| Title | : | The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye (Enola Holmes, #6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0399252363 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780399252365 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 166 |
| Publication | : | First published May 4, 2010 |
The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye (Enola Holmes, #6) Reviews
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Overall I really enjoyed this book and this whole series. They were quick, well written, fairly educational books with a fun character that I liked. There was only one tiny detail that kind of bothered me though. The books (especially this one) felt overly feminist to the point where I felt like it was saying that being a wife and or mother is far inferior to being a well educated woman who actually makes a difference in the world and isn't held back by a family, particularly by children. It was like it was saying, yeah, being a Mom is fine for some, but you can do so much better.
I guess I've been noticing that attitude a lot in young adult lit lately but it really seems to push it in this book. I am a mom, a stay at home mom at that, and I guess I get a little defensive with this attitude. I would have loved these books as a teen and loved Enola's independent nature. I will be happy to share them with my girls when they are old enough, but I hope that too much of these kinds of books won't give them the idea that being a mom is as bad as going to prison or consigning yourself to a life of misery. -
11/12/11
Ah, bliss.
I really enjoyed the ending to the series, even though it's a bit bitter-sweet - both because of some happenstances in the story, but also just because I like the series so much I'm sort of sad to see it ending. Better than that continuing into perpetuity and getting boring, though.
Anyway - the mystery aspect of the story was ok but, in my opinion, it as heavily overshadowed by all the family drama and developments that were going on. Since the two parts of the story are very intertwined this isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, as I did really enjoy the coming together of Enola with her two brothers for this final tale.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say there's a HEA kind of ending which my cheesy-ass self just grinned widely about. Really, despite there being some serious and dark things discussed in the books, they're really a very fun, entertaining and feel-good kind of read, at the end of the day.
**
I will say that I agree with one reviewer in that I found when Enola was discussing fashion, at times, with a bit of relish seemed a little bit out of character, and I was a bit distracted by it once or twice. That said, as someone who considers herself rather independent minded and certainly not a sufferer for fashion, I am still into my clothes, and I liked the notion that you could be a non-typical female and still be feminine.
**
One last thing. One thing that intrigued me throughout the series was the depiction of Sherlock, and the debates I had with myself about how accurate the portrayal was. There were times where it seemed dead on, but other times seemed possibly out of character. But, then, we're also seeing him in situations beyond the ken of the Doyle mysteries, really, and I think Springer did a good extrapolation of his character in odd situations.
That said, I did like that while Enola eludes and sometimes out thinks her oh-so-clever brothers, they are never portrayed as being dim or easily fooled or anything - as so many adult characters are in children's books where the child is the hero. Rather, they, Sherlock, in particular, (as he has a much larger presence in the books), are shown to have some blind-spots when it comes to things female - such as the secret language of fans, the meanings of flowers, the arts of beautification, and other things that would've been the purview of women and not something men would interest themselves in.
Seeing things through Enola's perspective certainly gives you a view of the time period and takes you into situations that would've never been mentioned, perhaps never even thought of, by Doyle and his characters. I really appreciated those aspects of the stories a lot.
*****
4/11/12
Re-read -
Amazing!!
This series is AMAZING!! Such a fun middle grade. Probably one of my fav middle grades. I adore them! Enola is such a fun character you can’t help but love her spunk. And this ending was fantastic! A lovely happy ending😌 Great conclusion -
Enola Holmes shines, nay, outshines, her brothers as usual, in this last installment of the excellent
Enola Holmes series. Enola and Sherlock, separately, of course, are on the trail of a missing Duchess, Lady Blanchefleur. Also, Enola's mother finally makes contact.
One guess for who ably, sensibly and actually figures out where the young duchess is, while displaying her usual aplomb, boldness and intelligence.
This is a terrific series; I fell in love with Enola immediately after I started book one; I'm sad the series is over, but as I plan to reread, I can always imagine Enola having further adventures after I revisit books one through six. -
Un final de saga casi perfecto. La única razón por la que no le doy la máxima puntuación es porque el caso que le encargan a Enola es una simple exclusa para generar un encuentro con sus hermanos. Esa investigación sobraba, era totalmente innecesaria porque había otro interrogante que sí o sí tenía que derivar en una reunión entre Enola, Mycroft y Sherlock.
Aquí el caso está centrado en dar con el paradero de una duquesa que desapareció cuando bajó al metro para ayudar a una supuesta anciana en apuros. Su marido está desesperado por dar con ella y Enola no puede evitar sentirse atraída por el misterio que rodea a la desaparición. Sin embargo, no es la única Holmes que intenta encontrar respuestas… Sherlock también está metido en el asunto y puede que esta vez él y su hermana se animen a trabajar en equipo. A ver, no digo que el caso sea un desastre o que carezca de interés, pero es casi que como un estorbo, ya que lo verdaderamente genial es ver la camaradería entre Enola y Sherlock. En vez de andar ejerciendo de detectives con lo de la duquesa, deberían haberse centrado en buscar una respuesta clara a la ausencia de su madre.
Al principio de esta novela, Sherlock va a la granja familiar porque el personal ha encontrado una misteriosa carta que podría ser de su madre. Él descubre que está dirigida a Enola, así que, sin abrirla, decide respetar la confidencialidad de la carta y entregársela a su hermana. Como es habitual, el contenido de la carta no será algo sencillo de interpretar, así que ahondar solo en eso y en conocer más a la matriarca de los Holmes hubiera lo ideal. Mycroft también entra más en escena y por fin le vemos tener que enfrentarse a sus prejuicios y decidir si acepta sus equivocaciones. Siempre creí que este personaje era un idiota… no en el sentido de no tener inteligencia, sino más bien en lo referente a sus pensamientos sobre el papel de la mujer en la sociedad, pero aquí demuestra más capacidad de compresión de la que yo esperaba. Cada escena en la que Enola coincide con uno o con sus dos hermanos vale oro, adoré el toque de humor que tenían y el cariño que claramente se tenían (aunque a veces se limitaran a cabrearse unos con otros). No me esperaba la resolución del misterio de la madre, pero, pensándolo ahora en frío, era la opción más adecuada de cara a cerrar bien todas las incógnitas. Además, consiguió dejar más de una reflexión interesante sobre lo que una mujer puede sacrificar solo por las apariencias.
A nivel de fluidez en la narración, este libro es el mejor de la saga. La autora sigue teniendo cierta tendencia a describir más de la cuenta determinados detalles, pero se contiene más que otras veces. Asimismo, también es aquí donde mejor se ve la evolución de Enola, no solo en lo que respecta a su capacidad para ser independiente, ya que eso ya se había ensalzado bien en los libros anteriores, sino más bien en su valentía para enfrentarse a sus hermanos y dejarles claro cuáles son sus deseos.
El final no es totalmente cerrado, ya que la última escena da pie a seguir acompañando a Enola en futuras aventuras, pero lamentablemente no existe una continuación. En todo caso, eso no hace que el desenlace sea agridulce. Enola Holmes es un personaje que se ha ganado mi cariño y creo que vale la pena animarse a leer esta saga. Sinceramente, me ha dado pena despedirme de ella, de Sherlock y hasta de Mycroft, pero ha sido maravilloso haberlos conocido. -
When I started the movie I had no idea that it was based on a book. But I'm a bookworm. The moment I discover there are books, I want the books. And in this case, the moment the books came in I actually read them right away. The first book felt a little dull compared to the action packed movie, but with each book I fell more and more in love with this version of Enola, who really doesn't need a man and really finds her own way in life. And today it was time for the last book.
I was quite curious how everything would get wrapped up. There was still the mystery of Enola's mother's disappearance after all. Apart from some letters and messages not much attention had gone to it, but it was one of the things that really had to be resolved. And it was. Maybe not in a spectacular way, but in a heartbreaking way. I cried my eyes out. I'm pretty sure the movie is gonna do something else completely, but for the books the ending felt very fitting.
Just like the one last case of a missing girl Enola has to solve in this book. We've seen so many different parts of society and this book focussed on corsets and how disastrous they can be. Just like the previous books the picture we were confronted with was raw, painful and very sad. However, once more the case is more than just a case. It's another piece of the puzzle that we needed to resolved the last issue that needed to be resolved.
After all, Mycroft was still threatening Enola with a strict boarding school teaching her to become a lady. Apart from solving the case and apart from finding out what happened to Eudoria, this book is about Sherlock and Mycroft seeing for themselves that Enola doesn't need that boarding school, that she is smart enough to deal with life and to find her way and that she is beautiful and perfect just the way she is and doesn't need changing.
Like Eudoria would probably say to her daughter (and sons): Some people are not meant to be wives and mothers and shouldn't be forced to be. -
This review is not just for this book, but for the series as a whole. It has SPOILERS for all the books, and for the Netflix movie. So if you have not read/watched them yet but plan to, you have been WARNED!
The movie is really great, and if it didn't exist, I probably would not know about these books. And I hope the movie will have sequels. So these critiques should not be taken to imply that I disliked the movie. Definitely not! I just think the books are significantly better in several ways.
So, the books get 4-5 stars. The movie gets 3.5. -
A satisfying end to the series, even if I wish it would go on and on! I so enjoyed Enola Holmes, especially with Katherine Kellgren narrating her. The mystery in this one was not as strong as those in previous books, but that's because a lot of the story was focused on Enola's relationship with Sherlock and Mycroft, and finding out what happened to her mother. I loved the way things were left between them, only wish there were more books in the series!
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One Sentence Review: Seems unfair to have to review this since it broke my heart by ending my favorite series, but at the very least I can reassure you that Springer wraps everything up swimmingly (sob!).
-
2.5 stars.
I still love the dynamic between Enola, Sherlock, and now, Mycroft. I love siblings and these three, once they aren't running away from one another and/or threatening to ship Enola off to "finishing school", they are really rather cute.
But their stupid annoying mother!
I couldn't take it. I wanted someone to track her down and smack her.
So, it was a cute mystery series with some rather frustrating characters and elements occasionally.
Worth a read, especially for the intended MG audience, but it's nothing terribly special. -
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Enola Holmes series and may have even got a bit teary-eyed in places. It was a good ending to a fun series. I definitely recommend this series for younger readers and for older readers who enjoy the Holmes canon. It's not quite as invested in deductive reasoning, and there is a fair bit of time spent on cryptography, but I think it's a great way to introduce younger readers (especially girls) to Sherlock Holmes. -
Der Abschluss der Buchreihe um Enola Holmes erschien ja schon 2010 - allerdings gibt es jetzt, durch die Verfilmung auf netflix und neue Begeisterung - einen neuen Band, der im Original sogar schon erschienen ist.
Dennoch sehe ich diesen Band erstmal als Abschluss einer wirklich wundervollen Reihe um ein junges Mädchen im viktorianischen London, die sich den konventionellen Zwängen widersetzt und alles dafür tut, um ihren eigenen Traum vom Leben wahrzumachen.
Der Schreibstil ist schon sehr anspruchsvoll für das Lesealter, aber da wächst man mit dem Lesen der Reihe sehr gut rein und bekommt eine wirklich tolle Vorstellung vom damaligen Leben. Reich und Arm waren noch sehr viel strikter getrennt als heute wenn man liest, in welchen Verhältnissen die Unterschicht leben musste. Ganz im Gegenteil zur gehobeneren Gesellschaft und dem Adel, denen jedoch auch vielen Pflichten und Zwänge auferlegt waren.
Grade was auch die Kleidung betrifft, die hier eine gewisse wichtige Rolle spielt und die wir immer wieder in Enolas Verkleidungskünsten begegnen. Unglaublich wie kompliziert und umfangreich es war, sich als Frau richtig zu kleiden mit all den Stoffen, Farben, Rüschen, Manschetten, Perücken ... nicht zu vergessen das einengende Korsett, das sehr gut die eingeschränkten Möglichkeiten der Frauen damals in sämtlichen Belangen widerspiegelt.
Kein Wunder, dass Enolas Mutter, die ihre Freiheit liebt und auskosten möchte, überhaupt nicht in diese Zeit passt.
Während Enola ihrem neuesten Fall über eine entführte, adelige Dame nachgeht, erreicht eine schriftliche - und natürlich chiffrierte Botschaft - ihren Bruder Sherlock und auch diesem Rätsel müssen sie auf den Grund gehen.
Sherlock Holmes ist dieses Mal noch mehr involviert und man merkt, wie er trotz seiner Vorbehalte die Initiative seiner "kleinen Schwester" bewundert. Enola selbst ist allerdings noch immer auf der Hut, denn Mycrofts Vormundschaft und sein Drängen, sie in ein Mädcheninternat zu stecken um aus ihr eine "feine Dame der Gesellschaft" zu machen, hängt wie ein Damoklesschwert über einem Zusammentreffen der Geschwister.
Mir hat das - vorerst letzte - Abenteuer mit Enola jedenfalls äußerst gut gefallen, einziger "Makel" ist die Kürze, denn ich war wieder viel zu schnell am Ende der Geschichte.
Als Abschluss jedenfalls hat es mir sehr viel Spaß gemacht, es war spannend, hat mich in eine völlig andere Zeit versetzt und meinem Faible für Sherlock Holmes eine schöne neue Variante beschert. Die Idee mit Enola als kleiner Schwester des berühmten Detektivs ist der Autorin wirklich auf ganz tolle Weise gelungen!
Weltenwanderer -
Fun, but in truth I think this 6-book series would have served better as a standalone or a duology. 6 short books with not that much of a plot; it could have easily fit into 2 installments. Or if the need exists to write 6 books, give us something more than the same flat plotline 6 times over again, like let Enola grow up or have her have longlasting relationships with different charactets. The books just feel sooo empty. Only the dress descriptions are very detailed, but all the different words concerning Victorian dress will not be comprehensible nor exciting to most 12 year olds.
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy reading these, but a lot of potential sadly went to waste. -
2018 Re-Read
For some reason, I remember this book as vaguely disappointing. I went in with some hesitation and was quickly blown away.
I love this ending. I love the way the author wraps things up. Heck, I started getting choked up by the end! This really was a great conclusion.
(Also, while I adamantly refuse to change my old reviews, do skip my 2010 review. It brings me pain to re-read it.)
2010 Review
The next in Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes Mysteries, I have been looking forward to this book forever. Somehow, though, I still managed to be taken by surprise when I found it at the library! Was the wait worth it?
OH YES!!!!
"The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye" is the last book in the Enola Holmes series *tears*. A series I have truly enjoyed and followed since nearly the first book. For those of my friends who have not heard me talk about her before, Enola is Sherlock Holmes's much younger sister.
Every book in the six book series has been a delight, and few as much as this last one. Springer does an amazing job tying into the first book, while, like in Rowan Hood, leaving enough loose ends for your imagination. Frequent references to different characters, places, and things throughout the series help give you an idea of completeness. I love Enola's disguises, and her ability to solve mysteries by using a keen understanding of ladies' accessories. Sherlock Holmes, always a favorite of mine, is as frequent a character as I could hope, and I gained a new liking for Mycroft.
If there was one (or possibly two?) things that were lacking in the book, it was the case undertaken and a stubborn continuation of belief in evolution.
You could hardly call the latter a flaw, as it only surfaces maybe twice, and is truly of little notice unless you happen to notice something like that (as I tend too.) It is sad that many authors, and truly people in history, considered themselves rationalist in not believing in God, when evidence - stacks more than evolution - quite points to a Creator.
For the former notice, (without giving anything away), I think it can be simply stated that the plot wasn't surrounding the mystery so much as Enola, her brothers, and a mysterious message. While most authors could not pull off what at first glance threatens to be a shallow missing-person case with some family issues thrown in, Springer does a truly remarkable job.
I love Enola Holmes! Though I am saddened that it comes to an end, Springer could have not written a better ending.. -
The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye is the conclusion to the Enola Holmes mystery series. I enjoyed this series very much. In the final installment, Enola is found by her much older brother, Sherlock when he brings a mysterious letter to her. The letter was sent to their family estate, Ferndell, and was addressed to Enola. A drawing on the front of the envelope was clearly done by Enola's mother, who went missing nearly a year ago. As usual for the elder Lady Holmes, the letter inside was in the form of a puzzle, this time a "skytale" (pronounced skitalley). Enola and Sherlock try to figure out how to piece the letter together and find the key to reading their mother's message. At the same time, they work on solving the case of a missing Duquessa. In the end, they even bring their brother Mycroft into the investigation.
In the end, the Holmes family is reunited, the mystery of their mother's disappearance is solved, and Enola is finally recognized as a force unto her own by her brothers. -
I didn't know until I came on here to review this book that it's the series' finale, but I still enjoyed it.
-
W szóstej a zarazem finałowej części przygód Enoli Holmes, dziewczyna rozwiązuje zagadkę nagłego zniknięcia księżnej del Campo.
Jednocześnie próbuje rozwikłać nietypową wiadomość od własnej matki.
Czy obie sprawy są ze sobą jakoś powiązane? Czego dowie się Enola? Czy pozwoli jej to uporządkować swoje relacje z braćmi? Gdzie znajduje się księżna i co jej grozi?
Inteligentna, zabawna i poruszająca historia detektywki w XIX-wiecznym Londynie. Dobra zabawa dla starszych dzieci i młodzieży. Dobre zakończenie wątku matki, który przewijał się przez wszystkie tomy i nieco mnie irytował. -
Although there currently is 7 books in the series (quite logical in the aftermath of Enola Holmes movie) this book truly was an ending to the arc. We get to know what became of Enola’s mother and we even get a satisfactory solution to Enola’s future. Perhaps it wasn’t the ending I expected but it was an ending that made sense and gave it an air of finality with the hopes of some faraway day to come and bring new adventures…🙂
Overall I enjoyed the whole book series. It was quick and fun read! I will obviously take on the newest book and I’ll wait for the next movie as well!😊 -
I remember nothing except that Enola's mother is selfish, irresponsible and should not have had children.
The notion that teenage Enola gets to gallivant around London on her own because she's soooooo mature and capable is laughable
Also unrelated but my phone keeps changing "Enola" to "Ebola" lol -
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
✱
Flavia de Luce series
✱
Sally Lockhart series -
I am very sad there will be no more stories in this series but it ended very satisfactorily with all books in the series very solid.
-
Terrific plotting, as always. I can't say much more without giving spoilers, except that I do hope for continued adventures. . . .
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Enola. My cherished sister, I beg of you, be whatever you like.
I will miss this incredibly brave independent young woman very much. You did good, kid! -
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Digital Amrit
tl;dr: The ‘Enola Holmes’ books are an engaging, entertaining and empowering take on the Holmes mythos which will be a hit with girls in their tweens.
This series is a set of six short books set from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes’s younger sister, Enola Holmes. The series starts with their mother disappearing on Enola’s fourteenth birthday. Mycroft and Sherlock are not interested in pursuing their mother’s disappearance due to an old family quarrel and want to put Enola in boarding school. Enola has been bought up by her mother to be a free and independent thinker. She refuses to be part of the patriarchal and misogynistic system of the 1900s, runs away to London and tries to find her mother on her own. Her struggles to survive in London; her attempts to help others by using her powers of intelligence and deduction and her constant brushes with her brothers form the stories of the rest of the series.
Each of the books has a central mystery at its core that Enola has to solve. Typically, these are focused on women and their problems in the era. For example — women being forced to wear corsets, thrown into arranged marriages, being robbed etc. (the rest of the review is available at my blog or any of the links below)
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Podcast
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Digital Amrit -
Of course, yet again, this book is even better than the previous book.
There is much delight in this book. Grief as well. I thought a lot about my mother as I read this book.
Corsets really were the devil’s work in Victorian times. I feel certain that I, like Enola, would have adamantly eschewed the wearing of a corset.
There’s little that I can say that won’t be a spoiler. I’ll just say a few words. Bicycles. Palms. Gypsies. Paintbrushes. Flowers. Corsets. Brothers. Collies. Wigs. Family. -
Such a beautiful ending to a beautiful series (yes I know there are two more books).
Am soooooo happy for Enola to have gotten her happy ending even though it was bittersweet.
It is really such a good series…. Now on to books 7 & 8 -
A sweet ending to the series. Perfect for young girls wanting a good mystery, or for just anyone who likes middle-grade fiction (and Sherlock Holmes!).
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RTC
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This 6th book in the Enola Holmes series of mysteries starring Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes' 14 year old sister is a bittersweet ending to a series I have come to love.
The series began a year earlier when the mother of Enola and her much older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock abandoned Enola on her 14th birthday leaving a handmade book of ciphers for Enola to use to discover all of the money she had hidden in various places for Enola's use. The mother had never been very nurturing or motherly, even to her sons, and Enola had been raised to ride bikes, climb trees, read, and think. These things turn out to be of great benefit to Enola when she has to escape to London. Her brothers seem to have little respect for women and to just want to dump her into a girls' boarding school to be tormented with corsets. The first 5 books show how she cleverly manages to make a living and solve mysteries, often colliding head-on with her brothers.
It has been refreshing to me to see a teen girl and some other women in this era painted as being intelligent, ambitious, clever, and compassionate while fighting against the discrimination and insult of the way women were treated.
As the books have progressed, Enola and Sherlock have formed a bond and he has come to respect her. In all of the books, Enola has thought about trying to find her mother but put it off. She has longed for her family but has been frustrated because she has to constantly escape from her brothers.
In this last book, Sherlock is summoned to his childhood home where Enola had to flee- Ferndale Hall. A special message has arrived in the middle of the night for Enola with odd gypsy designs on it. Since his mother ran off to be with the gypsies, Sherlock realizes it must be from her.
In the meantime, Enola is in London trying to solve a case for a Spanish duke whose wife went into the London subway near Sherlock's home on Baker Street and disappeared. The Duke calls Sherlock in on the case and while he is baffled, Enola figures out some clues and joins ranks with him and with her old collie dog. Sherlock gives her the message which is written in an odd way requiring a special sort of cylinder to unlock..
I loved the ending of this book so much I could cry. Don't let the young adult or children's label put you off the series. Good stories are good stories no matter who they are meant for.
