The Count of Monte Cristo
We were watching the Olympic windsurfing off Marseille in the Mediterranean.
It was impressive and the commentary was informative. Barry was talking me through race tactics, none of which were sticking, while I was wondering what horse racing had to do with it. Then I realised it was course racing - or coarse racing? No, course racing.
One of the commentators said something about where the Count of Monte Cristo had lived. It almost sounded as though he thought Le Comte de Monte-Cristo had been an actual person rather than a figment of Alexandre Dumas’ imagination, who was helped to realisation by his collaborating writer, August Maquet.
It’s akin to people believing that Sherlock Holmes was a real person living at 221B Baker Street.
Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to create the great detective by Doctor Joseph Bell, whom he met in 1877 and worked for as a clerk. Joseph Bell (1837-1911), was a Scottish surgeon and a lecturer in medicine at Edinburgh University. He emphasised the importance of careful observation when diagnosing ailments and was often able to determine a patient’s employment by so doing. He became a forerunner in forensic science, especially pathology, at a time when such methods were in their infancy in criminal investigations. He wrote several medical textbooks and was also Queen Victoria’s personal physician when she was in Scotland.
The fantasy of Sherlock Holmes being a real person is further encouraged by the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, which is actually at 239 Baker Street. The museum opened in 1990 and even has a blue plaque. A blue plaque is a marker to commemorate famous people or notable events.
As an insight into the Victorian London of an iconic detective, it is unparalleled and entirely fictitious. The accoutrements of Victorian life are there in abundance and visitors may be forgiven for feeling slightly confused by this elaborate acknowledgement of a literary fabricated phenomenon.
I knew Sherlock Holmes was fictional, but thought The Count of Monte-Cristo was based upon a true happening, about a real person.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. I've just found this: 'Dantès is likely based on the real story of Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker falsely accused of treason who, once released from prison, embarked on a course of vengence that spun wildly out of hand. Like his real counterpart, the fictional Dantès works to exact revenge on all those who have wronged him.'
DeleteI've been to the Sherlock Holmes museum and yes, I realize it's all a fantasy but it was fun and well worth the visit!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it:-)
DeleteSherlock Holmes on channels make him fight like a superhero these days. I prefer the good old detective work just like in the stories
ReplyDeleteSome of the modern interpretations are quite ridiculous.
DeleteBack in the Dark Ages I worked in an office on Trafalgar Square, and behind the building was a pub called the Sherlock Holmes, a favourite haunt of both my harder drinking colleagues (of which there were many in those days) and of Japanese tourists. One colleague used to joke that he'd been filmed having a pint at the bar among all the Sherlock memorabilia he must have been a video star in Japan by now!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
. . . but did he get the royalties? What fun!
DeleteLike River I also thought there was a real Count of Monte-Cristo, or the story based on someone, not that I've read the book.
ReplyDeleteI looked it up to find that you and River are both right.
Delete'Dantès is likely based on the real story of Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker falsely accused of treason who, once released from prison, embarked on a course of vengence that spun wildly out of hand. Like his real counterpart, the fictional Dantès works to exact revenge on all those who have wronged him.'
Oh no! Was Sherlock not real?? But I've seen him on the telly!
ReplyDeleteYou can't even believe your own eyes these days.
DeleteIt's like these people who think that actors are the people they're portraying. I can't imagine getting so engrossed in something fictional that I think it's real life.
ReplyDeleteSome people find it hard to keep a sense of proportion. I suppose it's a tribute to the acting/writing.
DeleteSherlock Holmes might have been a literary character, but his books had a huge impact on our young lives. So I really enjoyed the museum.
ReplyDeleteI noted that the museum said they used authentic Victorian furniture and objects, and a treasure trove of items 'belonging' to Sherlock. So they have taken the fake authenticity very seriously :)
Indeed they have, which could cause even more confusion;-)
DeleteYour experience watching the Olympic windsurfing led to some interesting reflections on literature and reality. It’s fascinating how characters like the Count of Monte Cristo and Sherlock Holmes can sometimes blur the lines between fiction and reality for people. The parallels you draw between the fictional world and real-life inspirations, like Joseph Bell’s influence on Sherlock Holmes, are thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteThe Sherlock Holmes Museum’s presence at 239 Baker Street, despite the fictional address, highlights how deeply ingrained these literary figures have become in our cultural consciousness. It’s a testament to how compelling and influential fiction can be, creating such vivid and lasting impressions that they almost feel tangible.
Thanks for sharing these intriguing observations!
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People are strange beasts.
ReplyDeleteJaycee's comment made me laugh :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved how your blog post evolved from Olympic windsurfing to Sherlock Holmes! xxx
The mind works in strange ways . . . ;-)
DeleteI enjoyed reading about Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Never thought he was a real person, but would really like to visit the museum.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite an attraction.
DeleteThat does all sound a bit daft! But fun, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI love how the post started out and ended. Sounds like quite a jump down a rabbit hole lol
ReplyDeleteI think some might call it 'scatterbrained.'
DeleteI can remember feeling somewhat cheated when I first discovered Sherlock Holmes was fiction!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
I like that:-)
DeleteI have visited Sherlock Holmes in Baker street ! Funny, btw, the Olympic games had quite a lot of "quacks" which came out now, the naked blue guy represented not the last supper, but another painting with Bacchus, the Roman God. That's such a complicated interpretation, that was given by the French government, that it is not surprising that all the American bigots protested violently, so the poor blue man made a public apology. And the incidents continue, the dirty Seine, etc etc ! it's à la Française, very pompous from the outside but it's better not to look closer !
ReplyDeleteI still don't know why he was blue . . .
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