Chapter 37: Wandering and the Final Problem
Spoiler Warning: This summary contains detailed plot points from Chapter 37 of Holmes Is Missing. If you haven’t read this far, proceed with caution.
Summary
Twenty minutes after leaving Oliver Paul, Holmes wanders through a drastically modernised Times Square, its former seediness replaced by blinding LED screens. His feet carry him north and east by instinct, a creature of the city navigating the crowds without thought. A dark mood grips him: the missing babies, the message to Poe, and the conviction that his career is over. He feels he has let his partners down utterly.
Eventually Holmes finds himself on Park Avenue near 59th Street and notices the Argosy Book Store, a childhood favourite that raises his spirits. Inside, the store is unchanged—same patterned ceiling, clutter of desks and overflowing shelves, the scents of worn leather and ageing paper. In a small alcove, his hand stops on a volume without him looking for it. The book is a collector’s edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Adventure XXIV. The Final Problem,” from The Strand Magazine, December 1893. At the checkout, the clerk charges him only one hundred dollars, far below its worth. When Holmes hands over his American Express card, the clerk notes the name coincidence. Holmes remarks that Conan Doyle may have had the right idea—killing off his famous detective.
Key Events
- Holmes walks aimlessly through Times Square and midtown, driven by a deep depression.
- He enters the Argosy Book Store, a sanctuary of permanence and literature.
- An unplanned discovery leads him to a rare 1893 edition of “The Final Problem.”
- The clerk sells it for a bargain price and comments on Holmes’s name.
- Holmes buys the book and muses that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s decision to kill off Sherlock Holmes might have been a smart move.
Character Development
This chapter offers the clearest internal portrait of Holmes’s despair. He is not merely worried about the case; he believes his “career was over.” His partners’ disappointment weighs more heavily than their anger. The city he loves cannot lift his mood, but the unchanging Argosy Book Store – a link to his childhood – provides a fleeting sense of comfort.
The discovery of “The Final Problem” acts as a mirror. The story marks the death of literature’s most famous detective, and Holmes’s quiet line “Maybe Sir Arthur had the right idea” reveals that he is toying with his own disappearance. The coincidence of his surname and the clerk’s question, “Coincidence?”, forces a moment of self-recognition: Holmes is not just a detective; he is someone who might choose to vanish like his fictional counterpart. The chapter shows a man on the edge, finding paradoxical solace in a story about an ending.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Contrast Between Old and New
Times Square has been cleansed of its grit, but Argosy remains exactly as Holmes remembers it. This juxtaposition reinforces his sense of dislocation in a changing world and his craving for stability.
The Book as Symbol
“The Final Problem” is more than a collectible. It represents the ultimate exit strategy – a noble, carefully stage-managed death. In Holmes’s hands, the volume becomes a possible blueprint for escaping the unbearable pressure of his own life.
Identity and Naming
The clerk’s remark on the name “Holmes” underlines the meta-fictional layer of the series. The protagonist, burdened by his own legend, contemplates whether he, too, should script a grand finale. The chapter turns the long-running joke of his name into a serious meditation on legacy and suicide of the professional self.
The Motif of Wandering
His instinctive navigation through the city shows a man so lost in his thoughts that physical direction becomes automatic. The wander mirrors his mental state – without purpose, until he stumbles upon a signpost in the form of a book.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 37 deepens the psychological crisis at the heart of the novel. It suspends the external investigation to dwell entirely on Holmes’s internal collapse. The discovery of the rare Sherlock Holmes story is not a simple Easter egg; it is the moment the protagonist begins to articulate a way out. The chapter plants the idea of deliberate disappearance, foreshadowing potential future actions. It also cements Argosy as a symbol of refuge and a link to his past, reminding readers of the human being behind the famous detective. Without this chapter, Holmes’s later decisions would lack emotional weight.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the Argosy Book Store represent for Holmes in this chapter?
The store is a haven of permanence. Unlike the sanitised Times Square, Argosy has resisted change; its scents and clutter transport Holmes back to childhood visits. In a moment of professional disgrace, the store offers comforting continuity – a place where he can still be a lover of books rather than a failed detective.
2. Why is the discovery of “The Final Problem” significant beyond its monetary value?
The story is the one in which Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. By buying it and remarking that Conan Doyle “had the right idea,” Holmes reveals he is contemplating his own exit – perhaps not literal death, but a staged disappearance that would end his career and shield those he has disappointed. The book becomes a talisman for a possible escape plan.
3. How does the clerk’s observation about Holmes’s name contribute to the chapter’s themes?
The clerk asks if the name is a coincidence, and Holmes answers “Not quite.” This exchange forces the parallel between Holmes and his fictional namesake into the open. It underscores the chapter’s central theme of identity and legacy: the protagonist is seriously entertaining the notion of ending his own story, just as Conan Doyle ended Sherlock’s.