All posts tagged Sherlock Holmes

Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by John on April 14, 2009 in Books, Reviews with No comments

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his famous detective. These are the first of the Sherlock Holmes short stories, originally published as single stories in the Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892. The book was published in England on October 14, 1892 by George Newnes Ltd and in a US Edition on October 15 by Harper. The initial combined print run was 14,500 copies.

I am fascinated at the differences in how people communicated and carried themselves during this period of time. People’s word was given much more credence than it is today. Even in the face of criminal charges, people’s explanations were taken at face value. Even as the United States is still in it’s infancy, yet in England, men and women are innocent until proven guilty.

Often times, in the initial examinations, Holmes potential clients converse at very deep levels even before they properly introduce themselves. It’s fascinating. People treated each other with grace and poise. We could certainly lear a thing or two from reconnecting with our older heritage.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a very entertaining read. I recommend it, the stories are quick reads and the twists are often unseen, except by Holmes himself…of course.

Book Review: The Sign of Four

by John on April 2, 2009 in Books, Reviews with No comments

My reading of Sherlock Holmes’ greatest adventures continues with The Sign of Four. We find our hearty detectives fresh off of their adventure from the previous mystery from A Study in Scarlet. Holmes and Watson find themselves meeting Miss Mary Marston, who weaves a tale of missing persons, mystery, and treasure. Watson and Holmes take the case and find themselves facing even more murder and intrigue.

Mary Marston presents Sherlock Holmes with discovering the whereabouts of her father, Captain Marston of the Indian regiment. Capt. Marston had come home to England and upon returning, disappeared the very evening of his arrival. Since that evening, Miss Marston had been receiving very curious presents from an anonymous sender and she recruits Holmes and Watson to help figure out the mystery.

Thus begins an adventure that is contained in another enigma that Holmes must unravel. Sherlock Holmes is pushed to his detecting and perceptive limits with this case, and in the end, Dr. Watson even finds a wife!

It is typical Sherlock Holmes and our favorite detective is 3 steps ahead of Scotland Yard, as usual. The story takes us up and down the Thames River and all the way to India and the Ganges River. This is an exciting story and I would encourage anyone who is a fan of mysteries or whodunits to read The Sign of Four.

Book Review: A Study in Scarlet

by John on March 30, 2009 in Books, Reviews with 1 Comment

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.