Reviews - The Sign of the Four

3.31k reviews for:

The Sign of the Four

Arthur Conan Doyle

3.61 AVERAGE

blueside's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I really enjoyed this novel. I was captived by the first chapter and it was very easy to get into. I absolutely love how in depth we got to know the main ch racters more. Due to their habits and interests and likes and common phrases. There were moments were I laughed out loud due to how iconic Sherlock Holmes is and regardless of the fact, that I have already watched the complete Sherlock Holmes show with Benedict Cumberbatch, I continued to love the characters all over again. As if it was the first time. Once again, I have loved sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing style and how he describes certain characters and actions. Once again, I've been captivated by his works that stars the two main characters-- Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

shannenlc's review against another edition

3.0

I found the first book in the Sherlock series, A Study in Scarlet, to be pretty mediocre as far as mystery novels go, but I enjoyed reading about Sherlock and Watson and was willing to continue with the series to see if my feelings would change. Unfortunately, they haven't. The Sign of Four was generally a pretty "meh" read for me. I preferred the structure and pacing in this one, but it wasn't a particularly enjoyable or memorable read. Sherlock is a fascinating character and it's not surprising that he's been cemented in literature and pop culture as one of the most famous fictional detectives of all time. However, the stories feel too formulaic and are dominated by description and explanation of the crimes. Generally, there's something about the way the mystery is presented that makes me feel disconnected and uninvested. Consequently, the explanations when the mysteries are revealed are underwhelming. Throughout the story, I felt like I had a birds eye view of the events - I could witness what was happening, but I was unable to become fully immersed, involved or invested in the story or the characters. Unfortunately, I don't think the Sherlock series is for me and I won't be continuing with it.

maximusvitale66's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

dmcke013's review against another edition

4.0

The second full-length Sherlock Holmes novel (after [b:A Study in Scarlet|102868|A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519031842l/102868._SX50_.jpg|1997473]), in which [a:Arthur Conan Doyle|2448|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495008883p2/2448.jpg] further develops the character of Sherlock and Dr Watson, in particular bringing to attention the former's cocaine habit and his ability to be a master of disguise.

This time, the duo are investigation the strange affair of Mary Marston - whose father disappeared years ago - and her unknown benefactor; an affair which later proves to have ties to the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and four co-conspirators (hence 'The sign of THE four', as it was originally called who each lay claim to a treasure stolen during that mutiny.

Can definitely see the characters being developed; in particular that of Dr Watson.