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Loading... Valley of Fear (original 1915; edition 1975)by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Work InformationThe Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle (1915)
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I don’t know if it were me or the book, but I had little idea of what was going on after chapter 1 😂 something something freemasons? ( ) I went into "The Valley of Fear" hesitantly, as I'd heard that it was the dud of the canon. Well, I can't say I agree... The first half of the book is a satisfying little mystery. It's certainly clear that Conan Doyle was bored with Holmes by now, as he continued to fill the gaps in the timeline rather than further the adventures, and indeed he spends as much time with other characters as he does with the formerly addicted detective. However, the author's ability to write the Holmes/Watson relationship has never been smoother, and the opening scenes between them are delightful. The characters and setting of the mystery are all interesting enough. However, pretty much every trope, clue and element of the solution has been used in a previous work, suggesting to me that Conan Doyle probably should have stopped after "The Hound of the Baskervilles". The second half, meanwhile, is a very enjoyable story. Unfortunately, it doesn't feature Holmes or Watson or - for that matter - the other elements which are referred to in the opening chapter, and which I assumed would play a role. Also - as in a few of the short stories - Conan Doyle's attempts to write authentic American and gangster dialogue comes off as both lazy and forced. Again, nothing here is new: the secret society, the romantic melodrama, the sometimes-awkward exposition. Indeed, the novel's entire structure is reminiscent of the first two novels, only I'd argue "Valley of Fear" bests both of them. It's easily more believable than the ludicrous [b:The Sign of Four|608474|The Sign of Four (Sherlock Holmes, #2)|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299346921s/608474.jpg|2922650], and much better written than the at-times ponderous [b:A Study in Scarlet|102868|A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266472643s/102868.jpg|1997473]. In closing, no: there's nothing new here. And if you're reading the canon in order, you'll probably be annoyed by the promise of a follow-up to earlier stories which is never taken up. For newcomers to Holmes, I'd suggest reading the short stories and then [b:The Hound of the Baskervilles|8921|The Hound of the Baskervilles|Arthur Conan Doyle|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255670340s/8921.jpg|3311984]. After that, if you're still craving Holmes, this might be an enjoyable - if unsatisfying - dessert. Like A Study in Scarlet, this novella is in two parts—the mystery being solved by Holmes and the backstory of the principle character in the mystery. Each part has a bit of a twist near the end. The mystery section is interesting enough, though doesn’t stand out much from the others I’ve read so far. I was spoiled on the twist (people seem to care a lot less about spoiler tags and warnings when leaving a low rating), so it’s difficult to say how I would have felt about it. It didn’t seem particularly inspired, that’s all I can really say. The backstory portion I found interesting and unnecessarily long in turns. It’s very difficult for me to get into the head of someone who is so brutal and uncaring. The twist, though, was probably one of the most surprising twists I’ve read. I did not see it coming and mentally applauded Doyle for the misdirect. I raised the story at least half a star, maybe a full star, just because of that twist. I have to say that screen writers over the years have really done a number with Moriarty. I am sure I’m not the only person who has read these stories after seeing and hearing about Holmes over the years and imagining Moriarty as a dastardly foil for the great detective, only to realize that book Moriarty is nothing compared to his on-screen counterparts. This book had even less Moriarty than the short story in which he was introduced (“The Final Problem” in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes), and now that I’ve read both stories with the infamous villain in them, I really can’t believe how big of a deal the character became. We really only know he’s brilliant because we’re told he is. There’s no proof given; Sherlock says he’s a criminal mastermind, so that’s all we need to make up stories about his treachery. Anyway, all of that aside, this was a more memorable Holmes story for me, so that’s something (though it has nothing to do with Moriarty). "Well, Holmes," I murmured, "have you found anything out?" He stood beside me in silence, his candle in his hand. Then the tall, lean figure inclined towards me. "I say, Watson," he whispered, "would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?" "Not in the least," I answered in astonishment. "Ah, that's lucky," he said, and not another word would he utter that night. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesBelongs to Publisher SeriesHard Case Crime (63) — 15 more Is contained inSherlock Holmes Omnibus (4) by আর্থার কোনান ডয়েল (indirect) The Sherlock Holmes Novels: A Study in Scarlet / The Sign of the Four / The Hound of the Baskervilles / The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle The Hound of the Baskervilles / The Valley of Fear / His Last Bow / The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Return of Sherlock Holmes / The Hound of the Baskervilles / The Valley of Fear / His Last Bow / The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle British Mystery Megapack Volume 5 - The Sherlock Holmes Collection: 4 Novels and 43 Short Stories + Extras by Arthur Conan Doyle La Reaparición de Sherlock Holmes ; Su último saludo en el escenario ; El valle del terror by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle British Mystery Multipack Volume 8 - Locked Room Mysteries: The Big Bow Mystery, The Four Just Men, The Invisible Man, The Wrong Shape, The Valley of Fear and The Doomdorf Mystery (Illustrated) by Israel Zangwill Has the adaptationIs expanded inHas as a student's study guideNotable Lists
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HTML: The Valley of Fear is the last Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in book form in 1915. Loosely based on the activities of the secret Irish organization that was the Molly Maguires and of undercover Pinkerton agent James McParland, the novel is split into two parts. Firstly Holmes investigates a murder and finds that the body belongs to a different man. In the second part, the story of the man who was originally thought to have been the murder victim is given. .No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.8Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Victorian period 1837-1900LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Penguin Australia2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 0141035447, 0241952972 Tantor Media2 editions of this book were published by Tantor Media. Editions: 1400100402, 1400115167 Urban RomanticsAn edition of this book was published by Urban Romantics. |