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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
The Death of Holmes!
Whilst not the title of the story or the book containing it that is exactly what is included in this collection. But of course we all know better than that these days. We all know that Doyle was forced to write more Holmes stories against his wishes. Poor guy.
I think the dislike Doyle had for writing the Holmes stories is incredibly apparent with this collection. Some of the stories are dull and formulaic - ten pages of somebody telling Holmes about the case and ten pages of Holmes giving you the answer - whilst some are actually highly enjoyable, these are the non-formulic ones.
All the arrogance and apparent sociopathy of the character have been written out in favour of a clever solution to an obscure problem every time. The motives for stopping Moriarty for example are not selfish, can this really be the same Sherlock Holmes?
I found that I was struggling to sleep with all my bedtime reading recently. Fabulously enjoyable novels were the order of the day and I just never wanted to put them down, my mind working overtime, but Sherlock Holmes arrived to save the day. These short stories were not something to even consider after they were done and so I slept happily. That's not really a compliment.
Whilst not the title of the story or the book containing it that is exactly what is included in this collection. But of course we all know better than that these days. We all know that Doyle was forced to write more Holmes stories against his wishes. Poor guy.
I think the dislike Doyle had for writing the Holmes stories is incredibly apparent with this collection. Some of the stories are dull and formulaic - ten pages of somebody telling Holmes about the case and ten pages of Holmes giving you the answer - whilst some are actually highly enjoyable, these are the non-formulic ones.
All the arrogance and apparent sociopathy of the character have been written out in favour of a clever solution to an obscure problem every time. The motives for stopping Moriarty for example are not selfish, can this really be the same Sherlock Holmes?
I found that I was struggling to sleep with all my bedtime reading recently. Fabulously enjoyable novels were the order of the day and I just never wanted to put them down, my mind working overtime, but Sherlock Holmes arrived to save the day. These short stories were not something to even consider after they were done and so I slept happily. That's not really a compliment.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This series of shorts wasn't quite as good as the previous. A couple of them were quite good, but a few fell flat. Included in the latter list is the actual death of Sherlock Holmes. That story introduces Moriarty, but aside from an awesome scene where Professor Moriarty visits Holmes at Baker Street, it is a strange and kind of plodding story. I'm glad I finally read it, but felt it was a bit of a let down.
I really enjoyed this collection, especially when we meet Mycroft, and of course the dramatic ending.
Very entertaining read, liked the format of the self contained stories told from the perspective of Watson as if the reader would be reading about some of these cases in the news. Interesting seeing what parts of recent adaptations or popular perceptions of the character came from the original stories (thinking particularly of Holmes' "death" at the hands of Moriarty).
Enjoyed this edition having the original illustrations. Also very interesting glimpse into Victorian England with the themes of people being terrified of disgrace, frequent "nervous" illness and the portrayal of upper class British people who all know each other from university and end up as MPs.
Was a big fan of Mycroft and the Diogenes Club, which came across as endearing and relatable (e.g. he would rather be thought to be wrong than have to explain why he is right, and the club members don't want to be acknowledged by each other).
Enjoyed this edition having the original illustrations. Also very interesting glimpse into Victorian England with the themes of people being terrified of disgrace, frequent "nervous" illness and the portrayal of upper class British people who all know each other from university and end up as MPs.
Was a big fan of Mycroft and the Diogenes Club, which came across as endearing and relatable (e.g. he would rather be thought to be wrong than have to explain why he is right, and the club members don't want to be acknowledged by each other).
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Silver Blaze 4/5
The Cardboard Box 4/5
The Yellow Face 4/5
The Stockbroker's Clerk 4/5
The 'Gloria Scott' 3/4
The Musgrave Ritual 5/5
The Reigate Squire 4/5
The Crooked Man 3/5
The Resident Patient 4/5
The Greek Interpreter 4/5
The Naval Treaty 4/5
The Final Problem 5/5
The Cardboard Box 4/5
The Yellow Face 4/5
The Stockbroker's Clerk 4/5
The 'Gloria Scott' 3/4
The Musgrave Ritual 5/5
The Reigate Squire 4/5
The Crooked Man 3/5
The Resident Patient 4/5
The Greek Interpreter 4/5
The Naval Treaty 4/5
The Final Problem 5/5
This was enjoyable (I liked Adventures more) collection with such a sad ending!
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so sure Pycroft was secretly Mycroft in disguise, so I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked.