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A review by the_jesus_fandom
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer, Peter Ferguson
2.0
Yes, I am once again back (I read this book and the one before it within one day, so yeah)
Anyway
Dislikes
1) “‘Curses! Ye gods,’ I muttered naughtily” Enola, shut up.
2) An explanation for the disappearance of Dr. Watson is that “he might have been attacked by an anti-vaccination mob”. This is the second time in the books that anti-vaxxers have randomly been mentioned like this. It serves nothing but the author’s political agenda.
3) Okay you know what I am sick and tired of Sherlock and Mycroft being portrayed as soooooo sexist. They stop going to a certain shop because the owner is now a strong-minded woman, which they can’t stand; Sherlock doesn’t notice the weird bouquet Mrs. Watson receives, cause, y’know, he’s a man and therefore doesn’t think flowers are worth noticing; he doesn’t even look at Enola because she’s just a lady… First of all, the worst thing canon!Sherlock says about women is that he does not trust them. He actually compliments women’s keen insight more than once. Secondly, Sherlock the detective looks at and deduces things about everyone. He should have noticed Enola’s disguise, seeing as to how he’s literally a master of disguise himself. And the flowers? Yes, I think that if the great detective’s personal friend went missing, he would be smart enough to realise that a weird bouquet like the one mentioned is off… especially since he knows Enola and her mum are communicating through flowers. His mind is already on flowers! Also: “Neither of them [Sherlock and Mycroft] could imaginatively enter the mind of any woman”. Have you not read A Scandal in Bohemia?
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that this author needs to chill. Yes, women had less rights in Victorian (that’s the age, right?) times, but not every single frickin man was a sexist!
You also get annoying tidbits like this: “I firmly believe that the whole reason women must wear long skirts is so that they are unable to do anything worthwhile.” First of all, Enola, you really think there is some nefarious plot going on to stop all women from being themselves??? Through skirts???? Please shut up. Second of all, this is in the middle of a chase scene. Can we cut the political stuff and get to the action, please?
There’s a part where Enola complains that men are idiots and that being beautiful will get you way more attention.
Oh, and Enola tells a story of a women who was put away into an insane asylum because she sat down on the ground in her dress and her husband thought it was less embarrassing than divorce. Um….. okay. This author really wants to portray these times as just a living hell, doesn’t she?
Basically: It wasn’t that bad! And men aren’t all trash.
4) The above example is the only reason Enola ever gives for her not wanting to marry ever. That’s the only reason. Once again, if women are so cool, why is matrimony such a bad thing?
5) “[…] there were always a few eccentric amateur scientists, followers of Malthus and Darwin, trying to cross-pollinate orchids in hothouses”. Once again Malthus and Darwin being amazing geniuses. But… why not mention Gregor Mendel? You know, father of modern genetics? The guy with the peas? Yeah, he actually discovered something instead of repackaging old ideas in shiny new paper. If you’re gonna talk about cross-pollination, this man might be worth a mention. It’s because he was a devout Christian monk, isn’t it?
6)
7)
Likes
1) Dr. Watson is the main focus, and that is as it should be. (although, since he’s missing, and the book is from Enola’s perspective, we don’t really see him a lot)
2) Secret messages through flowers are one of my favourite tropes. Do people still read things into bouquets like that?
3)
4) The bittersweet reunion scene was very beautiful.
5) Sherlock Holmes himself is also shown to be more and more caring about his younger sister.
6)
So there you have it! More feminist, atheist propaganda, but at least there’s flowers and lots of Dr. Watson content.
Anyway
Dislikes
1) “‘Curses! Ye gods,’ I muttered naughtily” Enola, shut up.
2) An explanation for the disappearance of Dr. Watson is that “he might have been attacked by an anti-vaccination mob”. This is the second time in the books that anti-vaxxers have randomly been mentioned like this. It serves nothing but the author’s political agenda.
3) Okay you know what I am sick and tired of Sherlock and Mycroft being portrayed as soooooo sexist. They stop going to a certain shop because the owner is now a strong-minded woman, which they can’t stand; Sherlock doesn’t notice the weird bouquet Mrs. Watson receives, cause, y’know, he’s a man and therefore doesn’t think flowers are worth noticing; he doesn’t even look at Enola because she’s just a lady… First of all, the worst thing canon!Sherlock says about women is that he does not trust them. He actually compliments women’s keen insight more than once. Secondly, Sherlock the detective looks at and deduces things about everyone. He should have noticed Enola’s disguise, seeing as to how he’s literally a master of disguise himself. And the flowers? Yes, I think that if the great detective’s personal friend went missing, he would be smart enough to realise that a weird bouquet like the one mentioned is off… especially since he knows Enola and her mum are communicating through flowers. His mind is already on flowers! Also: “Neither of them [Sherlock and Mycroft] could imaginatively enter the mind of any woman”. Have you not read A Scandal in Bohemia?
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that this author needs to chill. Yes, women had less rights in Victorian (that’s the age, right?) times, but not every single frickin man was a sexist!
You also get annoying tidbits like this: “I firmly believe that the whole reason women must wear long skirts is so that they are unable to do anything worthwhile.” First of all, Enola, you really think there is some nefarious plot going on to stop all women from being themselves??? Through skirts???? Please shut up. Second of all, this is in the middle of a chase scene. Can we cut the political stuff and get to the action, please?
There’s a part where Enola complains that men are idiots and that being beautiful will get you way more attention.
Oh, and Enola tells a story of a women who was put away into an insane asylum because she sat down on the ground in her dress and her husband thought it was less embarrassing than divorce. Um….. okay. This author really wants to portray these times as just a living hell, doesn’t she?
Basically: It wasn’t that bad! And men aren’t all trash.
4) The above example is the only reason Enola ever gives for her not wanting to marry ever. That’s the only reason. Once again, if women are so cool, why is matrimony such a bad thing?
5) “[…] there were always a few eccentric amateur scientists, followers of Malthus and Darwin, trying to cross-pollinate orchids in hothouses”. Once again Malthus and Darwin being amazing geniuses. But… why not mention Gregor Mendel? You know, father of modern genetics? The guy with the peas? Yeah, he actually discovered something instead of repackaging old ideas in shiny new paper. If you’re gonna talk about cross-pollination, this man might be worth a mention. It’s because he was a devout Christian monk, isn’t it?
6)
Spoiler
The villain is a mentally ill woman. I dislike this in general, because it’s easy for authors to use this as an excuse for a flawed plot: it doesn’t have to make sense, because the villain’s crazy! It also makes for gruesome scenes. And yes, this book has them. The lady’s face got eaten by rats.7)
Spoiler
“she made a much more satisfactory man than a woman, and it was narrow-minded of Pertelote to think otherwise” ….wut? This is about a woman who has literally no face left, disguising herself as a man to take revenge on Dr. Watson…. And this is what we have to say about it? Okay then.Likes
1) Dr. Watson is the main focus, and that is as it should be. (although, since he’s missing, and the book is from Enola’s perspective, we don’t really see him a lot)
2) Secret messages through flowers are one of my favourite tropes. Do people still read things into bouquets like that?
3)
Spoiler
Mycroft seems to care a bit more about stuff than was previously thought. Oh, and he knows about flowers!4) The bittersweet reunion scene was very beautiful.
5) Sherlock Holmes himself is also shown to be more and more caring about his younger sister.
6)
Spoiler
The fact that Enola guessed the solution because asparagus sounds like a spear of gus which sounds like Augustus which is the name of a guy recently put into an asylum is kinda hilarious to me. It should be in the dislikes, but it’s just so funny and preposterous how she keeps stumbling into clues that I’m gonna put it here.So there you have it! More feminist, atheist propaganda, but at least there’s flowers and lots of Dr. Watson content.