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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
A visit to the Sherlock Holmes exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota made me think about the fact that I had never read one of these classic tales. I read many genres but mysteries are not one that I have read frequently and it was fun to read one of the most famous and original of the genre.
At one point the character of Sherlock Holmes uses the phrase "the plot thickens" which made me smile. Is that the origin of the phrase or was Arthur Conan Doyle borrowing it from someone else? I'd love to know.
At one point the character of Sherlock Holmes uses the phrase "the plot thickens" which made me smile. Is that the origin of the phrase or was Arthur Conan Doyle borrowing it from someone else? I'd love to know.
adventurous
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: War
È stata una lettura carina e ho amato lo stile. Ammetto di averla iniziata perché seguace della serie tv. Mi sono trovata molto spaesata nella seconda metà del libro perché inizialmente non capivo il fine di quella storia ma poi tutto ha avuto un senso.
Nel complesso mi è piaciuta molto quindi per me è un bel 3.5/5⭐
Nel complesso mi è piaciuta molto quindi per me è un bel 3.5/5⭐
Very tough vocabulary. Started reading "I Robot" instead.
Perhaps it’s unfair to start reading this book after having expectations from the BBC adaptation, but the turning points and flow of this narrative are underwhelming after having seen the “contemporary adaptation” of such a well-known detective story. after the lens of the story shifted to America, I had gotten a strong sense of dejavu, thinking that I might have actually read this already, when in fact I was just getting this story mixed up with Murder on the Oriental Express. Maybe the story was groundbreaking and innovative when it was first published, but if it weren’t for my curiosity to know what the original work that inspired a favorite TV series was like, I don’t think I would have enjoyed or finished this.
adventurous
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Suicide, Kidnapping, Alcohol
This is probably my favorite because it’s the introduction of Holmes & Watson.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Notes:
* I listened to all of the Sherlock Holmes books having downloaded them as my latest Audible purchase.
* The narration by Stephen Fry is excellent in all the stories bar one, which I'll comment on at the appropriate point.
* The use of Stephen Fry does set off some sort of cognitive dissonance in my head because his narration is so strongly tied in with the Harry Potter audiobooks, but he clearly loves the Holmes stories, and even provides an interesting foreword for each novel and collection of short stories.
* Lots of the comments on Audible focus on the fact that there is no attempt to match up the blocks of audio that you download from Audible with the books. You'll find you are half way through a particular book when the file finishes and you have to navigate to the next block. It is a minor point, but it is worth having the next block downloaded if you are going to be having an extended listen.
Now to comments on this particular novel.
At the start of any book there is some work to do to introduce the characters, their personalities, the nature of their interaction and the like. Sometimes this can be a lengthy process, but the start of the first Holmes book sets out to plonk you down in the middle of the action as soon as possible. There are lots of hints as to the more eccentric aspects of Holmes' character at this stage, but they all become clearer as time goes by.
The crime itself is interesting. The setting up of red herrings that the police follow faithfully and the juxtaposition of Holmes' methods is excellent. The crime is suitably arcane and satisfying.
I remember when I read the book a while back that the second part of the book, which largely provides the context and the mitigation for the crime felt very jarring. I suspect I had downloaded the book for my Kindle from Gutenberg or similar, and initially I wondered whether I had started on another book entirely! It is worth persevering though as it all comes to a satisfying conclusion in the end.
* I listened to all of the Sherlock Holmes books having downloaded them as my latest Audible purchase.
* The narration by Stephen Fry is excellent in all the stories bar one, which I'll comment on at the appropriate point.
* The use of Stephen Fry does set off some sort of cognitive dissonance in my head because his narration is so strongly tied in with the Harry Potter audiobooks, but he clearly loves the Holmes stories, and even provides an interesting foreword for each novel and collection of short stories.
* Lots of the comments on Audible focus on the fact that there is no attempt to match up the blocks of audio that you download from Audible with the books. You'll find you are half way through a particular book when the file finishes and you have to navigate to the next block. It is a minor point, but it is worth having the next block downloaded if you are going to be having an extended listen.
Now to comments on this particular novel.
At the start of any book there is some work to do to introduce the characters, their personalities, the nature of their interaction and the like. Sometimes this can be a lengthy process, but the start of the first Holmes book sets out to plonk you down in the middle of the action as soon as possible. There are lots of hints as to the more eccentric aspects of Holmes' character at this stage, but they all become clearer as time goes by.
The crime itself is interesting. The setting up of red herrings that the police follow faithfully and the juxtaposition of Holmes' methods is excellent. The crime is suitably arcane and satisfying.
I remember when I read the book a while back that the second part of the book, which largely provides the context and the mitigation for the crime felt very jarring. I suspect I had downloaded the book for my Kindle from Gutenberg or similar, and initially I wondered whether I had started on another book entirely! It is worth persevering though as it all comes to a satisfying conclusion in the end.