Ardy

Name: Ardy

Hails From: Germany

About Me: Thirtysomething. Librarian. Transplanted German. Anglophile. Lover of tea and scones (and, yes, jam. I also own ridiculous jumpers).

How I First Encountered Sherlock Holmes: I first read the Holmes stories in German translations when I was about ten. A few years later, when I knew enough English, my Dad gave me an Easy Reader version of SPEC, which led to me reading the Canon in English. I met Holmes again when I was sixteen and found the first three Mary Russell books, also in German translation. For the longest time, I didn’t actually know there were more than three books in the series, but I did find them eventually, and there was much rejoicing. I worked as a student assistant while I was at university, and when I graduated the professor I was working for gave me a book token for a rather notable sum, which I promptly invested the only way I knew how: by buying the New Annotated that had come out shortly beforehand.

Favourite Character: John Watson. Especially the BBC incarnation.

Favourite Story: Do I have to pick? ABBE for Captain Crocker, BLUE for Christmas loveliness, COPP for Violet Hunter.

Favourite Adaptation: Granada, with BBC a close second. Granada is the first TV adaptation I ever saw, and Jeremy Brett is amazing. For books/pastiches, I’m a sucker for the Mary Russell series, as mentioned.

One Random Fact: I love things that have sweet woodruff in them. Apparently it’s virtually unknown outside Germany. I think it deserves a wider audience.