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The Adventures & Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
'My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know'.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes first introduced Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant detective to the readers of The Strand Magazine. The runaway success of this series prompted a second set of stories, The Memoirs.
In these twenty three tales, collected here in one volume, you have some of the best detective yarns ever penned.
In his consulting room at 221B Baker Street, the master sleuth receives a stream of clients all presenting him with baffling and bizarre mysteries to unravel. There is, for example, the man who is frightened for his life because of the arrival of an envelope containing five orange pips; there is the terrified woman who is aware that her life is in danger and cannot explain the strange whistling sounds she hears in the night; and there is the riddle of the missing butler and the theft of an ancient treasure. In the last story, there is the climatic battle between Holmes and his arch enemy, 'the Napoleon of Crime' Professor Moriarty. Holmes, with trusty Watson by his side, is equal to these and the other challenges in this splendid collection.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1893
6,161 people are currently reading
8,432 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
14.4kbooks23.7kfollowersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
June 22, 2010
Oh, Holmes. I know you can be a miserable bastard but I love you so. Even though the actual crimes and solutions are not overly interesting, your nonchalant badassness and cutting wit when solving crimes keeps me coming back. Also, you're best in short stories. Novels allow Doyle too much time to write long, boring descriptions. I love you the most when you're short and snappy. And you're so much better than all the derivative brilliant but flawed (and often misanthropic) investigators on TV nowadays.
Also, you are played by Hugh Laurie in my head, as is only right.
Also, you are played by Hugh Laurie in my head, as is only right.
November 6, 2013
After watching two series of the unmissable BBC drama ‘Sherlock’, and having fallen slightly in love with Sherlock Holmes (or was that just Benedict Cumberbatch?) I decided it was about time I read some of the original stories for myself. Not being a huge fan of crime fiction or a big reader of Victorian literature, I wondered if they would really be my cup of tea but once I began reading any doubts quickly evaporated. I was completely hooked! I loved reading Dr Watson’s accounts of Holmes’ cases and each story left me wanting more.
I can certainly understand the public outcry after The Final Problem (included in this volume) was published (I admit I got a bit emotional reading that one!) and why Conan Doyle eventually bowed to pressure and brought Holmes back. With their intriguing set ups, plot twists and often surprising denouement, it’s easy to see why these clever and entertaining stories and the unique friendship between the world’s only consulting detective and his loyal companion John Watson are still inspiring TV series, films, books and stage shows over a hundred years after they were originally published.
I can certainly understand the public outcry after The Final Problem (included in this volume) was published (I admit I got a bit emotional reading that one!) and why Conan Doyle eventually bowed to pressure and brought Holmes back. With their intriguing set ups, plot twists and often surprising denouement, it’s easy to see why these clever and entertaining stories and the unique friendship between the world’s only consulting detective and his loyal companion John Watson are still inspiring TV series, films, books and stage shows over a hundred years after they were originally published.
November 8, 2022
Ahhh Sherlock Holmes. A true classic and always excellent. I don't have much to say here to be honest, but this character is widely known and much loved for good reason. It's nuanced, witty and sometimes flamboyant, always fun to follow.
This collection of short stories can get a bit repetitive after a while if you read it all at once, so maybe try spacing it out: it can make the experience more enjoyable.
This collection of short stories can get a bit repetitive after a while if you read it all at once, so maybe try spacing it out: it can make the experience more enjoyable.
October 4, 2018
This was probably my third reading of these tales and I enjoyed reading them as much as I did the first time, even though I remembered most of the solutions to the mysteries. The solutions weren't all that important. When I read the Holmes tales, I'm taken on an adventure and am fascinated by the details of the narration.
I know I'll be reading them again in the future. Holmes and Watson will live forever.
I know I'll be reading them again in the future. Holmes and Watson will live forever.
February 16, 2022
“My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know.” (151)
“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” (72)
"Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon logic rather than upon crime that you should dwell. You have degraded what should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales." (251)
This collection of short stories chronicling the many cases of Sherlock Holmes told through the eyes of his trusted friend and assistant Dr. John Watson is simply brilliant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created a timeless character in Holmes that has entertained for generations. These short stories, whilst set and wrote in Victorian England, are quite contemporary and easy to read. They hold that great English banter and create a fulfilling set of cases for the reader to enjoy. We as an audience live the story through Watson, trying to pry into the insight of Holmesian deduction; ever curious and fascinated yet dumbfounded we are unable to see the factual evidence Holmes can easily observe and apply.
This collection starts off with "A Scandal in Bohemia" and offers insight into both Holme's feelings on women and a rare case of him being outwitted by a subject. Irene Adler herself is memorable for these vary reasons. Some other great cases involve a jewel stashed in a Christmas goose in "the Blue Carbuncle," the 'murder weapon' in "A Speckled Band," the introduction of Holme's brother Mycroft in "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Final Problem," that introduces Holme's arch nemesis Dr. James Moriarty. It's little wonder why these stories have been interpreted again and again for generations and are so much fun to enjoy.
“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” (72)
"Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon logic rather than upon crime that you should dwell. You have degraded what should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales." (251)
This collection of short stories chronicling the many cases of Sherlock Holmes told through the eyes of his trusted friend and assistant Dr. John Watson is simply brilliant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has created a timeless character in Holmes that has entertained for generations. These short stories, whilst set and wrote in Victorian England, are quite contemporary and easy to read. They hold that great English banter and create a fulfilling set of cases for the reader to enjoy. We as an audience live the story through Watson, trying to pry into the insight of Holmesian deduction; ever curious and fascinated yet dumbfounded we are unable to see the factual evidence Holmes can easily observe and apply.
This collection starts off with "A Scandal in Bohemia" and offers insight into both Holme's feelings on women and a rare case of him being outwitted by a subject. Irene Adler herself is memorable for these vary reasons. Some other great cases involve a jewel stashed in a Christmas goose in "the Blue Carbuncle," the 'murder weapon' in "A Speckled Band," the introduction of Holme's brother Mycroft in "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Final Problem," that introduces Holme's arch nemesis Dr. James Moriarty. It's little wonder why these stories have been interpreted again and again for generations and are so much fun to enjoy.
January 13, 2022
Cuando terminé de ver la serie de Sherlock BBC con Benedict Cumberbatch, tuve una época de obsesión masiva para con el querido detective, en la que me vi las pelis de Robert Downey Jr y me compré varias obras de Sir Arthur, entre ellas El Valle del Miedo, Los Sabuesos de Baskerville y esta colección de Aventuras y Memorias. Claro, a la Xime del pasado no le importaba que en realidad no le gustaba leer cuentos o antologías, ella solo quería ser fangirl. Así que unos seis años después agarré esta colección y dije: mah, sí, vamos a leer.
Y empecé muy contenta porque cada cuento era como un pequeño episodio divertido. Me gustaba intentar adelantarme al final y descubrir no al culpable, sino la manera en que lo hizo. Mi problema, sin embargo, llegó muy rápido: en la parte de Aventuras, los cuentos siguen una fórmula muy bien marcada, que tras cuatro o cinco relatos medio que ya te cansa. A pesar de ello, son muy disfrutables si se leen con el debido espacio de tiempo de por medio así una no se abruma.
Pero cuando pasé a las Memorias noté una diferencia. Sherlock deja de ser quien resuelve las cosas y pasa a simplemente contar "cosas que pasaron", como una serie de eventos. Más de un cuento no tiene misterio, no hay crimen. Más de un cuento no es Watson quien narra, sino que Sherlock mismo, gracias a la herramienta de historia marco/enmarcada. Algún que otro episodio es más memorable que otro porque recuerda a Aventuras y tiene un crimen a resolver, pero el resto deja bastante que desear si uno va buscando cuentos de misterio. El problema es ese: que la parte de Memorias no son misterios, son las memorias de Sherlock. Como un diario si se quiere.
Nada me preparó, de todas formas, para la decepción que sería El Problema Final. Moriarty siempre me generó una especie de fascinación, mucho más después de su performance en la serie de BBC; siempre mostrado como el némesis de Sherlock, la única persona que podía equipararlo en razonamiento y lógica. Una le tiene respeto a semejante personaje. Pero a poco de leer el último cuento me di cuenta de que es más lo que se ha formado alrededor de Moriarty, toda esa mitología fantástica que lo rodea, que el personaje escrito en sí. Moriarty no deslumbra. Es todo contar y nada de mostrar. El último cuento no tiene misterio para nada: es solo Sherlock contándole a Watson que estuvo meses tratando de encerrar a Moriarty y luego... viajan... a montañas... por razones... Y luego ocurre lo que sabemos: Sherlock muere tras dejarle una muy conmovedora carta a Watson. And that's that.
Sin duda para cuando Sir Arthur tacleó las memorias se notaba que ya no tenía ganas de escribir más. Sherlock está fuera de personaje, tiene momentos que no se condicen con lo que sabíamos de él y la falta de preparación y dedicación para los misterios es palmaria a leguas de distancia. El Problema Final es un parche que tendría que haber puesto fin a su personaje mucho antes, pero la eutanasia llegó medio tarde y en un desaprovechado intento por darle un cierre a tan icónica figura.
Lamentablemente sabemos que este cierre fue temporal; no sé cuáles son los motivos que llevaron a Sir Arthur a revivir a Sherlock más adelante, pero si sigue esta temática, no es algo que yo tenga ganas de explorar.
A pesar de ello, la pluma del autor es fantástica, llevadera y precisa: no ahonda en pomposidades, como una esperaría de obras de este talante, ni tampoco pierde la gracilidad y la elegancia. Lo único que me genera algo de, eh, escozor sería, es la obsesión que tenía este hombre con la palabra ejaculate. Yo sé que los británicos tienen sus mañas pero por favor, Sir Arthur, usá otra acotación para tus personajes. Todo el cuerpo anglosajón te lo va a agradecer.
Las cuatro estrellas son porque me devolvió el gusto por algo que tenía olvidado: este personaje. Me lo leí muy rápido y para mí fue todo un logro porque hacía más de un año que no lograba leer nada que tuviera más de 300 páginas. Le debo a Sherlock el devolverme la pasión por la lectura. Eso sí: necesito un recreo del detective. Por un largo rato.
Y empecé muy contenta porque cada cuento era como un pequeño episodio divertido. Me gustaba intentar adelantarme al final y descubrir no al culpable, sino la manera en que lo hizo. Mi problema, sin embargo, llegó muy rápido: en la parte de Aventuras, los cuentos siguen una fórmula muy bien marcada, que tras cuatro o cinco relatos medio que ya te cansa. A pesar de ello, son muy disfrutables si se leen con el debido espacio de tiempo de por medio así una no se abruma.
Pero cuando pasé a las Memorias noté una diferencia. Sherlock deja de ser quien resuelve las cosas y pasa a simplemente contar "cosas que pasaron", como una serie de eventos. Más de un cuento no tiene misterio, no hay crimen. Más de un cuento no es Watson quien narra, sino que Sherlock mismo, gracias a la herramienta de historia marco/enmarcada. Algún que otro episodio es más memorable que otro porque recuerda a Aventuras y tiene un crimen a resolver, pero el resto deja bastante que desear si uno va buscando cuentos de misterio. El problema es ese: que la parte de Memorias no son misterios, son las memorias de Sherlock. Como un diario si se quiere.
Nada me preparó, de todas formas, para la decepción que sería El Problema Final. Moriarty siempre me generó una especie de fascinación, mucho más después de su performance en la serie de BBC; siempre mostrado como el némesis de Sherlock, la única persona que podía equipararlo en razonamiento y lógica. Una le tiene respeto a semejante personaje. Pero a poco de leer el último cuento me di cuenta de que es más lo que se ha formado alrededor de Moriarty, toda esa mitología fantástica que lo rodea, que el personaje escrito en sí. Moriarty no deslumbra. Es todo contar y nada de mostrar. El último cuento no tiene misterio para nada: es solo Sherlock contándole a Watson que estuvo meses tratando de encerrar a Moriarty y luego... viajan... a montañas... por razones... Y luego ocurre lo que sabemos: Sherlock muere tras dejarle una muy conmovedora carta a Watson. And that's that.
Sin duda para cuando Sir Arthur tacleó las memorias se notaba que ya no tenía ganas de escribir más. Sherlock está fuera de personaje, tiene momentos que no se condicen con lo que sabíamos de él y la falta de preparación y dedicación para los misterios es palmaria a leguas de distancia. El Problema Final es un parche que tendría que haber puesto fin a su personaje mucho antes, pero la eutanasia llegó medio tarde y en un desaprovechado intento por darle un cierre a tan icónica figura.
Lamentablemente sabemos que este cierre fue temporal; no sé cuáles son los motivos que llevaron a Sir Arthur a revivir a Sherlock más adelante, pero si sigue esta temática, no es algo que yo tenga ganas de explorar.
A pesar de ello, la pluma del autor es fantástica, llevadera y precisa: no ahonda en pomposidades, como una esperaría de obras de este talante, ni tampoco pierde la gracilidad y la elegancia. Lo único que me genera algo de, eh, escozor sería, es la obsesión que tenía este hombre con la palabra ejaculate. Yo sé que los británicos tienen sus mañas pero por favor, Sir Arthur, usá otra acotación para tus personajes. Todo el cuerpo anglosajón te lo va a agradecer.
Las cuatro estrellas son porque me devolvió el gusto por algo que tenía olvidado: este personaje. Me lo leí muy rápido y para mí fue todo un logro porque hacía más de un año que no lograba leer nada que tuviera más de 300 páginas. Le debo a Sherlock el devolverme la pasión por la lectura. Eso sí: necesito un recreo del detective. Por un largo rato.
November 29, 2023
4,5 ⭐️
Quote:
Draw your chair up, and hand me my violin, for the only problem which we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings.
Quote:
Draw your chair up, and hand me my violin, for the only problem which we have still to solve is how to while away these bleak autumnal evenings.
February 6, 2020
3.5 stars.
Sherlock Holmes is such a flamboyant and vivid character. He is iconic and beloved by many. I myself have fallen in love with his personae. He is easily identified by his pipe and magnifying glass and wonderful skills of deduction. His character gets four stars from me.
This book is a collection of short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes and although the perfect length, the stories flail a little for my liking. Entertaining, but the format is the same for each story. A crime, some sleuthing and a resolution. It all felt a bit like an episode “Of Murder She Wrote” which starred Angela Lansbury and would probably be deemed as cosy mysteries. So only 3 stars for the stories.
I will read one of the novels as a comparison to the short stories to see if the plot varies more.
Sherlock Holmes is such a flamboyant and vivid character. He is iconic and beloved by many. I myself have fallen in love with his personae. He is easily identified by his pipe and magnifying glass and wonderful skills of deduction. His character gets four stars from me.
This book is a collection of short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes and although the perfect length, the stories flail a little for my liking. Entertaining, but the format is the same for each story. A crime, some sleuthing and a resolution. It all felt a bit like an episode “Of Murder She Wrote” which starred Angela Lansbury and would probably be deemed as cosy mysteries. So only 3 stars for the stories.
I will read one of the novels as a comparison to the short stories to see if the plot varies more.
February 21, 2023
Sherlock Holmes is my dude. All I gotta say.
May 6, 2020
"My dear fellow, life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent."-p47, Sherlock to Watson (The Adventure of a Case of Identity)
I finally got round to reading this collection! Some of the adventures I’d read before at high school, but not since then (so we’re talking around 10 years ago) and it was fun to whizz through both the Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.
May 28, 2011
We all know of my major crush on one Mr. Holmes. And, after reading the first two collections of the original Doyle mysteries, the crush remains. The Holmes I love, though, is Laurie R. King's, where he is an older man in Sussex, dealing with WWI and the changes of the 1920s, as well as falling in love with his young assistant. I also know Holmes as the much older brother of Enola, in Nancy Springer's brilliant Enola Holmes mystery series.
Because I've read so much King and Springer, I was apprehensive about reading the "originals." What if I didn't like them? What if I found them dry? Well, I'm happy to report that they are not dry at all. They're terrific.
The world is a better place with Sherlock Holmes in it. At the end of "The Final Problem," Watson describes Holmes as, ". . . the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known." I'm most impressed with Holmes's sense of right and wrong and how he always carries the day.
Everything you hear about the Holmes stories is here: hansom cabs, London, fog, cozy Baker Street rooms. Ah, love it! My favorite story is "The Speckled Band." Creepy stuff. Definitely gothic.
All in all, excellent reading. Terrific plots, classic characters, and an all-time great setting. What makes it interesting, and in its way, better than King or Springer is that the Holmes stories were written in "real time." That was real life back then. Ah, back then. Just so.
Because I've read so much King and Springer, I was apprehensive about reading the "originals." What if I didn't like them? What if I found them dry? Well, I'm happy to report that they are not dry at all. They're terrific.
The world is a better place with Sherlock Holmes in it. At the end of "The Final Problem," Watson describes Holmes as, ". . . the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known." I'm most impressed with Holmes's sense of right and wrong and how he always carries the day.
Everything you hear about the Holmes stories is here: hansom cabs, London, fog, cozy Baker Street rooms. Ah, love it! My favorite story is "The Speckled Band." Creepy stuff. Definitely gothic.
All in all, excellent reading. Terrific plots, classic characters, and an all-time great setting. What makes it interesting, and in its way, better than King or Springer is that the Holmes stories were written in "real time." That was real life back then. Ah, back then. Just so.
March 8, 2013
I had just seen the newest take on Holmes starring Robert Downing, Jr and Jude Law and began to wonder if the plot resembled the canon do Doyle' cranky detective. I have read and loved "Hound of the Baskervilles" For many years.As I began to read the earlier novels and short stories, I have been thoroughly enthralled by the characterizations, the plots, and the historical backgrounds.
I seldom find myself in tears over a read, but at the climax of "Valley of Fear"', I wept for the gallant Birdie Edwards' death. Doyle has captivated my imagination as well as inspiring my own writing endeavors. What a joy to find such a wonderful canon at this time in life when I needed clever ideas and good writing to keep me interested.
Really good stuff here and none of it "elementary" in the least.
I seldom find myself in tears over a read, but at the climax of "Valley of Fear"', I wept for the gallant Birdie Edwards' death. Doyle has captivated my imagination as well as inspiring my own writing endeavors. What a joy to find such a wonderful canon at this time in life when I needed clever ideas and good writing to keep me interested.
Really good stuff here and none of it "elementary" in the least.
August 3, 2018
Non posso non dare 5 🌟 a questo capolavoro geniale della penna di Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A termine della lettura, il sono rimasto estasiato e affascinato dallo stile così dettagliato e preciso con cui analizza le situazioni, i luoghi, i personaggi e protagonisti. Il modo di condurre le indagini di Sherlock Holmes 🔍 che non lascia nulla al caso, ma trovo lincastro per ogni cose e alla fine ciò che sembrava assurdo combacia pezzo per pezzo. Consigliatissimo per chi vuole approcciarsi ai suoi libri e alle avventure di Sherlock Holmes. Le considerazioni sono valide per entrambi i libri 📚
February 27, 2023
Wow. WOW.
I am almost rendered speechless......
Arthur Conan Doyle truly brought THE best and cleverest man into the world when he was writing the stories about Sherlock Holmes. And I am absolutely astounded that he had the creativity to write so many adventures and tales about Holmes's capabilities.
BUT THE ENDINGGGGG WHYYYYYY 😭😭😭😭🤧🤧 THE LAST LINE LEFT A HOLE IN MY HEART 🤧
I will not say any more on the subject because it's too much *sobs*
But I have to say one thing though. The fact that Watson was always Holmes's good friend and colleague through and through, and that he was always willing to help his eccentric friend in his investigations, and was the only one who truly knew what his methods were....
That is such real friendship right there ❤️
*sniffles*
I am almost rendered speechless......
Arthur Conan Doyle truly brought THE best and cleverest man into the world when he was writing the stories about Sherlock Holmes. And I am absolutely astounded that he had the creativity to write so many adventures and tales about Holmes's capabilities.
BUT THE ENDINGGGGG WHYYYYYY 😭😭😭😭🤧🤧 THE LAST LINE LEFT A HOLE IN MY HEART 🤧
I will not say any more on the subject because it's too much *sobs*
But I have to say one thing though. The fact that Watson was always Holmes's good friend and colleague through and through, and that he was always willing to help his eccentric friend in his investigations, and was the only one who truly knew what his methods were....
That is such real friendship right there ❤️
*sniffles*
May 8, 2020
The book was amazing! it was amazingly written and one of my favorite all time books! i could not put it down!
April 8, 2021
This book was completely not what I expected and I couldn't be more pleased about it. We're talking about the original James Bond here.
Going into this book, I was already in favorable bias towards it. Classic lit? Check. Takes place in London? Check. Older English/historic? Check. Still, there was so much more to it than met the eye. Here are my thoughts:
1) Every story in this book has something to bring - whether its suspense, action, mystery, excitement, and sometimes even mundaneness (in the sense that things aren't always what they seem)....but by no means did I expect these stories to be so laugh-out-loud funny. Some of the comments Sherlock makes are so blatantly sarcastic English humour, made funnier by the naiveness of the characters around him who don't always pick up on the underlying meanings of his clapbacks. It's funny how a man who is so much about taking things at face value speaks with so many hidden layers.
2) Like I said above, Sherlock Holmes is truly the original James Bond. You sort of expect him to be this quirky middle aged English man who smoked his pipe and reads his books. That side of him is totally true. But he's also a cocaine addict, a renowned boxer, and allegedly one of the strongest men in England (despite not believing in exercise). The nature of the writing makes different events appear to be casual and proper...until you realize this man is really out there running around London chasing his own wannabe-murderers underground and in the mountains.
3) Sherlock and Watson - despite all of the points in #2 - have one of the purest friendships I've seen in literature. It's so uniquely comfortable and intimate. It's a friendship you feel between the characters but there isn't actually much written evidence behind it. In other words, the interactions between them are louder than words and the way they show their affections towards one another are so muted but ever so strong.
4) This is certainly a book I'll treasure for it's wisdom, it's reminder about REAL life, and as something that's easy to read over and over again - whether the whole thing or re-living specific adventures - whenever (like Holmes) I feel I need "an escape from the commonplaces of existence" (The Red Headed League).
4) Less so a point but rather just my favorite line of the whole book is as follows:
"'My dear fellow,' said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, 'life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the wonderful chain of events, working through generations and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.'"
I love this line for 2 reasons. 1) It reminds you that even the most imaginative fictional adventure is nothing compared to the beauty and excitement and craziness that occurs in real life. Our lives might seem dull at times, but when you think of everything that's happening, and see it as a chain of everything that's happened...well...that puts the world's best imagination to shame. 2) The first point is reiterated by the fact that it's a completely ironic statement...Holmes is saying real life is the most exciting...but his real life is still our fiction. It's almost like Doyle is making a "case in point" and reminding the reader that hey, this may be SUPER exciting but don't forget it's just a story after all.
Going into this book, I was already in favorable bias towards it. Classic lit? Check. Takes place in London? Check. Older English/historic? Check. Still, there was so much more to it than met the eye. Here are my thoughts:
1) Every story in this book has something to bring - whether its suspense, action, mystery, excitement, and sometimes even mundaneness (in the sense that things aren't always what they seem)....but by no means did I expect these stories to be so laugh-out-loud funny. Some of the comments Sherlock makes are so blatantly sarcastic English humour, made funnier by the naiveness of the characters around him who don't always pick up on the underlying meanings of his clapbacks. It's funny how a man who is so much about taking things at face value speaks with so many hidden layers.
2) Like I said above, Sherlock Holmes is truly the original James Bond. You sort of expect him to be this quirky middle aged English man who smoked his pipe and reads his books. That side of him is totally true. But he's also a cocaine addict, a renowned boxer, and allegedly one of the strongest men in England (despite not believing in exercise). The nature of the writing makes different events appear to be casual and proper...until you realize this man is really out there running around London chasing his own wannabe-murderers underground and in the mountains.
3) Sherlock and Watson - despite all of the points in #2 - have one of the purest friendships I've seen in literature. It's so uniquely comfortable and intimate. It's a friendship you feel between the characters but there isn't actually much written evidence behind it. In other words, the interactions between them are louder than words and the way they show their affections towards one another are so muted but ever so strong.
4) This is certainly a book I'll treasure for it's wisdom, it's reminder about REAL life, and as something that's easy to read over and over again - whether the whole thing or re-living specific adventures - whenever (like Holmes) I feel I need "an escape from the commonplaces of existence" (The Red Headed League).
4) Less so a point but rather just my favorite line of the whole book is as follows:
"'My dear fellow,' said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, 'life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the wonderful chain of events, working through generations and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.'"
I love this line for 2 reasons. 1) It reminds you that even the most imaginative fictional adventure is nothing compared to the beauty and excitement and craziness that occurs in real life. Our lives might seem dull at times, but when you think of everything that's happening, and see it as a chain of everything that's happened...well...that puts the world's best imagination to shame. 2) The first point is reiterated by the fact that it's a completely ironic statement...Holmes is saying real life is the most exciting...but his real life is still our fiction. It's almost like Doyle is making a "case in point" and reminding the reader that hey, this may be SUPER exciting but don't forget it's just a story after all.
January 5, 2022
Después de leer dos novelas sobre el detective y de leer las aventuras y las memorias creo que me gustan mucho más sus historias en el formato de relato corto.
Creo que es de las pocas veces en un thriller/novela detectivesca en la que soy capaz no solo de deducir quién es el culpable, sino también sus motivos. Las historias que más me han gustado, además, han sido aquellas en las que lo que había detrás no era un simple crimen, algo que pudiera ser castigado por la ley.
Eso sí, se nota que las últimas historias son algo más apresuradas, sobre todo la última, y no es de extrañar si conoces las razones del autor 😂. Además, me hubiera gustado que la introducción tanto de Mycroft como de Moriarty hubiera pasado con anterioridad, para tener tiempo de acostumbrarme a ellos como personajes y que se sientan más reales y, las historias, más conectadas. Sobre todo en el caso de Moriarty.
Creo que es de las pocas veces en un thriller/novela detectivesca en la que soy capaz no solo de deducir quién es el culpable, sino también sus motivos. Las historias que más me han gustado, además, han sido aquellas en las que lo que había detrás no era un simple crimen, algo que pudiera ser castigado por la ley.
Eso sí, se nota que las últimas historias son algo más apresuradas, sobre todo la última, y no es de extrañar si conoces las razones del autor 😂. Además, me hubiera gustado que la introducción tanto de Mycroft como de Moriarty hubiera pasado con anterioridad, para tener tiempo de acostumbrarme a ellos como personajes y que se sientan más reales y, las historias, más conectadas. Sobre todo en el caso de Moriarty.
November 28, 2014
While I don't think this is the exact same book that I read, it's the closest I could find. Mine is also an exact facsimile with the original illustrations and a foreword about "The Magic of Sherlock Holmes". I picked it up not too long ago after being led into the bowels of the Morristown Library by a gang of elderly annoyed librarians in search of a "book sale" my father and I saw a small cardboard sign for. There wasn't much to choose from- they were mostly selling romances that people had donated to the library (further supporting my belief that romance novels are, for the most part, disposable). I wanted to get something, though, since everything was incredibly cheap and I had nothing to read. I saw a paperback version of this book tossed in a dusty corner and it seemed as good a choice as any- plus it was $2, and there aren't a whole lot of books I wouldn't buy for that price.
So I went to the scowling cashier with the beehive hairdo and paid for it, then tried to find my way out of the labyrinthine library basement. It took a while. Seriously, you would not even believe the books that some libraries have in their basement. Rooms and rooms of them, some with leather covers and clasps that looked older than the United States.
Once I started reading the book, I couldn't stop. I read as we walked, I read during lunch, I read the entire time during the drive back, then stayed up till some obscene hour finishing one last short story. Hence my placement on the "who-needs-sleep-anyway?" shelf.
I love short stories. When they're bad, you don't feel like you wasted as much time as you would have reading a bad novel. But when they're good, they can pack even more of a punch than the lengthiest of epics. They are a true lesson in how much an author can say in so few words. To me, they are like the gourmet bite-sized appetisers of the books world, the pigs in a blanket, the curry puffs, the potato skins, the strange crunchy things at a foreign restaurant that you're not even sure what they are but they're so damn good you scoop a dozen of them onto your plate and have at it.
This is compilation of the first 12 short stories in which Sherlock Holmes and John Watson first appeared. They are the perfect length, not to mention illustrated- I love any book for adults that gives me an excuse to look at pictures. In reading this, I gained a new appreciation for the character of Sherlock Holmes, and I truly believe that until you've read at least one of Doyle's stories you don't know what you're missing.
The true Sherlock Holmes is not very much like he is portrayed in popular movies and TV shows (none that I've seen, at least) and, in fact, neither is Watson. Before reading this book, I pictured Holmes as a bitter, condescending genius with a fondness for deerstalker hats. While that's right to some extent, the actual character profile is far more layered. He's a restless cocaine and opium addict, often does chemistry in his own little lab, plays the fiddle quite frequently, is very moody, and while he is often difficult and gruff, he's not like the sour, world-weary old man I thought he would be. (Also, he only wears a deerstalker hat once in all of the stories in here. Sometimes he opts for a top hat or bowler but more often than not, he goes bare-headed.)
I was surprised at how much I liked Dr. Watson. He isn't as accustomed to bizarre adventures as Holmes is and he is more easily flummoxed, but it is implied that he's actually a real badass. I mean, he's often armed, he's got a military background, he's the only friend of the greatest detective in Victorian London, and he's got a bullet in his arm that he calls a relic of his Afghan campaign. Much cooler than you thought, eh?
Also, he's got a killer moustache.
The dynamic between the good doctor and the detective is great as they help people from all walks of life and solve a spectrum of crimes from murders to people getting their thumbs chopped off with axes as they hang out of windows*. The setting and illustrations serve wonderfully as world-builders and you truly feel like you're in the stagecoach with Holmes and Watson as they roll along the London cobblestones in the dead of a stormy night.
I really must read the rest of Doyle's short stories, and I'll probably read the novels too if I ever get around to it. If you're a chronic skimmer, my favourite stories in this volume were The Engineer's Thumb, The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, A Scandal in Bohemia, and The Man with the Twisted Lip.
So there you have it. A review of what are considered the first great detective stories and an ode to what $2 can buy you. If you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? If you've watched any of the movies or series and yet refuse to read any of the books...
...really?
*Not even kidding.
So I went to the scowling cashier with the beehive hairdo and paid for it, then tried to find my way out of the labyrinthine library basement. It took a while. Seriously, you would not even believe the books that some libraries have in their basement. Rooms and rooms of them, some with leather covers and clasps that looked older than the United States.
Once I started reading the book, I couldn't stop. I read as we walked, I read during lunch, I read the entire time during the drive back, then stayed up till some obscene hour finishing one last short story. Hence my placement on the "who-needs-sleep-anyway?" shelf.
I love short stories. When they're bad, you don't feel like you wasted as much time as you would have reading a bad novel. But when they're good, they can pack even more of a punch than the lengthiest of epics. They are a true lesson in how much an author can say in so few words. To me, they are like the gourmet bite-sized appetisers of the books world, the pigs in a blanket, the curry puffs, the potato skins, the strange crunchy things at a foreign restaurant that you're not even sure what they are but they're so damn good you scoop a dozen of them onto your plate and have at it.
This is compilation of the first 12 short stories in which Sherlock Holmes and John Watson first appeared. They are the perfect length, not to mention illustrated- I love any book for adults that gives me an excuse to look at pictures. In reading this, I gained a new appreciation for the character of Sherlock Holmes, and I truly believe that until you've read at least one of Doyle's stories you don't know what you're missing.
The true Sherlock Holmes is not very much like he is portrayed in popular movies and TV shows (none that I've seen, at least) and, in fact, neither is Watson. Before reading this book, I pictured Holmes as a bitter, condescending genius with a fondness for deerstalker hats. While that's right to some extent, the actual character profile is far more layered. He's a restless cocaine and opium addict, often does chemistry in his own little lab, plays the fiddle quite frequently, is very moody, and while he is often difficult and gruff, he's not like the sour, world-weary old man I thought he would be. (Also, he only wears a deerstalker hat once in all of the stories in here. Sometimes he opts for a top hat or bowler but more often than not, he goes bare-headed.)
I was surprised at how much I liked Dr. Watson. He isn't as accustomed to bizarre adventures as Holmes is and he is more easily flummoxed, but it is implied that he's actually a real badass. I mean, he's often armed, he's got a military background, he's the only friend of the greatest detective in Victorian London, and he's got a bullet in his arm that he calls a relic of his Afghan campaign. Much cooler than you thought, eh?
Also, he's got a killer moustache. The dynamic between the good doctor and the detective is great as they help people from all walks of life and solve a spectrum of crimes from murders to people getting their thumbs chopped off with axes as they hang out of windows*. The setting and illustrations serve wonderfully as world-builders and you truly feel like you're in the stagecoach with Holmes and Watson as they roll along the London cobblestones in the dead of a stormy night.
I really must read the rest of Doyle's short stories, and I'll probably read the novels too if I ever get around to it. If you're a chronic skimmer, my favourite stories in this volume were The Engineer's Thumb, The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, A Scandal in Bohemia, and The Man with the Twisted Lip.
So there you have it. A review of what are considered the first great detective stories and an ode to what $2 can buy you. If you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? If you've watched any of the movies or series and yet refuse to read any of the books...
...really?
*Not even kidding.
March 16, 2025
As always Conan Doyle remains next to authors like Christie as must read crime authors. This collection is a bunch of 20-30 page short stories of Holmes, perfect for a quick bedtime read. The only catch is that as the stories are conclusive it does not entice you to read more than one at a time but, that gives you longer to appreciate the method of Sherlock’s madness.
October 3, 2024
3,75 stars*
It was lovely to finally continue this series. I have always liked the character of Sherlock Holmes in movies or TV shows. I have read the first two parts of the books years ago, and I remember really liking them. Short stories aren’t always my cup of tea, but these were great. I especially enjoyed A Scandal in Bohemia and The Final Problem. However, there were also stories I didn’t like as much as I thought I would. Overall, I can definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a classic mystery.
It was lovely to finally continue this series. I have always liked the character of Sherlock Holmes in movies or TV shows. I have read the first two parts of the books years ago, and I remember really liking them. Short stories aren’t always my cup of tea, but these were great. I especially enjoyed A Scandal in Bohemia and The Final Problem. However, there were also stories I didn’t like as much as I thought I would. Overall, I can definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a classic mystery.
February 19, 2024
2.5 peut-être ?
les enquêtes étaient de plus en plus intéressantes au fil du temps mais c'était vraiment trop répétitif, j'en pouvais plus...
les enquêtes étaient de plus en plus intéressantes au fil du temps mais c'était vraiment trop répétitif, j'en pouvais plus...
January 14, 2019
Giving this one four stars because of two major points: one, it is at some points in the story horribly slow, and two, there are some stories I simply did not like. I'm not going to talk too much about those though.
There are two stories in particular which I absolutely loved, and one that I liked a great deal. This sounds so formal.
A Scandal in Bohemia
This might be because I started reading this book right after I watched the show, and still had the distinct image of the actors in mind when I read this, but I absolutely loved this. It had intrigue, it had action and it was very mysterious. I love how I had no idea how Bohemia used to actually be a country until I read this, and how the story resolved itself.
The Silver Blaze
This story has got to be my favourite Sherlock Holmes story so far. It was fast paced, funny, and contains one of the most well-known quotes of the whole canon:
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.
The Final Problem
At this point Conan Doyle was tired of writing Sherlock Holmes so he kills him off. Sorry for not spoiler-proofing this, but the book is a hundred years old. I thought this particular story should be a lot more fleshed out, at the length of for example (which is incredibly long, with a lot of shortcomings). The whole 20-something pages felt a bit rushed, but were certainly exciting.
I see from my review of that I was happy not to have seen the Cumberbatch adaptation of Sherlock. Oh, what a sweet summer child I wascackles manically about Johnlock in the background
There are two stories in particular which I absolutely loved, and one that I liked a great deal. This sounds so formal.
A Scandal in Bohemia
This might be because I started reading this book right after I watched the show, and still had the distinct image of the actors in mind when I read this, but I absolutely loved this. It had intrigue, it had action and it was very mysterious. I love how I had no idea how Bohemia used to actually be a country until I read this, and how the story resolved itself.
The Silver Blaze
This story has got to be my favourite Sherlock Holmes story so far. It was fast paced, funny, and contains one of the most well-known quotes of the whole canon:
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.
The Final Problem
At this point Conan Doyle was tired of writing Sherlock Holmes so he kills him off. Sorry for not spoiler-proofing this, but the book is a hundred years old. I thought this particular story should be a lot more fleshed out, at the length of for example (which is incredibly long, with a lot of shortcomings). The whole 20-something pages felt a bit rushed, but were certainly exciting.
I see from my review of that I was happy not to have seen the Cumberbatch adaptation of Sherlock. Oh, what a sweet summer child I was
December 22, 2011
Sherlock Holmes is possibly the greatest of literary detectives. He is certainly the one who has penetrated deepest into the public consciousness, a position in which he has been firmly lodged for over a century now, with no sign of departing any time soon. This volume is a compendium of two collections of short stories and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Holmes fits the short story genre perfectly, with setup, analysis and denouement all coming swiftly, one after the other.
It's been many years since I read any Holmes, and I was drawn to this volume, sitting on my shelves after an impulse buy some time ago, after the conclusion of an RPG that had Holmes-ian aspects to it. I find Holmes to be a fascinating character, and one whom it's a pleasure to follow. Despite my best efforts I still often couldn't follow the clues that he sees to the logical conclusions, so seeing his reveals were always pleasurable.
This volume takes us to Conan Doyle's intended end for Holmes, grappling with his nemesis at Reichenbach Falls. Of course, it's well known now that public demand ensured that Holmes survived his fall and Baker Street's finest didn't get to retire to the Sussex Downs for some time. I'm certainly glad of that and will be looking up more of adventures.
It's been many years since I read any Holmes, and I was drawn to this volume, sitting on my shelves after an impulse buy some time ago, after the conclusion of an RPG that had Holmes-ian aspects to it. I find Holmes to be a fascinating character, and one whom it's a pleasure to follow. Despite my best efforts I still often couldn't follow the clues that he sees to the logical conclusions, so seeing his reveals were always pleasurable.
This volume takes us to Conan Doyle's intended end for Holmes, grappling with his nemesis at Reichenbach Falls. Of course, it's well known now that public demand ensured that Holmes survived his fall and Baker Street's finest didn't get to retire to the Sussex Downs for some time. I'm certainly glad of that and will be looking up more of adventures.
November 19, 2021
These stories are famous for a reason and I love reading them! Every time I read a Sherlock Holmes mystery, I always get caught in the story from the beginning, although some of the more creepy ones aren't great to read when you're home alone and it's dark outside. Yes, I know this from experience. :P Haha, but they are amazing as ever and make me wish I could know more about the intriguing detective.
June 12, 2017
This book grabbed hold of me during the first chapter. This book makes me want to look at the little details of life and find there importance that maybe no one else noticed. I know this is not the end of Sherlock Holmes and there are many books of his left to read. This is a classic which I will forever cherish.
June 12, 2020
A highly enjoyable collection of short stories. Arthur Conan Doyle has here found the perfect length for detailing the thrilling adventures of Holmes and Watson. Witty, charming and an escapist bit of fun.
February 11, 2008
totally fun and fast fluff read -- but with that air of looking as if you're reading actual "lit"
February 9, 2017
Review to follow
March 27, 2017
It was composed of short stories and normally, I wouldn't mind but it didn't fit with my time frame and became draggy for me. But, when I was really into a story it was lovely read before bedtime.
December 3, 2021
this penguin classic clothbound edition is gorgeous.
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