Conan Doyle so reveals us, in his autobiography, both Sherlock Holmes’s literary ancestors.
Edgar Poe is famous and all his readers read The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Purloined Letter, where intervenes splendidly the knight Dupin.
Less known is the French writer Émile Gaboriau with his inspector Lecoq of the Police of Paris, in The Lerouge case, published in 1866 and considered as the first detective novel.
Sherlock Holmes was ungrateful. He considered Dupin as «a very inferior fellow », and treated Lecoq « a miserable bungler ». Watson, in these comments, had judged Holmes very conceited.
Yet it misses a third ancestor whom Conan Doyle, as Sherlock Holmes, forget to mention : old Tabaret, nicknamed Tirauclair.
Who is old Tabaret ?
Old Tabaret is the mentor of inspector Lecoq, the one who taught to him to lead a thorough investigation by the deductive method.
He appears for the first time in the case of the murder of the widow Lerouge where he discovered the murderer.
It is quite amazing that neither Doyle, nor Holmes does mention old Tabaret, while both knew Lecoq.
More amazing …
By the features of old Tabaret, here is what we discover in Émile Gaboriau’s novels :
Old Tabaret is a consultant detective who collaborates with the police, represented by police chief Gévrol, rather obtuse character and specialist in false leads.
Does not it remind us Sherlock Homes and inspector Lestrade?...
What old Tabaret is looking for ?
“He wants to lift the most impervious veils, to see through every plot, to divine what is kept hidden, to know exactly the value of a man, the price of a conscience.”
Is not it the same motivation of Holmes, who should enjoy to remove the roofs of London to peep in the strange coincidences and the wonderfull chains of events ?...
Could we learn more about this curious investigator and his possible similarities with Sherlock ?
Old Tabaret read all the memories of the famous policemen of his time as well as the reports and the famous trials.
Just like Sherlock whose knowledge in sensational literature was immense.
He uses all the information available to him, in particular the general biographies of famous men of the century.
Sherlock's library was constituted by the same books.
He solved cases one does not knew, as that of the banker’s wife who had stolen herself. Exactly as Sherlock Holmes's untold stories.
He complains about the century misfortunes :
« The misfortune is, that the art is becoming lost. Great crimes are now so rare. The race of strong fearless criminals has given place to the mob of vulgar pick-pockets. The few rascals who are heard of occasionally are as cowardly as foolish. They sign their names to their misdeeds, and even leave their cards lying about. There is no merit in catching them. Their crime found out, you have only to go and arrest them. »
As well Sherlock who said to Watson :
« There are no crimes and no criminals in these days. There is no crime to detect, or, at most, some bungling villainy with a motive so transparent that even a Scotland Yard official can see through it. »
How works old Tabaret ?
He has a principle : « always distrust appearances ; believe precisely the contrary of what appears true, or even probable. »
Recall Sherlock Holmes : « When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. »
Old Tabaret pratice a method of analysis and induction, and claims : « with the help of one single fact, to be able to reconstruct all the details of an assassination, as a savant pictures an antediluvian animal from a single bone ».
Holmes give us the name of this savant :
« As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after. »
Finally, this consulting detetive has a unique way of presenting his deductions :
« I have solved the riddle. It is all clear now, and as plain as noon-day. He is a young man, a little above the middle height, elegantly dressed. He wore on that evening a high hat. He carried an umbrella, and smoked a trabucos cigar in a holder. »
In front of such clues the doubt is no longer allowed. Conan Doyle reading Émile Gaboriau's novels was inspired by old Tabaret. Sherlock Holmes, whose mother was French, so inherited some literary French genes.
Moreover Conan Doyle, whose mother’s family was of Norman origin, maybe hints at old Tabaret in his autobiography :
« What should I call the fellow ? One rebelled against the elementary art which gives some inkling of character in the name, and creates Mr. Sharps or Mr. Ferrets. First it was Sherringford Holmes ; then it was Sherlock Holmes. »
Yet old Tabaret has a nickname : Tirauclair.
« Tire au clair », « clear up » is a meaning French expression, which gives some inliking of character in the name.
Could this be a Conan Doyle’s statement ?
(reverso - google traduction)
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire