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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
A collection of some of the best Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Obvious read if you like mystery novels. The short stories are very fun to sit down and go through in one sitting and the Hounds of Baskerville is also a must read for any mystery fans. Very enjoyable cover to cover.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Why are Sherlock Holmes stories revered?
They contain clever mysteries, and the two main characters inspire fondness and fascination. That's fine. But that's not what blows me away upon reading this book.
I am devastated by the language. The writing. Pacing, word choice, style... and something about the way that succeeding sentences and phrases almost seem to interrupt and yet build upon the preceding... an astonishing energy.
In short, it's the writing.
Oh, also: This volume must be read out loud. Not as good silent.
They contain clever mysteries, and the two main characters inspire fondness and fascination. That's fine. But that's not what blows me away upon reading this book.
I am devastated by the language. The writing. Pacing, word choice, style... and something about the way that succeeding sentences and phrases almost seem to interrupt and yet build upon the preceding... an astonishing energy.
In short, it's the writing.
Oh, also: This volume must be read out loud. Not as good silent.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Surprisingly charming. 19th century British slang is full of those things that went into the British stereotype still perpetuated (and nursed!) by Americans today, 100+ yrs later. That is to say, it's adorable. I say, old boy! Good show! The cases themselves are episodic and interesting enough, but the real joy is the Holmes/Watson relationship (which is very, VERY slashy - what with Watson "ejaculating" this and "ejaculating" that (my Kindle informs me that this is an archaic way of saying "to exclaim") and meditating on Holmes' lanky, opiated-genius sexiness), and Holmes' wizard-like ability to understand everything about a person just by the way they sit in a chair. Seriously, your butt cheeks say it all, apparently. As does that one ink stain in your shirt sleeve - ah ha! Anyway, it makes House MD that much cuter, and I found myself turning all Sherlocky on people that I passed in the street ("Ah ha! A hurried gait, sneakers over pantyhose and an umbrella - this is a sensible working lady going to a meeting!" etc.).
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a re-read as I go through Conan Doyle's Holmes books. I've read a few in the series, but never completed it, so that's my plan this time.
Adventures has some of my favorite classic stories like "Scandal in Bohemia," "Red-Headed League," "Boscombe Valley Mystery," "Blue Carbuncle," and "Speckled Band."
"Five Orange Pips" is a familiar title, but I'd completely forgotten that the villains are the KKK.
I also remembered more about "The Copper Beeches" as I read it again. In it, a woman is hired as a governess, but has to perform weird tasks for her employers and begins to suspect that something shady is going on. It's very good.
There were a few though that I'm confident I've read before, but had no memory of. It's maybe not a coincidence that a lot of these don't feature actual crimes, but a couple of them do. And a couple of them have almost identical problems to solve (though very different solutions).
In "A Case of Identity," a woman’s fiancé goes missing right before the wedding. In "Noble Bachelor," a nobleman’s fiancée goes missing right after the wedding. "Man with the Twisted Lip" also features a missing spouse, but it's because a woman sees her husband abducted in a rough part of town.
"Engineer’s Thumb" is barely a mystery - more of a thriller - as a man relates the strange circumstances in which his thumb was cut off.
My favorite of these unfamiliar stories was "Beryl Coronet," in which a banker takes home a priceless crown that a royal person used as collateral on a loan, but then some of the jewels are stolen.
Adventures has some of my favorite classic stories like "Scandal in Bohemia," "Red-Headed League," "Boscombe Valley Mystery," "Blue Carbuncle," and "Speckled Band."
"Five Orange Pips" is a familiar title, but I'd completely forgotten that the villains are the KKK.
I also remembered more about "The Copper Beeches" as I read it again. In it, a woman is hired as a governess, but has to perform weird tasks for her employers and begins to suspect that something shady is going on. It's very good.
There were a few though that I'm confident I've read before, but had no memory of. It's maybe not a coincidence that a lot of these don't feature actual crimes, but a couple of them do. And a couple of them have almost identical problems to solve (though very different solutions).
In "A Case of Identity," a woman’s fiancé goes missing right before the wedding. In "Noble Bachelor," a nobleman’s fiancée goes missing right after the wedding. "Man with the Twisted Lip" also features a missing spouse, but it's because a woman sees her husband abducted in a rough part of town.
"Engineer’s Thumb" is barely a mystery - more of a thriller - as a man relates the strange circumstances in which his thumb was cut off.
My favorite of these unfamiliar stories was "Beryl Coronet," in which a banker takes home a priceless crown that a royal person used as collateral on a loan, but then some of the jewels are stolen.