Scan barcode
cj13's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
julianna_schock's review against another edition
4.0
i just read the hound of the baskervilles so i don't know about the other stories.
meganreads5's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
daniellew87's review against another edition
5.0
Classic Sherlock Holmes. Doyle is a great writer, but some of the stories drag on, as was the custom at that time.
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.75
helytalae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
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
4.0
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
5.0
This book contains all 37 short stories of Sherlock Holmes plus the novel "Hound of the Baskervilles". I got this book about 25 years ago and have been reading one or two of the short stories every year.
Many many hours of enjoyment. Just a great read that I think everyone should experience.
I will be the first to admit that you really have to be in the mood for the style of writing that Doyle employs but when I'm in the mood nothing is better. Of course Sherlock Holmes is almost too smart to be believable and Watson can sometimes be a bumbling idiot but come on Holmes and Watson are two of the greatest characters in literature history! There are no secrets to give away or spoilers because we're all familiar with Sherlock Holmes so just go out and read this if you haven't.
Many many hours of enjoyment. Just a great read that I think everyone should experience.
I will be the first to admit that you really have to be in the mood for the style of writing that Doyle employs but when I'm in the mood nothing is better. Of course Sherlock Holmes is almost too smart to be believable and Watson can sometimes be a bumbling idiot but come on Holmes and Watson are two of the greatest characters in literature history! There are no secrets to give away or spoilers because we're all familiar with Sherlock Holmes so just go out and read this if you haven't.
orchidlilly's review
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
While fun and intriguing short stories that move quickly on their own, the Sherlock Holmes stories can be a bit wordy and tedious to read through. They are certainly better read one by one at varying times, rather than back to back as you would a novel, but that is how they're intended, so I cant count that as a negative. I'm sure there are some very good audio book versions out there, that might make reading all the stories in sequence a bit more bearable and less time consuming.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Animal death, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Murder, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Classism, and Police brutality
soniek's review against another edition
3.0
Kudos to the author for churning out such a vast number of stories with consistency. Despite the verbosity, many stories were quite good. It's tough to pick one favourite, but I especially loved the initial long stories like: A Study in Scarlet, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear & The Sign of Four. The short stories are good too, but some seem similar to others. I especially found His Last Bow, and stories after Holmes' return to be quite feeble in plot as well as mystery.
All stories felt unnecessarily verbose & long. An advice from experience: it's better to read/ listen to this book with short breaks & other books in between, unless you're a truly avid fan of this writing style. Else, it could get monotonous due to the sheer volume of the book.
Verbosity aside, there are a few other qualms I have about SH. It may be due to the times & situations he lived in, but the author is always demeaning & dismissive towards India & other countries. Not only does he repulsively reek of a colonist's supremacy, but he's also ignorant about certain topics which he nevertheless includes in his stories. These factors put a bit of a dampener in the reading experience. But anyway, that's just my personal opinion!
Also, Doyle went to town with Edgar Allen Poe's model of ratiocination. He wasn't merely influenced, but went ahead to use Poe's model to churn such a huge quantity of stories, all strictly following Poe's style of logical deduction. So in a way, kudos to Poe for inspiring such large quantities of Sherlock Holmes stories!
Finally, do pick up the audiobook! I listened to one narrated by Charlton Griffin, instead of the more popular Stephen Fry, and Griffin doesn't disappoint. He has as much accuracy in reproducing the British accents, as much as the wide range of tones & modulations to represent multiple characters. He brought to life the iconic Sherlock Homes played by Jeremy Brett, and the rest of old London.
Overall, a pretty good classic to read or better still, to listen to.
All stories felt unnecessarily verbose & long. An advice from experience: it's better to read/ listen to this book with short breaks & other books in between, unless you're a truly avid fan of this writing style. Else, it could get monotonous due to the sheer volume of the book.
Verbosity aside, there are a few other qualms I have about SH. It may be due to the times & situations he lived in, but the author is always demeaning & dismissive towards India & other countries. Not only does he repulsively reek of a colonist's supremacy, but he's also ignorant about certain topics which he nevertheless includes in his stories. These factors put a bit of a dampener in the reading experience. But anyway, that's just my personal opinion!
Also, Doyle went to town with Edgar Allen Poe's model of ratiocination. He wasn't merely influenced, but went ahead to use Poe's model to churn such a huge quantity of stories, all strictly following Poe's style of logical deduction. So in a way, kudos to Poe for inspiring such large quantities of Sherlock Holmes stories!
Finally, do pick up the audiobook! I listened to one narrated by Charlton Griffin, instead of the more popular Stephen Fry, and Griffin doesn't disappoint. He has as much accuracy in reproducing the British accents, as much as the wide range of tones & modulations to represent multiple characters. He brought to life the iconic Sherlock Homes played by Jeremy Brett, and the rest of old London.
Overall, a pretty good classic to read or better still, to listen to.
aldean's review against another edition
4.0
This was the volume that started my love of Holmes. While not [b:the complete stories|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1218672960s/4671.jpg|245494], this is a substantial collection, and the illustrations by Sidney Paget remain to me the perfect vision of the Great Detective and his world. This is still the edition I pull off my shelf when I want to introduce someone to the joys of Sherlock Holmes.