The Adventure of Solitary Cyclist

I watched "Pride and Prejudice" (2005) and loved it, for what I think was my third time watching this version. Except for the Colin Firth miniseries, I have seen every adaptation of the book by Jane Austen. This version is probably my favorite and I would give this version 4 out of 4 stars. I thought the filmmakers did a really good job adapting the book, capturing the humor of the class system, with hiring great actors, choosing great costumes, and choosing breathtaking English scenery. The actors captured how stubborn yet loving Darcy and Elizabeth are, how crazy Mrs. Bennett is, how obnoxious Lady Catherine and Caroline are, and how kind Mr. Bennett is. The only actor I wasn't impressed with, was the one who played Mr. Wickham. In other versions, he is more cynical, rather than just stoic, which I think he needs to be a little bit of both in order to capture his full personality. Maybe it is because he had only three scenes in the entire film. In the first two, he is interested in Elizabeth and somewhere between those two and the last, he becomes involved with Lydia. I felt like there was too many gaps in that jump and I felt there should have been a scene with Elizabeth confronting Wickham on his lies and his eloping with Lydia. Other than both of the proposals scenes with Darcy and Elizabeth, the scene with Elizabeth and her parents after she rejects Collins, is probably my favorite. Mr. Bennett, says to her, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." It shows the kinship Mr. Bennett shares with Elizabeth and how they think similarly and how happy he is, even though he barely has any money to give his daughters.



In "Pride and Prejudice" (2005), we meet the Bennett family. At a ball, The family meets Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and his sister, Caroline. Jane dances with Mr. Bingley, while Darcy declines Elizabeth's invitation. Elizabeth and her friend, Charlotte hear Darcy call Liz, "barely tolerable." Jane receives an invitation from Caroline and goes on horseback in the rain. Liz visits sick Jane and has to tolerate Caroline and Darcy. Mr. Collins, who is the heir to their estate, comes to visit, hoping to marry Jane or Elizabeth. While in town, Elizabeth meets Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth runs into Darcy and there is animosity between Darcy and Wickham. Wickham claims it is because Darcy owes him money Darcy's father promised him. Both Collins and Darcy ask Elizabeth to dance at the Bingleys' ball. Darcy and Elizabeth disagree about Wickham, leading Elizabeth to hide from both of them. Liz rejects Collin's proposal, infuriating her mother, but pleasing her father. Jane receives a letter from Bingley, telling her he is in London. Jane goes to London to visit her aunt and uncle, the Gardners. Charlotte visits Elizabeth and tells her, she is going to marry Collins. Lizzie goes to visit Charlotte and Collins in their new house. Lizzie goes with the Collins to visit Lady Catherine, running into Anne, Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Lady Catherine forces Lizzie to play the piano for everyone. During church, Colonel Fitzwilliam lets it slip to Elizabeth, that Darcy interfered with the engagement of Bingley and Jane. Elizabeth runs out into the rain and Darcy follows her, declaring his love for her and asks her to marry him. Elizabeth rejects his proposal, siding with Jane and Wickham. Darcy writes Lizzie a letter, before he leaves, telling her the truth about Wickham about how he tried to elope with Darcy's sister Georgiana in order to get her inheritance. Lizzie and Jane both return home. Lizzie visits the Gardners, and they go to Pemberley. While at Pemberley, Liz runs into Darcy and Georgiana. Lizzie receives a letter from Jane, telling her Lydia has run away with Wickham. Wickham marries Lydia, after he receives money from Darcy and Mr. Bennett. Darcy and Bingley visit the Bennetts, with Bingley proposing to Jane. Lady Catherine visits Lizzie, telling her not to marry Darcy, as he is betrothed to Anne, and Liz tells her to leave. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth again and she accepts. Mr. Bennett gives them his blessing.



In "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" Watson warns us the case ended in a "unexpected tragedy" where they are hired by a woman named Violet Smith. Holmes figures out Violet Smith is a cyclist because of the "roughening of the side of the sole caused by the friction on the edge of the pedal" and a musician for her hands. Violet also tells them she is a music teacher for Mr. Carruthers' daughter. She met Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Woodley, when they claimed to be friends of her uncle Ralph "who went to Africa twenty five years ago," and inquired about her whereabouts in "an advertisement." She has been harassed romantically by Mr. Woodley, who "would not let [her] go until [she] kissed him" for which Mr. Carruthers beat up Woodley. Violet tells them she rides her bike on Saturday to catch the train at Farnham Station at 12:22 in to town. While she is riding, she was being followed by "a middle-aged man, with a short, dark beard." Holmes is suspicious of Carruthers and Woodley, being in cahoots. The next Saturday, Watson sets up a stakeout, watching Violet ride and the man following her, reporting his account back to Holmes. Holmes suspects a man named Williamson, but he is "an elderly man." Later, Holmes comes home with a hurt lip and forehead after sparring with Woodley at a bar and finding out Williamson "is or has been a clergyman." They receive a letter from Violet, saying she is "leaving Mr. Carruthers' employment" and caught Carruthers conspiring with Woodley. Holmes and Watson catch Carruthers in a fake beard, after Violet has been abducted on her bike ride by Woodley and taken to the bowling alley. In the bowling alley, they walk in on Violet being forced to marry Woodley, with Williamson officiating the ceremony. Carruthers shoots Woodley at the bowling alley. Carruthers and Woodley had a deal after finding out about Violet's inheritance from her uncle, as Woodley "was to marry her" and Carruthers would "have a share of the plunder." Carruthers felt bad about the deal and started to fall in love with Violet, trying to protect her from Woodley. Watsons reveals to us readers, "Violet Smith did indeed inherit a larger fortune, and is now the wife of Cyril Morton" and Williamson and Woodley are serving jail time "for abduction and assault."



When I read the book, "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist," I didn't, at first, quite get the connection between the story and "Pride and Prejudice" and was puzzled. They both have villains who are greedy, and both have people who are atoning for their actions because of new found love. After I read it again, focusing more on the characters and themes, I believe "Pride and Prejudice" and "Solitary Cyclist" are very different stories, but both deal with the theme of greed and have characters who have similarities. Mr. Woodley is like Mr. Wickham, trying to get Violet to marry him, in order to get her inheritance, just like Mr. Wickham did to Georgiana and Lydia. Like Elizabeth is repulsed at the idea of marrying Collins, Violet is repulsed by Mr. Woodley. Like Elizabeth and Mary, Violet has musical talents. Like the Bennett sisters visiting their relatives and their friends for lengthy periods of time, Violet Smith lives in Mr. Carruthers' house teaching his daughter music. Mr. Williamson is a clergyman like Mr. Collins, but Mr. Collins was actually practicing and not a criminal. Both the film and the book included a important letter, such as one from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth, and one from Violet to Holmes and Watson. Mr. Carruthers is like Mr. Darcy, doing something heinous at first, and trying to make up for it in the second act. Mr. Carruthers unexpectedly falls in love with Violet, while Mr. Darcy unexpectedly falls in love with Elizabeth. Overall, I think "Pride and Prejudice" has better ending and premise than "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist." Mr. Carruthers' ending just seems sad, because we don't know what happened to him, while we do know what happened to the Bennetts. At least he wasn't charged in shooting Mr. Woodley.