The first Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson novel, Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet is just lots of fun! The scenes, especially in part 1 are ones we've seen interpreted in shows like BBC's Sherlock, but it's definitely enjoyable to read about (as well as watch) how it all started. In my mind, this book is most compelling for bringing Holmes and Watson together (and for making Watson the chronicler and foil of Holmes' amazing deductions). Doyle makes Holmes every bit as interesting as the cases he solves (probably a reason for his continued success). Holmes isn't motivated by some moral duty to find the bad guy. For him, crimes are puzzles for his intellect, a way to combat boredom. (This is something we've seen in earlier detectives like Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin). While the first part here has the traditional London backdrop, the second part is a flashback which transports us to a frontier Utah. These seemingly disparate sections work well together and make for a compelling story. 4.5 stars.

I think there’s no hope in near future: for Cumberbatch and Freeman’s reuniting to play in more Sherlock episodes. And I don’t know how many times re-binge watch those series! So I decided to read the books and learn more about adapted characters, getting lost in new adventures that didn’t have a chance to get adaptation into series!

Pros: this is amazing to go back to Baker Star, seeing how Sherlock and Watson’s paths were crossed.

Cons: it was a little complicated story Utah,mormons was not what I expected.

Overall: it was still promising beginning and I have to catch other books of the series!

Despite the fact that it is 135 years old, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short novel; "A Study in Scarlet"---which introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes---is still immensely readable. While detective tools and methods may have evolved over the past century, good storytelling is still good storytelling.

Wounded vet Dr. John Watson is back from a tour of duty in India and looking for a roommate. He stumbles across a gentleman roughly his own age also looking for a roommate. Slightly odd, Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating and befuddling character. Watson's not completely sure what Holmes actually does for a living, but he begins to get an idea when visiting detectives from Scotland Yard arrive to ask Holmes for assistance in a murder case.

Not to give too many spoilers, but the case involves two dead Americans, a missing wedding ring, and Mormons. There is even a weird, almost incongruous, detour within the story that is set in Utah. Indeed, Doyle almost shifts the genre from a detective story to a western, but it is all cleverly explained in the end. By Holmes, of course, who apparently figured out the mystery fairly early on. (A common modus operandi for the brilliant detective.)

While Doyle didn't invent the detective story (Holmes and Watson even, at one point in the story, gives due credit to Edgar Allan Poe's "Auguste Dupin" stories, which pre-dated the Holmes stories by about 30 years. Commonly uncredited is British author Wilkie Collins' novel "The Moonstone", which predates "A Study in Scarlet" by 20 years, and is considered the very first detective novel ever written), he certainly made them ridiculously popular and essentially jumpstarted the genre.

اولین داستان شرلوک هلمز افسانه ای. داستان از زبان دکتر واتسون نقل میشه و شرح آشنا شدن این دو نفر و روایت اولین پرونده ایه که واتسون با هلمز همکاری میکنه.

شرلوک هلمز
كارآگاه معروف انگليسى بعد از گذشت صد و بيست سال همچنان طرفداران پر و پا قرص خودش را دارد.
بيشتر "فن" هاى اين كارآگاه، شيفته ى خصوصيات اخلاقى او و شیوه ی استنتاج منحصر به فرد او هستند. خصوصيات اخلاقی مثل هوش سرشار و در عین حال بى توجهى به اخلاقيات مرسوم مردم، نامنظم بودن، ابا نداشتن از قانون شکنی در صورت ضرورت یا سوء استفاده از دیگران برای حل کردن پرونده و نهایتاً، استعمال مواد مخدّر. شيوه ى استنتاج اين كارآگاه هم خاص خودش است. توجه کردن به جزئیات بسیار کوچک که غالباً از چشم اسکاتلندیارد دور مانده، و استنتاج کردن نتایج بسیار مهم از جزئیات به ظاهر بی اهمیت.

اين هر دو مشخصه (خصوصيات رفتارى و شيوه ى استنتاج) و مشخصه هاى ديگر (مثل شيوه ى روايت داستان) از "آگوست دوپن"، كارآگاه داستان هاى جنايى ادگار آلن پو اقتباس شده اند.

داستان
نصف داستان به ماجرای زندگی قاتل می پردازه، که حقیقتش چندان دلچسب نیست. معمولاً توی داستان های دیگه، خود قاتل ماجرای زندگیش رو ضمن یکی دو صفحه تعریف میکنه. اما در اینجا، کلاً داستان هلمز رها میشه و طیّ فلش بک ماجرای قاتل نقل ميشه.

What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. Thw question is, what can you make people believe that you have done?

n  The Game is on!n


n  ENTER THE DETECTIVEn

It's in this very first novel where the great character Sherlock Holmes, along with Dr. John Watson, are introduced to the audience in their first case together.

It wasn't an instantenous success, but gladly it was appreciated soon enough to the point that when the author, Sir Arhur Conan Doyle, wanted to "kill" the character, not only their loyal fans wrote letters against the decision (something unheard at those times) for not saying that even people in London were seeing wearing mourning black bands showing respect to the "death" of the character, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle finally "resurrect" the character writing even more adventures.

But everything began here...

...Dr. John Watson got injured in war, and when he got back to London, he isn't able to afford a decent apartment on his scarse pension, so he is introduced to a peculiar man who is a "consultant detective", the first and only in the world, that not only private detectives consulted him but even the very Scotland Yard was resigned that Holmes' help was needed, for not saying crucial to solve impossible crimes.

While this case, maybe wasn't that astounding, it is quite astonishing at the speed that Holmes is able to solve it, thanks to his uncanning deduction skills.

I think that the middle section where the culprit explained his background and the reasons to commit the murders, could be exposed in a less extended way, but still, it was the first story, so I am able to forgive this kinda of a deviation of the main storyline.

In this first novel, you met along with Holmes and Watson, also the Detective Inspector Lestrade, and the Baker Street Irregulars (which are vital for the search for people and clues to Holmes).

A literary legend was born here.

The idea of Sherlock Holmes is so ingrained in the public consciousness that it's almost weird to see it in its original context. Especially since the "mystery" part is only about half of an already short book (the rest is an exposition dump explaining what happened). I think I'll stick to retellings for now, but it's nice to finally understand the references.

Hello guys, I have read A Study In Scarlet and I was so amazed with the story written in this book. Now I will give some words to it.

This book is written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was born on May 22, 1859. One of his famous works is the Sherlock Holmes adventure series. The man who has the full name Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle began his career in medicine. After failing in the medical world, he decided to focus on becoming a professional writer. Sherlock Holmes himself came from the inspiration of Conan Doyle for one of his lecturers, Dr. Joseph Bell. When compared with other Sherlock Holmes case series, it has similarities in terms of point of view and story line.

The story begins with a doctor who was placed as an army surgeon who was being assigned to the Maiwand area. Because of the bullet that penetrated the shoulder to the artery, Dr. Watson was returned to England. In England, dr. Watson was placed in a hotel with adequate facilities. For some time, Watson lived a life that was not very meaningful, therefore his finances only got worse. Then, Watson has two choices. First, leave the hotel and live in the interior. Then, the second is to stay in the hotel but change the wasteful lifestyle. Some time later, Watson met with Stamford who was his old friend while in the hospital. Then, Stamford introduced Watson to Holmes, who happened to need each other. For some time together, Watson tried to find out for himself the work of Sherlock Holmes that could be considered strange. Sherlock Holmes has expertise in deducing what he gets or arguably he is an expert in the science of deduction. Through the science of deduction, he got his job. In addition, Sherlock Holmes also enjoys chemistry experiments and playing violin. This story is designed as closely as possible with a diary, where the diary writer writes the story of his challenging adventures with his best friend, Sherlock Holmes, in handling mysterious cases. In this diary, the main character is Sherlock Holmes himself.

This novel provides many important but trivial lessons in life. Through this novel, the reader is taught not to forget the very small things of big events, because small things can be very useful in time. Then, this novel has a different perspective from the novel in general. Then, this novel also has an advantage in the climax and ending of the story that was unexpected.

Weaknesses-Besides having advantages, this novel also has several shortcomings. First, the setting in this novel is too detailed which is considered too wordy. Then, the language used is not easy to digest immediately, it needs a strong understanding.

But after all, the Sherlock Holmes novel needs to be read because it teaches the reader that concluding too quickly can lead to inaccurate results. To draw conclusions, we must gather data as clearly as possible. By reading this book, we are reminded not to forget the small things in our daily activities.

Well, I am a fan of both Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"Everyone can see, Watson. But they don't learn!"

Let's read guys!

Gregson and Lestrade had watched the maneuvers of their amateur companion with considerable curiosity and some contempt. They evidently failed to appreciate the fact, which I had begun to realize, that Sherlock Holmes's smallest actions were all directed towards some definite and practical end.

This is the first Sherlock Holmes story, a novel which introduces the now legendary detecting team of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Watson is looking for a roommate and is introduced to Holmes with some warnings.

"Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes - it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge."

But Watson and Holmes get along, and end up being one of the strongest pairings in all of literature.
...

This isn't my first, second, or even third time reading this book. Parts of it are etched on my brain, never to be erased.

"I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful* workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

Now, I don't agree with Sherlock on this. But the passage stays with me, and is often discussed amongst my friends and family. This is probably the most memorable passage in the book (for me, at least).
...

Holmes is rather self-sufficient and self-contained, but in no way is he a cold, callous, rude or even distant man. I dislike when he's portrayed as emotionless or cruel, because even in this first story he's obviously not an anti-social creature.

When he meets Watson he is a bit anxious that his violin playing will disturb him. Later, to make up for all his meandering here and there on the violin, without shape or form - he plays beautiful and famous pieces for Watson in order to please him.

And he thrives on Watson's wide-eyed awe of him and his innate trust in Sherlock's abilities.

My companion flushed up with pleasure at my words, and the earnest way in which I uttered them. I had already observed that he was as sensitive to flattery on the score of his art as any girl could be of her beauty.

This adoration of Watson somewhat makes up for Holmes the bitterness and rancor he feels on not getting the credit he is due for solving the police's more difficult cases.

"What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence," returned my companion, bitterly. "The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done?"
...

The book is really divided up into two parts, and the first part is the more enjoyable part.

In the first part, Watson and Holmes meet, slowly get acquainted and suss each other out. Then eventually Holmes's profession is revealed, and the fun starts when a man is found murdered in an empty house. The police are stumped and come to Holmes for help. And Holmes wants Watson along for the ride.

The second part is more uncomfortable due to the extreme battering of Mormons and Mormon religion. Mormons are portrayed as evil rapists and slavers. If you are upset by this portrayal, this book might be very painful for you to read.

Not to say that the first part is free and clear. For instance, when Watson sees the body of the murdered man, he remarks:

"So sinister was the impression which that face had produced upon me that I found it difficult to feel anything but gratitude for him who had removed its owner from the world."

This kind of idea - the person is ugly; Ugliness is a manifestation of evil in a person just as beauty is a manifestation of good. Judging a person - a person who was murdered, terrified and alone! - by their ugly facial features as "deserving of murder," makes me upset. However, this was a common literary trope back then and (unfortunately) still is today. Ugliness, disability, and deformities are often shown as "signs" and "proof" of a person's deviance and malevolence.
...

This book focuses on a revenge plot, and there are some great quotes about vengeance in here.

"There is no satisfaction in vengeance unless the offender has time to realize who it is that strikes him, and why retribution has come upon him."

And

"I had always known that vengeance would be sweet, but I had never hoped for the contentment of soul which now possessed me."
...

Tl;dr - A classic, and for a good reason. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing the world's most famous detective solve his first case with Dr. Watson by his side? And unlike many classics, this is easy to read and fast paced. Besides a few slang terms no longer in effect, and one or two times I was reaching for my dictionary, this reading presented no problems at all. Doyle possesses a straightforward and exciting writing style - he doesn't spend hours describing the scenery or make his characters talk in an affected way. The story is gripping and will have you turning pages quickly. As Watson would say,

There was no need for him to ask me to wait up for him, for I felt that sleep was impossible until I heard the result of his adventure.

You will also find sleep elusive as you chase murderers alongside the fierce Sherlock and the intrepid Watson! Happy trails!

*It's spelled like this in my copy.

Available in Spanish as Estudio en Escarlata.

This was a reread. I have read this book many times. It still holds up well. Sherlock Holmes is here, intact, unchanged, canon.

Both Lestrade and Watson are a foil to Sherlock's genius. I liked reliving the case and its unraveling. It was a nicety to concentrate on the serious side but also the humor. Rache!

Books like this always hold up. The prose is so modern sounding. Books that came after ASiS, are sometimes so outdated. But not here. Sherlock's various incarnations - I wouldn't say pale in comparison - but they make me yearn for reading Doyle's masterpiece.

Primera novela escrita por Conan Doyle sobre Sherlock Holmes y Watson.
Muy buena. La trama te engancha mucho.

First novel written by Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
Very good. The plot hooks you a lot.

So far, my only book by Arthur Conan Doyle had been the history novel The White Company. Having watched several Sherlock Holmes episodes on TV, among them all those starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I was delighted to find some of the scenes in this book – Watson’s Afghan War injury (but the colonial one) or Holmes beating a corpse with a stick in order to study post mortem bruises. Even the writing “RACHE” on the wall reappears in the TV series as incomplete name “Rachel”, an interpretation quickly discarded by Holmes in the book.


So, did I like the book better than the movie? No. The bookish Holmes and Watson characters did not connect with me, neither did the setting in late Victorian London or the language. At least in the first part. The second one, to my utter surprise, was sort of a prequel to the history, set in the United States or closer the Mormon community in Salt Lake City. In those pages both story and personnel were better palpable.

Overall, I was not impressed by this story. Although Dolye criticises the xenophobic attitude of the British press and society, the murderer is a foreigner in the end based on a motive far from British soil. The Mormons appear like a secretive authoritarian group – very much like the “Church of” Scientology in our days. Doyle himself, though, was a strong believer in occultism, also a very questionable faith.


What stays with me beyond this lukewarm feeling are two very Holmes-like quotes. His reply to Inspector Gregson’s murder theory: ”It’s quite exciting,” said Sherlock Holmes with a yawn. and the closing quote from Horatio’s Satires in Latin: Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo. Ipse domi simul ac nummos contemplor in arca. (The public hisses at me, but I applaud myself in my own house and contemplate the money in my chest.)