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pedanther's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, War, Sexism, Body shaming, Drug use, Ableism, Death, Addiction, Classism, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Cannibalism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Fatphobia
softiejace's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Colonisation, War, Racism, Slavery, and Murder
Minor: Addiction and Cannibalism
ggcd1981's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Sign of Four é o segundo livro na série de Sherlock Holmes e, na minha opinião, foi melhor do que o primeiro. Nessa obra a atmosfera de Londres Vitoriana estava ainda mais intensa e mesmo quando em partes do livro a narrativa mudou de localização para a Índia enquanto um dos personagens contava partes da história foi muito mais atmosférico e misterioso do que o enorme flashback nos Estados Unidos de A Study in Scarlet. A narrativa, acredito, foi mais bem construída também pois Holmes e Watson figuram na maior parte da história e não foram necessárias extensas porções do livro com personagens secundários e longe dos protagonistas, como foi o caso do primeiro livro. Em The Sign of Four foi introduzido a personagem Mary, interesse romântico de Watson. Ela é honesta, firme, de caráter e coragem, mas não foi particularmente marcante. O mistério foi mais intrigante também em relação ao primeiro livro, apesar do tema vingança ter se repetido, esse foi desenvolvido de forma mais interessante. O cenário montado nessa segunda obra foi bem mais estimulante, especialmente com cenas marcantes como a cena de um dos personagens no seu leito de morte vendo na janela o rosto terrível do homem que temia. Mesmo já sabendo um pouco do que se tratava a resolução do mistério (em se tratando de Sherlock Holmes é quase impossível não ter nenhum spoiler) ainda assim desfrutei da leitura. O ponto negativo do livro foi o racismo e o body shaming direcionado ao personagem que pertencia a um dos povos pigmeus. Isso é não justificável, mas esperado de um livro escrito em 1890. Tendo isso em vista minha nota da obra é baseada na atmosfera, personagens e o mistério desenvolvido. Assim dou 4.5 estrelas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Body shaming, Death, Murder, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexism, Confinement, Ableism, and Stalking
Minor: Misogyny and Violence
slothburglar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
This is a fun mystery with clues to put together. The chemistry between Watson and Holmes is really enjoyable.
Like the last book, there is a long departure from the narrative that is a sort of flashback that for me ruins the pacing. So it lost a lot of appeal for me there.
Like the last book, there is a long departure from the narrative that is a sort of flashback that for me ruins the pacing. So it lost a lot of appeal for me there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Death
orchidlilly's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Ok, wow, mixed bag on this one. On one hand, the mystery its self is very fun; locked room, treasure, a mysterious calling card, its all cool. On the other hand, good God is this one racist. Most of the ACD Sherlock stories I've read keep that good ole' English racism to a minimum, but The Sign of Four seems to have dialed it up to ten to make up for that. I don't think you can go two pages here without reading multiple paragraphs of Watson or some other character just using the rudest, most vile descriptions possible for Indian people. I can't say I didn't expect it, because I know just how horribly the English viewed Indian people at the time, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant to read. I'm not kidding, though, the racism in this one is really really bad, especially because we don't get the usual Holmes thing of having the story at least somewhat go 'um, actually, the people society hates are actually just people and it is in fact the rich bastards who suck'. Just yikes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Colonisation, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Medical content, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Sexism, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Slavery
theresacharlotte's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Racism, and Drug use
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Islamophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Blood
blackferrum's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Lama banget nggak baca buku-buku Sir Arthur lagi, jadi agak-agak lupa gimana metode sama pattern tulisannya.
Hmm, soal kecerdasan Sherlock udah nggak perlu dibahas lah ya, cuman kebiasaan buruknya agak bikin kaget karena di sini sebagai pembuka buku banget gitu. Kayak, apa ini efek samping dari kecerdasannya? Ya tapi who knows, aku pun kurang paham sama detail beliau.
Kasusnya sendiri nggak terlalu panjang seperti buku2 lain. Soal perebutan harta karun dan salah satu orang terbunuh di sini. Metode penyelidikannya oke sih, terus karena ini latarnya tahun 1800-an, jadi semuanya serba klasik. Penyelidikannya sendiri juga menantang. Apalagi pas ngikutin jejak si pelaku dan ternyata salah itu, wah. Plus aksi kejar-kejaran di sungai.
Mungkin karena lupa jadi agak kaget karena metode penyampaian latar belakang si pelaku dan yang mendasari dia berbuat kejahatan tuh ditaruh di satu bab khusus (bab paling akhir). Jadi sepanjang baca (yang keburu-buru banget btw) nggak terlalu merasuk juga. Tipe misteri slow-burn, cuman biasanya di awal slow ini dibalik, di akhirnya slow karena menjelaskan lagi ini dan itu si pelaku.
Terus yang agak bikin syok romansa yang nyempil, sih. Enggak banyak, beneran cuma secuil, tapi tuh karena insta love jadinya nggak nyadar udah jauh gitu perasaan dua karakternya. Kek, haduh, bisa-bisanya yak wkwkwk dan mungkin karena Sherlock nggak begitu suka keterlibatan secara emosional semacam itu, jadinya nggak jadi fokus. Yakin deh, kalo ini pov Sherlock, bukan dr. Watson, pasti nggak bakal banyak porsi sih, atau porsinya malah dipersempit xD
Hmm, soal kecerdasan Sherlock udah nggak perlu dibahas lah ya, cuman kebiasaan buruknya agak bikin kaget karena di sini sebagai pembuka buku banget gitu. Kayak, apa ini efek samping dari kecerdasannya? Ya tapi who knows, aku pun kurang paham sama detail beliau.
Kasusnya sendiri nggak terlalu panjang seperti buku2 lain. Soal perebutan harta karun dan salah satu orang terbunuh di sini. Metode penyelidikannya oke sih, terus karena ini latarnya tahun 1800-an, jadi semuanya serba klasik. Penyelidikannya sendiri juga menantang. Apalagi pas ngikutin jejak si pelaku dan ternyata salah itu, wah. Plus aksi kejar-kejaran di sungai.
Mungkin karena lupa jadi agak kaget karena metode penyampaian latar belakang si pelaku dan yang mendasari dia berbuat kejahatan tuh ditaruh di satu bab khusus (bab paling akhir). Jadi sepanjang baca (yang keburu-buru banget btw) nggak terlalu merasuk juga. Tipe misteri slow-burn, cuman biasanya di awal slow ini dibalik, di akhirnya slow karena menjelaskan lagi ini dan itu si pelaku.
Terus yang agak bikin syok romansa yang nyempil, sih. Enggak banyak, beneran cuma secuil, tapi tuh karena insta love jadinya nggak nyadar udah jauh gitu perasaan dua karakternya. Kek, haduh, bisa-bisanya yak wkwkwk dan mungkin karena Sherlock nggak begitu suka keterlibatan secara emosional semacam itu, jadinya nggak jadi fokus. Yakin deh, kalo ini pov Sherlock, bukan dr. Watson, pasti nggak bakal banyak porsi sih, atau porsinya malah dipersempit xD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Drug use
octagon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, and Drug use
Minor: Misogyny
stories's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This tale has not aged well, but is certainly twisty. I do enjoy the vivid characters that Conan Doyle sketches.
Not to mention the impact that Love At First Sight has on narrator reliability.
Not to mention the impact that Love At First Sight has on narrator reliability.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, and Death
Minor: Racial slurs, War, Cannibalism, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Murder
nathanjhunt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
My 9th book finished in 2022.
This book hasn't aged well. This is my very first dive into a Sherlock Holmes novel, and I must admit, I wasn't expecting so much racism from it.
It's a snapshot into the British colonial minds and attitudes of the late 1800s. Imperialism was reaching its peak, and that forms the backbone of the plot. The whole basis of the treasure was that it was stolen in the first place. I can't sympathise with any of the characters because they're hunting for colonial gains. It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.
The casualness of drug use at the beginning of the novel was baffling! They call this era 'The Great Binge' for a reason! If anything, this is an interesting case study into middle-class society of the time.
Casting the plot aside, I did enjoy seeing how Holmes' mind works, and having it from Watson's POV worked very well. There was a lot of monologue and explaining along the way. Every character seems to speak in the same manner and the same words. I feel like Conan Doyle was very comfortable writing as a middle-class man, but had no idea how to write characters from poorer and different backgrounds, and it's full of stereotypes. The cast, I suppose, is diverse, but it's written badly.
I left feeling unsatisfied by the story - why demonise one character, but act like the other was right with what they did? It just doesn't make any sense. And ultimately, Holmes did hardly anything in this novel, if was the characters around him mostly.
I enjoyed it somewhat, and am curious to read other Sherlock Holmes novels, but perhaps this wasn't the best one to start on.
This book hasn't aged well. This is my very first dive into a Sherlock Holmes novel, and I must admit, I wasn't expecting so much racism from it.
It's a snapshot into the British colonial minds and attitudes of the late 1800s. Imperialism was reaching its peak, and that forms the backbone of the plot. The whole basis of the treasure was that it was stolen in the first place. I can't sympathise with any of the characters because they're hunting for colonial gains. It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.
The casualness of drug use at the beginning of the novel was baffling! They call this era 'The Great Binge' for a reason! If anything, this is an interesting case study into middle-class society of the time.
Casting the plot aside, I did enjoy seeing how Holmes' mind works, and having it from Watson's POV worked very well. There was a lot of monologue and explaining along the way. Every character seems to speak in the same manner and the same words. I feel like Conan Doyle was very comfortable writing as a middle-class man, but had no idea how to write characters from poorer and different backgrounds, and it's full of stereotypes. The cast, I suppose, is diverse, but it's written badly.
I left feeling unsatisfied by the story - why demonise one character, but act like the other was right with what they did? It just doesn't make any sense. And ultimately, Holmes did hardly anything in this novel, if was the characters around him mostly.
I enjoyed it somewhat, and am curious to read other Sherlock Holmes novels, but perhaps this wasn't the best one to start on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Cannibalism