WEEK 18, 2021 PUBLIC DOMAIN In Arthur Conan Doyle’s very short “The Field Bazaar,” Sherlock Holmes (L) deduces what Dr. Watson is thinking by watching him reading a letter, not a newspaper, as in the case, here, of “The Five Orange Pips.” Sidney Paget’s illustration is from The Strand Magazine. LITERATURE ‘The Field Bazaar’ at 125 Years—Sherlock Holmes and the Importance of Trifles The mystery of the story and the character SEAN FITZPATRICK is very much alive in the story’s tiny mys- The tery, as it furthers the saga-shifting concept characters The n 1886, a struggling 27-year-old phy- of apocryphal writings—a suspicion that Dr. Watson (L) sician named Arthur Conan Doyle has egged scholars on and enticed the intel- and Sherlock towering made a fateful decision that was in- lects of readers for over a century, and shall, Holmes are tended simply to pay the bills, but that God willing, for centuries to come. beloved around mystery of the world. The would end up enriching the world. Sherlock statues, erected IHe published a novella featuring an ec- The Bizarre Origin of in 1997, are Holmes is centric consulting detective by the name of ‘The Field Bazaar’ near the British Sherlock Holmes. With “A Study in Scarlet” While writing these stories proved suc- Embassy in very much appearing in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in cessful in covering Doyle’s costs of liv- Moscow. 1887, the stage was set for what would prove ing, Sherlock Holmes himself came with alive in one of the greatest archetypical creations a price—time and energy. “He takes my the tiny in the history of literature. mind from better things,” Doyle wrote And yet, it was a creation Doyle would before releasing “The Final Problem” in mystery of destroy, only to realize later that he had 1893, where he finally disposed of his prob- started something too powerful for him lem and dispatched Sherlock Holmes for ‘The Field to end. And one of the initial white flags good and all, plunging him to his death Bazaar.’ that Doyle was forced to wave to appease a beneath Switzerland’s Reichenbach Falls disapproving public was a trifle in the form in a struggle with his archnemesis, Pro- of a charming exchange between Holmes fessor James Moriarty. “Killed Holmes,” and his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, Doyle wrote tersely in his diary, and his titled “The Field Bazaar,” published in 1896, readership was shocked and dismayed, 125 years ago this year. wore mourning bands in public, and shed As Mr. Holmes remarked, “there is noth- tears in private over the impossible pages ing so important as trifles,” and if it is any- of The Strand. thing, “The Field Bazaar” is a trifle. The -tow SHUTTERSTOCK ering mystery of Sherlock Holmes, however, Continued on Page 4 IRINA AFONSKAYA/ VA B22 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY,Week MAY 18, 4, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 18, 2021 MAY 4, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B3 3 BARANQ/SHUTTERSTOCK LITERATURE program or just for enjoyment. ough I can’t put my hands on the book, I remember William Kilpatrick’s “Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right From Wrong” included a ne list of books for Pointing Us in the younger children and for teenagers, all of them aimed at inculcating morality Right Direction: and virtue in their readers. Good Books ‘Books about books’ constitute one of my favorite genres Looking for a for reading. “Honey for a Child’s Heart” good book? About Great suggests books that will Here are terrific instill morality in a child. resources for Online Resources finding terrific books. Here, we need to exercise caution. When Books I Googled “best books for teens,” for example, one site that popped up sug- leLatin.com/ and click on “Books and classes were students unfamiliar with cer- gested 20 books that teens should read Summer Reading.” tain commonplace nursery rhymes. Some JEFF MINICK an impressive list of “Books Read” and before leaving high school. None of the One excellent list of books for teens had only a vague notion of our Founding another of “Books Bought.” Hornby ex- books were older than 80 years, and may be found online at “Best Classic and our Constitution, or had little or no henever I write for presses himself with humor and wit, nearly all of them were written in the Books for Teens (141 Books).” Here, as knowledge of American gures like John e Epoch Times or and blends passions other than litera- last three decades. When you look over well as classics like “ e Odyssey” and and Abigail Adams, Booker T. Washington, other outlets about ture into these reviews, with soccer and such a list, be vigilant and discerning to “Jane Eyre,” we nd books by writers and eodore Roosevelt. books, which is fre- music at the top of the list. see if the recommendations align with like Roald Dahl, T.H. White, and Patricia One mission of e Epoch Times is the quently, a reader or two If you’re looking for a collection that your values. Search out online reviews, MacLachlan. celebration and preservation of culture. willW email me asking if I might send includes modern books and classics, an and read the description of the book, its Sections in the paper like “Arts & Cul- them a list of authors and titles worth enormous variety of subjects, and an er- characters, and its plot before handing Shared Reading ture,” “Life & Tradition,” “Home,” and their while. Most of them are looking udite author who like Dirda and Hornby it over to your child. One of the great joys of reading is a book “Mind & Body” all include many articles for suggestions for their children and is an inveterate reader, “1,000 Books to If you’re looking for the classics, the shared with a friend. Using the resourc- that emphasize handing over the gifts grandchildren, seeking to supplement Read Before You Die” should make the “Great Books List” from the Charlemagne es mentioned above, we can easily or- from the past to the present generation. their education with quality literature top of the list as well. James Mustich used Institute o ers a ne online compila- ganize a book club for ourselves or for We can all take part in this mission by and histories. A few are autodidacts to write the reviews for selected books for tion of such works. Here, editor Annie our children. Young people nd such actively engaging with history, the arts, who, feeling that they are missing some his catalog, “A Common Reader,” which Holmquist contacted various classical get-togethers to discuss a shared book and the customs of our ancestors; in other fundamental part of their education, was cause for celebration every time it schools, both private and public, asked an incentive for reading the book in the words, by reading books. seek books to ll those gaps. arrived in my mail. In “1,000 Books,” he what their students were reading, and rst place, but they also see them as just e guides mentioned here—and these ough my responses are, I am certain, displays the talents honed in producing made a list of the most popular of these plain fun. Several of my grandchildren are but a fraction of what is available— sometimes inadequate, these inquisitive that catalog and creates a treasure house books for grades K–12. Some parents and have participated in these clubs and re- point us to titles and authors that can help folks have in one sense come to the right of titles and authors. teachers might be taken aback by some turn home excited by the conversation accomplish that task. All we have to do is guy. “Books about books” constitute one While writing this article, I randomly of these titles, particularly for the high James Mustich’s book and their friends. pick up these tools and put them to use. of my favorite genres for reading. opened “1,000 Books” and found myself school grades, and shake their heads, includes modern books and e same holds true for adults. A book In my home library are a dozen or in the “K” section. Here, in alphabeti- believing that famous works like “ e classics, on an enormous club can serve as a springboard into Je Minick has four children and a more such books, ranging in size from cal order by author were Roger Kahn’s Aeneid” or Sophocles’s “ eban Plays” variety of subjects. reading the great classics or sharing growing platoon of grandchildren. Men’s Versatile Polo Nick Hornby’s plump “Ten Years in the baseball book, “ e Boys of Summer,” are too di cult for young people today. some worthwhile contemporary works. For 20 years, he taught history, Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books” Madeleine Kamman’s “When French Not so. I taught some of the books on literature, and Latin to seminars of to Michael Dirda’s slim and elegant Women Cook,” and MacKinlay Kantor’s the Charlemagne Institute list to classes Who’s Noah? homeschooling students in Asheville, Sign up to our newsletter and “Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Civil War ctional masterpiece, “An- of homeschoolers, and though some of In one of the books I looked over while N.C. He is the author of two novels, Life.” Roberto Cotroneo makes far fewer dersonville.” ese entries demonstrate my students struggled—and probably a preparing this article—I can’t recollect “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On eir save 10% off your first order. recommendations in “Letters to My Son Mustich’s broad knowledge of literature few never read the assigned texts—the the book—a professor recounted an in- Wings,” and two works of non- ction, on the Love of Books,” but writes beauti- and his skill in delivering concise and majority had the ability to understand cident from his classroom.