This wasn't as pleasing a read as "The Hound of the Baskervilles" -- not to say that these six short stories are not enjoyable.
But people who read these six stories as their only exposure to Sherlock Holmes are missing out on Doyle's best.
Doyle does better when he has the free reign of an entire novel to take his readers through a gamut of twists and turns.
The six stories in this collection are more straightforward, and in the case of "The Red-Headed League" a bit predictable, than Doyle's longer works.
That being said, these short stories are perfect for one-sitting reads. Each can be finished in little more than half an hour.
Read "The Red-Headed League" first, followed by "Engineer's Thumb," "Scandal in Bohemia," "Final Solution," "Empty House" and "Speckled Band" for the best effect.
But people who read these six stories as their only exposure to Sherlock Holmes are missing out on Doyle's best.
Doyle does better when he has the free reign of an entire novel to take his readers through a gamut of twists and turns.
The six stories in this collection are more straightforward, and in the case of "The Red-Headed League" a bit predictable, than Doyle's longer works.
That being said, these short stories are perfect for one-sitting reads. Each can be finished in little more than half an hour.
Read "The Red-Headed League" first, followed by "Engineer's Thumb," "Scandal in Bohemia," "Final Solution," "Empty House" and "Speckled Band" for the best effect.
Readers do a disservice to Arthur Conan Doyle in preparing to read "The Hound of the Baskervilles," if they expect a predictable story. Doyle wrote the book 100 years ago, at a time when "the butler did it" was far less cliché a plot device than it is now.
Though the book begins that way, with Holmes and Watson focusing their suspicions on Sir Henry Baskerville's servants, the story quickly turns the reader on his head. Doyle effects numerous twists and keeps his audience clueless 'til nearly the book’s end.
Doyle doesn't give his readers enough information to solve the mystery themselves, but he expertly draws together all the seemingly meaningless minutiae as the story progresses.
The writing style holds up remarkably well, despite its age. Doyle is quite the wordsmith:
"When the butler had left us Sir Henry turned to me. 'Well, Watson, what do you think of this new light?'
'It seems to leave the darkness rather blacker than before.'"
Delicious irony.
Only occasionally was do the 19th-century British colloquialisms fail to translate easily into present-day spoken English.
This was the first Sherlock Holmes story I'd ever read, so I’m not sure if "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is typical of Doyle's writing style. I tend to hope it is. I'm anxious to read others!
Trivial aside: Holmes only mutters the word "elementary" twice in this novel, both near the book's beginning. Much like Star Trek's standard bearer, "Beam me up, Scotty," Holmes never utters the phrase, "Elementary, show more my dear Watson," in the canonical Doyle stories. show less
Though the book begins that way, with Holmes and Watson focusing their suspicions on Sir Henry Baskerville's servants, the story quickly turns the reader on his head. Doyle effects numerous twists and keeps his audience clueless 'til nearly the book’s end.
Doyle doesn't give his readers enough information to solve the mystery themselves, but he expertly draws together all the seemingly meaningless minutiae as the story progresses.
The writing style holds up remarkably well, despite its age. Doyle is quite the wordsmith:
"When the butler had left us Sir Henry turned to me. 'Well, Watson, what do you think of this new light?'
'It seems to leave the darkness rather blacker than before.'"
Delicious irony.
Only occasionally was do the 19th-century British colloquialisms fail to translate easily into present-day spoken English.
This was the first Sherlock Holmes story I'd ever read, so I’m not sure if "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is typical of Doyle's writing style. I tend to hope it is. I'm anxious to read others!
Trivial aside: Holmes only mutters the word "elementary" twice in this novel, both near the book's beginning. Much like Star Trek's standard bearer, "Beam me up, Scotty," Holmes never utters the phrase, "Elementary, show more my dear Watson," in the canonical Doyle stories. show less