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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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* rounded up. i feel like i end up giving all short story collections about 3.5*, and the return of sherlock holmes is no different. they end up being such a mixed bag of really good to just alright stories that i can never really rate them higher. and it’s a shame when it comes to the sherlock holmes series, because i feel like the full-length stories are generally better. still, the return was generally enjoyable, and what i loved the most was seeing more of the source material/inspiration for the bbc series!
✧ full review on my tumblr ✧
✧ full review on my tumblr ✧
One more collection down! I found this set of stories more consistently satisfying than the previous short story collections. On the whole, these stories did a better job of showing Holmes getting out and investigating, rather than just listening to client's stories then disappearing for a while, only to pop up and narrate his investigations later. Less talky, more walky :)
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
this collection felt more like a mixed bag in comparison to the other two. on the one hand, acd interestingly plays with the tropes and formulas of the holmes stories to create some of the most unique, entertaining, and surprising mysteries in his canon so far. however, the other half of the mysteries in this collection are a little lazier in comparison, w/ solutions that feel rushed and anticlimactic. it’s noticeable about halfway through this collection, the second half definitely feels weaker.
favorite stories:
- the adventure of the empty house
- the adventure of the norwood builder
- the adventure of the dancing men
- the adventure of charles augustus milverton
- the adventure of the six napoleons
- the adventure of the golden pince-nez
favorite stories:
- the adventure of the empty house
- the adventure of the norwood builder
- the adventure of the dancing men
- the adventure of charles augustus milverton
- the adventure of the six napoleons
- the adventure of the golden pince-nez
Eh. Enjoyable, easy read, but not compelling or very exciting.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Ok, I will admit this. I am reading the Sherlock Holmes books because they are.....bad.
They really are.
There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.
As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a decent mystery in a short story. Most of his short stories are really more in the realm of bodice-rippers then mysteries. Instead of taking the time to craft a mystery (which involves a plot), he instead strove to hide important developments and details from the reader -- putting them in the realm "information that only Holmes knows" - thus making it seem like Holmes is a genius for putting everything together. In reality, he is the only character that often had access to all the information - but to "solve" the story based on not even sharing it with the reader is just bad storytelling.
Occasionally - yes he was the only person willing to go get all the pertinent information. And in these cases, it is made very clearly that it is because the other characters - often Lestrade - is too lazy and wants to take the easy way out. Ah, the way the police detective is portrayed! Do I detect some classicism there, Sir Doyle? Even Watson - Watson is given his own brand of classicism - where Lestrade is clearly uneducated and of the masses, and thus prone to laziness, Watson is too hampered by his own education and thus, fails to overlook vital evidence because he cannot see beyond his own medical training! Apparently, Doyle had little liking for some of his own colleagues....
I don't think I can stomach anymore of these short stories. I will give one of the novels a try and see if they stand up any better - I read one or two when I was a little kid and liked them then. Somehow, though, I don't Holmes himself gets any better with age....
They really are.
There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.
As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a decent mystery in a short story. Most of his short stories are really more in the realm of bodice-rippers then mysteries. Instead of taking the time to craft a mystery (which involves a plot), he instead strove to hide important developments and details from the reader -- putting them in the realm "information that only Holmes knows" - thus making it seem like Holmes is a genius for putting everything together. In reality, he is the only character that often had access to all the information - but to "solve" the story based on not even sharing it with the reader is just bad storytelling.
Occasionally - yes he was the only person willing to go get all the pertinent information. And in these cases, it is made very clearly that it is because the other characters - often Lestrade - is too lazy and wants to take the easy way out. Ah, the way the police detective is portrayed! Do I detect some classicism there, Sir Doyle? Even Watson - Watson is given his own brand of classicism - where Lestrade is clearly uneducated and of the masses, and thus prone to laziness, Watson is too hampered by his own education and thus, fails to overlook vital evidence because he cannot see beyond his own medical training! Apparently, Doyle had little liking for some of his own colleagues....
I don't think I can stomach anymore of these short stories. I will give one of the novels a try and see if they stand up any better - I read one or two when I was a little kid and liked them then. Somehow, though, I don't Holmes himself gets any better with age....
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
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:
Yes