Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 274 Please return "Sherlock Holmes" to France!
September 1, 1880, Paris.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, the crisp cries of newsboys echoed through the streets and alleys.

"Le Petit Parisien! Lionel Sorel's new novel, *A Study in Scarlet*, begins serialization today! Only 5 centimes!"

"Modern Life! Latest issue! The mysterious detective Sherlock Holmes makes his appearance!"

Meanwhile, newsstands and bookstores in Paris were packed with people more than usual.

Whether it's the 15-souf "Modern Life" magazine or the 5-centiate "Le Petit Parisien," both attract readers' attention!

"Here it comes! Lionel's new story!"

A young man squeezed to the front of the newsstand, impatiently slapped a few coins on the counter, and grabbed a copy of "Modern Life".

A worker came up and said, "Give me a copy of Le Parisien too!"

The people behind crowded forward: "Give me one too! I want to see what kind of story could drive the British crazy!"

Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in countless corners of Paris.

Despite being nearly two months later than the UK edition, thanks to the joint promotion by the two media outlets, both newspapers, with vastly different positioning and pricing, sold out completely.

The public reading room was packed, and those who arrived later had to stand to read.

In the café, the usual casual conversation was replaced by the rustling of newspapers turning and the occasional exclamation.

Even in some government offices, you can see employees secretly hiding newspapers under official documents and reading them intently.

……

All readers in Paris wanted to see for themselves whether Lionel Sorrell had truly bowed down to the pound.
However, these scrutiny and doubts quickly dissipated once readers were immersed in the story.

Unlike "Good Words," which is a semi-monthly publication, both newspapers adjusted their serialization schedules, with each issue containing less content than "Good Words."

Even so, it captivated the entire city of Paris with the allure of "mystery."

"First, I noticed your hands..."

"...In London, what kind of young gentleman would possess both of these characteristics?..."

"...Your clothes, especially the cuffs and front...that smells of tincture of opium..."

The clear, calm, and detailed narrative immediately captures the reader's attention.

When Holmes accurately deduced Watson's situation from a pair of "housewife's hands," a few subtle knife marks, and a faint smell of opium...

Readers in Paris, like those in Britain, were deeply shocked.

In a café near the Pantheon Square, a middle-aged man couldn't help but raise his hand to examine it closely: "Incredible!"

Then, he subconsciously sniffed his cuffs.

A woman sitting next to him was amused by his actions; she didn't know why this respectable man would suddenly do such a thing.

Soon, just like in London, a craze for observing palms and pocket watches swept through Paris, becoming a new fashion trend in social circles.

The gentlemen joked with each other, trying to deduce the day's itinerary from the details of each other's clothing;
The ladies were more reserved, but they also subtly observed their companions' accessories and mannerisms at the salon gatherings, hoping to discover some hidden clues.

But unlike British readers who regard Holmes' "deductive reasoning" as "the ultimate expression of human rationality," the sensitive French find a different flavor in it.

In a literary salon by the Voltaire docks, a young poet waved his copy of "Modern Life" and exclaimed, "This is a different kind of romance!"

He passionately articulated his point of view: "The charm of Sherlock Holmes lies not in cold, hard logic, but in his transcendence of everyday life!"
Look, he unearthed thrilling stories from the most ordinary and trivial things.

This is not just rationality, it is a magical talent, and also the most extreme kind of romance! Another writer nodded in agreement: "That's right! It's a kind of 'heroic individualism'."

Holmes, all alone, uses his keen intuition to fight against the world's carelessness.

With his unique perspective, he established a set of order and truth that belonged only to him.

He does not rely on authority, nor does he blindly follow the masses; he only trusts his own observations and reasoning.

Will the British really understand this unconventional and maverick attitude?

One woman added, "Don't you think that this almost obsessive, extreme focus has a mysterious beauty to it?"
He's like an artist, except his canvas is a crime scene, and his paint is the details that are often overlooked by ordinary people.

The process of seeking order and exploring truth through reasoning is itself full of poetry!

This interpretation quickly spread within Parisian cultural circles.

French readers, whether intentionally or unintentionally, have avoided the stereotypical "British" rationality that is often associated with Sherlock Holmes.

They talked more about his aloofness, the mystique of deductive reasoning, and his ethereal "artistic temperament."

They viewed Sherlock Holmes as a romantic, solitary genius, a poet who used rational thinking to create romantic works.

Ordinary readers, on the other hand, felt the magic of the story more directly.

They may not understand "romantic individualism," but they are equally impressed by Holmes's seemingly all-knowing ability.

In cafes, bars, and on park benches, people can be seen everywhere imitating Sherlock Holmes.

They carefully observed their companions' hands and clothing details, or took out their pocket watches, trying to glean something interesting from them.

A game called "Holmes-style observation" has quietly become popular in Paris.

"Look at your cuffs, they're covered in chalk dust and paint spots... I'm guessing you're an art teacher, and you just taught a class this morning?"

A young man said this jokingly to his friend.

"Oh! Then look at my hat, what can you tell?"

His friend smiled and handed him the hat.

The serialization of "A Study in Scarlet" in France also achieved remarkable success.

The circulation of Le Petit Parisien hit a new high within a week of the start of the serialization, and the editorial department received a mountain of letters from readers.

Paul Pigut was overjoyed; he had once again proven that betting on Lionel was the right decision, greatly enhancing his prestige as editor-in-chief.

The number of subscribers to Modern Life has also increased significantly, with many middle-class families choosing it as a new option for family reading after dinner.

After all, not everyone enjoys melodramatic love stories, but few can resist the detective Sherlock Holmes.

This time, without Lionel's prompting, Georges Charpentier had Renoir draw four illustrations early on, which were made into colored cards, with one randomly included in each set.

He had even begun discussing with Lionel the publication of a standalone edition of "A Study in Scarlet".

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction, and the critics changed their tune.

They believe that Lionel successfully navigated two different cultural contexts, conquering both the staid British readership and the romantic French compatriots.

However, in mid-September, Le Figaro published a review article with an unusually eye-catching title—

Lionel, please return "Sherlock Holmes" to France!

(End of this chapter)