 more fics to start off your weekend!! I hope you enjoy today's fics, and give some extra love to my boosted fic!!

Enjoy, and see you Sunday!

SIGNAL BOOSTING

Breathe by LoloLolly (T, 8,517 w., 1 Ch. || HLV Fix-It, Grief, Angst, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Mary is Not Nice, Feelings Realization, Character Study, Blood Mention, Vomit Mention) – In which Sherlock's death is announced a bit...  prematurely in HLV. Things spiral from there.

RECENT MARKED FOR LATERS

Lying in Winter by Raina_at (E, 6,486 w., 1 Ch. || TSo3 Fix It, Established Relationship, Relationship Talks, Blow Jobs, Domestic Fluff) – What do you do when the love of your life is asleep in your bed and you're both excited for and terrified of what will happen when he wakes up? If you're Sherlock Holmes, you have a bonfire and do some midnight shopping. Or: John comes home. Sherlock does, too.

The Meeting Place by standbygo (E, 14,653 w., 11 Ch. || Man Up AU || Case Fic, Alternate First Meeting, Romantic Comedy, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Murder, Serial Killers, First Kiss / Time, Past Abuse, Romantic Fluff, First Dates, Blind Date, Happy Ending) – Sherlock thinks it's a breakthrough in his case. John thinks it's a date. They're both kinda right.

The Stories in Our Veins by victorianpining (E, 26,088+ w., 8/29 Ch. || Dracula Crossover / Victorian / Vampire AU || Unreliable Narrator, Blood and Injury, Blood Drinking, Gaslighting, Mental Instability, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Strangers to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Angst with Happy Ending) – You hold in your hands a leather-bound book inscribed with the title The Stories in Our Veins. No author is named by the cover. On the first page, the following passage has been written in an elegant, cursive hand: A confederate who foresees your conclusions and course of action is always dangerous, but one to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate. Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1926.

RECENT LOKIUS BOOKMARK

Exsanguination by Beb (T, 3,061 w., 1 Ch. || LOKI SERIES || Protective Loki, Mobius Whump, Hospitals, Worried Loki, Mobius Needs A Hug, Blood and Injury, Angst, Hurt/Comfort) – As a trained agent, Mobius really believed his presence was required in every mission, no matter how risky. As a worried friend and lover, Loki really believed this was absolutely, undoubtedly the last straw. He wasn't about to do nothing and let Mobius carelessly throw himself in danger anymore. Not after the last incident nearly cost Mobius his life.

[dailyholmes]

"Colonel Emsworth pointed to Sherlock Holmes. 'This is the gentleman who forced my hand,' he said." The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier. Published in The Strand Magazine. Howard K. Elcock, 1926

Source

[meetinginsamarra]

My Fave Sherlock BBC tropes - Casefics

Around mid-month I’ll do a fic rec list with my fave AU genres or tropes. Summaries are taken from OP on AO3.

Okay, so there are obviously a lot of Sherlock fics where a case gets solved. Here, I only include the especially plotty ones.

*********************************

“The Case of the Green Gown” by splix

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2659472

...Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association. I was alone.�� -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier

(Please ignore this useless summary! This is hands down the most complex but still completely logical casefic I’ve ever read. Layers upon layers of stunning reveals, intriguing case and beautiful characterization of our beloved. Awesome!)

“Ten Days” (part 1 of “The Fallen” series) by Engazed @engazed​

https://archiveofourown.org/works/456761

Sherlock Holmes has been dead for forty months, and John is at last beginning to live his life again. But just when he believes he might be happy, his world crashes back down around him.

John is named a missing person. Someone is pointing DI Lestrade in the wrong direction. And as the days pass, his situation only grows more dire. It seems like the disappearance of his best friend is the only thing that can bring Sherlock Holmes back from the dead.

“The Slash Man” (part 2 of “The Fallen” series) by Engazed @engazed

https://archiveofourown.org/works/949101

After ten days of unspeakable torture at the hands of Sherlock's worst enemies, John Watson has returned to Baker Street to live with a man whose death, no matter how fake, still haunts him. But his recovery is not easy, his friendship with Sherlock is strained, and a dangerous but hidden menace continues to threaten them both.

(”Blackbird, Fly” is part 3 and currently a WIP)

“The Green Blade” by verityburns @verity-burns​

https://archiveofourown.org/works/320879

As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit...

“A Goose Quill Dipped in Venom” by Polyphony

https://archiveofourown.org/works/344050

Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, is called in to a very ordinary although brutal murder. Something is badly out of tune with the whole scenario and Sherlock finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the crime - and also with the victim.

“The Iceman cometh” by Polyphony

https://archiveofourown.org/works/539555

Title from the Eugene O'Neill play of the same name. An intriguing puzzle tempts Sherlock to accept Victor Trevor's invitation to the French Riviera, but all is not what it seems. Frustrated by the case and increasingly concerned about an absent John, Sherlock uncovers far more than he was meant to and is forced to become a fugitive, pursued by those on both sides of the law, as he fights for his freedom and the lives of all those around him.

“The Edinburgh Problem” (part 1 of “Scotland series”) by snorklepie @snorklepie

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392997

“A nice holiday, just a bit more...murdery.” John said drily. “Yes! The best kind of holiday!” Sherlock beamed. “So we won’t get bored!”

After he separates from Mary, John returns to Baker Street. Following a request for help from Sherlock's cousin Violet, the detective and his blogger take a trip to Edinburgh. John discovers more about the Holmes family and Sherlock than he bargained for, but tries not to run screaming.

“October to Hogmanay” (part 2 of “Scotland series”) by snorklepie @snorklepie

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3606486

“What are we, now?” John mused aloud, once they were in a cab heading back to Baker street. It was a cool, damp afternoon and Sherlock was studying the passers-by with detached interest. He glanced over at John with a raised eyebrow, his fingers idly worrying at one of the buttons on his coat.

“Nothing seems quite right. What would you call me, if somebody asked?” John waved a hand vaguely at the space between them. “What do we call… this?”

(”Savage Music, Sombre Light” is part 3 and currently a WIP)

“Periodic Tales -series” (18 fics) by 7PercentSolution @7-percent​

https://archiveofourown.org/series/504749

Lots of science, lots of case fic! This is Sherlock as chemist, using the periodic table of elements for many different reasons. Each story is centred around one particular element, in two parts. One focuses on aspects of Sherlock's childhood and events in his life; the other part shows how that has influenced his abilities as the world's only consulting detective, demonstrated through a case fic that shows off his deducing skills.

(most of Seven’s fics could be put onto this list btw, but I’ll add only one more)

“Devonshire Squires” (part 8 of “Fallen Angel” - series) by 7PercentSolution @7-percent

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11830755

Post THE/Pre So3, John and Sherlock try to rebuild bridges, but a demanding case challenges both of their assumptions about what happened to the other one during the hiatus. Lestrade tries to play peacemaker, but Mycroft's meddling is counter-productive. Case fic, sickfic and angst all rolled into one misery-laden ball of reading pleasure

“Midnight Blue Serenity” by BeautifulFiction @the-pen-pot​

https://archiveofourown.org/works/635897

“This was like nothing John had ever thought to associate with Sherlock: stubble, skin-tight jeans and three small silver rings gleaming at the crest of one ear. It was unbelievable, like stepping into an alternative universe, and John couldn't stop staring.”

When Sherlock infiltrates a club in order to track down a serial killer, his altered appearance is enough to make John question his assumption that Sherlock is beyond his reach. However, is he the only one who appreciates his flatmate's charms, or is Sherlock at risk of becoming the next victim?

“The Adventure of the Body Snatchers” by dioscureantwins

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5574523

“Body snatchers,” whispered a girl. “Oh, Mr Holmes. Oh, Davey…” Her eyes watered and with heaving shoulders she buried her face into her neighbour’s overcoat.

Sherlock looked perplexed. “Is this one of those pop culture things?” he asked the room at large.

John nodded and drank the last of his tea while his flatmate rolled his eyes before leaping to his feet.

“Right. I can’t think with so much stupidity in the room.” He began making shooing motions at the distraught girl and the boy who sat comforting her as well as the others. “Everybody out. John and I don’t have time for this nonsense. Out, out, all of you.”

“The Moonlight and the Frost” by CaitlinFairchild

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1998777

“And once again, you think you know what’s best for me.”

John rises from the chair, the anger and frustration and hurt overwhelming him, bursting out of every pore, and he doesn’t even know for sure that it’s Sherlock he’s angry at, really, but the only reason he tied himself to Mary in the first place is because the person he really loved left him behind, and the woman he married once sat in the shadows above a darkened swimming pool and aimed a sniper rifle at his heart and later shot his best friend in cold blood and cuckolded him and just gave birth to a child that wasn’t his and right now he just can’t do this, he just fucking can’t do this anymore.

John has to somehow rebuild his life in the wake of Mary's betrayal and Sherlock's deceptions.

“Sketchy” by serpentynka

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090850

What (and who) will be left when nobody cares about your Work? A slow-burn fic with cases, places, mistaken identities, unfair choices, essential changes, violent feels, blatant lies, fearless portraiture, family secrets, high-risk bespoke gifts, durable friendships, bedtime stories, foreign travel and tongues, sickness (and health), and the significance of things which are slow to unfurl -- but cannot be ignored. Oh, and...porn.

“All the best and brightest creatures” by wordstrings

https://archiveofourown.org/works/582059

Sherlock sent Jim Moriarty to prison for killing Carl Powers at age ten. This is the story of the consequences.

“The adventure of the silver scars” by tangledblue

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5131763

“All this does not mean that I’m not still basically pissed off with you. I’m very pissed off, and it will come out now and then.” –His Last Vow   It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.

“Major Pieces” by Lindentreeisle (Captainblue)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/162152

Sherlock knew that he could thoroughly rely upon John Watson's moral sense. And that's why he knew that Lestrade was wrong, wrong, wrong.

[eirinstiva]

La aventura del soldado de la piel descolorida and translating love terms

After three letters from Sherlock Holmes, a cup two cups of tea and an alfajor I'm ready (?) to write about The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier, known in Spahish as La aventura del soldado de la piel descolorida (in my copy of Todo Sherlock Holmes) or La aventura del soldado de la piel decolorada.

One of the principal problems in translations is to translate one word into a group of another ones and choose the most accurate for each case. Love as a noun can be translated as it follows:

Amor: affection, romantic feelings, lover, affectionate term. Enamoramiento: romantic feelings. Querido, querida: dear, affectionate term. Cariño: affection, affectionate term. Pasión: strong liking. Aprecio: regard, esteem

And as a verb:

Amar: feel affection for somebody, be fond of somebody, have romantic feelings for somebody. Querer: feel affection for somebody. Adorar: like strongly. Apreciar: be fond of somebody.

The use changes according to times, dialects, gender, even personal experience. That's why every time I go to a store and a Venezuelan person calls me "mi amor" my cold southerner Chilean arse is screaming in panic because I don't use it at all, even with my pets.

Anyway _(:з)∠)_

In the first letter we had "You must put it down, sir, to my real love for your son." was translated as "Tiene usted que disculparme, señor. Cárguelo a cuenta del cariño que siento por su hijo". In this case there's no much difference because cariño is a word used for friends, family and lovers, so this can be interpretated in many ways. Later Dodd said "I was fond of your son Godfrey, sir." which can be translated as "Señor, yo apreciaba mucho a su hijo Godfrey." and still the sense of love is present.

However, in the same letter Holmes call Watson "an ideal helpmate", or "un ayudante ideal" in Spanish. Ayudante is used here as a helper, and it doesn't have the same strong feeling that helpmate that can be used for spouse. Helpmate has a degree of affection that ayudante doesn't have. Ayudante is more used in work or study context, and in my personal opinion it's too cold to use with somebody that has been at your side for so many years. Shame on you, Holmes in Spanish! ಠ_ಠ

This story has something, that little spiciness between James and Godfrey, and in the constants laments of Holmes missing Watson that even translating love as cariño or aprecio you can feel something intense is happening here. To finish this I quote Jesús Ulceroy's comments of this story and the role of Watson in Holmes' work as a detective:

Si sabemos leer entre líneas, nos damos cuenta de que la torpeza de Watson es una figuración, un fingimiento. Un ardid que permite al ambiente relajarse y que agudiza los sentidos analíticos del detective. Pese a todo, Holmes nos vuelve a dar su bofetada al declarar resuelto el caso mucho antes del final del mismo: un final seco y feliz. Un final explicativo. Y un ardiente deseo finamente expresado para que Watson vuelva. ¡Ah, el amor, sus egoísmos!

Translating into English is:

If we know how to read between the lines, we realize that Watson's clumsiness is a figuration, a pretence. A trick that allows the environment to relax and that sharpens the detective's analytical senses. Despite everything, Holmes slaps us again by declaring the case solved long before its end: a dry and happy ending. An explanatory ending. And a finely expressed burning wish for Watson to return. Ah, the love, the selfishness of it!

[gregorovitch-adler]

I recently finished reading The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier.

It's from Holmes' POV and Watson is absent in the story. His absence is too palpable.

Holmes is a very interesting character in himself (obviously), but without Watson, the story just... doesn't feel the same.

And here it is that I miss my Watson.

- (Sherlock Holmes, The Blanched Soldier)

Me too, man. Me too.

[foiledbymyurgetoinfodump]

Collection of quotes from The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier and The Adventure of the Lions Mane.

[no-side-us]

Letters From Watson Liveblog - Dec. 1

The Blanched Soldier, Part 1 of 3

Thinking about it now, the fact Watson is a doctor and has recreationally read medical texts and monographs before tells me that, if he wanted, he probably could write a very fact-based and rigid study of the adventures he's been on. The type of thing that Holmes would view rather more favorably than the "popular taste."

And now Holmes realizes why Watson writes the way he does, for a general audience and not studiers of observation. Does this mean Holmes is therefore attempting to mimic the way Watson writes? Which is a pretty good excuse on Doyle's part to not change writing styles.

Even in a story where Watson is absent, Holmes takes the opportunity as narrator to compliment Watson and his unique qualities.

I don't remember who this wife is supposed to be, but I'm pretty sure it's not Mary. Regardless, I love the implied bitterness from Holmes calling it a "selfish action" and the short line at the end simply stating "I was alone." You can tell he's lost without his Boswell.

Holmes astonishing Mr. Dodd with his observations, combined with his deduction of him as an army man, feels like a parallel to Holmes' first meeting with Watson.

There must be numerous interesting cases Holmes could have written about, but the fact he chose one about a man who has lost his best friend and is willing to do anything to get him back is such a good contextual way to show he misses Watson, if that was the intention.

For a story that is entirely absent of Watson, I sure have talked a lot about him in disregard to the actual plot. It's like one of those situations where a character's absence is in of itself a presence in the story. Anyways, Mr. Dodd loves Godfrey and isn't that swell.

He probably could've just said "no, he's not dead," but he's a butler, so he might as well be all cryptic about it.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

[specialagentartemis]

hello i am courious, is the Doyle estate refering to the story scandal in bohemia as the Sherlock story where he respected women when they argued that sherlock respecting women wasn't in the public domain yet?

Nope! Due to the way copyright was (or often wasn’t) registered in the 1800s, “A Scandal in Bohemia” has been public domain for many decades. Only the latest Sherlock Holmes stories, the ones published after 1924 like “The Adventure of the Three Gables” or “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” were ever under the Doyle Estate’s copyright control.

It’s likely that the “only in the 1920s did he have friendship and feel emotions” refers to “The Adventure of the Three Garridebs,” where Holmes is unusually and overtly emotional. Watson gets shot and Holmes is understandably very concerned and upset about this! This is the source of the immortal line “It was worth a wound, it was worth many wounds, to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask... For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain.” That was a 1924 story, and I suspect that’s one of the things the Doyle Estate based the “Holmes having feelings is copyrighted” argument on.

As for respecting women, I have no idea where that argument comes from, because as you point out, “A Scandal in Bohemia” has been public domain for-basically-ever. Which is why the basis of their lawsuit is so absurd.

The thing is, the Doyle estate doesn’t really want to enforce “Sherlock Holmes must be sexist.” They don’t really care about that. They want Netflix to pay them royalties. And if Netflix doesn’t ask their permission and blessing (and pay them royalties), they will sue, and they want Netflix to settle and pay them some money to go away. (Which they may have, actually; I may have misinterpreted what the case being dismissed meant.) Which I suspect is why big-budget productions like Netflix shows are targets, but the original middle-grade novel series of Enola Holmes was not: there’s no money to be made in suing midlist kids’ books. There is money in suing Netflix. It’s all about money and the feeling of ownership.

[fiftytwotwentytwo]

Last of the Breed

Author: Louis L' Amour

Adventure / Military Fiction

Page Count: 457

How did I come across this book?:

I purposely attempted to find a Western and researched the author Louis L'Amour - who in (my) High School was dubbed the Shakespeare of the Western novel. Some sources claimed Last of the Breed to be L' Amour's best book.

Review:

Well, first off - I sought out a Western and didn't get a Western- I got a Historical Military book instead (some research, huh). Once I realized - I had an immediate prejudice towards reading this book because I hate war/military genres and period pieces. Granted, I was not too jazzed about Westerns either - but - don't knock 'em until you try 'em.

I tried to keep a level head.

The first couple chapters were not too bad - they read like a Jason Bourne movie in Ol' Mother Russia - started off with a nice escape... but... then it started to read like all the boring parts from a Jason Bourn movie and didn't bounce back.

The book is intoxicated with tons of internal thoughts/monologues from both protagonist and antagonists which are loaded with overbearing bits of forshadowing

Internal thought from Main Protagonist:

"They'll never find me...unless they have an expert tracker."

NEXT CHAPTER:

Russian Soldier:

"This man is eluding us like a fart in the wind. We'll never find him!"

Expert Tracker:

"You forget, I am an expert tracker. He ate deer scat for breakfast, took a dump in that bush over yonder, and went that way. We'll catch him by the end of the day... unless he set elaborate booby traps."

(repeat cycle...)

*** Note: Ol' Louis L'Amour did not actually right those passages from above - that was a little (hopefully) humorous carte blanche from yours truly - but the cadence is the exact same ***

The story had, in my opinion, a confusing passage of time. Days...Weeks... Months could pass in a single paragraph. It also didn't help with each new chapter the perspective jumped to another character completely out left field - absolute horrible transitions.

The actions/pacing at times was absurdly choppy - to the extent characteristics/items appeared out of nowhere - and - then there were heavy moments of repetitiveness and redundancies similar to the conversation of a parrot.

There was also back to back statements that contradicted each other - things like saying there is No Snow only to have the characters, lines later, trudging through Snow.

The descriptions of the settings/locales were extremely conservative that story might as well taken place in a paper bag.

Throw in some dull side characters who for some reason receive their own fifteen minutes of tepid fame, and a bland love story - like so bland the main characters don't even recognize they are in love - like two Zuckerbergs in elevator - blander than two stay-at-home moms trying to make a facebook rummage sale happen in an abandoned Radio Shack parking lot... that's still too spicy... change that to an abandoned K-Mart parking lot!

For the all disparaging remarks the book did have some small pops poofs of excitement - almost infinitesimal all because of the blatant foreshadowing - but exciting nonetheless.

Personal Rating: 3/10

Yearly Book Total: 34

Total Page Count: 11,534 pages