Customer Reviews

Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants Of Death

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a near lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes. When I was lawyering and hit a mental block, 20 minutes in a Holmes story cleared everything up. When Chris Wood e mailed me and offered a free book for a review, I was a bit put off by the title, since I ceased enjoying scatological humor around the 8th grade.

But it is a clever work, though Woods' Holmes is a far and distant cry from that of Conan Doyle. The former is a bumbling, egomaniacal, ethically challenged individual not a coldly logical and precise detective. The cases written of in the book would have, at a minimum, raised Victorian eyebrows to the hairline. I suspect that the folks at Amazon.com might well censor this review if I quoted the precise names of a couple of "cases".

But it is funny, if scatology is your thing. It is also heavily into things British, which may elude the American mind. And it is cleverly done, as noted.

I was prepared for worse, and have neighbors who would give the book a four star, because bathroom humor is their thing

I actually enjoyed reading this and though it contains some British humor that probably went by me without an "Oh, I get it" thought, most of it was hillarious. I love the way he played with the character's stereotypes. All-in-all; a good humor read.

I enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes in the past. That said, I was intrigued by the concept of this book.

Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death is a collection of essays, all of which poke fun of the Holmes/Watson relationship. Bathroom humor is the main theme, and I will admit that about halfway through I began to become bored with that aspect.

Still, I found myself reading this book slowly, as each sentence seems written...no....crafted, for a reason. Constantly, I found myself rereading a line with jaw dropped, head shaking, asking myself "Did he just say what I thought he said?"

Wood is a witty and clever author. A select audience for this book, but within that audience, he deserves to do well.

J.R. Reardon
author, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS

If you are expecting a typical Holmes and Watson outing, you will be greatly surprised at the satirical and often hilarious Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death. With true British humor on every page, the six short stories in this collection are in a class all their own. Although some might be put off by the nature of some the bathroom humor, most will enjoy the situations Holmes and Watson find themselves in. And in typical fashion, all cases are solved.

Those who are most familiar with the famous detective will enjoy and appreciate the comments and quirks throughout. This is truly a laugh out loud experience and one true Holmes fans should not miss.

Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants Of Death

First of all, this book is very entertaining. It's one of those bizarre combinations that work, like "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" - mix up elements you don't expect together and enjoy the results. It's incredibly good fun, and you don't need to be a massive Sherlock Holmes fan to enjoy the jokes. The pictures work as well - original nineteenth century illustrations with heavy sexual innuendoes and Groucho Marx wit.

This is an unusually funny book that combines sophisticated literary jokes with custard pie humor. Great stuff!

Chris Wood has written a collection of stories based on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his cohort Mr. Watson. The six short stories are in rare form- they made me laugh out loud at the interactions between the characters in the book and also wonder at the odd series of cases that they found themselves involved in. I enjoyed that each page is packed full of humor- some of which I admittedly didn't get- but that may be because I am too young... or just not British : )

Some of the stories did focus a lot on potty humor- and although I don't usually like that type of subject (being a mom who has spent a significant amount of time trying to get her kids not to giggle hysterically if one of them breaks wind) I found myself guilty of laughing.

If you like to be intellegently entertained while somehow also reveling in 8-year-old boy humor then this book is for you! If you are okay with Holmes and Watson getting poked fun of that's a bonus. On a last note I loved the captions on the illustrations- hilarious and marvelously done! Good read!

"I wondered how much more I could take of Holmes' moody eccentricity," Watson writes. "It was bad enough him keeping his tobacco in a Persian slipper, but of late, the habit of keeping his feet in my cigar case had been getting me down." So begins the title story, suspiciously reminiscent of Hound of the Baskervilles, with many ridiculous quirks. The collection continues through state secrets and lingering stenches, all while poking fun at the famed duo. Watson may be an inept biographer with the brain of a peanut and Holmes may be stuck sniffing all his chemicals to determine which is the chloroform, but they always solve their cases in the end--even while posing for the cartoonist to illustrate.

Of the six stories in the collection, the second is truly disgusting in a Southpark-gross-out sort of way. The others aren't as bad, though the silliness is variable. Throughout, the author maintains an excellent (and humorous) knowledge of British culture and Doyle-style writing, along with perfect spoofing of Holmes trivia. Holmes matches wits with such famed presences as Freud and Queen Victoria, all the while recalling the duties of a fictional character in this post-modern satire.

Sherlock and Watson Revel in Poo for the Greater Good

Meet the real Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate the most bizarre crimes ever conceived by the abnormal mind--a truly comical rendition of the two most highly respected detectives in London. The book consists of six short stories all done to shock and amuse the reader.
The key word here is scat, and our illustrious detectives do a brilliant job of wallowing through it to bring the bad guys to justice in a most humorous way.

Chris Wood has done a marvellous job of tickling my funny bone. I expected a parody of the Sherlock Holmes series. I mean, the title gives it away, but I was plesantly surprised by the madcap, zany Marx Brother romp, combining satire, parody and Monty Python - something akin to the washer women discussing Proust. There's also an ample touch of WS Gilbert as the language is melodic and piquant, interrupted only by Pop culture references and images of the silly (Holmes trying to purchase a children's train ticket, wearing a school hat and sucking his thumb). How does one portray slapstick in prose? Not easy - but Mr. Wood has done it, keeping us unbalanced and as whiplashed as a wacky stack of dishes. And Margaret Dumont does show up? I loved the illustrations with their Mad Comic captions, and overall this is a wonderful Sunday afternoon read, when the world is coming apart and the 401K is sinking - just line up with Mr. Wood and his take on Sir Arthur's all too serious slueth and enjoy. What's next? A parody of Edgar Rice Burroughs? A "Tarzan meets David Letterman and Jay Leno on the Planet of the Apes," mayhap?

When approached by an author to read a new novel, one usually looks to the pile of unread books as a guide as to whether or not to accept another book. When I was asked to read Chris Wood's latest book and first work of fiction, Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death, I gave the invitation a lot of thought. In the end, however, I decided that a novel with "Sherlock Holmes" and "Underpants" in the title deserved a read. I was not disappointed.

Contents:
Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death
The Mystery of the Hidden Turd
The Problem of the Poultry Affair
The Adventure of the Lingering Stench
The Experience of the Quickest Client
The Conundrum of the Missing . . .

Chris Woods has penned a series of Sherlock Holmes' lesser known (for good reason) mysteries that you will leave you in stitches. The Sherlock Holmes that travels through this novel is not really looking to solve a crime so much as he is looking to make off with your good silver or rifle through your pockets for a few extra pounds. Woods fills in Holmes' time between his more famous cases, such as "A Study in Scarlet" or "The Hound of the Baskervilles," which include some deadly underpants and a "deeply unhygienic menace," among others. If you were looking for good taste, look elsewhere. If, however, you are looking for a rollicking good time and a serious dose of bathroom humor, this book is for you. Ribald, biting wit, and a definite anti-thesis to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, yields a very entertaining look at Sherlock Holmes and Watson (whilst Holmes takes center stage, it is Watson that provides some of the best lines, and action, in this book). The illustrations, and their captions, add to the over-the-top humor. Again, Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death isn't for everyone, but the ones that appreciate such farce will find a very enjoyable novel.

Disclosure:
Obtained from: Author
Payment: Free