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Loading... A Study in Scarlet (1887)by Arthur Conan Doyle
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I've long felt bad about never having read any of the nine books that make up the Sherlock Holmes canon, so finally I've rectified that... and what an odd little work it is. The first half of the book is what's important, historically, but it's the least interesting. Conan Doyle doesn't write natural dialogue, and a result the discussions between Watson and Holmes come across more like a treatise on how detective work - in the real world and in novels - is evolving and progressing. While this is all very very interesting, particularly to someone like myself who has read a lot of Christie and Poe etc, it feels like an essay that has been structured in story form, rather than the other way around. On top of this, I concede that I have a bias against this "one really smart quirky man always outdoes everyone" formula. Holmes started it, but it's returned in the last ten years or so to television, and personally I think it just weakens the narrative when every other character functions only as a sounding board for our god of a leading man. Sherlock is cunningly described by Watson as a seemingly paradoxical man who in fact has rational reasons for all of his education and activities, although even the great detective can't seem to fix his (bipolar?) moods. As their friendship is still embryonic at this stage, Watson can give us no insight into Holmes' life, and Holmes offers none, so he remains a cipher. But I'm treating this as a pilot episode, so that's okay. More immediately fascinating are the elements of contemporary life: street beggars working for Holmes, the necessary advantages and disadvantages that came from being a police officer in the era - thrilling stuff. The second half is a mixed bag also. Conan Doyle is an admirable prose writer, and his description of the events twenty years prior to the murders is captivating and gripping. On the other hand, it is filled with amazingly anti-Mormon sentiment. I'm no religious sympathiser myself, but I couldn't take it seriously when the narrator assured us that all Mormons kill or destroy anyone who attempts to leave their faith. An odd little novel, and I've already started the second one, since I'm very eager to see if Conan Doyle can somehow retain his marvelous leading character, whilst furthering his skills in the other required areas. (Two and a half stars) This book is an intriguing start to the world renowned series. First, readers are introduced to Watson and learn of his background. He then explains how he made the acquaintance of Sherlock Holmes. Watson describes both his quirks and his genius. Watson learns that inept police detectives consult with Holmes when faced with baffling crimes. Watson gets drawn in to the latest case, the murder of an American named Drebber. Holmes uncovers the murderer by "reasoning backward", and uncovers an interesting, long-premeditated motive. Audiobook performed by Frederick Davidson This novella introduced the reading public to Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr Watson. The case hinges on a dead body found in a locked room; although the corpse shows no signs of having been attacked, Holmes is convinced it was murder. I found it a slower read than today’s mystery novels. But I was interested in getting to know Holmes and Watson. We learn how Holmes came to his method of deduction, and begin to see the fast friendship that will develop between these two men. I did find the interlude set in America rather jarring. I wondered if perhaps my copy of the book had inadvertently included a completely different story. But, of course, I was wrong, and this did serve to give a detailed background of the chief suspect. And, eventually, Holmes explained it all to both Scotland Yard and the reader. Frederick Davidson did a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He set a good pace, and I did like the way he interpreted Holmes and Watson. As is my habit when listening to an audiobook, I also had a copy of the text handy. In this case, it came with an introduction (dated 2009) by mystery writer Mark Billingham. I’m so glad I took the time to read that introduction. Gives me a whole new appreciation for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes, Watson and their legion of fans. I devoured the Complete Sherlock Holmes one summer while in junior high school and, for some reason, haven’t reread the stories. But I watched Basil Rathbone, Ronald Howard, Jeremy Brett, and Benedict Cumberbatch bring them to screen. But now I decided to start again from the beginning, with Study in Scarlet. It was interesting to see how the characters are first introduced. Given the rivalry with Scotland Yard, I was surprised that Holmes invented his self-designation “consulting detective” precisely because Gregson and Lestrade (“the best of a bad lot”) came to him whenever they were stuck. He’s usually able to unravel the tangle without leaving his sitting room. There wouldn’t be a lot of fun reading about him doing that, so it’s just as well that a murder just off Brixton Road is mysterious enough to rouse him from his chair and take Watson, the convalescent military doctor with whom he shares the rent of the flat at 221B Baker Street, in tow. Doyle has Holmes later relativize the word “mysterious,” drawing a distinction between that and “strange.” Strange describes Holmes as well, and this fascinates Watson. He records Holmes’s unusual conception of brain capacity, consciously refusing to admit any knowledge that might not be useful for his investigations, as Watson learns when discovering that Holmes knew nothing of the Copernican system. Oddly, Holmes shares this conviction with Homer Simpson (“Every time I learn something new, it pushes out something old; remember that time I took a home wine-making course and forgot how to drive?”). I loved the description of Holmes crawling on the floor of the crime scene: “he chattered away to himself under his breath the whole time, keeping up a running fire of exclamations, groans, whistles, and little cries suggestive of encouragement and of hope.” Holmes is proud of his skill and disdainful of the professional detectives (who no doubt sense this). He knows they will get the credit for each solved crime; he’s ambitious and would like to be famous. Let’s see how he likes it in subsequent tales when he becomes as renowned as he yearns to be. Something else I’ll be on the watch for: In this story, neither the victims nor the murderer are English. This allows Doyle to bring outlandish (literally, too) elements into his plots. In this case, the Mormons and their infamous Danite Band. Perhaps I’ll keep count of how many subsequent evil-doers and their victims are non-British. Doyle also presents us with a crime for which the murderer had very good reason, perhaps even justifiable. Although he is captured and jailed, he doesn’t come to trial, and in that sense “escapes” by dying happily. Is that also a recurrent feature of a Doyle plot? Two interesting technical features (since I’m not only curious about Holmes and the who-dun-it, but also Doyle, the writer, and how he did it): One is that the background of the crime receives its own lengthy treatment, a story within the story. The other is that we are only told, not shown, how Holmes solves the crime and apprehends the perpetrator. Much of the unraveling comes in the form of a lengthy confession. Despite being so far from perfect, I can't resist awarding it five starts for the pleasure of reading it. One final thought: how would it have affected the balance of the story if the doomed maiden in Utah had not been named Lucy, but Rachel? no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesEl País. Aventuras (34) — 14 more Kaiser Krimi (008) Newton Compton Live (15) Penguin English Library, 2012 series (2014-09) Tus Libros. Anaya (14) 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 A Study in Scarlet / The Sign of Four / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (indirect) A Study in Scarlet / The Sign of Four / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes / The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet / The Sign of Four / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet and Other Stories (Sherlock Holmes Edition) (Conan Doyle's Best Books, 1) by Arthur Conan Doyle British Mystery Megapack Volume 5 - The Sherlock Holmes Collection: 4 Novels and 43 Short Stories + Extras by Arthur Conan Doyle Oeuvres complètes : II. Étude en rouge. Le Signe des quatre. Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes. by Arthur Conan Doyle British Mystery Megapack Volume 4: The Secret Adversary, Tales of Chinatown, At The Villa Rose, Egyptian Cigarette, A Study In Scarlet by A. A. Milne 90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1): Novels, Poetry, Plays, Short Stories, Essays, Psychology & Philosophy by Various Is retold inHas the adaptationIs expanded inIs parodied inInspiredHas as a studyHas as a student's study guide
Classic Literature.
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HTML: A Study in Scarlet is the first of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Watson narrates his first meeting with the eccentric Holmes, who appears almost genius in some fields of study and completely ignorant in others. This, as Holmes explains, is because he believes that brain space is limited, and one must be careful what one puts in. He gradually reveals his method and thinking to an astonished Watson. We see Holmes languishing at home, scratching at the violin he can play to perfection. We see the erratic way he conducts business, and finally, after a trip across half the world into a completely different landscape and story, we see him unravel the mystery at the heart of the novel in an apparently effortless manner. .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:
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The mystery in this story was okay (not mindblowingly interesting...), but the creation of the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson was masterful. Part 1 was good, Part 2 was not, mainly because it ruined the mystery almost immediately. Overall, a good first book, but I'm really hoping there is more to Holmes than this. ( )