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A review by adamsw216
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Good collection, overall. As usual, there are some high highs and low lows, but I still think it fleshed out Holmes and Watson well, and there were some interesting tales within.
Some small observations: I find it somewhat amusing that Doyle uses the word "singular" much in the way we would use the word "interesting" today. Also, what a stroke of luck it is that all of the witnesses/victims/perpetrators in these crimes/mysteries all happen to be excellent story tellers!
Silver Blaze - ★★★☆☆ (2.5 rounded up to 3)
A prize race horse has gone missing prior to a big race and its trainer has been killed. Holmes must find what happened to the horse and who killed the trainer. This one had plenty of good deductions by Holmes, but the story itself was kind of just okay.
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box - ★★★☆☆ (2.5 stars rounded up)
A woman who primarily keeps to herself is shocked to one day receive a box containing two severed human ears. The authorities believe it is some deranged prank by medical students, but Holmes suspects foul play. Again, Holmes does some good work, and it's interesting how he keeps pretty much everything to himself until the end in this story. Still, the story itself was again passable.
The Adventure of the Yellow Face - ★★☆☆☆
I thought this was an odd one. Watson prefaces the story by explaining that he typically tells stories of Holmes at his best, but he does not wish to paint an inaccurate picture of him and that he sometimes comes to an incorrect conclusion. This is one such tale. However, I thought it was a bit bizarre that this story was chosen to showcase a time when Holmes got it wrong because it was so utterly obvious and easy to figure out. Normally when the solution is readily apparent to the reader, at least we can be treated to the mesmerizing spectacle of watching Holmes deduce, but here we get neither.
The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk - ★★★☆☆
This is another story of a man being given a strange job offer. Perplexed by the bizarre nature of the situation, the man in question seeks out Holmes to help him figure out what this mysterious job is all about. I though this was a solid three stars. Not bad, not great.
The Adventure of the "Gloria Scott" - ★★★★☆
Holmes recounts his very first case to Watson. The father of a friend of Holmes keels over dead after receiving a letter. What could possibly have been the reason? Clearly, it is something from the man's past which has come back to haunt him. This story is interesting because it is a story within a story within a story. However, the heart of the matter is elucidated by a long tale of woe, as is often the case. That being said, the tale itself is a pretty good one.
The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual - ★★★★☆
Another one of Holmes' early endeavors. An old acquaintance of his comes to him with a conundrum: his butler and a maid have gone missing. Both disappeared at different times and the maid was acting eccentrically. An interesting mystery with some (very) mild historical weight to it.
The Adventure of the Reigate Squire - ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
A string of burglaries and a murder bring Holmes and Watson out to am estate in Surrey to solve the mystery of who is the perpetrator. Holmes uses his weaknesses to his advantage in a predictable but fun way.
The Adventure of the Crooked Man - ★★★☆☆
A man has been killed while in the same room as his wife, yet there is still something missing. Holmes is on the case, and the adventure leads to a suspect who has a long story to tell. The mystery is not bad, as it isn't completely predictable. The resolution is middling.
The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter - ★★★★★
Here we are introduced to Holmes' brother, Mycroft, who possesses even more powers of observation than Sherlock himself. Yet, he never feels motivated to use his powers for anything more than his own amusement, and has a curious case to share with his brother. A Greek interpreter was hired for a most singular job which has left him shaken. This story has everything a Sherlock Holmes story should have, and yet I wouldn't have minded to see more of Mycroft's extraordinary gift on display.
The Adventure of the Naval Treaty - ★★★☆☆
A man who works for the foreign office has misplaced a very important document which he believes was stolen. Holmes is one step ahead of the thief, as usual. This one has a bit more mystery to it as the resolution isn't blatantly obvious. The story itself is not bad. Overall solid, but also a bit forgettable.
The Final Problem - ★★★★★ (4.5 stars rounded up)
Throughout the years, Holmes always felt there was some sinister element connecting the multifarious crimes he has worked on. After a great deal of effort, Holmes has discovered that the nexus of criminality and genius is one Professor Moriarty. With the knowledge that Moriarty is right on his heels, he recruits Watson once more to be his confidant to help him catch "the Napoleon of crime" and his criminal syndicate once and for all. Though this story has very little actual crime solving and deduction, the tension is turned up much higher than usual as we witness Holmes teetering on the edge like never before. I can imagine this might have done well as a longer story or perhaps a series of stories which could flesh out some of the dealings between Holmes and Moriarty and the clever one-upmanship bandied back and forth between the two. But perhaps it's better left unsaid, as our imaginations can take it even further with the gravity that Doyle imparts upon the events.
Some small observations: I find it somewhat amusing that Doyle uses the word "singular" much in the way we would use the word "interesting" today. Also, what a stroke of luck it is that all of the witnesses/victims/perpetrators in these crimes/mysteries all happen to be excellent story tellers!
Silver Blaze - ★★★☆☆ (2.5 rounded up to 3)
A prize race horse has gone missing prior to a big race and its trainer has been killed. Holmes must find what happened to the horse and who killed the trainer. This one had plenty of good deductions by Holmes, but the story itself was kind of just okay.
The Adventure of the Cardboard Box - ★★★☆☆ (2.5 stars rounded up)
A woman who primarily keeps to herself is shocked to one day receive a box containing two severed human ears. The authorities believe it is some deranged prank by medical students, but Holmes suspects foul play. Again, Holmes does some good work, and it's interesting how he keeps pretty much everything to himself until the end in this story. Still, the story itself was again passable.
The Adventure of the Yellow Face - ★★☆☆☆
I thought this was an odd one. Watson prefaces the story by explaining that he typically tells stories of Holmes at his best, but he does not wish to paint an inaccurate picture of him and that he sometimes comes to an incorrect conclusion. This is one such tale. However, I thought it was a bit bizarre that this story was chosen to showcase a time when Holmes got it wrong because it was so utterly obvious and easy to figure out. Normally when the solution is readily apparent to the reader, at least we can be treated to the mesmerizing spectacle of watching Holmes deduce, but here we get neither.
The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk - ★★★☆☆
This is another story of a man being given a strange job offer. Perplexed by the bizarre nature of the situation, the man in question seeks out Holmes to help him figure out what this mysterious job is all about. I though this was a solid three stars. Not bad, not great.
The Adventure of the "Gloria Scott" - ★★★★☆
Holmes recounts his very first case to Watson. The father of a friend of Holmes keels over dead after receiving a letter. What could possibly have been the reason? Clearly, it is something from the man's past which has come back to haunt him. This story is interesting because it is a story within a story within a story. However, the heart of the matter is elucidated by a long tale of woe, as is often the case. That being said, the tale itself is a pretty good one.
The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual - ★★★★☆
Another one of Holmes' early endeavors. An old acquaintance of his comes to him with a conundrum: his butler and a maid have gone missing. Both disappeared at different times and the maid was acting eccentrically. An interesting mystery with some (very) mild historical weight to it.
The Adventure of the Reigate Squire - ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
A string of burglaries and a murder bring Holmes and Watson out to am estate in Surrey to solve the mystery of who is the perpetrator. Holmes uses his weaknesses to his advantage in a predictable but fun way.
The Adventure of the Crooked Man - ★★★☆☆
A man has been killed while in the same room as his wife, yet there is still something missing. Holmes is on the case, and the adventure leads to a suspect who has a long story to tell. The mystery is not bad, as it isn't completely predictable. The resolution is middling.
The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter - ★★★★★
Here we are introduced to Holmes' brother, Mycroft, who possesses even more powers of observation than Sherlock himself. Yet, he never feels motivated to use his powers for anything more than his own amusement, and has a curious case to share with his brother. A Greek interpreter was hired for a most singular job which has left him shaken. This story has everything a Sherlock Holmes story should have, and yet I wouldn't have minded to see more of Mycroft's extraordinary gift on display.
The Adventure of the Naval Treaty - ★★★☆☆
A man who works for the foreign office has misplaced a very important document which he believes was stolen. Holmes is one step ahead of the thief, as usual. This one has a bit more mystery to it as the resolution isn't blatantly obvious. The story itself is not bad. Overall solid, but also a bit forgettable.
The Final Problem - ★★★★★ (4.5 stars rounded up)
Throughout the years, Holmes always felt there was some sinister element connecting the multifarious crimes he has worked on. After a great deal of effort, Holmes has discovered that the nexus of criminality and genius is one Professor Moriarty. With the knowledge that Moriarty is right on his heels, he recruits Watson once more to be his confidant to help him catch "the Napoleon of crime" and his criminal syndicate once and for all. Though this story has very little actual crime solving and deduction, the tension is turned up much higher than usual as we witness Holmes teetering on the edge like never before. I can imagine this might have done well as a longer story or perhaps a series of stories which could flesh out some of the dealings between Holmes and Moriarty and the clever one-upmanship bandied back and forth between the two. But perhaps it's better left unsaid, as our imaginations can take it even further with the gravity that Doyle imparts upon the events.