Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I

While not exactly what I would call compelling reading, this is a nice collection of stories that are probably best enjoyed over breakfast, or perhaps on the subway ride to work. I know it's sacrilege, but I find Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories to be a bit underwhelming, though completely readable. They are expertly written, but very dry (after the British style of the day) and the setting up of each mystery usually takes about three times as long as the subsequent investigation and rendering of the solution. Doyle comes up with some really incredible characters here, but he generally just lets them gather dust somewhere off in the background. I mean, only one story featuring the infamous Professor Moriarty? And just a single story featuring Holmes' brilliant-but-lazy brother, Mycroft? Somehow that makes me feel cheated just a little bit. Give me the movie versions featuring Robert Downey Jr., Matt Frewer, or James D'Arcy any day of the week. Or the TV serials with Ronald Howard or Benedict Cumberbatch (sorry, not a big fan of the Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett series). As you can see by these preferences, I differ greatly in opinion from those who would likely refer to themselves as being "true" Sherlock Holmes fans. But overall I did enjoy this collection of mysteries, and it was nice to see Watson portrayed the way he was originally meant to be--and not as a buffoon constantly used for cheap comic relief, as, unfortunately, he was in so many of the TV series. Still, one or two of these stories a week is about all I can read without quickly growing tired of them.

It's a little weird that I'm 25 years old, have read for pleasure my whole life and I'm only now reading Sherlock Holmes. Previously I had only known the pop culture version of Sherlock (and I'm still feeling bitter about that 'Elementary my dear Watson' thing Wishbone). And how Professor Moriarty and Irene Adler only show up in one story each or how Inspector Lestrade existed pretty much to take the credit for Sherlock's accomplishments.

And it's sort of amusing how Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock but it didn't take. To be fair to Doyle's reading public that story was incredibly unsatisfying.

And since 'Hound of the Baskervilles' wasn't in this one I'll have to add volume 2 to my shopping list. Pretty sneaky Bantam Classics, pretty sneaky indeed.

Nothing is better than the original. No Sherlock and Holmes, I know of, really live up to their originals, two fantastic and deep men. Read in a few weeks on an Italian-German summer, this is great. Sir Doyle is a literary achiever, even if the morals aren't deep and the action is stilted. This is fantastic. Recommended for Lovers of Older Literature, even though this reads like the paperbacks of their day, and for lovers of Mystery. The first novel, a Study in Scarlet, is profound, and maybe a little long-winded. But hang on, it is terribly intriguing.

I'm about halfway through, and I definitely enjoy it. Each story is interesting. Having seen the latest TV show, I wanted to read the original stories. Seeing the differences between the two has been beneficial; I do like that in Scandal in Bohemia, the Irene Adler character is considerably less sexualized than the modern show updated her to be. Though I'm sure still scandalous for the time it was written.

This review is also found on my blog: A Poised Quill! :)
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It took me a few months to finish this, but I pushed on. It took a few pages to get used to. The late 19th century writing style is something I was previously unaccustomed to, hence the slow pace, but soon enough it grew on me. The gothic and gloomy vibe laced each novel and short story with deliciously dark undertones distinctive of Victorian England. I soon learned to love the long-winded and detailed narrations, all with the purpose of building up the feeling of suspense and anticipation of the big reveal.

What is it that I loved about Sherlock Holmes? Obviously, his practical application of logic is a gift I am entirely in awe of. But his sheer eccentricity amplifies that which he is best known for: his undeniable powers of observation and deduction. His relationship with the other characters in the novel provides his character with layers. I have yet to meet and read a more interesting sleuth as he. No disrespect to Christie's Poirot who remains one of the first detectives I've loved and is as formidable as Holmes, but Doyle's detective proves more layered and flawed in personality. One which I am more drawn to and makes an interesting read. Sherlock Holmes will remain as my favorite fictional detective.

A few of my favorites were The Final Problem and the stories under The Return of Sherlock Holmes. I will definitely be continuing with Volume II, but I need a bit of rest and space from Sherlock. I need a change of scene for a while before I accompany him and Watson again on their adventures.

So I understand…sort of. Sherlock Holmes is undeniably one of the most influential pieces of literature within this genre, and while I do appreciate Holmes attention to detail, the stories don’t stick around long enough for those details to matter. Personally, I found the longer stories to be more enjoyable than the short and sweet ones as the moment I began to catch on, it was onto the next one leaving me with the feeling of starting over again, certainly not bad writing or storytelling by any means BUT probably won’t come back to this. But I will be reading volume 2 because while I am a lot of things a quitter is not one of them! Ok!

The most surprising thing about the Sherlock Holmes body of work presented in this volume is that it does not consist primarily of detective stories or mystery novels. Rather, these tales are about, principally, Sherlock Holmes himself. They are a character study into one of the most eccentric, fascinating, and winsome persons to ever originate from the printed page. As masterful as Sherlock is at solving crimes and unraveling clues, even more genius is Conan Doyle's ability to present him in such a compelling, engaging way, story after story, circumstance after circumstance.

The first volume of this collection features two short novels, but the bulk of the pages are filled with 10 to 20 page short stories. As such it is the perfect bedside companion. It's quite easy and fulfilling to read through one or two just before nodding off to sleep. By the end, some of the situations do repeat with variations on murders, missing persons, and various forms of burglary or swindling, there is surprisingly little "hard crime" or deep villainy in many of these tales. It's often the case that the problem stems from "Victorians acting badly", which is refreshing. We don't really need all that grit and salaciousness and gore, it turns out to be intrigued. And especially not when we're following in the footsteps of someone as singular and fascinating as Holmes. The main draw here is simply sitting back and watching what the famous sleuth of 221 B Baker Street will do next. Holmes has to stand with Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and Dracula, as one of the towering figures of nineteenth-century fiction.

But Holmes is not the only attraction. Watson deserves our attention as well and in his constant surprise and honest asides, he stands in the place of the reader as the perfect guide to the uncovering of the greatest mystery of all, just who Sherlock Holmes really is and what makes him tick. His reactions are just what the readers would be if we were in his place. Though he no doubt puts it more eloquently than we would have.

True crime buffs may be disappointed that they cannot connect all the dots as Sherlock Holmes does and often the revelations are presented in long confessions by the guilty are the end of a story. But if so, they're missing the point. And as I've said before, the point here is Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Yes, the mysteries are puzzling and mind-boggling at times. We're not supposed to solve them, though, we're only there to cheer Holmes for another brilliant display of logic and inductive reasoning. We aren't him. We don't have his skills. And that's just fine. It is enough that we, like Watson get to spend so many pages simply basking in awe at this "brain without a heart." If Jekyll and Hyde are the result of the separation between the good and evil in one man, Holmes represents the complete divorce between two other aspects of our nature, that which thinks and that which feels. And in him, never the twain shall meet. Well, almost never, anyway.

The brilliant use of language, stunning descriptions, and cleverly thought-out conundrums only make these stories all the more essential.

So, the game's afoot. If you're up to the challenge, here's the case for you to solve. His name is Sherlock Holmes.

Such great stories. The characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson slowly come alive as each case opens and closes. The longer more detaile cases keep you hanging on until the last page! Excellent!