The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his famous detective. The Thammasat University Libraries own a selection of film adaptations of the many other Sherlock Holmes stories which may be seen at the Rewat Bhuddinan Center of the Pridi Banomyong Library. Yet reading the original stories which are also present in different editions in the TU Libraries collection, is especially enjoyable. The TU Libraries have newly acquired a series of translations into Thai language of the Sherlock Holmes stories, which may be read by anyone who is worried about not understanding parts of the original English versions.

Sherlock Holmes has been so popular over the years that more than 75 actors have played the role in filmed adaptations since 1900, including Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Robert Downey Jr. Why have readers enjoyed Sherlock Holmes for so many years, when other detective stories have been forgotten? In 2012, the British philosopher John Gray, whose books are in the TU Libraries collection, suggested in an article on the BBC website:

The fictional detective retains his grip on our imaginations, even in an age when we have lost faith in the power of reason to solve problems…When the future seems more than usually uncertain and there’s something troubling in the present, it’s natural to look to the past. Could that be why the figure of Sherlock Holmes is once again in our minds?… Holmes uses the power of his luminous intellect to solve seemingly insoluble riddles. He is described as relying on reason, employing a science of deduction that enables him to explain events that have so far proved baffling. Yet it’s not the methods used by the fictional detective that fascinate us. It’s the contradictory figure of Holmes himself.

Professor Gray pointed out that Holmes solves most of his cases by paying attention to small details that might seem unimportant to other observers. Then he imagines explanations for these tiny details, and decides which explanation seems the most reasonable. As Holmes told Watson in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes:

I can never bring you to realise the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb nails, or the great issues that may hang from a bootlace.

Holmes uses lots of educated guesses, like a doctor trying to diagnose an illness. Conan Doyle, who studied medicine, claimed to have based the character of Holmes on a professor of medicine whom he know. Holmes is not a perfect hero. Sometimes he is rude to Doctor Watson, who remains his best and most loyal friend. Yet readers still find him fascinating, flaws and all.

Sherlock Holmes in Thailand

Last year, the website of the British Embassy in Bangkok posted a blog mentioning that as all Thais know, His Majesty King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) was inspired to create Thailand’s first consulting detective, Nai Thong-In, modeled on Sherlock Holmes.

In 2009, Assistant Professor Thosaeng Chaochuti of the Department of Comparative Literature, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, published an article in Manusya: Journal of Humanities. Ajarn Thosaeng’s article discussed how King Rama VI adapted Edgar Allan Poe’s detective story “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and was later inspired by Sherlock Holmes. The King’s story

Phu rai kha khon thi Bangkhunphrom (The Murderer of Bangkhunphrom) was first published under the pen name of Nai Kaew Nai Kwan in 1905. It was part of a series called Nithan Thong-in which consisted of fifteen short stories that were published in Thawi panya journal from 1904-05. Prince Vajiravudh later revised eleven of these stories and published them under the new pen name of Ramchitti in the weekly newspaper Dusitsamit. The revised stories, which appeared from April – December 1921, were given the new name of Prapruttikan khong nai Thong-in Rattananet (The Adventure of Mr. Thong-in Rattananet). Rattanachai published these stories in book form under the (The Murderer of Bangkhunphrom), Prince Vajiravudh’s adaptation of Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” The story revolves around a Thai detective named Nai Thong-in Rattananet whose help is solicited by the local police when they are stumped by the mysterious murder of Nai Rod. In the end, Nai Thongin is able to solve the murder and to reveal that a pet orang-outan of a farang is responsible for the crime.

Fashionable Sherlock Holmes in Bangkok

Following the example of HM King Rama VI, many Thai people have been inspired by Conan Doyle’s characters. In 2013, The Nation reported that one of the Kingdom’s leading fashionistas, Wannaporn Poshyanonda, known as Duang, had designed a limited edition of clutch handbags under the personal brand RougeRouge, in part inspired by Sherlock Holmes. As editor-in-chief of Harper’s BAZAAR Thailand, Khun Duang expressed fashion trends:

Girls are encouraged to sport their masculine side with bags inspired by Sherlock Holmes that come in the shapes of a pipe and a pistol.

Sherlock Holmes often smoked a pipe in the Conan Doyle stories, although he tended to rely on Doctor Watson to carry a gun and fire it if necessary. In 2011, The Nation also noted a charity fashion show in Siam Paragon inspired by Holmes. The Japanese menswear brand Hokuto wanted to raise funds to help victims of the flood by showing a winter collection:

Each of the patterns features different images from the Sherlock Holmes storyline, for example a man with a pipe, an antique typewriter or a magnifying glass, patterns that make the collection even more interesting.

Sherlock on Film in Bangkok

While Thai fans of Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr. are  aware of these stars’ performances as Holmes, last year Bangkok moviegoers showed an interest in an earlier historical adaptation of the stories. The Thai Film Archive’s second Silent Film Festival in Thailand was on view at the Lido cinemas in Siam Square. A rare 1916 movie adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, long feared lost, was screened. It was originally filmed in Chicago and had been mis-catalogued in Paris’ Cinémathèque Française archive under the wrong label. The film stars William Gillette, an American actor who had toured for many year in theatrical productions about Holmes. A century ago, Gillette invented some aspects of the way Holmes has been shown on film. For that reason, one silent film blogger concluded about the Gillette film shown at the Silent Film Festival in Thailand:

So, was this film worth the wait? Most certainly. While it has its flaws with pacing and staginess, it is worth it to catch a glimpse of Gillette’s important contributions to the Holmes legend. Eille Norwood remains the silent Holmes extraordinaire but like every other Holmes who came before or after, he owes at least something to Mr. Gillette. This is a valuable piece of movie history and is absolutely worth your time.

In the early 1920s, the British actor Eille Norwood played the role of Holmes in 45 short silent films and two feature movies. For those inspired by such examples of fashion and film on view in Thailand, it is also possible to try to become Holmes at the Escape Hunt Experience Bangkok on Sukhumvit Road, Asok Junction Level B2, Interchange (Citibank) Tower, Bangkok which invites visitors to channel [their] inner Sherlock Holmes. The Escape Hunt Experience Bangkok is a themed adventure where a team plays the role of a London detective solving a mystery in old Siam. A group of from two to five players is locked into rooms with a series of clues, and must solve the mystery within a limited amount of time. Yet for those who enjoy a quieter experience, there is nothing quite like reading the original stories and thinking about them. This was the message of the Great Detective Quiz organized in 2012 by The Sherlock Holmes Society of Siam.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).