Six Great Sherlock Holmes Stories (Dover Thrift)
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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Undoubtedly the best-known detective in literature, Sherlock Holmes was the creation of British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who endowed his super sleuth with an extraordinary facility for solving crimes. Drawing on his remarkable powers of observation and deduction, coupled with an encyclopedic knowledge of crimes and criminals, Holmes seeks out his prey in the London underworld, where no evildoer is safe from his keen wits and tenacious pursuit. Reprinted from a standard show more text, this inexpensive volume offers mystery lovers a choice selection of six of the finest Sherlock Holmes stories: "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Red-headed League," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb," "The Final Problem," and "The Adventure of the Empty House." In these richly atmospheric stories, Victorian London comes vividly to life as hansom cabs clatter over the cobblestoned streets, gas lamps flare in the thick fog, and an almost palpable sense of excitement seizes the reader as Holmes and Dr. Watson set off on another adventure. show lessTags
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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," show more "Empty House" and "Speckled Band" for the best effect. show less
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," show more "Empty House" and "Speckled Band" for the best effect. show less
This little dollar edition by Dover is a great book for commuting or traveling. I started reading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries when I began taking the bus from Hillcrest to UCSD in La Jolla, a 30-minute commute each way. The stories are very short and easy to pick up and put down. Once you finish this small book, you'll probably want to move on to the rest of Arthur Conan Doyle's series.Aside from the recognizability of the icon of Sherlock Holmes, readers will enjoy the details of the Victorian era as they are described by the author, the wit of both Holmes and Watson, and the scenery of England. Each story unfolds a mystery and another glimpse at the world of Arthur Conan Doyle. Notice the recurring themes and characters that show more interest him. And enjoy the logic of Sherlock Holmes! show less
This little dollar edition by Dover is a great book for commuting or traveling. I started reading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries when I began taking the bus from Hillcrest to UCSD in La Jolla, a 30-minute commute each way. The stories are very short and easy to pick up and put down. Once you finish this small book, you'll probably want to move on to the rest of Arthur Conan Doyle's series.Aside from the recognizability of the icon of Sherlock Holmes, readers will enjoy the details of the Victorian era as they are described by the author, the wit of both Holmes and Watson, and the scenery of England. Each story unfolds a mystery and another glimpse at the world of Arthur Conan Doyle. Notice the recurring themes and characters that show more interest him. And enjoy the logic of Sherlock Holmes! show less
To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind.
Classic tales you may have read at sometime before.
Revisited Sherlock and Watson, walk down memory lane.
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3,998+ Works 169,520 Members
The most famous fictional detective in the world is Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. However, Doyle was, at best, ambivalent about his immensely successful literary creation and, at worst, resentful that his more "serious" fiction was relatively ignored. Born in Edinburgh, Doyle studied medicine from 1876 to 1881 and received his M.D. in show more 1885. He worked as a military physician in South Africa during the Boer War and was knighted in 1902 for his exceptional service. Doyle was drawn to writing at an early age. Although he attempted to enter private practice in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1882, he soon turned to writing in his spare time; it eventually became his profession. As a Liberal Unionist, Doyle ran, unsuccessfully, for Parliament in 1903. During his later years, Doyle became an avowed spiritualist. Doyle sold his first story, "The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley," to Chambers' Journal in 1879. When Doyle published the novel, A Study in Scarlet in 1887, Sherlock Holmes was introduced to an avid public. Doyle is reputed to have used one of his medical professors, Dr. Joseph Bell, as a model for Holmes's character. Eventually, Doyle wrote three additional Holmes novels and five collections of Holmes short stories. A brilliant, though somewhat eccentric, detective, Holmes employs scientific methods of observation and deduction to solve the mysteries that he investigates. Although an "amateur" private detective, he is frequently called upon by Scotland Yard for assistance. Holmes's assistant, the faithful Dr. Watson, provides a striking contrast to Holmes's brilliant intellect and, in Doyle's day at least, serves as a character with whom the reader can readily identify. Having tired of Holmes's popularity, Doyle even tried to kill the great detective in "The Final Problem" but was forced by an outraged public to resurrect him in 1903. Although Holmes remained Doyle's most popular literary creation, Doyle wrote prolifically in other genres, including historical adventure, science fiction, and supernatural fiction. Despite Doyle's sometimes careless writing, he was a superb storyteller. His great skill as a popular author lay in his technique of involving readers in his highly entertaining adventures. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Arthur Conan Doyle has a Legacy Library. Legacy libraries are the personal libraries of famous readers, entered by LibraryThing members from the Legacy Libraries group.
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- Canonical title
- Six Great Sherlock Holmes Stories (Dover Thrift) (Dover Thrift)
- People/Characters
- Sherlock Holmes; John H. Watson
- First words
- To Sherlock Holmes, she is always THE woman.
(from "A Scandal in Bohemia")
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- 538
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- 55,347
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.95)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- UPCs
- 3
- ASINs
- 3
