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

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 73,083 ratings · 2,425 reviews

Since Doyle created the immortal Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, no other mystery writer has come close to eclipsing him as the standard bearer in crime fiction. A brilliant London-based 'consulting detective', Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and renowned for his skillful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning, and inference to solve dif...more

Paperback, 344 pages

Published April 1st 2007 by Headline Book Publishing (first published January 1st 1892)

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Dec 09, 2008 Trevor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, mystery

I’ve been listening to Sherlock Holmes stories in the car and think I’m going to go through and listen to all of them now. I’ve started with The Adventures and have enjoyed it immensely.

There must have been any number of psychological studies performed on Mr Holmes. There is, of course, that wonderful line by Borges in his lectures on Verse in which he says that he believes in the Character of Sherlock Holmes without actually believing in any of the stories in which that character appears. That...more I’ve been listening to Sherlock Holmes stories in the car and think I’m going to go through and listen to all of them now. I’ve started with The Adventures and have enjoyed it immensely.

There must have been any number of psychological studies performed on Mr Holmes. There is, of course, that wonderful line by Borges in his lectures on Verse in which he says that he believes in the Character of Sherlock Holmes without actually believing in any of the stories in which that character appears. That is such a clever thing to say and I think it is also remarkably true. Although, as with most other true things, I never seem to have too much trouble ‘believing’ in the stories as they are being told.

If I was doing a psychological analysis of Mr Holmes (something, obviously, I’m grossly underqualified to perform – but I feel quite safe, given he never actually existed and even if he did he would be well dead by now and so would be quite unlikely to be adversely affected by any nonsense I might come up with) it would probably have a lot to say about the beginnings of these stories. There is a bit of a pattern to how these stories start. Either a client or, all too often, Dr Watson is presented to Holmes and he makes some remarkable logical deduction about these invariably astonished characters from a seemingly insignificant detail he notices via an article of clothing or their hat.

What I find so psychologically interesting about him doing this at the start of each story is that I can’t help but feel he does this to present himself as the intellectual superior to those around him. The relationship between Watson and Holmes really isn’t the same as that between Boswell and Johnson, despite the constant reference to the similarities. Watson may be the dutifully biographer, but his role is also that of the slightly foolish, but endlessly appreciative audience. It is as if it is only through his reactions that we learn when to gasp and when to applaud with awesome wonder. Watson is the laughing track of his day. But Holmes repeatedly asserting his intellectual superiority at the beginning of each story is fascinating as it also hints at insecurities in his character. He requires reassurance.

He is a flawed character, our Holmes. Rational, empirical but also all too often only interested in ‘people’ for the complex ‘cases’ they present him with. There is also the problem of his drug addiction which he invariably turns to out of sheer boredom - and invariably that is intellectual boredom.

I can’t begin to tell you how surprised I was to find that Doyle was a spiritualist. It is something I found myself remembering as Holmes performs his tricks. Because there is something terribly similar about the tricks Holmes performs and the ‘cold reading’ performed by a spiritualist. His ‘explaining’ often results in his audience saying something like – now it is explained I can see how easy it all is, which then has Holmes complaining he should keep his methods to himself. Except I think there is a deeper significance to him doing these performances – and that is to constantly have his audience wondering what else there is about them he can ‘see’ - what other secrets has he access to?

A lesser character would have ‘mystical powers’ – Holmes achieves the same thing through the force of his intellect. The only wonder is, given our culture’s clear distrust (if not active loathing) of the intellect, how he ever came to be quite so loved in the first place. Perhaps his 'coldness' explains this - perhaps it is because he is the model of the detached scientist that it is alright to like him.

Now, talking of love. My eldest daughter became particularly fond of Mr Holmes about five years ago. So much so that she read all of his stories after we watched many of the BBC TV shows of his works made in the 1980s. One day she had been reading one of the stories in this book and Watson mentions, in an off-hand way, that one can calculate how tall someone is from the length of their stride. And so Fi actually tried this, taking various measurements and doing a series of calculations. It is hard to exaggerate the utter joy children bring into one’s life. They come highly recommended – as do the wonderful stories in this collection.

Oh, and there are a couple of stories where it is mentioned that someone is reading a book with a yellow cover – a mystery/detective story. In Italy detective stories are still referred to as ‘Yellows’. I wonder why these stories tended to be printed in books with yellow covers? I must wiki it at some stage.
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Feb 16, 2012 Namratha Kumar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, classics, mystery, thrillers

To have a slight measure of the pleasant chills that race up and down your spine when you delve into a meaty Holmes mystery, do read the introduction passage by Mark Gatiss (co-creator of BBC Entertainment’s Sherlock). Amidst a host of admirable emotions, Gatiss’ one nostalgic paragraph captured my fancy.

It goes thusly,

“I’d never read any of the original stories until one fateful Saturday when, recovering from German measles, I was given a treat : a trip to WH Smith, and the purchase of any

...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Mei-Lu rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of short stories. If one is reading Sherlock Holmes in publication order, then one would read this volume after A Study in Scarlet and the Sign of Four. I really enjoyed A Study in Scarlet and found the Sign of Four well enough to continue on with the series. Fans of various incarnations of Sherlock Holmes will recognize some of the situations and characters in these stories,, in particular Irene Adler, who was featured in both the Robert Downey...more

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Sep 12, 2008 russell barnes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, crime

It's the end of the world and Watson and Holmes, on the cusp of having their brilliant lives snuffed out by the impending doom decide their simmering sexual tension can go no further.
As they remove their clothes, Watson turns around to see Holmes brandishing a tub of Lemon Curd.
"Holmes!" Watson exclaims, "I know what we're about to do goes against God's nature, but what in the name of all that is Holy are you doing with that breakfast condiment?"
To which Holmes replied, "Lemon entry my dear Wats...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all Sherlock Holmes or mystery fans

Shelves: brit-lit, fiction, goth-goth-baby, owned, victorian, heard-not-read, 19th-century

So, I volunteer at a library, in what the librarians call the "Popular Library," which consists of the area with the DVDs, music CDs and of course, the audiobooks. The majority of the titles in the audiobook section are romance novels. It struck me as a hilarious idea, and indeed, each of the audiobooks I've stuck in the CD player they have there to listen to for a few minutes has borne that out. Romance novel dialogue is barely okay on the page- can you imagine all that "Oh, FABIO, your gorgeou...more So, I volunteer at a library, in what the librarians call the "Popular Library," which consists of the area with the DVDs, music CDs and of course, the audiobooks. The majority of the titles in the audiobook section are romance novels. It struck me as a hilarious idea, and indeed, each of the audiobooks I've stuck in the CD player they have there to listen to for a few minutes has borne that out. Romance novel dialogue is barely okay on the page- can you imagine all that "Oh, FABIO, your gorgeous quivering member is so BIG! OOH BABY, LET'S DO LIKE THEY DO ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL!" stuff being said out loud? It really is just as bad as you'd think.

This being my only experience with audiobooks, you can understand that I was somewhat apprehensive about listening to Sherlock Holmes on audiobook, especially with stories I'd not read before like this particular collection. I felt like the prose could certainly tend towards the melodramatic and could extremely easily sway into the land of the cheesy, and I was reluctant to see that happen.

However, nothing of the kind was the case. These dramatizations by BBC Radio were almost entirely and uniformly excellent. The radio format suits these tales admirably, and I could just see some family sitting around a radio in the 1930s on the edge of their seat with some of these. I was on the edge of my seat through these as well(in my case the seat was most likely on the subway though, which made for some shocking reminders of reality when the train swung to a stop). Also, it's a great bonus that the guy playing Sherlock (Clive Merrison) has a really sexy voice, and the Watson can really sell a "dark and stormy night" like nobody's business.

As for the stories themselves, there are several really excellent and creative ones in here where one really hasn't the slightest idea where the end is going to come from, or how Sherlock is going to defeat the villain. My personal favorites were "A Scandal in Bohemia" (this is where Irene Adler is introduced, just by the by), "The Red Headed League," (truly delightful and playful plot) "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," and "The Man with the Twisted Lip." The dialogue is fantastic, the plotting moves along quickly and believably, and Sherlock Holmes usually has just enough trouble to make you think that he is human, and each plot is totally solvable once you go back and pay attention to what you missed.

Only quibbles: Has anyone else noticed that Arthur Conan Doyle's marriage plots are kind of boring and all alike? It almost feels like someone told him that he hadn't written enough romance and he threw it in grudgingly to make somebody happy, but was a little too resentful to put any effort into it more than once, and so all the plots kind of sound the same? It's always some girl's annuity that is at issue, always some malicious and poor relative. Really annoying. He also really did seem to think that Americans were a bunch of uncivilized hicks- every American character in here fed some sort of stereotype. I suppose that's not all that surprising when you're writing suspense stories for your home populace about an exotic Other of some kind, though.

Those things don't really bother me so much though, just some observations, in the spirit of Holmes and all.

Listening to The Sign of the Four next!
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Sep 26, 2011 Dante rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, imaginative-lit, prose, short-stories, classics, crime, mystery

The stories were very interesting, and I enjoyed most of them. But, I don't know, I didn't find them very satisfying. Maybe I am not really a fan of short stories? Perhaps I'll enjoy the Sherlock Holmes novels more.

There are twelve short stories in this collection. They are a selection of some of the interesting cases recorded by Dr. Watson which he and his friend Sherlock Holmes handled in the latter's career.

A rough sketch of the stories (Spoiler alert!)

A Scandal in Bohemia

The King of Bohemia...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Erik Graff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: kids

Recommended to Erik by: Einar Graff

Shelves: literature

I read an old edition of the collected Sherlock Holmes stories sometime around the end of junior and the beginning of high school, starting it one afternoon when home sick from school and finishing it gradually over a space of weeks. The copy was Dad's probably, picked out of his library with some sense of what to expect as I'd at least seen The Hound of the Baskervilles movie with Rathbone by this time.

I wasn't terribly impressed by Doyle's stories. They passed the time, but left me with little...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Ken Takel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nach Buch eins und Buch zwei, hier also das dritte Buch aus meiner Penguin Sherlock Holmes Sammelbox. Statt eines Falles gilt es für die Londoner Spürnase dieses Mal gleich ein dutzend Rätsel zu lösen. Dabei sind die Fälle mal mehr und mal weniger spannend.
Wieder einmal musste ich feststellen, dass ich kein Fan von Kurzgeschichten bin und es auch niemals sein werde. Gerade, wenn man sich in das jeweilige Abenteuer eingelesen hat, ist es schon wieder zu Ende. Da bleibt wenig Platz für Charakteren...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, nook

Found this an enjoyable read. These are the first of the Holmes short stories (but not the first in the Holmes canon). I was surprised that A Scandal in Bohemia (most famous thanks to the introduction of Irene Adler) was so early in the Holmes works. I thought that it would have come later when Doyle needed to spice up the Holmes world. ;o) There was also a short story in here where I found the ending pretty obvious early on, but having had that same experience with an Agatha Christie novel, I t...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Aidan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Very few literary characters attain iconic status". It's true. Everyone knows who Sherlock Holmes is. But who has read a book about him?
In the book The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes he solves many different mysteries. Anything from a scandal involving a king to stopping a bank robbery, Sherlock Holmes is who you see if you need something solved.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did a good job of describing how Sherlock Holmes solves each mystery. I wish he had put more action into the book. I think the au...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Mona rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century-lit, britain, mystery-suspense, short-stories

3.5 stars.

I read this book in Vol. 1 of the Complete Sherlock Holmes collection, but I'm adding this book separately so my books/pages totals for 2011 will be sort of right at least.

My "quest" to read all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories continues in 2011. I started this journey back in 2008 with the first two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. Needless to say, it is a very slow-moving project and will likely take many years to finish.

When I read these first two novels, I was m...more

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Dec 06, 2007 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, audio-book, fiction

So far this collection of short stories has been marvelous.

"Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb" was a gruesome little gem illustrating the strange comic stoicism of British gentlemen.

"A case of identity" was a cruel little plot and I guessed this one! I was so proud of myself. I figured out who the ne'er-do-well was when the client first presented the facts.

"Noble Bachelor" was another one that I had an inkling about from the beginning, I just didn't know who or how.

I'm finishing up "The Five Ora...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm wavering between a 3 & 4 star rating... These stories were all very fun & I enjoyed the chases, but the abrupt endings always felt so jarring. I would be really into the plot, and then BAM, over. I guess that's how TV mysteries go too though... 40 minutes of chase, 3 minutes of "Here's what happened".

I almost feel like it's a crime to like a show better than the book, but I must confess that I like the BBC adaption of these stories more than the actual stories. Benedict & Martin...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, reading-group-2013

I gave up on this book on page 178, when I realized I was only finishing it to get one number higher on my books-read-this-year list rather than out of any real enjoyment.

It turns out that Arthur Conan Doyle just isn't for me.

There were good things - some sentences I really liked, and plots that did tend to draw me in. The annoyances (Watson as a narrator is kind of a pompous windbag, the rambling introductions) were not insurmountable.

My problem lies in the cerebral focus of the stories. As a r...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Mrtracksclass rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sherlock Holmes, are a cluster of short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle between eighteen-ninety-two and nineteen-o-five. Set in the late ninetieth century England Mr. Holmes accompanied by his loyal partner, Doctor John Watson, tackle the most unusual cases that stroll through their joint apartment of 221b Baker Street. Dragging Watson into these adventures, (which he eventually started to appreciate and love), Holmes would use his skills of deduction, scientific theory, and near flawl...more Sherlock Holmes, are a cluster of short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle between eighteen-ninety-two and nineteen-o-five. Set in the late ninetieth century England Mr. Holmes accompanied by his loyal partner, Doctor John Watson, tackle the most unusual cases that stroll through their joint apartment of 221b Baker Street. Dragging Watson into these adventures, (which he eventually started to appreciate and love), Holmes would use his skills of deduction, scientific theory, and near flawless memory to arrive to the final conclusion that would solve the case. Readers that are drawn to literature, which contains outstanding vocabulary, intricate detail, and a series of overlaying plots and relationships, will be duly satisfied with this book. Though the legendary writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is not the primary selling point. The primary points are the puzzles. The involvement. One trying their own hands at deduction, trying to solve these elusive mysteries. Sifting through facts. Rereading passages to find deeper meanings. Desperately attempting to determine the root of the problem, to identify the murderer, the thief. One toils in the wake of such a delicate tease. Then, either proving one’s truth, or uncovering the answer Conan, (through Holmes, through Watson) does so with simple brilliance. Now Watson and Holmes’ relationship is also another highlight of this book. While on their strenuous, (on the mind, and on the body) adventure cases, this brotherly bond is tested to various extremes, which displays the emotional fortitude between these men. Not know is how Holmes and Watson originally met, or how they attained such a strong friendship. But as the stories progress, the friendship grows even stronger.
There are many qualities of this book that would appeal to advanced readers; versed deeply in the English language and it’s vocabulary, and people who enjoy the puzzle of the stories. For some, this book might not be appealing. It could be a step outside of their reading level. Also, the style of writing (of which it is quite slowly paced in comparison to closer to modern literature) could be unappealing due to its slow pace or some would say it is plainly boring. For some, mystery novels simply might not be their cup of tea, and should not choose to choose this book.
In the entirety of itself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” is a bench mark for mystery-crime novels. A pioneer in the background, these stories are the original genius pieces that first spiked the now worldwide love of crime-mystery dramas. So hey there must be some value in em’ eh?
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Mar 25, 2013 Brian Bess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Adventures of the mind of a deductive genius

One aspect that has struck me whenever I have read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories is the lack of action in the sense of gunfire, chases, fights—the usual elements of action thrillers. Most of the overt physical action in the stories occurs off stage. Most of the action is mental and is a journey through the reasoning process of Holmes’ brilliant mind as he explains the steps he followed to reach conclusions that only seem obvious when Holmes explai...more Adventures of the mind of a deductive genius

One aspect that has struck me whenever I have read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories is the lack of action in the sense of gunfire, chases, fights—the usual elements of action thrillers. Most of the overt physical action in the stories occurs off stage. Most of the action is mental and is a journey through the reasoning process of Holmes’ brilliant mind as he explains the steps he followed to reach conclusions that only seem obvious when Holmes explains that all the clues were hiding in plain sight.

Many of the stories involve lessons from Holmes to his friend, colleague and chronicler Dr. John Watson. He will explain, for example, how he can determine a man’s fall in fortune by the worn condition of his old business suit, the chaffing on his hatband or the depth his razor shaved his cheek as he looked at one side of his face in a mirror. These lessons in deduction have been parodied many times on film; indeed, the originals often seem to be consciously aware of their own absurdity.

One of the most celebrated Holmes stories is the first in the collection: “A Scandal in Bohemia.” This is one of the few examples where Holmes is unable to triumph as he is outmaneuvered by, of all people, a woman. On more than one occasion Holmes will refer to one case where he did not solve and wrap up all the loose ends of a mystery in his usual manner although he does not always specify that the person that outsmarted him was a woman. Holmes takes understandable pride in his mental prowess and this story, strategically placed as the first in the first collection of stories about him, reveals that this pride can be wounded. His repeated reference to it is proof that he has never forgotten this failure.

Often the stories include standard melodramatic elements—the unsuspecting governess in a vast household in which one forbidden wing of the estate contains scandalous secrets, obsessively jealous or possessive fathers exerting ironclad control over submissive daughters, The stories often pose Holmes’ outsider status against an inept police officer, usually the dense Scotland Yard detective Lestrade. This is a familiar pattern in detective fiction following down through non-comformist private detectives such as Philip Marlowe.

The stories are often self-referential as Holmes more than once refers to Watson’s distortion of the ‘facts’ of a case or observes that Watson has embellished some details to make the tales more readable rather than presenting Holmes’ deductive lectures in their pure or unvarnished state. Holmes is often the professor explaining his methods to his very astute student Watson, who inevitably always comes up short by missing sometimes just one trifling detail that makes all the difference in leading to the truth of the matter.

Often if one takes the mystery setup of the stories at face value they are fairly standard mystery fare. There are other more intricate, more masterfully constructed mysteries. The element that transcends the genre is Holmes himself. Doyle modeled Holmes on his medical doctor guru Joseph Bell and incorporated teacher/pupil relationship of himself and Bell into the Holmes/Watson relationship. He even modeled Holmes’ physical appearance on the much less physically appealing Bell, despite the image that was projected by the original illustrator which formed the template for all future film and stage portrayals of Holmes.

Many heroes need a sidekick or witness and Watson fulfills both roles for Holmes. He is the Boswell to Holmes’Johnson. He is also the surrogate ordinary man observing the observer, presenting his superior master in a way that renders him more understandable and relatable to mere mortals. The tales belong even more to him that they do to Holmes. We never get Holmes’ own account of any of these incidents; we only see him as Watson sees him. This dynamic between the genius and his witness is what has ensured that the Holmes stories are still being read over a century after they were written.

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Mar 21, 2013 Benjamin N. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Scandal in Bohemia is a fascinating story about a king of Bohemia who wants to get some compromising letters back from a woman he had a secret relationship with, so he goes to Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant detective in London who can deduct the unthinkable. The woman, Irene Adler is a little smarter than she seems and won't give back the letters without a fight. This short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle takes place in late 19th century London, which gives the story a certain mood that I think...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, fiction, mystery, short-story, book-club

This was the March 2013 read for the "Classics Without All the Class" book club here at GoodReads. Having purchased my Kindle about a year ago, I found the joy of public domain fiction. I read my first two Sherlock Holmes classics before pausing for other interests. When I saw the third book was up for the book club I eagerly awaited the roar and march of the lion.

As I moved into the second story, it quickly dawned on me I was not reading a novel but rather a collection of short stories. A quick...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Sarah Goodwin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finally got around to reading some actual Sherlock Holmes. I've seen the TV drama, watched the modern BBC version, been to see both new films, and thought I should live up to my one year of English Lit classes and actually read the book.

And the book is very readable, I chuckled to myself at certain moments, and didn't have any trouble with the text. The stories all ended as soon as I started to think 'This has gone on long enough now' and Watson's viewpoint is interesting, and he always kind...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Duesterwald-Online rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt:
Das Werk enthält 12 Kurzgeschichten über den Detektiv Sherlock Holmes:
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Red-Headed League
A Case of Identity
The Boscombe Valley Mystery
The Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
The Blue Carbuncle
The Speckled Band
The Engineer's Thumb
The Noble Bachelor
The Beryl Coronet
The Copper Beeches

Meinung:
In diesem Werk sind 12 Kurzgeschichten des wohl berühmtesten Detektiv aller Zeiten, Sherlock Holmes, gesammelt. Was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle berühmt machte, ist auch noch heut...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I downloaded the audio book of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes from the very tech-friendly Hamilton Public Library and delighted in listening to some British accented fellow read me bite sized mysteries. I took the voice and the book first to the grocery store (but not *in* the grocery store; I detest listening to anything whilst shopping - far too distracting), then to cook a cake, and then about the library browsing books. I ended up relistening to the browsing books story, as it turns out I...more I downloaded the audio book of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes from the very tech-friendly Hamilton Public Library and delighted in listening to some British accented fellow read me bite sized mysteries. I took the voice and the book first to the grocery store (but not *in* the grocery store; I detest listening to anything whilst shopping - far too distracting), then to cook a cake, and then about the library browsing books. I ended up relistening to the browsing books story, as it turns out I am not capable of attending to two things at once (somehow walking doesn’t count as a ‘thing’ - I seem capable of walking and listening. thankfully.).

I enjoyed both the pace of the stories - neither too winding, nor too abrupt - the tantalizing clues that you just *know* are clues, but cannot work out, and the focalization of Watson. I was telling M. yesterday that I like Watson’s point of view because it somehow subjects Holmes to the same kind of scrutiny Holmes brings to mysteries, clues, witnesses and suspects. I dig the relationship between Watson and Holmes both because its represented as simultaneously intimate and utterly professional: a careful balance to strike and one which I admire in a narrative ostensibly about other matters.

Oh, and clearly from the tenor of this post (or perhaps only clearly to me) I enjoy the diction of the stories. I’d support the return of the countenance and the aspect and the most serious and grave business. Perhaps not the damsel in total distress. The representation of women is my chief complaint with the stories. Hapless and helpless women abound. All too often they are also waif like. I don’t go in for the waifs. I suppose this criticism could extend to include the non-British (villains appear from South America and India) and the physically impaired (“cripples” and “hysterics” populate two of the three stories), but I was most bothered by the women, perhaps because they were always the victims. Not that I expect one of them to spring up and solve the mystery - I fully accept that Holmes and Watson are a (homo-social) male partnership, but I could do with a story where a big brutish man falls victim to a hysterical bout or comes to the two cold with fear.

That said, I’ll be downloading another set of of Holmes/Watson for my walks about. Check of the HPL for your own out-and-about-town Adventures.(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Gio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: sherlock holme

Recommended to Gio by: nobody

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

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Oct 21, 2012 christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“‘They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains,’ he remarked with a smile. ‘It's a very bad definition, but it does apply to detective work’" (page 31). Detective work was what Sherlock Holmes thrived on in Arthur Conan Doyle’s book The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The novel consists of a collection of short stories first appearing in “The Strand” magazine during the 1890’s. A classic mystery and crime thriller, it has inspired dozens of films, novels, and television shows to...more “‘They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains,’ he remarked with a smile. ‘It's a very bad definition, but it does apply to detective work’" (page 31). Detective work was what Sherlock Holmes thrived on in Arthur Conan Doyle’s book The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The novel consists of a collection of short stories first appearing in “The Strand” magazine during the 1890’s. A classic mystery and crime thriller, it has inspired dozens of films, novels, and television shows to date.

Taking place in London during the 19th century, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes transports the reader into another world where the detective Sherlock and his friend Watson explore unsolved mysteries and suspenseful crimes. Watson narrates the stories and often uses vivid language, making the scene more believable. “You never tire of the moor. You cannot think the wonderful secrets which it contains. It is so vast, and so barren, and so mysterious.” The imagery engages the reader but what is really interesting is the interaction between Sherlock and Watson. Dialect between the two reveals their odd quirks and habits that make them seem more realistic and memorable. “‘My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.’” Sherlock appears highly intelligent and somewhat arrogant while Watson is more relatable.

While following Sherlock on his quest to solve crimes, the reader is able to uncover clues about morals and values. The stories aren’t exactly encouraging us to go out and fight crime but they do give subtle hints about integrity. “Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems.” If we aren’t able to solve our own moral issues and can’t act with good intentions then how can we expect others to do the same?

Overall, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is an enthralling and action-packed collection of short stories that a wide range of audiences can enjoy. It’s a perfect book for anyone interested in mystery or the origin of the iconic Sherlock Holmes but I would recommend it to everyone. Each story brings something different with an unexpected twist that is sure to impress.
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Sep 06, 2012 Jun rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

See my blog for full review: http://liketoread.wordpress.com/2012/...

There should be the phrase “Short Stories”, somewhere in the title of this book, because the book essentially contains 12 short individual stories stories on Holmes’ mystery adventures.

My only exposure to Sherlock Homes’s story-other than from reading this book- is is from the two movies with Robert Downy Jr, so I automatically assumed that this book would contain one long elaborate crime mystery. So as you can imagine, I was a...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Nicole Green rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a brilliant writer and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant character. I feel like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this fantastic collection, should be read by all. Not only is it just one Sherlock Holmes story, but many, and throughout the stories we get a better sense of who Sherlock Holmes is, as well as Dr. Watson.

It is amazing to see how, in comparison to the mystery books of today, the stories of Sherlock Holmes compares. It is amazing how great Doyle was at writing...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mystery fans

Shelves: books-i-have-borrowed, favorites, worth-rereading

Yes, I'm one of those that know a lot about Sherlock Holmes, mostly from movies and stuff, but have never read any of the stories. To be completely truthful, I had a small S.H. history before reading these stories, as a newspaper I used to get as a child had once published 3 or 4 stories for the summer.
I began the stories through the ebook, but I came across the translated edition in a public library near my house (God, I love this library!) and took it in my holidays. It was amazing!

[SPOILERS A...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Jane Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: murder-mystery, thrilling-and-suspenseful, classics

Generally entertaining as I kept on trying to wrap my mind around the mystery faster than Sir Doyle could divulge Holmes' conclusion behind his observations.

A Scandal in Bohemia (4 stars) - I loved the disguises and Holmes' ingenuity (which shouldn't be all that surprising). Even more so, I loved Irene Adler. It had me smiling and grinning halfway through the end.

The Red-Headed League (3 stars) - This mystery was kind of predictable. Not the specifics though. I just concluded the probability of...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Ally Atherton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 52-books-in-52-weeks

I must confess that I am one of the myriad of people who know a lot about Sherlock Holmes without having read any of the books. My only experience of Baker Street was having watched a couple of the films when I was a kid and it was fun to actually find out what Holmes was about from a literary point of view.

This is a collection of 12 short stories and was the third book to be written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Holmes and Watson.Most of the stories follow a similar pattern. A man or wom...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These were fun, and that's their greatest strength.

Each story is very formulaic, and you know that even if Sherlock doesn't get his man (or woman) he's going to figure it out. One of the things that did bug me though, was that at the beginning of ever story Watson would go on and on about how "singular" this particular case was. Kind of diluted the meaning of that word after the second time. But I have to admit, I did kind of like the first person here. Holmes is obviously the star of the show,...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What can I say about The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes that hasn’t been said already? Not much, I’m guessing. It’s one of the seminal classics—and not just of mystery/crime fiction, but literature in general. The stories of Sherlock Holmes are the bedrock on which the modern mystery is built, and it has been dissected and analyzed over and over again by literary minds a lot more brilliant than mine. But this is me we’re talking about here. I can’t pass up an opportunity to pontificate on literar...more

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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

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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“Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting.” — 240 people liked it

“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.” — 124 people liked it

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3)

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