The Oxford Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Any fan of detective fiction knows that there is no substitute in all of literature for a few hours of reading pleasure at 221 B Baker Street. The tobacco in the persian slipper, the piles of monographs and newspaper clippings covering the floor and table, the unanswered correspondence affixed
to the mantle with a dagger. What will the next visitor or urgent message bring? Perhaps a request from a mysterious stranger to help prevent "A Scandal in Bohemia." Perhaps Watson will tell us the story, discretely leaving out certain names, of how he and Holmes had to step outside the law to
protect a certain royal personage from a blackmailer in "The Case of Charles Augustus Milverton." Or, for a very unusual treat, perhaps Holmes himself, in quiet retirement in Sussex, will tell a tale in his own words as in "The Lion's Mane."
In the more than a century since the publication of the first tale featuring Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet , Arthur Conan Doyle's characters and stories have inspired countless films, plays, pastiches, literary tributes, and tens of thousands of imitations. Now, Oxford is proud to announce The
Oxford Sherlock Holmes , the complete works gathered together in nine handsomely bound, meticulously edited volumes. The books themselves are beautiful, and the entire set comes in an attractive display box, perfect for gift-giving.
Beautifully designed, boasting an introduction by a Doyle authority, a chronology, a selected bibliography, and notes, all carefully researched and assembled, this magnificent set will enhance the reading pleasure of readers new to Doyle's work and veterans of Holmsian arcana. A goldmine of reading
pleasure, The Oxford Sherlock Holmes is an essential addition to the library of anyone interested in crime fiction.

2926 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 1993

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Alexsonphoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

the longest english story I've ever read

[Jim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has there ever been a collection of stories, short and novel formats, that was better meant to be read in a comfortable armchair next to a roaring fire with a glass of sherry within easy reach?

There is very little that I can add about the "sacred canon" that has not been said before. The Sherlock Holmes stories entertain over multiple readings, and give the impression that there is order and safety in the world...so long as the great consulting detective and his faithful companion are standing watch.

Regarding this edition, the Oxford release contains helpful notes to acquaint the modern reader with the Victorian period. It may not help those purists who enjoy playing the game that these events actually occurred, but they do provide the information the rest of us need to understand Holmes' surroundings.