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A review by diana_raquel
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
4.75
"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters ever created by Arthur Conan Doyle. First appearing in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with A Scandal in Bohemia in 1891. Overall, 4 novels and 56 short stories were created revolving around the character of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
All of the novels and short stories are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most of them are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer John H. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, where many of the stories begin. As I said in other reviews, I maintain the opinion that the stories really benefit from being narrated by Watson. Not only because Watson helps the reader navigate the setting of Victorian society but also because it helps us understand Sherlock Holmes. Like I said in my review of A Study in Scarlet, Watson is a very emphatic character, so he's the one that helps to humanize the always-rational Sherlock, a character that may not be so loved by readers if the stories were narrated by Sherlock or in thrid-person. For instance, I didn't find "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier", one of the few stories narrated by Holmes, as interesting as the ones narrated by Watson.
But, overall, I really liked the stories and I strongly recommend them. The only thing that I would advise you to do is try to read the stories over time and not at once. This edition has over 1400 pages, and that can be very challenging.
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters ever created by Arthur Conan Doyle. First appearing in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with A Scandal in Bohemia in 1891. Overall, 4 novels and 56 short stories were created revolving around the character of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
All of the novels and short stories are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most of them are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer John H. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, where many of the stories begin. As I said in other reviews, I maintain the opinion that the stories really benefit from being narrated by Watson. Not only because Watson helps the reader navigate the setting of Victorian society but also because it helps us understand Sherlock Holmes. Like I said in my review of A Study in Scarlet, Watson is a very emphatic character, so he's the one that helps to humanize the always-rational Sherlock, a character that may not be so loved by readers if the stories were narrated by Sherlock or in thrid-person. For instance, I didn't find "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier", one of the few stories narrated by Holmes, as interesting as the ones narrated by Watson.
But, overall, I really liked the stories and I strongly recommend them. The only thing that I would advise you to do is try to read the stories over time and not at once. This edition has over 1400 pages, and that can be very challenging.
Final notes: If you're looking for a good adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, I suggest the 1984 tv show adaptation produced by Granada Television and starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and David Burke and subsequently Edward Hardwicke as Watson. Between 1984 and 1994, 36 episodes and five films were produced over six series. It's one of the best adaptations of Sherlock Holmes that I've seen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism