Critic Cal

One of the many nice things about working in a place full of intelligent and interesting people [1] is that they tend to know about such intelligent and interesting things. A slightly unfortunate consequence of this is that I can't seem to have a conversation with any one of them without adding to my already infeasibly long list of things I'd like to read/watch/listen to/learn about. Gone, for instance, are the days when I could dismiss the entirety of contemporary fiction as unworthy of my attention; enough of it has found favour enough with my respected companions that I must resign myself to the likelihood that some of it may have some merit to it after all. Thus did I deign to read ' The Shadow of the Wind ', a novel 18 years my junior. And -- *sigh* -- it quickly won my begrudging affection with its warmth, compassion and convicting insight; even, in places (briefly, mind, and inferiorly) prompting comparison with ' The Brother...

(BBC's 'Sherlock', Season 2, 2012) Gatiss, Moffat and Cumberbatch between them have tapped into some of the deepest yearnings of human nature, and done it with style, wit, visual flair and remarkable insight. Who wouldn't want a friend like Sherlock? The sheer certainty and brilliance of the man…he always knows what is really going on, speaks with astounding confidence and is pretty much always vindicated. His apparent invincibility…able to outsmart the world and the enemy, comes back just when you think he's surely beaten. And his faithfulness…prepared to lay down his life for his friends (the fact that friendship is so hard won from him just makes it all the more desirable). The final installment of series 2 made for compelling viewing. Actually, it caught me off guard…I had forgotten how powerful good television could be. Ever find you've subconsciously written yourself into a story that isn't real and that you prefer it to reality? I felt strangely ...