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Sherlock Holmes #1-8
The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective in all fiction, and his adventures are among the finest crime capers committed to the printed page. In tale after tale of his exploits, Holmes applies his unique powers of deduction to bringing some of the most ingenious crooks, criminals, rogues, and rascals to justice. Rightly regarded as the Great Detective, Holmes sees clues that others overlook, and displays skills at detection that are nearly as uncanny as they are...elementary.
The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collects forty-eight classic tales, including the full-length novels A Study in Scarlet, The sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear. In addition, it features forty-four short masterpieces of detective fiction, among them, "The Speckled Band," "A Scandal in Bohemia," "His Last Bow," and "The Final Problem."
The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is your passport to 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes explores some of the most baffling crimes ever committed and where the game is always afoot. Narrated by Holmes's sidekick, Doctor Watson, these stories invite you to match wits with one of the most logical minds in literature and to view the world before you as a multifaceted mystery waiting to be solved.
Contains:
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Scandal in Bohemia
Red-headed League
Case of Identity
Boscombe Valley Mystery
Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Adventure of the Speckled Band
Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
Adventure of the Copper Beeches
His Last Bow
Hound of the Baskervilles
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Silver Blaze
Adventure of the Yellow Face
Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk
Adventure of the Gloria Scott
Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual
Adventure of the Reigate Squire
Crooked Man
Adventure of the Resident Patient
Adventure of the Greek interpreter
Naval Treaty
Final Problem
Return of Sherlock Holmes
Adventure of the Empty House
Adventure of the Norwood Builder
Dancing Men
Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
Adventure of the Priory School
Black Peter
Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
Six Napoleons
Adventure of the Three Students
Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez
Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
Adventure of the Abbey Grange
Second Stain
Sign of Four
Study in Scarlet
Valley of Fear
The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collects forty-eight classic tales, including the full-length novels A Study in Scarlet, The sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear. In addition, it features forty-four short masterpieces of detective fiction, among them, "The Speckled Band," "A Scandal in Bohemia," "His Last Bow," and "The Final Problem."
The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is your passport to 221B Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes explores some of the most baffling crimes ever committed and where the game is always afoot. Narrated by Holmes's sidekick, Doctor Watson, these stories invite you to match wits with one of the most logical minds in literature and to view the world before you as a multifaceted mystery waiting to be solved.
Contains:
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Scandal in Bohemia
Red-headed League
Case of Identity
Boscombe Valley Mystery
Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Adventure of the Speckled Band
Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
Adventure of the Copper Beeches
His Last Bow
Hound of the Baskervilles
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Silver Blaze
Adventure of the Yellow Face
Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk
Adventure of the Gloria Scott
Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual
Adventure of the Reigate Squire
Crooked Man
Adventure of the Resident Patient
Adventure of the Greek interpreter
Naval Treaty
Final Problem
Return of Sherlock Holmes
Adventure of the Empty House
Adventure of the Norwood Builder
Dancing Men
Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
Adventure of the Priory School
Black Peter
Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
Six Napoleons
Adventure of the Three Students
Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez
Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
Adventure of the Abbey Grange
Second Stain
Sign of Four
Study in Scarlet
Valley of Fear
939 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
11.9k books22.8k followersA series of stories, including
The Hound of the Baskervilles
(1902), of known British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chiefly features Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective.
Mary Foley, an Irish mother, bore Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the third of ten siblings, to Charles Altamont Doyle, a talented English illustrator of Irish descent.
Although people now refer to as "Conan Doyle" despite the uncertain origin of this understood compound surname. His baptism record in the registry of cathedral of Saint Mary in Edinburgh gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his Christian name, and simply "Doyle" as his surname. It also names Michael Conan as his godfather.
At the age of nine years in 1868, parents sent Arthur Conan Doyle to Hodder place, the Jesuit preparatory school at Stonyhurst. He then went to Stonyhurst college and left in 1875.
From 1876, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh to 1881. This study required that he provide periodic medical assistance in the towns of Aston (now a district of Birmingham) and Sheffield. Arthur Conan Doyle studied and meanwhile began short. He apparently first published in "Chambers's Edinburgh Journal" before 20 years of age in 1879. Following his graduation, the steamship Mayumba employed him as a doctor during a voyage to the African west coast.
Arthur Conan Doyle completed his doctorate on the subject of tabes dorsalis in 1885. In 1885, he married Louisa Hawkins Doyle as "Touie." With this first wife, Arthur Conan Doyle fathered two children: Mary Louise Doyle, born 28 January 1889, and Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Doyle, born 15 November 1892.
Arthur Conan Doyle first met Jean Elizabeth Leckie and fell in 1897. Due to his sense of loyalty, he had maintained a purely platonic relationship with Jean while Louisa Hawkins Doyle, his first wife, lived.
Louisa Hawkins Doyle, his wife, suffered from tuberculosis and died on 4 July 1906. In the following year of 1907, he married Jean Elizabeth Leckie.
With this second wife, he fathered three children: Denis Percy Stewart Doyle, born on 17 March 1909, Adrian Malcolm Doyle, born on 19 November 1910, and Jean Lena Annette Doyle, born on 21 December 1912.
Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Doyle, his son, died on 28 October 1918.
At Undershaw, house, located in Hindhead, south of London, Arthur Conan Doyle lived for a decade; it served from 1924 as a hotel and restaurant for eight decades. It then stood empty while conservationists and fans fight to preserve it.
People found Arthur Conan Doyle, clutching his chest, in the hall of Windlesham, his house in Crowborough, East Sussex. He died of a heart attack. He directed his last words, "You are wonderful," toward his wife. The epitaph on his gravestone in the churchyard at Minstead in the New Forest, Hampshire, reads:
STEEL TRUE
BLADE STRAIGHT
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
KNIGHT
PATRIOT, PHYSICIAN & MAN OF LETTERS
Jean Elizabeth Leckie Doyle, his widow, died in London on 27 June 1940.
Mary Foley, an Irish mother, bore Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the third of ten siblings, to Charles Altamont Doyle, a talented English illustrator of Irish descent.
Although people now refer to as "Conan Doyle" despite the uncertain origin of this understood compound surname. His baptism record in the registry of cathedral of Saint Mary in Edinburgh gives "Arthur Ignatius Conan" as his Christian name, and simply "Doyle" as his surname. It also names Michael Conan as his godfather.
At the age of nine years in 1868, parents sent Arthur Conan Doyle to Hodder place, the Jesuit preparatory school at Stonyhurst. He then went to Stonyhurst college and left in 1875.
From 1876, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh to 1881. This study required that he provide periodic medical assistance in the towns of Aston (now a district of Birmingham) and Sheffield. Arthur Conan Doyle studied and meanwhile began short. He apparently first published in "Chambers's Edinburgh Journal" before 20 years of age in 1879. Following his graduation, the steamship Mayumba employed him as a doctor during a voyage to the African west coast.
Arthur Conan Doyle completed his doctorate on the subject of tabes dorsalis in 1885. In 1885, he married Louisa Hawkins Doyle as "Touie." With this first wife, Arthur Conan Doyle fathered two children: Mary Louise Doyle, born 28 January 1889, and Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Doyle, born 15 November 1892.
Arthur Conan Doyle first met Jean Elizabeth Leckie and fell in 1897. Due to his sense of loyalty, he had maintained a purely platonic relationship with Jean while Louisa Hawkins Doyle, his first wife, lived.
Louisa Hawkins Doyle, his wife, suffered from tuberculosis and died on 4 July 1906. In the following year of 1907, he married Jean Elizabeth Leckie.
With this second wife, he fathered three children: Denis Percy Stewart Doyle, born on 17 March 1909, Adrian Malcolm Doyle, born on 19 November 1910, and Jean Lena Annette Doyle, born on 21 December 1912.
Arthur Alleyne Kingsley Doyle, his son, died on 28 October 1918.
At Undershaw, house, located in Hindhead, south of London, Arthur Conan Doyle lived for a decade; it served from 1924 as a hotel and restaurant for eight decades. It then stood empty while conservationists and fans fight to preserve it.
People found Arthur Conan Doyle, clutching his chest, in the hall of Windlesham, his house in Crowborough, East Sussex. He died of a heart attack. He directed his last words, "You are wonderful," toward his wife. The epitaph on his gravestone in the churchyard at Minstead in the New Forest, Hampshire, reads:
STEEL TRUE
BLADE STRAIGHT
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
KNIGHT
PATRIOT, PHYSICIAN & MAN OF LETTERS
Jean Elizabeth Leckie Doyle, his widow, died in London on 27 June 1940.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
June 21, 2017
Wow, I'm actually done!! This was quite the enjoyable experience, and I'm so glad to have read all the Holmes stories now. ;) World's longest review coming soon. :D
October 7, 2016
Remember to look closely at the cover of all these "complete" Sherlock Holmes books. With the wonders of capitalistically fueled competition, each edition of all 4 novels and 56 short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is beginning to look more and more similar. Not all are created quite as equal as one would think, however. Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection is more than adequate if you just want to read every one of the stories, but it's definitely not the best of the bunch. Read on to find out more.
In my quest to find the holy grail of Sherlock Holmes literature, aka; THE definitive collection of original, Conan Doyle penned stories, I actually ended up buying (and reading and rereading) 3 different versions. My assessment of all 3 is as follows:
1 - Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection (the one being reviewed here) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D...)
* This is a perfectly adequate collection. It DOES include all 4 novels and 56 short stories, but the book is all text, with no real illustrations to speak of. When I first purchased it as an ebook, it did NOT include all the stories, but before I was even finished reading it, a simple Kindle update added all the rest, making it certifiably "complete." So if you see a review of The Ultimate Collection that says it isn't complete, it's probably just an old review. At any rate, the "Film and Television Adaptations" and Beyond the Canon" synopsis sections at the end of the book are also included, but do not appear in the other Sherlock Holmes collections. Kindle formatting isn't so good in this one, however, unfortunately. Individual story/chapters aren't easily accessible from the drop down menu, as they are in other collected SH books. My five star rating is for the writing itself, which is of course, practically peerless.
2 - The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volumes 1-4 (The Heirloom Collection) - http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...
* The Heirloom Collection isn't the absolute best compendium of SH stories, but it is extremely good. Most importantly, it does contain all 4 novels and 56 short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, though not always in the exact same order as other editions -- making it a little confusing, when comparing different editions, to determine if all the stories are actually included (and they really are). Design wise, the graphic presentation (font choices, layout, etc) of this "heirloom edition" is superb -- making it clearly better in that regard than perhaps any of the "complete" Sherlock Holmes books currently available. The color illustrations aren't bad either, but there really aren't all that many for such a large book, filled with so many classic tales. Good Kindle formatting overall, but not as good as it could have been.
3 - The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Illustrated) (Top Five Classics Book 17) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=x...
* The absolute best of the three, in my opinion. This Top Five Classics edition includes all 4 novels and 56 short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Kindle formatting is superb, and best of all, most (if not all) of the classic illustrations that accompanied the original, first run publication of each story are included. Some short stories even have up to three separate illustrations! Pretty much all of the plates are reproduced in pencil/pen & ink drawn black and white, but the quality of the artwork is vastly superior to what appears in most other SH collections.
So for my money, the Top Five Classics edition (#3) is hands down the very best one currently available. Wish I'd known that before I purchased all three, but none of these collections were much more than $3 to $6 each, and the Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection was only 99 cents! So if you don't care about illustrations, design quality, or good Kindle formatting, then you can certainly save a few bucks by choosing that particular version of the book (see #1 above).
On a final note, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box IS included in the Top Five Classics book, but appears in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes novel, as opposed to other editions that include it in the collected short story novel, His Last Bow. It's a little confusing at first, with so many "adventures" to keep track of, but rest assured, the Cardboard Box and all the rest really ARE there. So the game's afoot, no matter which edition you choose, but personally, if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably just buy the Top Five Classics edition.
In my quest to find the holy grail of Sherlock Holmes literature, aka; THE definitive collection of original, Conan Doyle penned stories, I actually ended up buying (and reading and rereading) 3 different versions. My assessment of all 3 is as follows:
1 - Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection (the one being reviewed here) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D...)
* This is a perfectly adequate collection. It DOES include all 4 novels and 56 short stories, but the book is all text, with no real illustrations to speak of. When I first purchased it as an ebook, it did NOT include all the stories, but before I was even finished reading it, a simple Kindle update added all the rest, making it certifiably "complete." So if you see a review of The Ultimate Collection that says it isn't complete, it's probably just an old review. At any rate, the "Film and Television Adaptations" and Beyond the Canon" synopsis sections at the end of the book are also included, but do not appear in the other Sherlock Holmes collections. Kindle formatting isn't so good in this one, however, unfortunately. Individual story/chapters aren't easily accessible from the drop down menu, as they are in other collected SH books. My five star rating is for the writing itself, which is of course, practically peerless.
2 - The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volumes 1-4 (The Heirloom Collection) - http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...
* The Heirloom Collection isn't the absolute best compendium of SH stories, but it is extremely good. Most importantly, it does contain all 4 novels and 56 short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, though not always in the exact same order as other editions -- making it a little confusing, when comparing different editions, to determine if all the stories are actually included (and they really are). Design wise, the graphic presentation (font choices, layout, etc) of this "heirloom edition" is superb -- making it clearly better in that regard than perhaps any of the "complete" Sherlock Holmes books currently available. The color illustrations aren't bad either, but there really aren't all that many for such a large book, filled with so many classic tales. Good Kindle formatting overall, but not as good as it could have been.
3 - The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Illustrated) (Top Five Classics Book 17) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=x...
* The absolute best of the three, in my opinion. This Top Five Classics edition includes all 4 novels and 56 short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Kindle formatting is superb, and best of all, most (if not all) of the classic illustrations that accompanied the original, first run publication of each story are included. Some short stories even have up to three separate illustrations! Pretty much all of the plates are reproduced in pencil/pen & ink drawn black and white, but the quality of the artwork is vastly superior to what appears in most other SH collections.
So for my money, the Top Five Classics edition (#3) is hands down the very best one currently available. Wish I'd known that before I purchased all three, but none of these collections were much more than $3 to $6 each, and the Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection was only 99 cents! So if you don't care about illustrations, design quality, or good Kindle formatting, then you can certainly save a few bucks by choosing that particular version of the book (see #1 above).
On a final note, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box IS included in the Top Five Classics book, but appears in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes novel, as opposed to other editions that include it in the collected short story novel, His Last Bow. It's a little confusing at first, with so many "adventures" to keep track of, but rest assured, the Cardboard Box and all the rest really ARE there. So the game's afoot, no matter which edition you choose, but personally, if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably just buy the Top Five Classics edition.
Currently reading
July 16, 2014As a fan of the hit BBC series Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, I've enjoyed making my way through these classic stories. I'd read a few of them in school and such, but most of them are brand new to me. It's fun to see how the show's writers have adapted Conan Doyle's tales of our favorite consulting detective into a modern setting. Looking forward to reading the rest of these fun and compelling mysteries!
August 6, 2017
I really love Sherlock Homes stories, and this book contains some of his best adventures. The best part to me however, is in the intoduction there is a short biography of the author, Doyle, and how he began writing the Sherlock Homes series!
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June 26, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/22/2020)! 🎁
June 7, 2019
60 stories and not one ounce of character development. Interesting cases but somewhat tedious to read them all.
July 12, 2022
Interesting for historical insight
I haven't finished the entire collection but I do have some insights that I need to jot down for myself. The stories showcase misogyny well beyond the lack of legal status and rights accorded women at the time. The working class characters are props and when occasionally one is more fully developed, Doyle drops them off the page as if he doesn't know what to do with them.
Having upset, disturbed or scandalized other Goodreads members and with their now expected vitriolic or condescending or childish responses, I suggest that you read my review of "Dark Horse", a really good story by Diener or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous book) and the accompanying comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and apparently leader of a group of poorly educated "intellectuals"). If you've survived that experience, there should be no justification for assigning blame to me for any emotional distress resulting from my expressing an opinion.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
The non-English European, if lacking a million pounds, a crown, a title or Scotland Yard level authority, doesn't exist. It's not as bad as American science fiction with regards to non-Americans but it's very close. Across hundreds of pages there are four non-whites mentioned. One is an opium den bouncer, three are Sikh soldiers in a military? prison. This seems to accurately correspond to invisibility of the Scot, Irish, Welsh, Indian, other Asians, African and white Commonwealth subjects. It gives a reader some insights that need be considered, including the immense popularity that the stories enjoyed.
That of course, does not apply to the american reader. A number of american Goodreads members have generously commented to the effect that America has never discounted any of its citizens, never exercised control over colonial territories and populations, never invaded and plundered weaker countries of resources or labor, never deprived its women of basic rights from the making of health decisions to property ownership, never deprived workers of rights to organize or challenge wage levels and working conditions, never tolerated the horrible attempt by English imperialism to impose 250 years of black slavery upon the North American continent, never allowed the growth of oligarchic economic/political power in its society, never allowed its police to regularly publicly murder non-white citizens with little punishment (while paying tens of millions of dollars to settle wrongful death suits) nor declared an entire continent as being solely a part of America's sphere of influence.
I truly appreciate the generosity of time and effort expended in donating such unsolicited input. I have now corrected my erroneous former impressions of america, which were sadly based solely on my university coursework and several decades of historical research on personal projects. Again my thanks to them and Good on you, America.
Back to my thoughts about the writer and his most famous characters, Doyle much like his Holmes and the lovable Dr. Watson are sociopaths. I first read the Holmes stories as a teenager and looking at it now, my reaction to the stories is far different. I like the movie and TV adaptations as they update the characters to reflect more emotions, nuance and self-awareness. The adaptations have far more impact than the originals and the writing of the originals is not nearly as good as I remembered.
I am trying to avoid comparisons to other writers but Charlie N Holmberg and the "Magician" books remind me of the Holmes film universe. I'm going to have to re-read more Agatha Christie and see how that bounces around in my head but her stories hold up so very much better than Doyle's. Both those writers created more interesting characters with more memorable personalities than did Doyle.
There is one constant theme in the stories. Holmes doesn't seek justice, only to solve puzzles. He pursues murderers who may have balanced the scales of justice in a system that doesn't seek justice, only bodies for the hangman in order to reassure the proper sort that they are safe. It bothered me when I was younger, even though I focused on the puzzles but it jumped off the page this go round.
Holmes considers some males despicable (usually the worker or countryman) but then having solved the puzzle and jailed the villain puts any woman's situations out of mind. Like their male counterparts, he hardly acknowledges women of the lower orders. Doyle consistently writes of women of the right sort, willingly submitting to male villains, for instance, following kidnappers because she is too stupid to flag down a bobbie. An heiress allows two lowlives to "drag" her onto a passenger liner bound for London, "drag" her to an upscale London hotel, later "drag" her to a ferry to the Mainland and then to a Balkan capital before she apparently kills them. She only does it then because the villains killed her brother in front of her and as Holmes suggests, Eastern Europe must have ignited her fiery Mediterranean blood. It may be his perception of women of the time but it's still insane. Holmes bounces around Europe and Britain but never rescues any damsel, once the puzzle is solved.
The characters aren't as alive as those of Zen DiPietro, Ann Christy or Elizabeth Moon. Even given the shift in language and culture since, his characters are just bland.
I turn to YouTube for my serious reader's community, as well as my other interest areas. If you visit booktubers, I doubt that Goodreads will ever again seem acceptable. I also discovered Curiosity Stream/Nebula with its collection of documentaries and other educational video sites. At a cost of $15 USD for a yearly subscription, it is worth the look. Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
Between the Lines, Earle Writes, Tara Mooknee, Philosophy Tube, Munecat, Novara Media, Tom Nicholas, Some More News, The Great War, Between the Wars, World War Two, The Juice Media, Kings and Generals, Austin McConnell, Katie Colson, Dr Becky, Real Engineering, Filaxim Historia, Anthropology Club, Chugging Along, Tiny Wee Boat, Ship Happens, AstronautX, Crecganford, Tulia, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, Jessica Gagnon, Books with Emily Fox, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Autumn's Boutique, A Clockwork Reader, BrandonF, Atun Shei, Avalishvili, Celtica, Merphy Napier, Rebecca Watson, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Chef, Narrowboat Pirate, 2Cellos, Northern Narrowboaters, Sabine Hossenfelder, Sort of Interesting, Storyworldling, With Olivia, The Gravel Institute, Spacedock, Sarah Z, Zoe Baker, Cruising the Cut, Minimal List, Second Thought, Adult Wednesday Addams, Half as Interesting, Lilly's expat life, A Clockwork Reader, The Shades of Orange, Serena Skybourne, A Life of Lit, Lady of the Library, Adam Something, Noah Sampson, Jack in the Books, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Enby Reads, The Templin Institute, Indigo Gaming, Perun, Double Down News, What Vivi did next, Mythic Concepts, Artificial Intelligence Universe, Swell Entertainment, The Welsh Viking, Steampunk, Renegade Cut, Book Odyssey, World of Antiquity, The Budget Museum, All Shorts, Nomadic Crobot, Olly Richards, Jabzy, IzzzYzzz, Bookleo, Emmie, Prime of Midlife, Patrick is a Navajo, Epimetheus, Maiorianus, Luciana Zogbi, Karolina Zebrowska, Jill Bearup, Driftwood Folk, Tank Archives, Practical Engineering, Event Horizon, Linguoer-Mechanic, The Carpenter's Daughter, MWG Studios, Three Arrows, Ana Psychology, Quinn's Ideas.
I want that you should have a fine morning, a gorgeous afternoon, a splendid evening and a pleasant night.
To know a man or woman, one must understand them in their time and in their place.
a Bene Gesserit dictum
I haven't finished the entire collection but I do have some insights that I need to jot down for myself. The stories showcase misogyny well beyond the lack of legal status and rights accorded women at the time. The working class characters are props and when occasionally one is more fully developed, Doyle drops them off the page as if he doesn't know what to do with them.
Having upset, disturbed or scandalized other Goodreads members and with their now expected vitriolic or condescending or childish responses, I suggest that you read my review of "Dark Horse", a really good story by Diener or Powers of the Earth (a ridiculous book) and the accompanying comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and apparently leader of a group of poorly educated "intellectuals"). If you've survived that experience, there should be no justification for assigning blame to me for any emotional distress resulting from my expressing an opinion.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
The non-English European, if lacking a million pounds, a crown, a title or Scotland Yard level authority, doesn't exist. It's not as bad as American science fiction with regards to non-Americans but it's very close. Across hundreds of pages there are four non-whites mentioned. One is an opium den bouncer, three are Sikh soldiers in a military? prison. This seems to accurately correspond to invisibility of the Scot, Irish, Welsh, Indian, other Asians, African and white Commonwealth subjects. It gives a reader some insights that need be considered, including the immense popularity that the stories enjoyed.
That of course, does not apply to the american reader. A number of american Goodreads members have generously commented to the effect that America has never discounted any of its citizens, never exercised control over colonial territories and populations, never invaded and plundered weaker countries of resources or labor, never deprived its women of basic rights from the making of health decisions to property ownership, never deprived workers of rights to organize or challenge wage levels and working conditions, never tolerated the horrible attempt by English imperialism to impose 250 years of black slavery upon the North American continent, never allowed the growth of oligarchic economic/political power in its society, never allowed its police to regularly publicly murder non-white citizens with little punishment (while paying tens of millions of dollars to settle wrongful death suits) nor declared an entire continent as being solely a part of America's sphere of influence.
I truly appreciate the generosity of time and effort expended in donating such unsolicited input. I have now corrected my erroneous former impressions of america, which were sadly based solely on my university coursework and several decades of historical research on personal projects. Again my thanks to them and Good on you, America.
Back to my thoughts about the writer and his most famous characters, Doyle much like his Holmes and the lovable Dr. Watson are sociopaths. I first read the Holmes stories as a teenager and looking at it now, my reaction to the stories is far different. I like the movie and TV adaptations as they update the characters to reflect more emotions, nuance and self-awareness. The adaptations have far more impact than the originals and the writing of the originals is not nearly as good as I remembered.
I am trying to avoid comparisons to other writers but Charlie N Holmberg and the "Magician" books remind me of the Holmes film universe. I'm going to have to re-read more Agatha Christie and see how that bounces around in my head but her stories hold up so very much better than Doyle's. Both those writers created more interesting characters with more memorable personalities than did Doyle.
There is one constant theme in the stories. Holmes doesn't seek justice, only to solve puzzles. He pursues murderers who may have balanced the scales of justice in a system that doesn't seek justice, only bodies for the hangman in order to reassure the proper sort that they are safe. It bothered me when I was younger, even though I focused on the puzzles but it jumped off the page this go round.
Holmes considers some males despicable (usually the worker or countryman) but then having solved the puzzle and jailed the villain puts any woman's situations out of mind. Like their male counterparts, he hardly acknowledges women of the lower orders. Doyle consistently writes of women of the right sort, willingly submitting to male villains, for instance, following kidnappers because she is too stupid to flag down a bobbie. An heiress allows two lowlives to "drag" her onto a passenger liner bound for London, "drag" her to an upscale London hotel, later "drag" her to a ferry to the Mainland and then to a Balkan capital before she apparently kills them. She only does it then because the villains killed her brother in front of her and as Holmes suggests, Eastern Europe must have ignited her fiery Mediterranean blood. It may be his perception of women of the time but it's still insane. Holmes bounces around Europe and Britain but never rescues any damsel, once the puzzle is solved.
The characters aren't as alive as those of Zen DiPietro, Ann Christy or Elizabeth Moon. Even given the shift in language and culture since, his characters are just bland.
I turn to YouTube for my serious reader's community, as well as my other interest areas. If you visit booktubers, I doubt that Goodreads will ever again seem acceptable. I also discovered Curiosity Stream/Nebula with its collection of documentaries and other educational video sites. At a cost of $15 USD for a yearly subscription, it is worth the look. Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
Between the Lines, Earle Writes, Tara Mooknee, Philosophy Tube, Munecat, Novara Media, Tom Nicholas, Some More News, The Great War, Between the Wars, World War Two, The Juice Media, Kings and Generals, Austin McConnell, Katie Colson, Dr Becky, Real Engineering, Filaxim Historia, Anthropology Club, Chugging Along, Tiny Wee Boat, Ship Happens, AstronautX, Crecganford, Tulia, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, Jessica Gagnon, Books with Emily Fox, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Autumn's Boutique, A Clockwork Reader, BrandonF, Atun Shei, Avalishvili, Celtica, Merphy Napier, Rebecca Watson, Cruising Alba, Narrowboat Chef, Narrowboat Pirate, 2Cellos, Northern Narrowboaters, Sabine Hossenfelder, Sort of Interesting, Storyworldling, With Olivia, The Gravel Institute, Spacedock, Sarah Z, Zoe Baker, Cruising the Cut, Minimal List, Second Thought, Adult Wednesday Addams, Half as Interesting, Lilly's expat life, A Clockwork Reader, The Shades of Orange, Serena Skybourne, A Life of Lit, Lady of the Library, Adam Something, Noah Sampson, Jack in the Books, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Enby Reads, The Templin Institute, Indigo Gaming, Perun, Double Down News, What Vivi did next, Mythic Concepts, Artificial Intelligence Universe, Swell Entertainment, The Welsh Viking, Steampunk, Renegade Cut, Book Odyssey, World of Antiquity, The Budget Museum, All Shorts, Nomadic Crobot, Olly Richards, Jabzy, IzzzYzzz, Bookleo, Emmie, Prime of Midlife, Patrick is a Navajo, Epimetheus, Maiorianus, Luciana Zogbi, Karolina Zebrowska, Jill Bearup, Driftwood Folk, Tank Archives, Practical Engineering, Event Horizon, Linguoer-Mechanic, The Carpenter's Daughter, MWG Studios, Three Arrows, Ana Psychology, Quinn's Ideas.
I want that you should have a fine morning, a gorgeous afternoon, a splendid evening and a pleasant night.
To know a man or woman, one must understand them in their time and in their place.
a Bene Gesserit dictum
June 18, 2017
Being a silly Anglophile, this book was such a pleasure for me. At 939 pages I took my time and savored (or should I say savoured?) every moment. Conan Doyle painted such a vivid picture of the era that I might feel right at home with the rain, fog and the gas lights. The antiquated language used was both hilarious and a challenge. I do like that he chose to have the narration through Watson. I did, however feel sorry for Watson when he would be excited about having solved a part of a mystery only to have Holmes patronize him and point out that he was completely wrong. The character of Holmes is so complex and bizarre, both in his physical description and in his behaviors. But it is fun seeing how he comes upon his "aha" moment. (That should be Hullo)
In the words of Holmes:
"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
In the words of Holmes:
"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
November 26, 2015
I feel like I have really accomplished something in finishing this entire collection! :) It was quite long but totally worth it. At first I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy the person of Sherlock Holmes but as time went on that changed. It is really a story of a friendship between Holmes and Watson. It was so interesting to see how it evolved and changed. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and highly recommend it. My son and I have been watching the Jeremy Brett version of the Sherlock Holmes series on television. It is by far the best of all the ones I have seen and definitely the most accurate.
January 2, 2018
What an amazing collection! I didn’t want it to end!
December 31, 2018
The best edition I have read of Sherlock Holmes---939 pages of enjoyment .
February 5, 2021
Let's face it. I only read (listened to) this book because I love BBC Sherlock and wanted to know the original texts. And let me just say that Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat adapted the Sherlock Holmes series splendidly. (Guess that's not a big secret, though.)
I loved it when characters or story titles came up that were familiar to me from the show. Even when it were only short references in the book or vice versa.
But weren't it for BBC Sherlock I probably wouldn't have finished the collection. Most of the time the solution was that there was some secret lover/husband/wife/child who came back and caused havoc. Too repetitve for my taste.
Some stories were also quite racist (from a modern perspective) while one story (i.e. The Adventure of the Yellow Face) was surprisingly progressive. I did some online research on this topic but sadly didn't find anything particularly elaborate on. If someone could recommend me a good article about racism in Sherlock Holmes I'd be forever grateful.
I loved it when characters or story titles came up that were familiar to me from the show. Even when it were only short references in the book or vice versa.
But weren't it for BBC Sherlock I probably wouldn't have finished the collection. Most of the time the solution was that there was some secret lover/husband/wife/child who came back and caused havoc. Too repetitve for my taste.
Some stories were also quite racist (from a modern perspective) while one story (i.e. The Adventure of the Yellow Face) was surprisingly progressive. I did some online research on this topic but sadly didn't find anything particularly elaborate on. If someone could recommend me a good article about racism in Sherlock Holmes I'd be forever grateful.
February 1, 2018
Even though I marked this as finished, I'll be honest - I stopped about 20% in. These tales are of course classics and Sherlock Holmes deserves his position as the most famous detective of all crime fiction. But I stopped reading for one reason - I discovered I do not like Sherlock Holmes. At all. It's not even his dryness that bothers me. It's his incredible condensation toward everyone, especially Watson (who is not the bumbling idiot that many of the films and TV series make him out to be - he just has a different approach to a crime). He is also a misogynist. It's not that he doesn't trust women, "not even the best of them". It's that he hates them, period. Think about it - who but a misogynist would take a man who is married (especially a newlywed) into his adventures without even a mention of the wife and a total disregard for his (Watson's, in this case domestic life?
I also found most of the stories, quite frankly, a little simplistic. I'll take the more humane and colorful Hercule Poirot, thank you very much!
4 stars because it's Sherlock Holmes and you can't give Holmes less than 4 stars, can you?
I also found most of the stories, quite frankly, a little simplistic. I'll take the more humane and colorful Hercule Poirot, thank you very much!
4 stars because it's Sherlock Holmes and you can't give Holmes less than 4 stars, can you?
July 25, 2013
Several days ago, I finally started reading a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories on my Kindle and absolutely loved them. I promptly downloaded several other free versions of Sherlock Holmes tales and began reading further. Upon a trip to Barnes & Noble, I saw this collection including many tales I had not had a chance to read for only $8 and had to have the collection for my bookshelf. I look forward to reading more of these stories.
7/24/13. Finally finished the book and loved every story!
7/24/13. Finally finished the book and loved every story!
June 9, 2015
Such a Rewarding Read
I absolutely adore these writings.
You cannot go wrong reading this: every single story of Sherlock Holmes.
It's a shame there aren't authors that write like this nowadays.
This entire collection was spot on and entertaining from the first word to the last.
I feel like I'm saying goodbye to a wonderful friend now that I've finished reading it all.
This is enjoyable for any age!
I absolutely adore these writings.
You cannot go wrong reading this: every single story of Sherlock Holmes.
It's a shame there aren't authors that write like this nowadays.
This entire collection was spot on and entertaining from the first word to the last.
I feel like I'm saying goodbye to a wonderful friend now that I've finished reading it all.
This is enjoyable for any age!
Read
November 17, 2020So well written. The many film and TV versions do not do justice to the original.
January 27, 2021
What's not to love about Sherlock Holmes? Granted these stories are very much a reflection of the prejudices of the times they were written in and there are some cringe worthy references and misogynist viewpoints throughout but you can't help but get caught up in the mysteries and Mr. Holmes methods of deduction.
Stephen Fry is a total delight and his personal introductions to each section of the audio book show his personal affection for these stories.
Some interesting surprises I noted while listening. Sherlock Holmes is never addressed as Sherlock but always by Sherlock Holmes, or Mr. Holmes, or often Mr. Sherlock Holmes even by Dr. John Watson.
He does frequently use the term Elementary when bringing forth his deductions but sadly, never says, "Elementary, My Dear Watson." He does say, "The Game is Afoot!" which was fun to hear.
One of the things Arthur Conan Doyle does is feed his characters. With very few exceptions, Holmes and Watson partake of regular meals, even during an investigation. I love that!
Although Moriarty is mentioned, in this collection, he is only featured in a couple of stories.
Doyle attempts to kill off Holmes but after a huge public outcry where people went around in mourning clothes and there were constant demands to bring him back, Doyle successfully resurrects our hero and writes about him even more prolifically. (Money was the key reason for this, apparently, Sherlock stories bring home the bacon!
Telegrams were used instead of phones and the agony columns of newspapers (similar to our personal ads) took the place of our modern day Twitter!
Darkness was a severe handicap, especially in the country. Flashlights would have been welcome!
Characters, most especially women, often suffered from brain fever and nervous collapse.
My absolute favorite 5 star story in this series was The Adventures of Abbey Grange.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who has 62 hours and 52 minutes to spare to listen to the entire thing.
Stephen Fry is a total delight and his personal introductions to each section of the audio book show his personal affection for these stories.
Some interesting surprises I noted while listening. Sherlock Holmes is never addressed as Sherlock but always by Sherlock Holmes, or Mr. Holmes, or often Mr. Sherlock Holmes even by Dr. John Watson.
He does frequently use the term Elementary when bringing forth his deductions but sadly, never says, "Elementary, My Dear Watson." He does say, "The Game is Afoot!" which was fun to hear.
One of the things Arthur Conan Doyle does is feed his characters. With very few exceptions, Holmes and Watson partake of regular meals, even during an investigation. I love that!
Although Moriarty is mentioned, in this collection, he is only featured in a couple of stories.
Doyle attempts to kill off Holmes but after a huge public outcry where people went around in mourning clothes and there were constant demands to bring him back, Doyle successfully resurrects our hero and writes about him even more prolifically. (Money was the key reason for this, apparently, Sherlock stories bring home the bacon!
Telegrams were used instead of phones and the agony columns of newspapers (similar to our personal ads) took the place of our modern day Twitter!
Darkness was a severe handicap, especially in the country. Flashlights would have been welcome!
Characters, most especially women, often suffered from brain fever and nervous collapse.
My absolute favorite 5 star story in this series was The Adventures of Abbey Grange.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who has 62 hours and 52 minutes to spare to listen to the entire thing.
June 15, 2018
I purchased this e-book as a supplement to the complete Holmes collection I already own in print. I travel a lot, and since this is my year for reading through all of Sherlock Holmes, I wanted a version on my iPad to save space in my carry-on. In this regard, the book worked just fine until I got to the end of my reading. The “ultimate” collection falls short of that name since it does not include the stories from _The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes_. This is no doubt due to the fact that the Case-Book stories are still under copyright, so this is really not the Ultimate Collection but only the Public Domain Collection.
It is illustrated, yes, but the reader would not be amiss in thinking at first that it isn’t, since all the images are at the back, not adjacent to the relevant stories.
Some crucial illustrations are missing, such as the torn notes in "Reigate Puzzle," or the maps from those stories that originally had them, e.g., “The Priory School.” Most notably, "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" lacks the illustrations, which spoils half the fun of that story, which is seeing if one can break the code oneself.
So this collection is better than having no Holmes e-books at all, but it really is only useful as an adjunct to a good print collection that's more fully illustrated. And that, y’know, actually includes all the stories.
It is illustrated, yes, but the reader would not be amiss in thinking at first that it isn’t, since all the images are at the back, not adjacent to the relevant stories.
Some crucial illustrations are missing, such as the torn notes in "Reigate Puzzle," or the maps from those stories that originally had them, e.g., “The Priory School.” Most notably, "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" lacks the illustrations, which spoils half the fun of that story, which is seeing if one can break the code oneself.
So this collection is better than having no Holmes e-books at all, but it really is only useful as an adjunct to a good print collection that's more fully illustrated. And that, y’know, actually includes all the stories.
December 27, 2018
A good classic, worth a read
July 4, 2022
My best friend Sherlock Holmes strikes again! Hope you're happy with your beekeeping, bestie, I will visit soon!
February 3, 2024
Stephen Fry.
Currently reading
May 31, 2023A Study in Scarlet—Murder, Mystery, and Mormonism (3 ⭐)
Apparently the Mormons were already creating a spectacle in 1887 when A Study in Scarlet was first published. I must admit I was rather surprised that they featured in a novel about a London detective, but I thought it was really interesting to see the way people viewed them back then. Not that much differently than today, as it turns out, although I'm sure the Victorians would have been utterly scandalized by developments like the Salamander Letter debacle and Keep Sweet, Pray, Obey style exposés.
At any rate, the story was...okay. I won't say it was great. Maybe I've been spoiled by BBC's Sherlock, but I guess I was expecting to be a bit more wowed. Holmes is meant to be this great detective with superior mental abilities, but for the most part he just goes around being kind of a smug git, all like, "Oh ho, I'm so clever! I've got it all figured out, but I shan't tell you because you're so very dull." And then in the end, the killer is the one who tells how he did everything, not Sherlock. But of course Sherlock's like, "I knew it all along!" And John is like, "My brain has been addled by the war. I totally believe you."
Overall, it's not an altogether terrible freshman effort, but I do hope the stories improve from here.
The Sign of the Four—There’s Something About Mary (3 ⭐)
I found this installment of the series to be a bit better in terms of the fact that Sherlock actually seems to do some real detective work, rather than arranging all his friends and colleagues like chess pieces so that he can do a big dramatic reveal at the end and show everyone what a clever boy he is. Also, unlike A Study in Scarlet, there isn’t an awkward interlude in the middle that flashes back to events 15 or 20 years ago, which is a narrative device that I passionately hate.
Unfortunately, there were a number of other things about The Sign of the Four that I found unpalatable. First, there was Sherlock’s casual misogyny (“Women are never to be entirely trusted—not the best of them.”) and John basically shrugging it off because, oh, that’s just Sherlock. And then, of course, there was all the racism. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t expect better from a book written during the Victorian era. It wasn’t exactly the most enlightened of times. But referring to the Andamanese character as ugly, misshapen, grotesque, monstrous, and a “little black devil”? One character suggesting that another character doesn’t have to keep an agreement with his Sikh compatriots because they’re “black fellows”? Repeated references to Hindu people as “evil Hindoos” and “Hindoo devils”? Fucking yikes.
The only saving grace, in my opinion, is that when we are introduced to Mary Morstan for the first time, John hilariously spends a full fucking page roasting this woman. Literally just reads her to filth. And then, naturally, falls in love with her and spends the rest of the book singing her praises and mooning over her. It gives serious Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy energy, except Arthur Conan Doyle could never.
Also, when John reveals to Sherlock that he and Mary are engaged—after knowing each other for like, I don’t know, a week?—Sherlock is like, “Well, this seems like a good time to self-destruct.” So that’ll be interesting later.
Apparently the Mormons were already creating a spectacle in 1887 when A Study in Scarlet was first published. I must admit I was rather surprised that they featured in a novel about a London detective, but I thought it was really interesting to see the way people viewed them back then. Not that much differently than today, as it turns out, although I'm sure the Victorians would have been utterly scandalized by developments like the Salamander Letter debacle and Keep Sweet, Pray, Obey style exposés.
At any rate, the story was...okay. I won't say it was great. Maybe I've been spoiled by BBC's Sherlock, but I guess I was expecting to be a bit more wowed. Holmes is meant to be this great detective with superior mental abilities, but for the most part he just goes around being kind of a smug git, all like, "Oh ho, I'm so clever! I've got it all figured out, but I shan't tell you because you're so very dull." And then in the end, the killer is the one who tells how he did everything, not Sherlock. But of course Sherlock's like, "I knew it all along!" And John is like, "My brain has been addled by the war. I totally believe you."
Overall, it's not an altogether terrible freshman effort, but I do hope the stories improve from here.
The Sign of the Four—There’s Something About Mary (3 ⭐)
I found this installment of the series to be a bit better in terms of the fact that Sherlock actually seems to do some real detective work, rather than arranging all his friends and colleagues like chess pieces so that he can do a big dramatic reveal at the end and show everyone what a clever boy he is. Also, unlike A Study in Scarlet, there isn’t an awkward interlude in the middle that flashes back to events 15 or 20 years ago, which is a narrative device that I passionately hate.
Unfortunately, there were a number of other things about The Sign of the Four that I found unpalatable. First, there was Sherlock’s casual misogyny (“Women are never to be entirely trusted—not the best of them.”) and John basically shrugging it off because, oh, that’s just Sherlock. And then, of course, there was all the racism. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t expect better from a book written during the Victorian era. It wasn’t exactly the most enlightened of times. But referring to the Andamanese character as ugly, misshapen, grotesque, monstrous, and a “little black devil”? One character suggesting that another character doesn’t have to keep an agreement with his Sikh compatriots because they’re “black fellows”? Repeated references to Hindu people as “evil Hindoos” and “Hindoo devils”? Fucking yikes.
The only saving grace, in my opinion, is that when we are introduced to Mary Morstan for the first time, John hilariously spends a full fucking page roasting this woman. Literally just reads her to filth. And then, naturally, falls in love with her and spends the rest of the book singing her praises and mooning over her. It gives serious Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy energy, except Arthur Conan Doyle could never.
Also, when John reveals to Sherlock that he and Mary are engaged—after knowing each other for like, I don’t know, a week?—Sherlock is like, “Well, this seems like a good time to self-destruct.” So that’ll be interesting later.
June 16, 2016
Great Edition! I just finished the first book, Study in Scarlet, which I had not read. Excellent mystery, with a great deal of information regarding Sherlock in the early going of the book, since this is or must be one of his first. The whole relationship with Dr. Watson started in this book, and he became the vehicle to move the stories along, as well as the keeper of the detailed records of the cases. I didn't know that he was in the service in Afghanistan, home in London on medical leave when he met Holmes. Also, the Introduction is fabulous, and I learned much I didn't know about ACD-his articles in The Strand, his frequent attempts to end the Holmes stories in search of the bigger novel, and that he was a doctor who wrote to fill the time between patients.
More later...
Just finished Valley of Fear. Told in two parts, with the present tense being the first, and the past setting the stage being told last. I had to go back and re-read the first to remember who it all came about. It was seamless, and brilliant, and in the end (beginning) all is explained, from the gold fields and coal mines of America to the secret society of the Scowrers in the valley of fear to the murder that takes place 11 years later in England. Bodymaster McGinter, McMurdo and Douglas all fall into their respective parts in the mystery of the mis-identified mutilated corpse found in a remote castle in England. And yet so much more to come...
Read these shorts: The Gloria Scott, The Stockbroker's Clerk, The Yellow Face, Silver Blaze,
and finally, I have read everything that I can find published by Arthur Conan Doyle. I obviously love Sherlock. Many of the stories book in this are not Sherlock Holmes' mysteries.
More later...
Just finished Valley of Fear. Told in two parts, with the present tense being the first, and the past setting the stage being told last. I had to go back and re-read the first to remember who it all came about. It was seamless, and brilliant, and in the end (beginning) all is explained, from the gold fields and coal mines of America to the secret society of the Scowrers in the valley of fear to the murder that takes place 11 years later in England. Bodymaster McGinter, McMurdo and Douglas all fall into their respective parts in the mystery of the mis-identified mutilated corpse found in a remote castle in England. And yet so much more to come...
Read these shorts: The Gloria Scott, The Stockbroker's Clerk, The Yellow Face, Silver Blaze,
and finally, I have read everything that I can find published by Arthur Conan Doyle. I obviously love Sherlock. Many of the stories book in this are not Sherlock Holmes' mysteries.
January 12, 2014
This review was originally written for my blog at http://tjhapney.wordpress.com/ and is worded in that manner.
If you read my about page you'll notice that I mention mysteries, which I don't often review as my taste in mysteries isn't always the same as others. However, it's hard to go wrong with Sherlock Holmes and as I was in between seasons of the UK TV show Sherlock I picked this up to get my fix so to speak. This was a great buy from Amazon at 99 cents for the Kindle and the stories are in order and aren't abridged, which I felt was important. I don't want to read a book or story after someone who feels they 'know better' has taken a whack at censorship. Apparently there is another collection on Amazon that has 56 short stories for a few dollars more, but I didn't see that one when I was out shopping around. On the whole, I was pretty happy with this purchase and really enjoyed reading it in between my sci-fi and fantasy books.
I was a fan of the old Sherlock Holmes movies when I was young, but had not read the actual books or short stories. For the time they were written these stories really cover some pretty gutsy territory with regard to social issues. For anyone who enjoys mysteries and hasn't taken the time to read the stories, instead of watching movies like I did up until now, I think you will find a richness and depth that was not always present especially in the older versions of the movies.
Anyway, lots more sci-fi and fantasy books on the schedule to be reviewed, but I thought I would share a review for this collection as I consider it to be a really good bargain and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you read my about page you'll notice that I mention mysteries, which I don't often review as my taste in mysteries isn't always the same as others. However, it's hard to go wrong with Sherlock Holmes and as I was in between seasons of the UK TV show Sherlock I picked this up to get my fix so to speak. This was a great buy from Amazon at 99 cents for the Kindle and the stories are in order and aren't abridged, which I felt was important. I don't want to read a book or story after someone who feels they 'know better' has taken a whack at censorship. Apparently there is another collection on Amazon that has 56 short stories for a few dollars more, but I didn't see that one when I was out shopping around. On the whole, I was pretty happy with this purchase and really enjoyed reading it in between my sci-fi and fantasy books.
I was a fan of the old Sherlock Holmes movies when I was young, but had not read the actual books or short stories. For the time they were written these stories really cover some pretty gutsy territory with regard to social issues. For anyone who enjoys mysteries and hasn't taken the time to read the stories, instead of watching movies like I did up until now, I think you will find a richness and depth that was not always present especially in the older versions of the movies.
Anyway, lots more sci-fi and fantasy books on the schedule to be reviewed, but I thought I would share a review for this collection as I consider it to be a really good bargain and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 2, 2014
I've seen multiple renditions of Sherlock Holmes or Sherlock characters, like House.
All to say that the original is still one of the most captivating. He's smart and clever and thoughtful. By following the stories from Watson's perspective, you are able to feel Sherlock's achievements are more extraordinary than perhaps from a 3rd party perspective.
BBC's Sherlock has a lot of subtle nobs to the original, such as "The Woman" and the 5 pips.
All in all, great book. Would love to read a the complete stories
"You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear."
"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."
"The little things are infinitely the most important"
"There is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace"
All to say that the original is still one of the most captivating. He's smart and clever and thoughtful. By following the stories from Watson's perspective, you are able to feel Sherlock's achievements are more extraordinary than perhaps from a 3rd party perspective.
BBC's Sherlock has a lot of subtle nobs to the original, such as "The Woman" and the 5 pips.
All in all, great book. Would love to read a the complete stories
"You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear."
"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."
"The little things are infinitely the most important"
"There is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace"
January 3, 2016
The first book I 'finished' reading in 2016. I actually started reading this last year--usually about a story a week. Some stories I remember reading in my youth, others totally unfamiliar. After reading it all, how can you help not thinking somewhat like Sherlock? Some stories more formula than others, some more mysterious than others, but they all end up solved. Such classic stories. This addition includes movies and television shows that have dealt with Holmes, as well as books and stories related to Holmes and Watson.
December 14, 2020
Four of the novels and 44 short stories. A blush of late 1800s racial stereotypes. (The Sign of Four is the worst culprit.) Come for the puzzles and the mystery. Creepiest stories include The Speckled Band, The Devil's Foot, and The Copper Beeches. The Six Napoleons was absurd and delightful.
Will absolutely reread whenever I need to ground and settle my nerves. Holmes is a classic character. Doyle's writing style is "often imitated, rarely duplicated" -- really, you can pretty immediately tell when someone just does not understand the timbre, the vocabulary, the cadence of a Holmes story.
Will absolutely reread whenever I need to ground and settle my nerves. Holmes is a classic character. Doyle's writing style is "often imitated, rarely duplicated" -- really, you can pretty immediately tell when someone just does not understand the timbre, the vocabulary, the cadence of a Holmes story.
July 7, 2013
The language is perfect. The perpetual fog, the gaslights, the trains and the people of London make perfect place for murders that require Sherlock Holmes. The contrasts between city, suburb and country wherein the local of each story is a character are well drawn. Also, the compilation of this anthology is excellent. Holmes and Watson receive a fine send-off in the end.
October 1, 2014
After three long months, I've finally finished the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes (56 short stories, 4 novels). Some stories were clearly superior to others, but overall I enjoyed it. I'll miss Holmes a bit, so BBC better hurry up with its next season of Sherlock! I'll be analyzing it with new eyes after reading this collection.
November 9, 2014
What a book! Four novels and 44 short stories, starring the quintessential outside-the-box detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his steady and sturdy companion, Dr. John Watson. This collection offers adventure after adventure, each with its own twists, turns and insights into the human condition. A must, and an extraordinary value, for anyone interested in getting to know the real Sherlock Holmes.
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