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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
I must confess that my knowledge of Sherlock Holmes had been derived almost exclusively from films before finally sticking my nose into this delightful collection of short stories. Although the mysteries ranged from "frothy" to slightly macabre, it was the settings and the style of storytelling that intrigued me the most. Oh so British, and oh so Victorian - prim on the outside but naughty on the inside. I knew that Holmes had a drug habit, but I never realized how frequently Watson tossed off a comment about his buddy's coke-head tendencies. It was also interesting to read this book while simultaneously watching "The Wire" on DVD. I'd often watch an episode of "The Wire" and then read a bit from Sherlock Holmes before going to bed. Why doesn't Holmes just look that up on the internet?, I'd often find myself thinking as I drifted off to sleep!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Some stories were really nice. The writing was good and I can’t deny how iconic and influential it is. Thanks to this book I found out that I really dislike mystery novels where the crime is basically already solved, without any action happening in the present. Sorry Arthur Conan Doyle, I’ll stick to Agatha Christie.
Also, I know he’s supposed to be like this, but i hate Sherlock so much
Also, I know he’s supposed to be like this, but i hate Sherlock so much
This book has 12 short stories about Sherlock Holmes and his dear friend Watson. We have no DNA and no tools like the crew from CSI, but we do have Sherlock Holmes, the predecessor of the profilers from the FBI on the Criminal Minds TV show who will solve crimes at easy with the power of his deductions.
The stories are:
1. "A Scandal in Bohemia" - The King of Bohemia and Irene Adler, who becomes a woman Sherlock will never forget.
2. "The Red-Headed League" - The guy who only hired red-headed people.
3. "A Case of Identity" - Mary Sutherland has become engaged to Hosmer Angel who disappears. Stepfather from hell involved.
4. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" - Australian expatriates and a murder.
5. "The Five Orange Pips" - KKK is acting in England.
6. "The Man with the Twisted Lip" - A husband who disappeared, a distraught wife and a beggar.
7. "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" - A carbuncle and a goose.
8. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" - Another stepfather from hell. This time, Helen Stoner worries that her upcoming wedding will lead her to the same fate of her sister who died suddenly shortly after her own wedding two years earlier.
9. "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" - Dr. Watson operates on an engineer whose thumb has been chopped off after a job in a mysterious place where some dark business was going on.
10. "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" - Lord Robert St. Simon's new American bride disappears immediately after her wedding.
11. "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" - A banker has a "Beryl Coronet" entrusted to him in his home damaged and he accuses his own son. Holmes has other ideas about who is to blame.
12. "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" - Violet Hunter is offered a governess job with a high pay but unusual conditions, including cutting her hair short. She consults with Holmes who says that she will be calling him soon should she accepted. This time it's a father from hell story.
The stories are short and entertaining. Holmes arrogance can be annoying, but I am here for the ride.
The stories are:
1. "A Scandal in Bohemia" - The King of Bohemia and Irene Adler, who becomes a woman Sherlock will never forget.
2. "The Red-Headed League" - The guy who only hired red-headed people.
3. "A Case of Identity" - Mary Sutherland has become engaged to Hosmer Angel who disappears. Stepfather from hell involved.
4. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" - Australian expatriates and a murder.
5. "The Five Orange Pips" - KKK is acting in England.
6. "The Man with the Twisted Lip" - A husband who disappeared, a distraught wife and a beggar.
7. "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" - A carbuncle and a goose.
8. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" - Another stepfather from hell. This time, Helen Stoner worries that her upcoming wedding will lead her to the same fate of her sister who died suddenly shortly after her own wedding two years earlier.
9. "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" - Dr. Watson operates on an engineer whose thumb has been chopped off after a job in a mysterious place where some dark business was going on.
10. "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" - Lord Robert St. Simon's new American bride disappears immediately after her wedding.
11. "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" - A banker has a "Beryl Coronet" entrusted to him in his home damaged and he accuses his own son. Holmes has other ideas about who is to blame.
12. "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" - Violet Hunter is offered a governess job with a high pay but unusual conditions, including cutting her hair short. She consults with Holmes who says that she will be calling him soon should she accepted. This time it's a father from hell story.
The stories are short and entertaining. Holmes arrogance can be annoying, but I am here for the ride.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am always impressed by Sherlock Holmes' abilities to make deductions from attention to minute details. This book was interesting because, as noted by both Sherlock and Watson, most of the stories were not actual crimes, but rather complex mysteries.
I started rereading the Sherlock Holmes stories after watching the BBC Sherlock TV show and loving it. It's been a long time since I've read these stories and I became curious as to how well the show followed the stories.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the stories a lot more this time around. The mysteries are just the right length. And though sometimes I figured them out before the end, I was genuinely impressed with how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kept the cases and the endings different.
I also learned the extent of how classy the BBC Sherlock co-creators are. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss reference so many little things in the show that it blew my mind. I hadn't realized just how much of the stories were in the show. If you're a fan of the books, I would highly recommend the show. They seriously do it justice.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the stories a lot more this time around. The mysteries are just the right length. And though sometimes I figured them out before the end, I was genuinely impressed with how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kept the cases and the endings different.
I also learned the extent of how classy the BBC Sherlock co-creators are. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss reference so many little things in the show that it blew my mind. I hadn't realized just how much of the stories were in the show. If you're a fan of the books, I would highly recommend the show. They seriously do it justice.
I typically don’t like story collections as there are always weaker and stronger ones. I do think short stories work better for Sherlock Holmes but for me the majority of the stories weren’t great but there were a few very good, the best being A Scandal in Bohemia.
→ A Study in Scarlet: 3.5 stars
→ The Sign of Four : 2.5 stars
→ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 3 stars
→ A Study in Scarlet: 3.5 stars
→ The Sign of Four : 2.5 stars
→ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 3 stars
I've read bits and pieces of this book throughout my high school and college classes, but I'd never actually sat down and enjoyed it from start to finish. I found the incentive I needed to do so when I watched the BBC's "Sherlock" series, and I got a serious craving for more of the heroine-imbibing sleuth.
Mind you, the book's not as edgy as the show, but it's worthwhile all the same.
My favorite still remains the chapter of "The Speckled Band." I read it first in the 5th grade, when my class and I put on a play, and I got to act out the main part.
Mind you, the book's not as edgy as the show, but it's worthwhile all the same.
My favorite still remains the chapter of "The Speckled Band." I read it first in the 5th grade, when my class and I put on a play, and I got to act out the main part.