“Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.”

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short mystery stories all published in the late 19th century in a serial magazine. Besides the mysteries, these show the dynamics of Holmes and Watson that I had missed by reading Doyle stories at random (that were from a later period).

I admit to knowing about Sherlock Holmes through film adaptions more than from reading the books. After seeing the British Sherlock TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch, I can only think of Holmes with his face and mannerisms he exhibited in the shows. I wanted to learn about how Holmes and Watson’s relationship developed, so that’s why I picked this collection.

A fantastic why to experience these stories is through the Dreamscape Media audio narrated by Stephen Thorne. Read at a perfect pace with emotion and accents! Recommended.

The twelve stories on the audio are in the sequence I have listed in the spoiler along with a one- or two-word summary of each. No spoilers though! It is better to know less about the story because figuring out the plot is the highlight.

A Scandal in Bohemia Regret.
The Red-Headed League Red herrings (pun intended

4.5

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the original (supposedly) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is part of my "bucket list" of classics to read. No one can out maneuver Sherlock, not even Scotland Yard. His partner Dr. Watson, who is the narrator and an intelligent man himself, can never predict an outcome whereas Sherlock has any dilemma figured out and put to bed within an unbelievable short timeframe. Usually not more than a day. How does he do it? Uncanny powers of observation and logic and a mind that never rests. What if Sherlock and Poirot working together were unleashed against the criminal world? Why all fictitious criminals would be in jail by noon. But could their individual egos allow them to work together? Intheresting........

The Sherlock Holmes stories are "comfort food for the soul" to me. They have brought so much enjoyment through the years and, starting any of the tales (even a "lesser" one), instantly transports me to a soothing literary place that is as effective as any meditation session for me. Indeed, it has been a time of emotional uncertainty that brought me back to THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and the stories quickly worked their magic upon me.

Although Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a number of popular novels, I've often heard the opinion expressed that the Sherlock Holmes novels he wrote were not nearly as good as the short stories. Now, I've always enjoyed THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. However, in general, I must admit that I also prefer the short story collections, and those found in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES may be the best.

Once again, my source for enjoying these was "The Oxford Sherlock Holmes." Although I wouldn't recommend this series to the first time Reader because of the amount of distracting detail that they provide, it was an absolute delight for me to learn more about the world's most famous consulting detective, his "Boswell," and the writer.

There are two strong reasons to recommend the Oxford edition of THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:

* When originally published in the "Strand," some stories appeared out of sequence from when they were written. This "order" was also duplicated in original collections of the stories. It is not a major element, but the writer often referenced previous stories in the current one. So, if taken out of order, there are references to "cases" that have not yet been read. The Oxford edition restores them to their written order.

* Once more, the annotations can be fascinating. Particularly, there are not only descriptions of places and terminology that may not be readily apparent to the modern Reader, but there is speculation on where the writer obtained his names for characters and plot ideas. It may be astonishing to realize that some were "borrowed" from other famous works including stage plays! Imagine doing that today without an immediate lawsuit arising! He also freely used ideas suggested by acquaintances and from "news of interest" clippings from various newspapers. Some of the original sources very much intrigued me! And there are also the comments about the inconsistencies, such as Watson's name changing from John to James, the temporary replacement of Mrs. Hudson, and Watson's roving war wound.

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES collects twelve popular tales including some extremely famous ones that have become iconic such as "A Scandal in Bohemia," "A Case of Identity," "The Red-Headed League," "The Five Orange Pips," and the horrific thriller "The Speckled Band." Also included is a personal favorite of mine, "The Blue Carbuncle," set during the Christmas holiday season and almost as reminiscent of the time as A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens.

Out of the twelve, only one was less satisfying (in my opinion). That would be "The Noble Bachelor." It is not poorly written, but the story overall contained much less interesting characters and the case solution was uninvolving. Also, because of the presence of "class lineage," the notations were excessive and of very little interest to me. Of course, that's just my opinion.

It took me longer than usual to complete THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES because I frankly didn't want the experience to end. Each reading session was highly anticipated and left me with a feeling of having spent time with friends. That may be the best recommendation that I can give.

Here are my reviews of individual stories:

Link to review of the first story, A Scandal in Bohemia

Link to review of the second story, The Red-Headed League

Link to another one, The Adventure of the Speckled Band

Qualche decennio fa ho letto un pugno di romanzi di Arthur Conan Doyle [1859-1930] con la coppia di protagonisti Sherlock Holmes e il dottor Watson ma nel tempo ne ho dimenticato trame e valutazioni personali e solo recentemente, giusto per leggere qualcosa a fine giornata prima di spegnere la mente, ho iniziato a leggere queste “Avventure di Sherlock Holmes” del 1892 e devo subito dire che i racconti qui raccolti risultano tutti una piacevolissima lettura di svago, per nulla tediosi e/o macchinosi come avevo immaginato e accettato per una lettura che doveva condurmi al sonno, ma al contrario ricchi di brio e spigliati tanto che in breve tempo ne ho concluso la lettura.

It's true what they say: You can't beat the classics!

Seriously, there's a reason why these stories have stood the test of time: They're amazing!

If you've never read any of the original Holmes novels, you should go find one...NOW!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1892, and available for free online reading or downloading here on Project Gutenberg (or many other places), is a collection of twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories. Doyle's formula for his Sherlock stories gets a little bit worn and visible after you read several of them back to back. But there are some jewels in this collection, and they all have something to offer the interested reader, even if it's only an insight into Sherlock's or Dr. Watson's characters or Victorian society.

My full reviews for these stories are at the links, but I've posted my star ratings and brief comments here:

4* - "A Scandal in Bohemia" - Notable mostly for the appearance of Irene Adler, probably the best and most intelligent female character Doyle ever created.

3* "The Red Headed League" - Reading about a massive crowd of redheads was fun, but otherwise this is a fairly standard Sherlock Holmes story.

2* "A Case of Identity" - The rare swing and miss, it's lightweight and predictable, with a patronizing Victorian view of women that thoroughly irritated me.

3.4* "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" - A son is accused of his father's murder ... understandable since he was found at the scene covered in blood, but of course there's more to the story than that.

3.5* "The Five Orange Pips" - Five dried-up orange seeds in an envelope are ... a serious threat? Apparently so, when they're accompanied by the letters K.K.K. and followed by death. This one is atmospheric and compelling reading, but I'm dinging it for Doyle's complete disregard for actual historical facts about the KKK. This story is also notable for being one of the few total fails by Sherlock Holmes.

3.5* "The Man with the Twisted Lip" - This disappearing husband case is worth reading for the insights into Dr. Watson's character and for the evocative description of Victorian era drug abuse and opium dens.

4* "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" - A missing blue jewel and ... a goose. Doyle slips up again on his research (Sherlock would be ashamed) because carbuncles are, by definition, red jewels (rubies), but that aside, this was a really fun jewel thievery escapade.

5* "The Speckled Band" - A dying young woman, with her final breath, gasps "The speckled band!" And now her twin sister fears for her own life. The best mystery in this collection! Don't miss it.

3.75* "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" - This mystery about an injured engineer involves not only thumbs but a sinister hydraulic stamping machine. I mean, if one of these could take out the Terminator, clearly there's some grave danger here!

3* "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" - This story is interesting for its dealing with the once-popular social practice of American heiresses marrying British nobility, Downton Abbey-style. Otherwise, sadly, it's pretty forgettable.

4* "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" - A desperate banker tells Sherlock that a valuable gold and beryl coronet has been stolen from his keeping, and the main suspect is the banker's son. A subtler and better mystery than I expected.

4* "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" - A red-headed governess becomes embroiled in a very odd situation. There's a strange employer, a giant dog that prowls the premises looking for people to eat, and a servant with a surprising story.

These stories are easy to pop down like so many potato chips, but I found I enjoyed them more when I spaced them out a little. Just a suggestion!

I've read quite a few Sherlock Holmes stories before, more than half of these, probably, at one time or another, but this collection of twelve, taken all at one go (really over three days, but you know what I mean), gives a different impression than the stories do when taken individually. The thing that most impressed me, and which I likely noticed because Zach Dundas pointed it out in The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes, which I just read, is how nice Sherlock Holmes is. Significantly nicer than he usually is when translated to film or television. Okay, it's true that even in the stories he can be pretty catty about Watson's storytelling, but he's consistently solicitous and sympathetic with his clients, and generally is appreciative and cordial to Watson. Also noticeable is that his mood swings are even more dramatic in the original than in interpretations of the character. Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch, for instance, may go from still and pensive to energetic and intense, but Doyle's Holmes “chuckled and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit when in high spirits” (pg 26, The Red-Headed League). Can you even imagine Jeremy Brett “wriggling”? He certainly can be intimidating, intense, and mysterious, but he comes across in these stories as more of a charming (if occasionally alarming) eccentric than a high-functioning sociopath/Asperger's sufferer.

Not only does Doyle make his Holmes sometimes surprisingly playful, but he also seems to have a bit of fun at Holmes's expense. In particular, Holmes's party trick of astonishing new clients by telling them details about their lives is presented as something in which he takes a childish delight. His “Oh, but of course it was all completely obvious” routine after he's gotten his “How can you know that, you brilliant man?” fix becomes quite comic and, oddly, sort of sweetly needy after you read it in a few stories in a row.

I was also reminded that not all the mysteries are “crimes.” “The Man with the Twisted Lip” and “The Noble Bachelor” are more along the lines of “confusions which need clearing up,” and “A Scandal in Bohemia” is a sort of blackmail case in which our sympathy is rather more with the lovely and clever Irene Adler than with the absurd and pompous King of Bohemia.

Doyle's style is modern – none of the convoluted sentences, sentimentality, or ornateness which characterize some of the Victorians – and these little stories really zip along. I look forward to reading The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and revisiting The Hound of the Baskervilles soon!

Sherlock Holmes ...
What a day :)
*****
حزينة جدا على أفول نجم (شيرلوك) في أواخر ايام السير آرثر كونان دويل .. ماكانش يعرف ان دي البداية
:)

Watson this entire book: this one is the most singular case I ever witnessed Holmes solve!

This work is a must in my Sherlock Holmes collection.