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"The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster by Don W. Baranowski"
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The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster by Don W. Baranowski
Reviewed By Scott Harker
Publisher: Infinity Publishing Company, Copyright 2006, First Edition.
The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster by Don W. Baranowski appears to be a first novel by this author. This is one of the worst Sherlock Holmes pastiches I have ever read. I am reviewing it here in hopes that other first time authors will take a little bit more time to rewrite their work and get a an editor to help them. I know that many authors want to show their love of the world of Sherlock Holmes, by writing about it, but they still must do a good job...
The Story: Dr. Watson first tells us that this story was not to be published in his lifetime, but he did tell it to Mary Shelley... Since in our world, there is a 60-70 year gap between 1819, when Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published and the time when Holmes and Watson are having their adventures (1879-onward), this threw me for a loop. Then I made a "reader's decision" and decided to pretend that this was an alternate universe story.
To continue: A medical friend of Watson's seeks help over a friend's condition. The friend turns out to be Dr. Frankenstein, who is very sad and despondant because he has created a monster. Of course, he does not reveal this to Holmes and Watson, who nonetheless decide to drop everything and help him. For several months, they try to help him...
Eventually, Dr. Frankenstein's younger brother is murdered by the monster and Holmes investigates, ineffectually. He even confronts the monster, but doesn't quite get what is going on... A woman is murdered, Holmes does not prevent this.
Eventually, again, Holmes, Watson and Dr. Frankenstein pursue the murderer (the monster) through the ice and snow of Northern Europe. They catch up with the monster, but are unable to capture him. Instead, an agreement is made to build a bride for the monster. Holmes seems to have no problem with the agreement, he purposes no alternative nor can he come up with a useful way to deal with the monster - although they spent several weeks pursuing him...
Time passes: A trap is set-up by Holmes to destroy the monster in London. It fails, someone dies. Holmes and Watson go the hometown of Dr. Frankenstein to attend the wedding of Dr. Frankenstein and to protect the doctor's soon-to-be-wife. They fail in this as well...
Eventually, the book ends... The result was that nothing Holmes or Watson did had any positive effect - they were useless...
The Writing: There are three elements that most Sherlock Holmes pastiches contain: 1) An interesting use of Sherlock Holmes, other characters or descendents of characters in the Sherlock Holmes world. 2) A good story, usually a mystery, but not always. 3) Good writing.
Excel in any one of these three elements and you can create a successful Sherlock Holmes pastche. Succeed in three areas and you have given a great gift to the world...
Don W. Baranowski fails in all three areas.
The writing is haphazard and is full of misused words - "here" for "hear" for example. College students in the first year of creative writing could do a better job. Descriptions and dialog were of little interest... A complete rewriting and plotting of the story and a good editor might have saved this.
The characterizations of Holmes and Watson (and everyone else) just lacked substance...
The story itself was rambling and irrelevent. Nothing happened that added anything to the mythology of Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Frankenstein and the Frankenstein monster.
The Rating: ... I am giving this novel, a rating of 0 "Pipes." If you have to own every Sherlock Holmes pastiche ever printed, then you will buy this book. Otherwise save you money for all the good pastches that keep getting printed every month.
Still to purchase this book on Amazon, visit: Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster
The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster by Don W. Baranowski appears to be a first novel by this author. This is one of the worst Sherlock Holmes pastiches I have ever read. I am reviewing it here in hopes that other first time authors will take a little bit more time to rewrite their work and get a an editor to help them. I know that many authors want to show their love of the world of Sherlock Holmes, by writing about it, but they still must do a good job...
The Story: Dr. Watson first tells us that this story was not to be published in his lifetime, but he did tell it to Mary Shelley... Since in our world, there is a 60-70 year gap between 1819, when Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published and the time when Holmes and Watson are having their adventures (1879-onward), this threw me for a loop. Then I made a "reader's decision" and decided to pretend that this was an alternate universe story.
To continue: A medical friend of Watson's seeks help over a friend's condition. The friend turns out to be Dr. Frankenstein, who is very sad and despondant because he has created a monster. Of course, he does not reveal this to Holmes and Watson, who nonetheless decide to drop everything and help him. For several months, they try to help him...
Eventually, Dr. Frankenstein's younger brother is murdered by the monster and Holmes investigates, ineffectually. He even confronts the monster, but doesn't quite get what is going on... A woman is murdered, Holmes does not prevent this.
Eventually, again, Holmes, Watson and Dr. Frankenstein pursue the murderer (the monster) through the ice and snow of Northern Europe. They catch up with the monster, but are unable to capture him. Instead, an agreement is made to build a bride for the monster. Holmes seems to have no problem with the agreement, he purposes no alternative nor can he come up with a useful way to deal with the monster - although they spent several weeks pursuing him...
Time passes: A trap is set-up by Holmes to destroy the monster in London. It fails, someone dies. Holmes and Watson go the hometown of Dr. Frankenstein to attend the wedding of Dr. Frankenstein and to protect the doctor's soon-to-be-wife. They fail in this as well...
Eventually, the book ends... The result was that nothing Holmes or Watson did had any positive effect - they were useless...
The Writing: There are three elements that most Sherlock Holmes pastiches contain: 1) An interesting use of Sherlock Holmes, other characters or descendents of characters in the Sherlock Holmes world. 2) A good story, usually a mystery, but not always. 3) Good writing.
Excel in any one of these three elements and you can create a successful Sherlock Holmes pastche. Succeed in three areas and you have given a great gift to the world...
Don W. Baranowski fails in all three areas.
The writing is haphazard and is full of misused words - "here" for "hear" for example. College students in the first year of creative writing could do a better job. Descriptions and dialog were of little interest... A complete rewriting and plotting of the story and a good editor might have saved this.
The characterizations of Holmes and Watson (and everyone else) just lacked substance...
The story itself was rambling and irrelevent. Nothing happened that added anything to the mythology of Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Frankenstein and the Frankenstein monster.
The Rating: ... I am giving this novel, a rating of 0 "Pipes." If you have to own every Sherlock Holmes pastiche ever printed, then you will buy this book. Otherwise save you money for all the good pastches that keep getting printed every month.
Still to purchase this book on Amazon, visit: Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Frankenstein Monster
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For a current bibliography of hundreds Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, please visit: List of Sherlock Holmes Pastiches To Purchase Sherlock Holmes Pastiches through Amazon, Visit: Sherlock Holmes Bookstore To Purchase Sherlock Holmes Pastiches through Barnes&Noble, Visit: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches Shop For Sherlock Holmes Collectibles, Gifts and More, Visit: Eliminate The Impossible, Sherlock Holmes Gift Shop Auction listings for books with keyword: Sherlock Holmes Pastiche - Find the latest eBay listings for Sherlock Holmes Pastiche. Auction listings for books with keyword: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches - Find the latest eBay listings for Sherlock Holmes Pastiches. Different items are usually displayed when the plural form of pastiche is used. Auction listings for items with keyword: Sherlock Holmes Signed - Under Signed Sherlock Holmes you will discover other items on Ebay that the above keywords miss - usually though there are more non-related items to sift through. Sherlock Holmes Movies - DVD's & Blu-ray, etc., Visit Stuff of Dreams Sherlock Holmes Movie Store For More Resources to purchase Sherlock Holmes Pastiches: Purchasing Sherlock Holmes Videos about Sherlock Holmes and Related Subjects Sherlock Holmes Videos |
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