John C Donahue.com

After completing the Narnia Series, I wanted to stay in the Old English” style of writing.  So, I decided that I would go back to a first love: Sherlock Holmes.  I have been a fan of Holmes since I was a kid.  It was one of the first books I ever bought…but my retention wasn’t that good, so i thought that I needed to be reintroduced to the World’s Most Famous Detective.

This is the first in a long series of books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  According to WikiPedia,

Sir Author Conan Doyle, (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. He was a prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction.

Doyle is a fascinating character in his own rite.  He wrote numerous fiction books, but later in his life, he became obsessed with Spiritualism, so much so that he even killed off his most famous literary creation, Sherlock Holmes. But, as is often the case with fiction (and comic books), heroes never stay dead, some years after Holmes’ “death” Doyle wrote other Sherlock Holmes novels that take place prior to the detective’s demise.

In A Study in Scarlet, we meet Dr. John Watson for the first time,  as he is introduced to a Mr. Sherlock Holmes.  The two decide to share an apartment together at 221 b Baker Street.  Dr. Watson is  fascinated by his new room mate, and Holmes proves to be a truly remarkable study for the good doctor.

This is their “official” first case together.  They have to solve a mystery of a man, found in an abandoned house, who has died, with no knife or gunshot wounds, and no sign of a struggle.  The man simply ceased to live.  And there is an eerie message scrawled in blood on the wall, “Revenge”, but it is not the victims blood.

The great thing about reading older Enlgish literature, is that you have to look up 1/3 of the words that you are reading.  Luckily, this collection of Sherlock Holmes stories has included a few helps in the form of footnotes and end notes.  But don’t let it worry you, this is fantastic reading, and it’s not over anyone’s head…except for Dr. Watson, half the time….

If you are looking to escape reality for a while, and dive in to some “attainable” literature, I could not suggest Sherlock Holmes’ A Study in Scarlet.  It is a great way to be introduced to these marvelous characters and the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.