The Illustrated Sherlock Holmes Treasury

This consists of 37 of the 57 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle that appeared in the magazine The Strand from 1891 to 1904 that are contained in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and The Return of Sherlock Holmes. It also contains the most famous Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

I've loved the Holmes stories ever since I encountered "The Speckled Band," included here, in my school text. There are wonderful stories here that still hold up after a hundred years or more. Sherlock Holmes is one of those wonderful literary creations it is a pleasure to be around. The template of the "great detective" who is all brain, just as the first person narrator and friend, John show more Watson has plenty of heart. My favorite stories within include "A Scandal in Bohemia" (which features the rare person who could match wits with Holmes and win, Irene Adler), "The Red-Headed League," "The Five Orange Pips"--and yes, "The Speckled Band." But there isn't one story in this book I didn't enjoy.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the most famous Sherlock Holmes novel, and certainly one of the best, the spookiest and most atmospheric, set in 1889 in the eerie moors of Devonshire. Right from the beginning we're given a demonstration of Holmes' gifts when, from a walking stick left behind by a visitor, Holmes is able to deduce a wealth of details about the man, down to the breed of his dog. Add a centuries old manor inherited by the young Sir Henry Baskerville along with a centuries old family curse involving a demon hound that has seemingly killed the previous squire, a butler and housekeeper of the manor with secrets, an escaped murderer loose upon the moor, and several suspicious neighbors: Franklin, a litigious crank with an estranged daughter, the mysterious Stapletons--and you have quite a delicious brew served up. show less

I read this in the 1980s and will probably reread it this decade.