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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Love Doyle’s descriptive writing style. It feels like he’s pulling you into the streets of London. The short cases are super entertaining with a few humorous comments sprinkled throughout.
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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One might think I didn't enjoy this very much, since it took me so long to read. I did enjoy it, though at times the narrative retelling of the mystery was not so engaging as otherwise--I couldn't always feel that I was in the story. But it was still quite interesting reading. I think "The Speckled Band" and "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" were two of my favorite stories--more on-sight action/danger than some, I guess, which makes them more fun. There were a few uses of the Lord's name in vain, but otherwise the stories were decent.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
I'm having so much fun slowly reading my way through every sherlock holmes book and short story. below is my review of each story contained in this volume. spoilers ahead but im not tagging them bc these stories came out over 100 years ago and i also don't think knowing these spoilers actually impacts enjoyment of the stories
1. A Scandal In Bohemia
SO funny, i am obsessed with irene adler and i wish she would come back !!! the king of bohemia is also funny and the below passage made me laugh (although i fear out of context it doesn't have the same effect):
"Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this young person, wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous of getting those letters back.”
“Precisely so. But how—”
“Was there a secret marriage?”
“None.”
“No legal papers or certificates?”
“None.”
“Then I fail to follow your Majesty. If this young person should produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is she to prove their authenticity?”
“There is the writing.”
“Pooh, pooh! Forgery.”
“My private note-paper.”
“Stolen.”
“My own seal.”
“Imitated.”
“My photograph.”
“Bought.”
“We were both in the photograph.”
“Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an indiscretion.”
“I was mad—insane.”
“You have compromised yourself seriously.”
incredible 5/5
2. The Red-Headed League
This story was also soo funny, imagine u had super red hair and then a guy comes up and is like "oh yeah you should join this club where they only let guys with red hair join", but the real reason he wants you to join the club is to get you out of the house bc you live next door to a bank and they want to rob the bank by digging into the bank from your basement. just a simply INSANE and incredible plot
5/5
3. A Case Of Identity
In this one, girly was getting catfished by her stepfather. sigh, we've all been there. anyway, this one was a bit basic. not my fave.
2/5
4. The Boscombe Valley Mystery
This one killed me bc it's set in Australia (more specifically in the colony of Victoria LMAO) and in the audiobook, Stephen Fry really gave the australian accent his best shot.
absolute incredible twist ending that everyone thought the guy who got killed had tried, with his dying breath, to say "A RAT!" for some bizarre reason. when it was revealed he had actually been trying to say "BALLARAT", which of course is where his murderer came from, i wanted to CRY. imagine your last word being ballarat. he must have loved the last all you can eat pizza hut.
also i love that sherlock said it is a common australian greeting to say "cooee!" to each other, amazing
3/5
5. The Five Orange Pips
Genuinely chilling. Sherlock Holmes takes on the KKK and loses :'( :'( very sad to see sherlock's client actually die, and then sherlock try to take revenge and fail. why did sir ACD have to do that :(
i also found it lovely that dr watson was like "who can this K.K.K. be?!" like god bless, this man does not know anything about america, love to see it
4/5
6. The Man With The Twisted Lip
the main guy in this is in a bit of a hannah montana situation - he's a businessman by day and a street beggar by night.
this story was so brave for its thesis of "you can make sooo much more money from being a beggar than being a business man, but you just shouldn't do it bc it's like undignified or something idk"
honestly didn't really get what sir ACD was going for w this one lol
2/5
7. The Adventure Of The Blue Carbuncle
whatever you do, don't search up carbuncle on google images bc that is Not what is being referred to here (the blue carbuncle is a fancy jewel, not a foot sore).
this one was sooo funny, what if a goose ate a fancy gem. loveee it, it was just ridiculous and i loved that sherlock just let the guy go in the end:
There was a long silence, broken only by his heavy breathing and by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes’ finger-tips upon the edge of the table. Then my friend rose and threw open the door.
“Get out!” said he.
“What, sir! Oh, Heaven bless you!”
“No more words. Get out!”
And no more words were needed. There was a rush, a clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and
the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street.
“After all, Watson,” said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, “I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies....Send him to jail now, and you make him a jail-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward."
like Yes! sherlock said cops r useless, and sending someone to jail only encourages recidivism!! anti-carceral KING <333
4/5
8. The Adventure Of The Speckled Band
verryyy good, very mysterious, NO way to work this one out on yer own !! like actually it was sooo good and wild. idk what else to say, simply one of the best!
5/5
9. The Adventure Of The Engineer's Thumb
the stuff the engineer goes through in this is just too much for one person to bear, like this man was really gonna get crushed in the hydraulic press then gets his thumb chopped off, then accidentally burns a house down. still, even tho it was a bit ooky spooky, not the besttt story
3/5
10. The Adventure Of The Noble Bachelor
honestly, kinda zoned out on this one. not much happened at all. lord st simon sucked tho, and i loved this little interaction w him:
“A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to
the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I
presume that they were hardly from the same class of society.”
“No, I am descending.”
“I beg pardon.”
“My last client of the sort was a king.”
“Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?”
“The King of Scandinavia.”
2/5
11. The Adventure Of The Beryl Coronet
again kind of a meh one, didn't really care much about it.
2/5
12. The Adventure Of The Copper Beaches
this one was genuinely wild!! such a different pace from all of the other stories, and just featuring some absolute weirdos. feel great bc i was able to predict most of this one, except for a couple of little wacko parts lol, also i really liked violet as a character!! good for the book to finish by letting us know she found 'considerable success' as a school principal many years later, even tho this had nothing to do with the story lol it was cute
5/5
SOOO that's an overall average score of 42/60, or 3.5 out of 5! i will round up to 4 stars!
1. A Scandal In Bohemia
SO funny, i am obsessed with irene adler and i wish she would come back !!! the king of bohemia is also funny and the below passage made me laugh (although i fear out of context it doesn't have the same effect):
"Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this young person, wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous of getting those letters back.”
“Precisely so. But how—”
“Was there a secret marriage?”
“None.”
“No legal papers or certificates?”
“None.”
“Then I fail to follow your Majesty. If this young person should produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is she to prove their authenticity?”
“There is the writing.”
“Pooh, pooh! Forgery.”
“My private note-paper.”
“Stolen.”
“My own seal.”
“Imitated.”
“My photograph.”
“Bought.”
“We were both in the photograph.”
“Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an indiscretion.”
“I was mad—insane.”
“You have compromised yourself seriously.”
incredible 5/5
2. The Red-Headed League
This story was also soo funny, imagine u had super red hair and then a guy comes up and is like "oh yeah you should join this club where they only let guys with red hair join", but the real reason he wants you to join the club is to get you out of the house bc you live next door to a bank and they want to rob the bank by digging into the bank from your basement. just a simply INSANE and incredible plot
5/5
3. A Case Of Identity
In this one, girly was getting catfished by her stepfather. sigh, we've all been there. anyway, this one was a bit basic. not my fave.
2/5
4. The Boscombe Valley Mystery
This one killed me bc it's set in Australia (more specifically in the colony of Victoria LMAO) and in the audiobook, Stephen Fry really gave the australian accent his best shot.
absolute incredible twist ending that everyone thought the guy who got killed had tried, with his dying breath, to say "A RAT!" for some bizarre reason. when it was revealed he had actually been trying to say "BALLARAT", which of course is where his murderer came from, i wanted to CRY. imagine your last word being ballarat. he must have loved the last all you can eat pizza hut.
also i love that sherlock said it is a common australian greeting to say "cooee!" to each other, amazing
3/5
5. The Five Orange Pips
Genuinely chilling. Sherlock Holmes takes on the KKK and loses :'( :'( very sad to see sherlock's client actually die, and then sherlock try to take revenge and fail. why did sir ACD have to do that :(
i also found it lovely that dr watson was like "who can this K.K.K. be?!" like god bless, this man does not know anything about america, love to see it
4/5
6. The Man With The Twisted Lip
the main guy in this is in a bit of a hannah montana situation - he's a businessman by day and a street beggar by night.
this story was so brave for its thesis of "you can make sooo much more money from being a beggar than being a business man, but you just shouldn't do it bc it's like undignified or something idk"
honestly didn't really get what sir ACD was going for w this one lol
2/5
7. The Adventure Of The Blue Carbuncle
whatever you do, don't search up carbuncle on google images bc that is Not what is being referred to here (the blue carbuncle is a fancy jewel, not a foot sore).
this one was sooo funny, what if a goose ate a fancy gem. loveee it, it was just ridiculous and i loved that sherlock just let the guy go in the end:
There was a long silence, broken only by his heavy breathing and by the measured tapping of Sherlock Holmes’ finger-tips upon the edge of the table. Then my friend rose and threw open the door.
“Get out!” said he.
“What, sir! Oh, Heaven bless you!”
“No more words. Get out!”
And no more words were needed. There was a rush, a clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and
the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street.
“After all, Watson,” said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, “I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies....Send him to jail now, and you make him a jail-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward."
like Yes! sherlock said cops r useless, and sending someone to jail only encourages recidivism!! anti-carceral KING <333
4/5
8. The Adventure Of The Speckled Band
verryyy good, very mysterious, NO way to work this one out on yer own !! like actually it was sooo good and wild. idk what else to say, simply one of the best!
5/5
9. The Adventure Of The Engineer's Thumb
the stuff the engineer goes through in this is just too much for one person to bear, like this man was really gonna get crushed in the hydraulic press then gets his thumb chopped off, then accidentally burns a house down. still, even tho it was a bit ooky spooky, not the besttt story
3/5
10. The Adventure Of The Noble Bachelor
honestly, kinda zoned out on this one. not much happened at all. lord st simon sucked tho, and i loved this little interaction w him:
“A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to
the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I
presume that they were hardly from the same class of society.”
“No, I am descending.”
“I beg pardon.”
“My last client of the sort was a king.”
“Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?”
“The King of Scandinavia.”
2/5
11. The Adventure Of The Beryl Coronet
again kind of a meh one, didn't really care much about it.
2/5
12. The Adventure Of The Copper Beaches
this one was genuinely wild!! such a different pace from all of the other stories, and just featuring some absolute weirdos. feel great bc i was able to predict most of this one, except for a couple of little wacko parts lol, also i really liked violet as a character!! good for the book to finish by letting us know she found 'considerable success' as a school principal many years later, even tho this had nothing to do with the story lol it was cute
5/5
SOOO that's an overall average score of 42/60, or 3.5 out of 5! i will round up to 4 stars!
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death
Moderate: Ableism, Racism
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Actually kind of enjoyed this but why do all the women faint all the time?
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes