The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

by Arthur Conan Doyle, Kyle Freeman (Illustrator)

4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 · rating details · 29,449 ratings · 201 reviews

The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classicsseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
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Paperback, 709 pages

Published October 1st 2003 by Barnes & Noble Classics (first published 1930)

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May 23, 2010 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just as good as Volume One. I want someone to make me a tshirt with a picture of Holmes and Watson exchanging necklaces with "BFFs" inscribed on them. (actually, considering the time period, I suppose they'd exchange engraved watches or something.)
Oh Watson, how I love you.

And Now A Word On The Movie:
It had so much potential. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are wonderful as Holmes and Watson, and their combined awesome can overcome Rachel McAdam's miscasting as Irene Adler. But everything else...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Amy Sturgis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, sherlockiana, gothic, mystery

Reading the complete Sherlock Holmes canon by Arthur Conan Doyle in these two volumes has been a remarkably rewarding experience. I'm truly sorry to be finished with these stories and novels (although I know from past experience that they reward rereading). In this reading I've gained an even clearer appreciation for the links between Holmes and the traditions of Gothic and science fiction literature, and I've certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the BBC's brilliant new Sherlock series. These are...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense

For Wiki, I check, correct, verify, add, such as synopsis for Mazarin Stone, so slow progress here. Summaries have spoilers, so here I'll extract teasers, enough to remind me, postpone opinions to after cogitation. I prefer plots outside set format. I first thought I'd rather skip Baker Street and starts with what he's given, dive right into the clues he finds, then wrap-up. But consistent openings do increase our familiarity with the setting - sips of tepid tea, crumbs of crisp crumpet, morning...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Douglas Hackney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Holmes canon is one of my lifetime favorites. I read and re-read my thick compilation of the stories and novels many times as a child. This was my first return to them since then.

In the meantime, I grew up (some), and wrote a few books. Being a writer, I take a different view on the stories now than I did then. I also have a different perspective, having learned a bit about Doyle himself and his disdain for this work.

All of that enables me to see the tell-tale signs of rushed conclusions,...more

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May 17, 2011 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second volume completing the Holmes canon. Like the first volume it includes both short and long fiction. It takes up where the first volume ended, after Holmes disappears into the falls at Reichenbach. This volume contains the short story collections The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the fourth Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear.

It is the weaker of the two volumes. After Doyle initially killed off the famous detective to free...more This is the second volume completing the Holmes canon. Like the first volume it includes both short and long fiction. It takes up where the first volume ended, after Holmes disappears into the falls at Reichenbach. This volume contains the short story collections The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the fourth Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear.

It is the weaker of the two volumes. After Doyle initially killed off the famous detective to free himself for other writing, he faced intense popular pressure to compose more Holmes stories. Judging from the works in the second volume, Doyle’s heart was no longer fully in it. His ennui manifests in two common approaches to the later Holmes stories. In several cases, he recycles major plots or themes from earlier stories. For example, “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans” hearkens back to “The Naval Treaty” and “The Adventure of the Second Stain”; “The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone” lifts its climax right from “The Adventure of the Empty House”; and The Valley of Fear bears a structure and plot remarkably similar to the first (and weakest) Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet.

In other cases, Doyle goes in remarkably different directions from the typical Holmes tale. For example, the volume includes two stories narrated by Holmes directly rather than Watson (“The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane” and “The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger”) and two others narrated in the third person (“The Adventure of n Stone” and “His Last Bow”). “The Last Bow” stands out for its setting. Whereas most Holmes stories are set in the final decades on the nineteenth century (even those written in the 1920s are set in this earlier period), “The Last Bow” (1917) occurs during the First World War and features an aged detective duo. In “The Adventure of the Creeping Man” Doyle takes a further diversion – into the realm of science fiction. The reader can sense Doyle’s efforts at streamlining the writing or entertaining himself while suffering through further Holmes stories.

Nevertheless, even a weaker volume of Holmes stories makes for an entertaining and worthwhile read. This volume includes some unforgettable classics such as “The Adventure of the Empty House” and “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist”. My favorites from this volume are “The Adventure of the Norwood Builder”, “The Adventure of the Priory School”, “The Adventure of the Second Stain”, and “The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot”. In these stories, Doyle matches his best efforts from the earlier Holmes books, offering not just a whodunit but fascinating puzzles of logic and imagination.
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May 13, 2011 Kaydern rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I suppose I started reading this collection for the same reason I watch regular TV shows every week. I wanted consistently interesting short stories, and that's exactly what I got. However I made a mistake reading them all straight through in this convenient collection, and the formulaic plots bothered me more than they would have otherwise.

I did notice an improvement in terms of the mystery complexity, which I appreciated. No where is this more evident than in "The Valley of Fear", which uses...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Jannean Muehlfeld rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think everyone should read Sherlock Holmes. It is evident many great stories can be traced back to them. Arthur Conan Doyle was a very clever writer. To read them in Volumes was interesting because you were privy to writings about the author, critiques of the stories, and additional autobiographical information. I have now read both Volume I & Ii, so I am thoroughly doused in Sherlock Holmes with no regrets. I can't say I have a specific favorite SH story. I just like trying to figure out...more

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May 24, 2010 Donald rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's very satisfying finishing this book. It's my first introduction to Holmes and I wish now I had read volume 1 before this one, simply because this one picks up after Holmes comes back from the dead. I wish I could have read his early stuff before that. From the introduction and other sources, however close Holmes was to his self before his "death," it seems he was subtly changed (which would be reasonable), so I'd like to read what he was like before. Some of the stories aren't as good as th...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Mary Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

It makes me very pleased to be able to say I've read all of Sherlock Holmes. Thank goodness for these awesome classics collections.

I found myself really interested in what changes I'd encounter in this volume, especially after reading the warning in the introduction. Indeed. Sherlock Holmes seemed to have changed in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways, but I think that tends to happen, especially when a writer gets downright tired of the protagonist.

While it's likely that none of the stories will...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Clayton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just as great as Volume I, though the stories from "The Case Book" are not as good as the rest. I liked the inclusion of the two parodies and the two letters on Holmes that Conan Doyle had written; it makes for an interesting bit of information.
"The Valley of Fear" was, surprisingly, much better than the short novels included in Volume I. The flashback in the middle to America was much, much better than that of "A Study in Scarlet", which has a similar structure.
I also particularly enjoyed "The...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Mary Westlake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-literature-project

Ever since I was a little girl I have been in awe of Arthur Conan Doyle's writing. I have read and reread this volume several times and every time I revisit it I am completely absorbed into the life of Sherlock Holmes and his trusted partner Dr.Watson, set in Victorian London. As this is a fairly extensive volume, there are many cases included between its covers. Sherlock Holmes' return is dramatic and his logic, genius. If you are looking to be swept into the adventure and mystery of some of Sh...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Tori rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, classics

Sherlock Holmes is amazing. :) That's all there is to it.

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Nov 14, 2012 Paul Fergus rated it 3 of 5 stars

The whole series should just be called "One Eyed Cavemen In A World Of The Blind Gone Mad". At least that would be more honest and interesting.

Holmes stands the test of time because of the idea he represents, not because these are well-written mysteries or characters. He stands in for the reader's belief in Justice, that a larger-than-mundane element exists to make things right. Watson is our point of reference glimpse and easily identifiable fool, allowing us to witness genius in action.

That's...more The whole series should just be called "One Eyed Cavemen In A World Of The Blind Gone Mad". At least that would be more honest and interesting.

Holmes stands the test of time because of the idea he represents, not because these are well-written mysteries or characters. He stands in for the reader's belief in Justice, that a larger-than-mundane element exists to make things right. Watson is our point of reference glimpse and easily identifiable fool, allowing us to witness genius in action.

That's a worthy idea, and I think the books are worth reading if nothing else for that reason alone. We are made better by the exploration of that great question "justice...is there any?"

The author shows marked improvement in between the great plot twist that marks the moon of pause between volumes. He finally wises up and writes more adventures with added length than he has in the past. In my mind these are the best, for they allow a greater detail and immersion to the mystery at hand. His prose is less hurried and the plots are made more solid by this choice. There are still some shorter stories, but even these show improved style and flair.

Although, I have to say it's clear that the author is writing for the money and the fan pressure. The mysteries and the words have less zing, less urgency and freshness than they did in the first volume. After about halfway through this volume I felt ready to chuck it myself. I can only think of how bored the author must have been.

Again, these are upper-cruster adventurers from a colonial imperialist mindset. The attitudes of the time make this an uncomfortable and quaint read at times. It's like reading about landed nobles out for a vacation or an estate sale with a tint of danger. Most of the reveals and confessions are pretty weak, as if Holmes and company were lucking into them rather than showing masterful skill.

Encyclopedia Brown, sad to say, was always better.

But the author does get credit for articulating the idea of the Great Detective in a way that showed us where to start digging for gold.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Kayt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sherlock-holmes

Continuing the complete stories of Holmes, this volume starts with the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, a great Holmes adventure, and continues through the last short stories ever written (canonically) about the detective.

Holmes lovers will know--actually, it's mentioned in the book's forward--that author Conan Doyle had killed off Holmes, to great public outcry, and brought him back seven years later. This particular story (and his reemergence) were collected in the previous volume, but it'...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Bear rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was very good, although I think the first book was better. The more I read, the less shocking the reveals became. I was able to predict a number of the stories' conclusions. This may have been a result of reading over a thousand pages of Holmes mysteries, however. But I think Doyle also started to burn out a little. The mysteries became less mysterious, the adventures became less adventurous, the crimes became less criminal (seriously, a great number of the stories involve no criminal behavio...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, mystery, collected-work, reviewed

Here are all the Sherlock Holmes stories that take place after the "Great Hiatus", that is, the break between "The Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House". These are some really great stories, though most scholars, and many fans, will tell you that these stores are not on the same par as those stories from before Holmes and Moriarty fought at Reichenbach Falls. There are some differences and some changes and several of the later collections seems like a set of experiments for Doyle...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Brie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, fiction, 2011, short-stories

This took me quite awhile to read, but that is because I would read a short story here and there while I was between other books. I finally just bit the bullet and read the last 2/3 of the book straight through. I thought I would tire of the stories and want a break, but that turned out not to be the case.

If you enjoyed the first volume, then definately pick up this volume. I have now read all the Sherlock Holmes stories and thoroughly enjoyed them. I also enjoyed the parodies and essays written...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Timothy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-reviewed-in-2012

Sherlock Holmes has had many adventures, but in this second volume of stories, he may have met his match, that of an author who was apparently weary of his resurrected character, and out of ideas. Tongue-in-cheek statements aside, it is well-known that Holmes' creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, wanted to write other books, and that is why he killed off the famed detective in the story, “The Adventure of the Final Problem”. Of course, pressure was brought to bear from the public, publishers, and his ow...more Sherlock Holmes has had many adventures, but in this second volume of stories, he may have met his match, that of an author who was apparently weary of his resurrected character, and out of ideas. Tongue-in-cheek statements aside, it is well-known that Holmes' creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, wanted to write other books, and that is why he killed off the famed detective in the story, “The Adventure of the Final Problem”. Of course, pressure was brought to bear from the public, publishers, and his own mother. After a decade, Doyle gave in and resurrected Holmes.

At first, no truly discernible difference was apparent in the quality of the writing, but near the end of the “official canon”, the stories took a decided nose-dive in terms of said quality. The stories began to be predictable. No longer was Holmes the brilliant forerunner of modern forensic science and criminology, but his tales became mere “logic puzzles” that mysteries are accused of being. The sad part is that Doyle had earlier ridiculed, through his character of Holmes, such stories, but now the great detective's adventures were becoming exactly what he disdained. On top of this, Holmes became more and more coarse, and, at times, cruel and haughty. Instead of a gentleman, he began to show signs of enormous conceit and arrogance toward those lower than himself in terms of intelligence and wealth.

All of this increasingly poor writing culminated into what many “Sherlockians” (as more knowledgeable fans (of which I admittedly am not) call themselves) absolutely hate, which is The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes. Though all evidence seems to clearly indicate that Doyle did, indeed, write these stories, many of these more committed fans refuse to believe this. I can kind of understand why. My reading of this second volume of the Holmes canon ended early. I couldn't bear to read all of the tales in this Case Book, which thankfully came at the end of this two volumes of collected stories, so I still read the other adventures outside of the few I missed from said book. Seeing how badly written these later stories were, was too much for me.

Before I am accused of an out-and-out bashing of these later stories, let me give some praise of the worth-while ones. There were such quiet, but very good tales, such as “The Problem of Thor Bridge” and “The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger”. The latter isn't a grand adventure, but a quiet story in which Holmes convinces a suicidal woman not to take her life. The poignancy of that is not lost on the reader. When one considers that Doyle lost close friends and relatives in the Great War, this story takes on some significant meaning.

There is also a tale where Holmes narrates, on a challenge from Watson, which is a delight for the simple fact that Holmes states his contention that Watson plays down his own talents and plays up Holmes' talents. That is a terrific aspect to the canon, to see Holmes state unequivocally how talented and useful Watson is.

And of course there is His Last Bow, where Holmes deals with cases and crises of an international scope, culminating in capturing a brilliant German spy on the cusp of World War I. These stories are strangest of all, because they are high-quality tales, but are so different from the typical fight against criminals for which Holmes is known. It's strange to see the great detective as a counter-intelligence agent, but it works, so who am I to argue?

Most of the tales in this volume, including the earlier tale of The Hound of the Baskervilles are well worth reading. Baskervilles, along with the earlier mentioned tale, showed that Watson is no slouch, and is highly intelligent. For a fan of the good doctor such as myself, that story was a masterpiece. If the reader ignores the infernal Case Book (with the exception of the “Thor Bridge” and “Veiled Lodger” entries, as well as the Holmes' narrated tale, “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier”), I can easily recommend this volume.(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Ann Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

And, so, it's after a lot of days that I am completing this book. I could have completed it earlier but then with the reopening of school, I had a lot of work to do. Now also I don't get much time to read except for the early mornings. Still, I enjoy reading. So, as maybe, if you have been reading my earlier reviews, it must be clear to you that I adore Sherlock Holmes now! :) The way he uses his brain and solves the mysteries are really fascinating! I would love to meet someone like him in real...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Aislinn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Sherlock Holmes stories! My favorite part of this book was when Conan Doyle ressurects Holmes and he surprises Watson. The explanation for how Holmes survived was also ingenious, as are the ways he uses deduction and observations to solve puzzles and astonish people until he explains how he figured it out, which always seems so simple. This book also contains the novel The Valley of Fear, which I think was my least favorite novel of the four, which is why this book only gets four stars.

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Jan 25, 2011 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, ebook

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 20, 2011 Nikita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, thrillers-or-mysteries

Witty, funny and well-written as well! So good that you just can't put it down until you complete it! Enjoyed the long as well as short stories though my ultimate favorite was the Adventure of Dying Detective. Something about Mr. Holmes' not-so-subtle and over-the-top theatrics just gets me every time I read the book, and I just simply can't seem to let go! Lovely book, and I hope to read volume 1 in near future...

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Mar 14, 2008 Kerri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Moreover than the actual stories, the superior writing style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is what really draws me to the Sherlock Holmes series. Doyle was an expertly skilled writer, whose attention to detail and ability to weave together tantalizing clues into the solution of a mystery are to be envied. His character development is also exemplary, as there is much to mystify one about Sherlock Holmes; his aversion to women and distance from his family, his lack of friends save one physician who se...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Tashfeen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brilliant and as crisp as the first volume. One thing that i really loved about the book is the finesse. Its exquisite how the author has based the entire chain of events which are simplistic to the very basics, coupled with the fact that all of us do know it, for the most part, but also at the same time fail to notice it none the less. To explore this particular side of the human weakness and to garner interest from the same aspect everytime is a work which surely deserve appreciation. This who...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Morné Louw rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The summary on Goodreads.com perfectly sums up how I found the book, although there are always certain stories, which I cannot all recall, that specifically catch my attention. The adventure of the Lion's Mane is, of course, one of these. Short, yet everywhere there seems to lurk in the weeds another suspect. I was certainly not disappointed to say I looked forward to the second volume

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Mar 09, 2007 Otis Chandler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, classics

The second volume of the masterful Sherlock Holmes. The first was probably better, but this was a very good read as well. I have all the respect for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as he really makes you believe in Holmes' genius.

One interesting tidbit is that he killed Holmes off at the end of the last book, because he thought he was "obscuring my higher work". Ironic since none of his other work has any popularity. Due to popular demand, Holmes returned 20 years later.

A great quote:
"I have serious t...more

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May 14, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, it took me forever to read, but I'm finally done with Sherlock Holmes. Despite it's ominous heft and tiny type, there are a lot of good things to find here. I was particularly surprised how much I enjoyed "The Hound of the Baskervilles," though the conclusion, like many of the conclusions to these stories, felt a bit silly.

You have to be able to sort of put away 21st century liberal sensibilities to fully enjoy these stories, at least from my perspective. They are frequently misogynistic...more

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May 03, 2013 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finally finished this book. It took me about a year, and I just read a story here and there. Got my taste for Sherlock every now and then. I enjoyed volume one more then this volume. The best stories were in the 1st. But I still learned more about Mr. Holmes as I read. I stated before that he is by far my favorite literary character. So it is nice to dip into it ever now and again, which is another thing I enjoy about S.H.. You can read snippets and be done. You don't have a novel to read. Wel...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Sandi Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not as good as the first volume. Either Doyle starts to lose it towards the end, or it's not all his writing. Either way, the quality dwindles towards the end of this volume. Yet, some of the oddities that lower the quality are of interest simply because they are so odd. Look for a surprisingly racist Holmes and a new, convenient backdoor out of his apartment.

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Oct 31, 2012 Shawn Dvorak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What's not to like about a classic set of stories like this? I think that the stories in the first volume, written earlier, were a bit better than some in this later volume but that's just an impression. It seems like Doyle was getting a little too intricate with the details and over-sold Holmes' supreme analytic abilities in some of the later stories.

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About Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was born the third of ten siblings on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was born in England of Irish descent, and his mother, born Mary Foley, was Irish. They were married in 1855.

Although he is now referred to as "Conan Doyle", the origin of this compound surname (if that is how he meant it to be understood) is uncertain. His baptism record...more

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Books by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)

A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5)

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #4)

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“It may have been a comedy, or it may have been a tragedy. It cost one man his reason, it cost me a blood-letting, and it cost yet another man the penalties of the law. Yet there was certainly an element of comedy. Well, you shall judge for yourselves.” — 11 people liked it

“I don't take much stock of detectives in novels - chaps that do things and never let you see how they do them. That's just inspiration: not business.” — 1 person liked it

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

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