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

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The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #4)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 23,149 ratings · 509 reviews

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are overshadowed by the event with which they close—the meeting of the great detective and Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. Their struggle, seemingly to the death, was to leave many readers desolate at the loss of Holmes, but was also to lead to his immortality as a literary figure. However illogical as a detective story, The Final Problem ha...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published December 18th 2006 by Headline Book Publishing (first published 1893)

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May 31, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, adventure, mystery, suspense-thriller, guy-lit, detective, british, with-movie

After reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first set of 12 stories called “adventures,” comes is the second set of 11 stories called “memoirs.” I don’t know why when these stories follow the same pattern and style as those “adventures.” I read that these stories were originally published individually in 1894 in a British magazine, Strand. Maybe, it was just the way of grouping these short stories.

Silver Blaze John Straker tries to drug the horse Silver Blaze so he can bet against him and win a lot...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Terry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, conan-doyle, mystery, short-stories

Another series of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes as reported by his faithful biographer Dr. Watson and it becomes clearer than ever that the real draw of these stories is the fascinating character of Holmes himself. The mysteries are secondary to the enjoyment, though many of them do prove to have distinct elements of interest (otherwise why would the great detective have bothered himself about them?), but it really is in observing the fascinating character of Holmes himself that the reader i...more Another series of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes as reported by his faithful biographer Dr. Watson and it becomes clearer than ever that the real draw of these stories is the fascinating character of Holmes himself. The mysteries are secondary to the enjoyment, though many of them do prove to have distinct elements of interest (otherwise why would the great detective have bothered himself about them?), but it really is in observing the fascinating character of Holmes himself that the reader is immersed in them. Indeed, this collection provides a rare treat for the reader in that we learn more about the detective and his early life and connections than has previously been the case. Thus it was that some of the most interesting stories here, for me at least, were those that hearkened back to Holmes’ youth and showed us the man he was and in which we can see the seeds of the man he would come to be.

The first of these in this book is “The Adventure of the Gloria Scott” – The primary interest in this tale comes from the glimpse it gives us to Holmes’ first ‘case’ (though the following tale, “The Musgrave Ritual” is really better classified as his first actual case, since the Gloria Scott comes across more as an intriguing mystery to which Holmes is largely a spectator) and the impetus for his decision to become a detective. We also get a glimpse at Holmes’ college days and of the only friend he made there (and thus far in the stories the only friend at all that he seems to have ever had aside from Watson). Finally this tale gives us a glimpse of a young Holmes still capable of emotion and surprise to the point that he cries out in horror at certain circumstances that, in later tales, would have left little other than a wry smile and remark of interest on his lips.

As noted above “The Musgrave Ritual” provides us with a look at what could probably be considered Holmes’ first real case in which another University acquaintance of Holmes’ comes to him, based on his youthful reputation, with an apparently insoluble puzzle that revolves around the man’s lothario butler and a bizarre family tradition. Holmes of course breaks the case and takes no small relish in recounting the strange tale of an event “done prematurely before my biographer had come to glorify me” to his friend Watson.

“The Greek Interpreter” continues in our discovery of the details of the mysterious past of Sherlock Holmes as we discover he actually does have a family and did not, as might seem more likely, spring from the brow of Zeus full grown. We in fact meet his older brother Mycroft, a man even more withdrawn from normal human society than his brother, but who also seems to possess even greater observational powers (a fact that leaves both Watson and the reader shocked to say the least). It was indeed quite amusing to see the two siblings spar with each other, each vying to outdo the other’s seemingly gnomic observations upon two strangers viewed from a window, and each gently chiding and correcting the other. This scene, nothing more a game of one-upmanship between brothers, does an excellent job at both making Sherlock seem more human at the same time that it exemplifies the peculiarity of his abilities and his subsequent estrangement from other ‘normal’ people. I also wondered in passing whether the germ for Nero Wolfe was planted in the mind of Rex Stout upon reading Sherlock’s comment about his brother: “If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived.” All that is needed is Archie Goodwin to do the foot work, a brownstone in New York and we’re off to the races.

The Memoirs even show a bizarrely puckish aspect to Holmes’ personality when, in the second to last tale “The Naval Treaty”, Holmes plays a practical joke for his own amusement at the expense of the nerves of his already rattled client…something strange indeed (though perhaps not altogether out of character given Holmes’ obvious desire to showboat and his distinct streak of misanthropy).

Other tales in the volume that were of interest: “The Crooked Man” which I found to be a rather affecting tale of retribution in the face of personal tragedy and “The Yellow Face” which, at the same time that it displayed some squicky elements of racism and abandonment, still managed to rise above them and display a story of ultimate familial devotion and personal love.

Of course one can’t leave off discussion of this volume without making mention of “The Final Problem” the story in which Holmes’ greatest adversary Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime, is born. Doyle had grown weary of the public clamour for more tales of his peerless sleuth and decided it was time to end it so that he could concentrate on other characters and stories. Well, as it turns out this was not to be, but what resulted was an exciting tale in which Holmes finds himself pitted against the greatest adversary of his voluminous career. After months of playing cat-and-mouse with Moriarty and his insidious league of crime Holmes finally has gathered the pieces he needs to crush the vast criminal organization and its most dangerous leader. Moriarty, of course, is not likely to take such a possibility lying down and thus we have a final chase across London and Switzerland that ends in (view spoiler) Watson’s final realization of what has happened to his friend is moving, as is the typically dry (though sincere) letter which Holmes leaves for him on the edge of Reichenbach Falls.

All in all, while some of the tales may have been weaker than others, I can’t do anything other than give this collection a five-star rating due to the great interest of the many tales of Holmes’ early life, as well as the singular event of (view spoiler)
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Feb 28, 2010 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Holmes fans

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

Come and see the Softer Side of Sherlock Holmes! The stories in this collection focus on the revelation that: "Sherlock Holmes! He's Just Like Us!" He makes mistakes! He judges too quickly! He was once young and went to school! He had friends! He has a brother (who is, as Sherlock readily admits, smarter than he is, just without his ambition)!

We (shockingly!) essentially find out that he is a human being. We see Sherlock has a family, and has interests other than things that have to do with his...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Stefania T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra...Lettura.

Giungo in questi afosi ed estivi istanti al completamento della lettura di circa 1/2 del "Canone", termine che identifica l'intera e completa collezione dei romanzi e dei racconti che vedono protagonista l' "autentico" Sherlock Holmes, quello nato dalla penna di sir Arthur Conan Doyle (distinto da quello "apocrifo", generato dalla discutibile creatività di altri scrittori post-Conan Doyle).
Raggiunto questo piccolo traguardo, linea di demarcazione fra i c....more

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Jan 06, 2013 ayrdaomei rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished

I read this collection of short stories out of curiosity about the Sherlock Holmes of canon. I've seen the RDJ Sherlock Holmes (didn't much like the first film, didn't see the second), the BC Sherlock Holmes (have seen all the BBC eps, but didn't much like them either), and the JLM Sherlock Holmes (am currently watching Elementary, and am a fan...I think).

These stories are my first introduction to the Sherlock Holmes (and Watson) of canon. And you can color me surprised at how poor Sherlock seem...more

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May 14, 2010 Anu Harchu rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, fiction

4.3/5.0
(Бүлэг болгоны оноонуудын дундаж)
Шерлок Холмсын тухай хэд хэдэн богино өгүүллэгүүд бичигдсэн бөгөөд тэднийг хэд хэдээр нь багцлан ном болгон гаргасан нь Шерлок Холмсын Адал Явдлууд ба Шерлок Холмсын Дурдатгал номууд юм. Мөн энэ зохиолд гол дүр Шерлокын ах Майкрофтыг танилцуулах бөгөөд тэрээр учир шалтгааныг олох тал дээр Шерлокоос ч илүү. Шерлок өөрөө үүнийг тэмдэглэсэн бөгөөд гагцхүү өөрийнхөө санааг шалгахаас залхуу хүрдэг нь л түүнийг сайн мөрдөгч болоход саад хийж байгаа гэж хэлж болн...more

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Apr 21, 2013 ღ♣✽Hobbit and Proud✽♣ღ (a.k.a. Johanna) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, set-in-the-1800s

Reichenbach Falls
Switzerland

To Whomever It May Concern,
I write this as an concerned customer. After visiting the famed "Reichenbach Falls" yesterday, (an experience we were told must not be missed) I was greatly disturbed about the safety of the walks leading around the falls. The cliff is a very steep one, and the drop very long - and if one were to fall, he would no doubt come to a nasty end. Since the path is a slippery and treacherous one, (especially in undesirable weather) it would prove...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Creative A rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012, books-that-lived-up-to-the-hype

This was a surprisingly short volume, and many of the stories were also surprisingly short. Given all the hoopla you hear about Moriarty these days, I was expecting a lot more, and it was fascinating to realize that Moriarty really only comes into one swift story, and the fallout in another swift story (but that's in the next Sherlock book, so I'll stop while I'm ahead.) I did really enjoy getting a better sense of Sherlock's arc as a person--we get to see how he got started on this path, and it...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Jacqueline O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, victorian, british, short-story-collection

I've read the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, however after watching Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows on DVD (I'd also seen the film in the theater last December) I had to re-read "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House", which are still my favorite two Sherlock Holmes stories. However, after re-reading those two stories I still wanted more Holmes to read. Therefore, I re-read "Memoirs".

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes skips around in time, one story has Holmes telling Watson his very first case...more I've read the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, however after watching Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows on DVD (I'd also seen the film in the theater last December) I had to re-read "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House", which are still my favorite two Sherlock Holmes stories. However, after re-reading those two stories I still wanted more Holmes to read. Therefore, I re-read "Memoirs".

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes skips around in time, one story has Holmes telling Watson his very first case as a professional consulting detective, another takes place after Holmes has suffered a mysterious illness, and of course the last story, "The Final Problem" tells of the "death" of Sherlock Holmes (never fear, he returns three years later in "The Empty House"). Anyway, the collection still includes some classic stories, such as "Silver Blaze", which has the following often-quoted conversation between Holmes and Watson:
Holmes: There is the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.
Watson: The dog did nothing in the night-time.
Holmes: THAT is the curious incident.
Which is still an example for police, detectives, and even computer programmers that sometimes to solve something you don't look at what's there, but rather what isn't there and should be.
Also included in the collection is the "Adventure of the Naval Treaty" in which Holmes helps a foreign office employee who's misplaced an important diplomatic treaty (yes, it was stolen, but the circumstances are unique and Holmes recovers the treaty), and "The Gloria Scott" a rough-and-tumble adventure with a great deal of violence. All-in-all it's a great collection of short stories.

I do recommend The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and all of the Holmes canon to anyone who likes brilliant characterization, intriguing plots, and Victorian settings. Nothing beats sitting down and reading the original every so often. I actually downloaded my copy of "Memoirs" from Project Gutenberg for free (I also own two bound copies of The Complete Sherlock Holmes a single volume leather bound edition and a two volume hardcover edition) and then I actually read it on my e-reader. This is a viable, and free way to read lots of classic out-of-copyright books. Project Gutenberg has free books in a wide variety of formats (I downloaded EPUB for my Sony Reader) and I can't say enough good things about them. OK, commercial over, I now return you to your regularly scheduled review. :-)(less)

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

Shelves: 2012, ebook, classics, mystery, short-stories

So, here is the second collection of short stories about the exploits of Sherlock Holmes. They were, of course, awesome. I will say that I did the same as before = split my reading between an ebook version on my phone, and the hardcover with the Sidney Paget illustrations. Both versions have advantages and disadvantages. The biggest difference in this case was that the hardcover followed the original (British) format by including The Cardboard Box, and the ebook (Barnes & Noble's complete tw...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Adam Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Continuing on the success of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs offers up some more fantastic classic mysteries but also a few signs of Doyle burning out on the Holmes series.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is available for free download on Amazon and other sites.

The American version of the Memoirs includes eleven stories:

"Silver Blaze"
"The Adventure of the Yellow Face"
"The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk"
"The Adventure of the Gloria Scott"
"The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual"
"T...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Thom Swennes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I was reading The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, I realized that literature has mutated to an almost unrecognizable concept in the last 120 years (this book was published in 1892 and 1893 in The Strand Magazine). I first found Holmes powers of deduction dubious but as I continued through the eleven cases that made up the volume, it began to become increasingly more irritating. I grew up with Earle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason and couldn’t help but compare these two supe...more

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Feb 06, 2012 mongrelgrim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, detective, to-buy, short-stories

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

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Jan 20, 2012 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-the-book, emperors-new-clothes

I have never been a fan of Sherlock Holmes books. A couple of years ago I recieved a boxset from a relative and first tried to read A Study in Scarlet, but gave up and tried The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which I found long and dull but forced myself through all the same. Last year, I tried A Sign of Four, which was in some places tedious, but overall an okay book.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes may just persuade me to just give Conan Doyle another chance.

I was prevented from giving the full...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Tamra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: own-currently, my-re-read-list, favorites

I love Sherlock Holmes and own The Complete Sherlock Holmes. I keep a bookmark that tells me how many of the 1,122 pages I've read, and after finishing Memoirs, I'm almost halfway through.

This time I was inspired to read Memoirs after watching Sherlock 2 in the theaters with my husband and him asking me things like, "Did he really fall like that in the book?" and "Was his archenemy really named Moriarty?" (Answers: Sort of yes, and yes.)

Holmes gets better the older I get. The great thing about S...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery

The worst of the Holmes novels, in my view, with several of the stories depending on a very weak premise, which only a total fool would believe, or with Holmes doing very little.

1. "Silver Blaze." In which Holmes finds a missing race horse and solves the murder of its trainer. A solid, technical detective story, with an ingenious solution. But would the police really take a horse’s kick in the head to be a blow from a lead-weighted walking stick?

2. "The Yellow Face." In which Holmes is told of a...more The worst of the Holmes novels, in my view, with several of the stories depending on a very weak premise, which only a total fool would believe, or with Holmes doing very little.

1. "Silver Blaze." In which Holmes finds a missing race horse and solves the murder of its trainer. A solid, technical detective story, with an ingenious solution. But would the police really take a horse’s kick in the head to be a blow from a lead-weighted walking stick?

2. "The Yellow Face." In which Holmes is told of a woman’s strange sudden estrangement with her husband, and makes a reasonable but wrong guess as to the explanation. It all ends happily, no thanks to Holmes at all.

3. The Stock-Broker’s Clerk." In which Holmes saves a clerk from a rather transparent scam when two thieves take his identity and his place at his new job. Entertaining enough, but once again Holmes does nothing to effect change in the case, just theorizes and watches; and the thieves’ plot seems a rather convoluted way to take someone’s place.

4. “The Gloria Scott." Another less than satisfying Holmes story, in which he relates his first “case.” Except it’s not much of a case, just a tale of a past life, false identity and blackmail that a young Holmes witnesses. His involvement is limited to the cracking of a simple cipher. So-so.

5. "The Musgrave Ritual." Holmes solves the puzzle of an ancient family ritual, a "rigmarole” of "no practical purpose,” to help solve the mystery of the vanished butler. Actually, it is vehemently and immediately obvious that the Ritual is a guide to some treasure; that generations of Musgraves could own it, recite it, and not grasp that fact exceeds credibility, no?

6. "The Reigate Puzzle." In which Holmes solves a murder and an apparent burglary with a series of clever deductions. A good story, although some enjoyment is lost when the police are so oblivious to the most obvious of clues (no powder burns on the victim, so he couldn’t have been shot at close range, etc).

7. "The Crooked Man." Holmes solves the murder of a Colonel distinguished in the Indian Mutiny. His wife is the prime suspect, but Holmes, following some rather obvious trails, hunts up the real story: an ex-lover, betrayed by the husband, had finally come to see the wife. A devious and fantastic plot which overshadows the comparatively weak sleuthing.

8. "The Resident Patient." Holmes solves an apparent suicide, really a murder among a band of criminals. As Watson points out, Holmes’ role in this story “may be... not sufficiently accentuated." Almost all his part in it is after the fact. As usual, I found some of his leaps of “reason" --- actually wild guesses, considering the actual evidence and possibilities --- rather preposterous.

9. "The Greek Interpreter." Holmes and his smarter, fatter brother Mycroft stumble upon a gang who kidnapped an interpreter to force their Greek captive to sign over his property to them. More of an adventure story than a detective one, meant to thrill with the exotic and sinister, rather than bewilder with keen insights of Holmes. I’d prefer the latter. Mycroft is a funny character, though.

10. "The Naval Treaty." In which Holmes solves the theft of an important and secret treaty from the copyist’s possession. A fine, crafty story, with all the clues laid out subtly, with Holmes’ performance thus made all the more amazing. I must say I didn’t suspect the culprit, although plenty of hints were given. A highly enjoyable Sherlock tale.

11. "The Final Problem." In which Holmes learns of Moriarty’s existence and closes in, intent on destroying his hold on London, and is murdered by him as a result (apparently). A surprisingly powerful, suspenseful story; I can imagine Doyle’s contemporary audience’s reactions to the sudden death of the beloved Holmes. I must say I have one bone to pick: after Holmes’ evidence comes in, although Moriarty escaped, he was "lost if he returns to London," so why would Holmes and Watson continue to lay low in Europe instead of returning themselves? This is a minor quibble, I suppose. I liked the story. I note Doyle’s Victorian leanings toward physiognomy as well as Lombrosian ideas (“a criminal strain ran in his blood,” is how Moriarty’s evil nature is explained). Despite Doyle’s distaste for his too-popular character, he must have, deep down, had some desire to avoid total finality: the famous climactic death scene occurs entirely out of Watson’s sight. No habeas corpus, either.
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Sep 04, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sherlock Holmes Fans

Shelves: classics, crime, fiction, mystery, short-stories

This is the second set of Sherlock Holmes short stories, eleven in all, that appeared in the Strand magazine and collected in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. I fell in love with the Holmes stories from the first I read for high school--"The Speckled Band" which appears in the first set of shorts, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Pretty much all my favorite Holmes shorts appear in that first volume, but a lot of these are memorable for one reason or the other.

In terms of being great puzzle pie...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another Sherlock Holmes book, another wonderful read. This collection of short stories mainly serves to humanise Holmes. He did not, as some readers may have believed up to this point, pop into existence as a fully grown consulting detective. We hear of his first case as a young man, we hear how he struggled to get any work early on in his career, and we even meet his brother, whose deductive powers surpass even Sherlock's. And of course, most humanising of all, we hear how Sherlock Holmes dies....more Another Sherlock Holmes book, another wonderful read. This collection of short stories mainly serves to humanise Holmes. He did not, as some readers may have believed up to this point, pop into existence as a fully grown consulting detective. We hear of his first case as a young man, we hear how he struggled to get any work early on in his career, and we even meet his brother, whose deductive powers surpass even Sherlock's. And of course, most humanising of all, we hear how Sherlock Holmes dies.

Or do we!

The tales in this work are almost all lovely little reads. Their beginnings err towards the formulaic at times, with three or four stories starting with Watson explaining how he hadn't seen Holmes during the first few months after his marriage, but then that Summer... etc. Either Victorian Summers were a lot longer than modern ones or Watson had been indulging in some of Holmes' cocaine and got his dates mixed up.

The only tale I wasn't overly fond of was the last and most famous one in the book: The Final Problem. This is where we meet Professor Moriarty, and Holmes takes down both him and his entire criminal network, albeit at the cost of his own life as he and Moriarty apparently plunge to their deaths over the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. If Conan Doyle's aim was to kill off Holmes but in a blaze of glory then this seems an odd way to do it. It's hard to think of Holmes' act as a worthy sacrifice because that depends on us believing that Moriarty is a man whose death is worth the loss of Sherlock Holmes. But at this stage of the canon we've spent some thousand pages learning of Holmes' feats, but only about five pages hearing that "Oh by the way, Moriarty is really bad. Really really bad. Like, the baddest. Seriously." It's the equivalent of introducing a new character five minutes from the end of the last episode of series ten of a TV programme, and having the main character say "Oh noes, you're the worst person ever, quick, let's fight to the death!" Hardly a satisfying conclusion. And given the fact that there are enough holes in Holmes' death to let Conan Doyle bring him back in two books time, he may as well have just had Holmes retire to his bees.(less)

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May 14, 2010 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't quite be sure, but I came away from the stories in Memoirs feeling a little bit tired--or, I thought Holmes did. The stories were still hard to put down, and thoroughly enjoyable. Even so, the reader feels that Holmes might grow a bit weary of being the smartest guy in the room. Indeed, some of the crimes don't quite seem equal to his brilliance, although Watson takes pains to tell us that he chronicles stories that illustrate Holmes's method at its best.

In any case, still quite a good r...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the hallmarks of the Sherlock Holmes stories is that they are not actually told from Holmes' point of view. They are told by Dr. Watson in the form of newspaper stories which chronicle his friend's investigations. This is not odd in itself, except that Holmes often leaves Watson behind and hours later returns to recount the adventure's ending to him. This structure is never more fascinating than in the famous "The Final Problem," in which Holmes and Moriaty tumble over Reichenbach Falls....more

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May 23, 2012 Kean Soo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I learned in reading this collection:

- 'Brain fever' was a thing in Victorian times, apparently? And a lot of people sure seemed to suffer from it (and makes it harder to solve mysteries, obvs). It cropped up just a little too frequently in this one collection of stories, anyway.

- Bit by bit, Holmes gets humanized in these stories (gasp! he makes mistakes!), and is all the better for it.

- Shocked and more than a little disappointed by Moriarty's appearance (followed by his immediate demise...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-uni

Now that Dr. Watson is married, he sees less and less of Sherlock Holmes. However, his former flatmate still calls on him occasionally for assistance in interesting mysteries. In The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Watson and Sherlock encounter a stolen racehorse, an elaborate robbery, secret identities, murder and theft. Watson also finally meets Sherlock’s clever brother Mycroft, hears stories of Sherlock’s first cases and even sees Sherlock outwitted. Watson is also first introduced to Sherlock’s...more Now that Dr. Watson is married, he sees less and less of Sherlock Holmes. However, his former flatmate still calls on him occasionally for assistance in interesting mysteries. In The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Watson and Sherlock encounter a stolen racehorse, an elaborate robbery, secret identities, murder and theft. Watson also finally meets Sherlock’s clever brother Mycroft, hears stories of Sherlock’s first cases and even sees Sherlock outwitted. Watson is also first introduced to Sherlock’s greatest enemy, the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. Sherlock’s famous confrontation with his nemesis at Reichenbach Falls is one of the eleven exciting tales in this volume.

Sherlock Holmes and Watson are back in the fourth book in the Sherlock Holmes series. There are eleven short stories (or cases) in this book. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is interesting because at times the reader is introduced to Sherlock before he was a consulting detective and was just a clever university student. We also get to see Sherlock’s younger brother Mycroft, who might be more intelligent than his brother but is not as driven. It was fascinating to hear about some of Holmes’ first cases. In “The Yellow Face,” Sherlock is wrong in his assumptions, further proof that Holmes is imperfect and makes mistakes, like the rest of us. While things started off strong with “Silver Blaze,” I found myself losing interest midway through the book. I read this book all at once, and I think it’s meant to be read a story at a time (which is how I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.) Things ended on a high note, with “The Final Problem.” This infamous story details Holmes’ first dealings with Moriarty, and their fateful fight over Reichenbach falls. While this was originally intended to be the end of Sherlock Holmes, Doyle continued writing the series. And thank goodness: imagine Sherlock Holmes without The Hound of the Baskervilles! Knowing that Holmes is not actually dead, I enjoyed this story. Of course, I would hate it if he actually died. Although it contains one of Doyle’s most famous stories, I preferred The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: I don’t remember ever losing interest, as I did midway through this book. However, it was still enjoyable and just brilliant. My favourite story was “The Stockbroker’s Clerk:” I enjoy the stories that centre around a robbery, such as “The Red Headed League” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Overall, this was a great addition to the series and a must for fans of Sherlock Holmes and mystery lovers. While The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or The Hound of the Baskervilles might be a better place to start if you have never read any of Doyle’s books, this addition to the series was clever and often exciting. While it did drag along in the middle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes was still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I received this e-galley from Penguin Group USA.

4/5(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I listened to the radio dramatizations on my iPod at work, and luckily I'm by myself this week -- no coworkers or members of the public within a 5-acre radius -- because I had several unexpected reactions to the stories:

1. A shocked gasp as I realized the Hudson from "The Gloria Scott" may well be the husband of my beloved Mrs. Hudson.
2. Screaming out loud in surprise and joy when Holmes first mentioned Mycroft.
3. Delighted giggling at all the Mycroft fat jokes.
4. Several instances of "Oh, you w...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My love for all things Sherlock grows with each passing day and with each new story I read in the way of his adventures.
This collection of short stories was, admittedly, not as strong as 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' as far too many of the mysteries went unsolved or just left. The thing I like most about Sherlock Holmes, apart from the elegant way in which the stories are written, is seeing the method in which he unravels clues to solve a crime and I am always dissapointed if that doesn't...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Bigsna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sherlock Holmes has been a character that I missed being introduced to as a child. But recently the brilliance of his Science of Deduction has taken me over.

In a very reverse fashion, I watched Sherlock Holmes before I read him. And it has turned out to be an absolutely winning reversal of sequence.
All credit to the newly produced "Sherlock" BBC miniseries which brings out this consulting detective's unique powers of observation and deduction to a level of amazement and wonder.

However, the book...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Chad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

I recently finished reading the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes on my Kindle. I have really enjoyed reading the tales of Sherlock Holmes and my dear Watson.

The Memoirs cover nearly a dozen short tales of Sherlock Holmes, in these tales we learn more about Sherlock as a person, his history, his nearly friendless time at University, his family heritage and brother. We also see that Holmes is not by any means perfect at his craft and he gets a case completely wrong.

Besides just being good fun, I have fo...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Carolyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, so I started reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and got suckered into reading The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes since the two books were in the same edition that I had. Urgh! Sherlock Holmes is not my cup of tea to begin with, and I felt compelled to finish the entire book!!

These two books might also be found under the edition called the Complete Sherlock Holmes Vol 1. Let me save you some time if you feel so inclined to read this book! The Memoirs offer more insight into Sherlock Holmes...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Nicholas Whyte rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are eleven stories in the second of the Sherlock Holmes connections, where we see Doyle expanding the fictional universe: we have a couple of accounts of Holmes' adventures before he met Watson, we have Mycroft and the relationship with the French painter Vernet, we have the recovery of a treaty lost by the Foreign Secretary's nephew, and most of all we have Moriarty. The best of these is the first, "Silver Blaze", which is the one about the missing race-horse with the original curious inc...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, fiction, mystery, short-story, book-club

I decided to sneak in another Sherlock Holmes book before the month ended for the book club. I read this on the heels of Adventures. Interestingly, I really thought I was going to read a novel last time. Instead I got short stories. After my initial disappointment, I got into them. I looked forward to these short stories too. It's becoming evident that the Sherlock Holmes that everyone thinks of comes from these stories.

I found the stories here inconsistent. "The Adventure of the Yellow Face" an...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Mohammed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, classics, short-story-collections, sir-arthur-conan-doyle, arthur-conan-doyle

The first 4-5 stories i thought this collection was not as consistently great as The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes collection i read before it. What i liked in this collection that was different from that collection is that several of the stories dealt with how flawed Holmes was in his detection,cases. If he didnt have enough facts,evidence he wasnt a brilliant detective. If he wasnt quick the criminals might get away forever from the police,justice.

The best stories who made the collection strong...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

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

A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)

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

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