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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was quite a quick read, I think made easier by the fact that it’s a collection of short stories more than one big novel.
I tried to read some of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger and didn’t get into them all that much. I found them to be very formulaic and a bit boring. But they’re not so bad actually.
I’m not going to stand outside Baker Street like a stalker though. They’re not that good.
I tried to read some of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger and didn’t get into them all that much. I found them to be very formulaic and a bit boring. But they’re not so bad actually.
I’m not going to stand outside Baker Street like a stalker though. They’re not that good.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's a fun one. I think I enjoyed these stories overall more than the ones in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Which were entertaining nevertheless.
I'm quite surprised that Doyle, although he's also guilty of falling into some stereotypes and misogynistic views, generally seemed to have a better opinion on women than other authors of his time.
I'm quite surprised that Doyle, although he's also guilty of falling into some stereotypes and misogynistic views, generally seemed to have a better opinion on women than other authors of his time.
As always, these stories are highly enjoyable. I just love Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as characters, especially seeing Watson's insights into Holmes' foibles and abilities.
I was also struck by how often Holmes will operate outside the law as a private detective, whether during the actual case or in dealing with the criminal once he's caught them. Clearly he is more neutral good than lawful good. The game itself is most important to him, and he will happily let a killer go if there was a morally sufficient reason to take out the person killed. It makes the stories a bit less black and white.
I skipped between editions on this yet again; I have a print copy that is reproductions of the Strand Magazine stories, which is awesome and contains all the Sidney Paget drawings; I also used an ebook edition just for convenience's sake, because the print copy is part of a huge collection around two inches thick. Sadly, although the ebook version claimed to be illustrated and did include some of the Paget illustrations, the majority were left out. There were also no footnotes in this collection, as there have been in other collections. (Mind you, the one pictured on this review is not the exact one I read because I coudn't find that one listed in Goodreads. I used the free Kindle edition for previous collections and suspect that the pictured edition has no illustrations, but does have footnotes.)
I think The Valley of Fear is up next...
I was also struck by how often Holmes will operate outside the law as a private detective, whether during the actual case or in dealing with the criminal once he's caught them. Clearly he is more neutral good than lawful good. The game itself is most important to him, and he will happily let a killer go if there was a morally sufficient reason to take out the person killed. It makes the stories a bit less black and white.
I skipped between editions on this yet again; I have a print copy that is reproductions of the Strand Magazine stories, which is awesome and contains all the Sidney Paget drawings; I also used an ebook edition just for convenience's sake, because the print copy is part of a huge collection around two inches thick. Sadly, although the ebook version claimed to be illustrated and did include some of the Paget illustrations, the majority were left out. There were also no footnotes in this collection, as there have been in other collections. (Mind you, the one pictured on this review is not the exact one I read because I coudn't find that one listed in Goodreads. I used the free Kindle edition for previous collections and suspect that the pictured edition has no illustrations, but does have footnotes.)
I think The Valley of Fear is up next...
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After Doyle said he would no longer write about his famous consulting detective, one might reasonably expect the quality of his stories to go down after he returned to them (due to popular demand), but I didn’t find that the case (pun unintended). Yes, some of the elements are a bit overfamiliar by now, but fans expected those, and without them Holmes and Watson are not themselves.
The murders seem more violent (give the people what they want?), but the humorous dialogue (“…so you can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Busybody Holmes!” and “What did you do, Hopkins, after you made certain that you had made certain of nothing?”); and the nice descriptive writing (…ten miles of man’s handiwork on every side of us, to feel the iron grip of Nature…to the huge elemental forces all London was no more than the molehills that dot the fields.) are still present, along with something new—graphics (drawings mostly) provided to the readers so they can see what Sherlock sees.
At the end of this collection, Watson says Sherlock no longer wants his stories to be published now that he has retired to the country. He wants no more publicity and to be left in peace. Poor Doyle.
The murders seem more violent (give the people what they want?), but the humorous dialogue (“…so you can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Busybody Holmes!” and “What did you do, Hopkins, after you made certain that you had made certain of nothing?”); and the nice descriptive writing (…ten miles of man’s handiwork on every side of us, to feel the iron grip of Nature…to the huge elemental forces all London was no more than the molehills that dot the fields.) are still present, along with something new—graphics (drawings mostly) provided to the readers so they can see what Sherlock sees.
At the end of this collection, Watson says Sherlock no longer wants his stories to be published now that he has retired to the country. He wants no more publicity and to be left in peace. Poor Doyle.
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
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
tense
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:
Complicated
ugh sherlock and watson are so gay for each other