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Anyone here read Sherlock Holmes? If so, or if not, just thought it was kind of funny to think of him as one of the worlds greatest (all be it fictional) cold readers.

I don't find it odd... given his 'background'.

I'm a great Sherlock fan—and it seems it's a natural and quite enchanting thing that Holmes would use methods such as cold reading as a part of his criminal investigation.

Cold reading, in the context of Holmes, must be taken to mean "He can work out someone's character, past and actions merely by meeting them". In this way, the 'supernatural' power of being able to assess someone on sight is a fantastic way of sorting the wheat from the chaff in an investigation... absolutely thrilling.

Mix the cold reading with Holmes' logic, clarity and situation observation, and you have one of the best mixes possible for a 'crime solving superhero'.

I personally see echoes of Holmes in many subsequent detectives, such as Columbo, Miss Marple and Poirot—especially Poirot. The fact that Holmes was an expert cold reader fits totally with his mysterious personality well!

Yes, I'm a huge Holmes fan. I also love reading anything that invokes images of pea-soup fog London circa Victorian times. Jack the Ripper is another favourite - though his books can be a bit gorey at times.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation I think I was a chimney sweep in Victorian London. I appear to have a strange affinity with Dick Van Dyke and that "Chim-chiminy chim-chiminy chim chim charoo" song. It's my favourite musical song ever.

themagicwand wrote:If there is such a thing as reincarnation I think I was a chimney sweep in Victorian London. I appear to have a strange affinity with Dick Van Dyke and that "Chim-chiminy chim-chiminy chim chim charoo" song. It's my favourite musical song ever.

Hehehehe... I can see you now... the Mentalist Olde-London Chim-Chimeny sweep...

"Ello dooorrrrlin'... look deep into my... Um dida-lida-liddle-um... diddle-eye"

how to make anyone sound like Dick Van Dyke, just say the following two words: MAURI PARPENS...

abraxus wrote:how to make anyone sound like Dick Van Dyke, just say the following two words: MAURI PARPENS...

Yeah, from American deep south to Australia to New York to Wales in the space of one sentence.

abraxus wrote:how to make anyone sound like Dick Van Dyke, just say the following two words: MAURI PARPENS...

Which reminds me of the old favourite:

Try saying "Beer can" without sounding like a Jamaican saying "Bacon"

seige wrote:I don't find it odd... given his 'background'.

I'm a great Sherlock fan—and it seems it's a natural and quite enchanting thing that Holmes would use methods such as cold reading as a part of his criminal investigation.

Cold reading, in the context of Holmes, must be taken to mean "He can work out someone's character, past and actions merely by meeting them". In this way, the 'supernatural' power of being able to assess someone on sight is a fantastic way of sorting the wheat from the chaff in an investigation... absolutely thrilling.

Mix the cold reading with Holmes' logic, clarity and situation observation, and you have one of the best mixes possible for a 'crime solving superhero'.

Exactly what I wanted to say but put much more eloquently.

i always found it odd that conan doyle was so willing to believe in the spiritualist movement, when his most famous character was so ruthlessly efficent and practical. Moreover, in the first actual book (a study in scarlet) when he tels watson that he "iliminates the impossible and whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth" i always think howcould a doctor, nay a scottish doctor who wrote that sentence, be hoodwinked by parlor tricks. I know about his son, but still it's a curious change of philosophies........just a thought you know

From recent readings, it looks like his wife Louisa was the real force behind his spiritual beliefs. Being a 'medium' herself she had great power over her husband. Poor soul!

seige wrote:

themagicwand wrote:If there is such a thing as reincarnation I think I was a chimney sweep in Victorian London. I appear to have a strange affinity with Dick Van Dyke and that "Chim-chiminy chim-chiminy chim chim charoo" song. It's my favourite musical song ever.

Hehehehe... I can see you now... the Mentalist Olde-London Chim-Chimeny sweep...

"Ello dooorrrrlin'... look deep into my... Um dida-lida-liddle-um... diddle-eye"

EXcuse moi , One speaks like that.

Im a huge Holmes fan. I started reading them a couple months, and theyre just great. I bought the first two for about 5 bucks, and now Ive been finding great bargains for the rest. Really great. I cant stop thinking about how he should have been a mentalist.

spudgun wrote:I always found it odd that conan doyle was so willing to believe in the spiritualist movement, when his most famous character was so ruthlessly efficent and practical. Moreover, in the first actual book (a study in scarlet) when he tels watson that he "iliminates the impossible and whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth" I always think howcould a doctor, nay a scottish doctor who wrote that sentence, be hoodwinked by parlor tricks. I know about his son, but still it's a curious change of philosophies........just a thought you know

Exactly, this is the oddity...the whole spat with Houdini (see Doyle's The Edge of the Unknown) versus the logical deductive approach and his links with American pragmatism. Holmes also looks like a psychometrist, when he can tell so much from a man's pipe (relative wealth, left handed, height, etc.). It is worth reading the whole collection.