The Adventures of Bruce-Partington Plans by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a popular Sherlock Holmes story. This short story follows Holmes and Watson on a journey of political intrigue, murder, and espionage. I do think this story was partly adapted for the BBC series Sherlock, because I could point out some similarities.
The story opens during a week of dense London fog. Sherlock doesn’t have much work and is spending his time studying medieval music. Suddenly, his brother Mycroft Holmes, who rarely visits, stops by Baker Street with Inspector Lestrade. Mycroft talks about alarming news concerning the national security of Britain. A body has been found of Arthur Cadogan West, a young government clerk employed at the Woolwich Arsenal, and it has been discovered beside the Underground railway tracks near Aldgate Station. West apparently fell from a train.
When the police search his body, they find seven pages of the secret plans for the Bruce-Partington submarine, the most advanced naval weapon being developed in the country. However, the three most important pages are missing. Since these documents are military secrets, everyone fears they have been sold to a foreign government. Sherlock is asked by his brother to help solve this case as quickly as possible. I don’t want to discuss more about the story because it will definitely give away the mystery, so I’ll focus on themes and characters.
The main theme seemed focused on patriotism. Sherlock Holmes understands that this case is a matter of serious concern for the country. It also hints at the technological advances being made by Britain that are ahead of other states. There are a number of government employees in this investigation, and they demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility towards their duties. In the end, one of them is dead trying to protect the country’s secrets. The second important aspect was greed. I think greed drove the whole plot because it was a crime motivated by greed. For the murderer, money and financial reward were better than any impact on anyone else or even his ideals.
This story is narrated from Watson’s perspective. So, we get to see how Sherlock’s mind works and how his analysis and deductions help him solve the case. There are no dramatic confrontations as he solves the mystery. He understands inconsistencies that others missed, questioning the official theory. In this specific story, there is a very protective and justice-driven mindset for the detective. Dr. John Watson is the audience surrogate in a way. He thinks of questions that we, as readers, might think of as Sherlock solves the case. He is the emotional balance to Sherlock’s complete analytical personality.
I enjoyed reading The Adventures of Bruce Partington Papers by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I don’t know when was the last time I read a Sherlock Holmes story was, but I really enjoyed it. The pace is set well from the start, along with engaging narration and characters. It’s a fun murder mystery to read.
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