The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [with Biographical Introduction]

Sherlock Holmes #4

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Penzler Pick, February 2000: What is there about the greatest series of short stories in the history of the world that hasn't already been said? This is the second (of five) story collections by Doyle about the greatest detective in literature--and a splendid volume it is, containing such superb puzzles as "The Greek Interpreter," in which readers are introduced to Mycroft Holmes; "The Musgrave Ritual"; "Silver Blaze"; and the earth-shattering "The Final Adventure," recounting the struggle between Holmes and the evil Professor Moriarty in which the two titans were apparently killed as they went over the edge of the Reichenbach Falls.

But every mystery reader already knows this. I'm pointing out this marvelous book because it has been extensively annotated by a fine Sherlockian scholar, Les Klinger, who has brought to all serious students of the Holmesian canon a level of erudition seldom encountered. In addition to the expected illustrations from The Strand magazine and meticulous scrutiny of chronological evidence of various events, there are references to primary sources and a staggering helping of information from the thousands of works about Sherlock Holmes by others.

More than 30 years ago, another great Sherlockian scholar, William S. Baring-Gould, produced a ground-breaking volume that enjoyed more than 35 printings in its original two-volume format and probably sold just as many copies in a slightly less elaborate one-volume size. The Annotated Sherlock Holmes became the single most essential volume in the library of any true Sherlockian, of which the world has far more than you think.

Les Klinger has acknowledged Baring-Gould in every way imaginable, and it was an act of extraordinary courage to attempt to supercede that monumental work. But that is exactly what he appears to be doing. The first volume, his annotated edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was introduced by the same publisher last year. There are seven yet to come.

If you want to master just about everything there is to know about The Great Detective and The Good Doctor, to understand what Holmes meant when he referred to "a comet vintage" of wine, and to know what discrepancies there are between the English and American editions of the works, plus a thousand other things relating to Holmes, Watson, and the England of the Victorian era, you must have this volume, as well as all the others in the series as they become available over the next few years. --Otto Penzler

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Short Stories, Crime, Detective, Audiobook

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1893

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British 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

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A) 85% | Extraordinary
Notes: Wherein Sherlock Holmes is given backstory and greater dimension, while the stories get darker and more complex.

[Federico DN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best SH collection yet.

Another short story collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This memoir includes non chronological stories, some happening between #2, #3, #4, and so on. Some even taking place before #1. The second collection also a mixed bag, as always, big surprise, but with some very unique ones. On this volume Sherlock saying his famous “Elementary” catchphrase for the first time. Very interesting to know the origins of Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s brother, with outstanding deductive powers even bigger than his. And the introduction of Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock’s biggest archenemy.

Go for the Best, consider the Good, whatever the Meh.

The Best :
★★★★★ “The Final Problem.”
★★★★★ “The Yellow Face.”
★★★★★ “The Greek Interpreter.” [4.5]
★★★★★ “The Musgrave Ritual.” [4.5]
★★★★☆ “The 'Gloria Scott'.”

The Good :
★★★☆☆ “The Crooked Man.” [3.5]
★★★☆☆ “The Reigate Squire.”
★★★☆☆ “The Resident Patient.”

The Meh :
★★☆☆☆ “The Cardboard Box.” [2.5]
★★☆☆☆ “Silver Blaze.”
★★☆☆☆ “The Naval Treaty.”
★☆☆☆☆ “The Stockbroker's Clerk.”

Still remaining, the BBC series.

It’s public domain, you can find it HERE.



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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1893] [378p] [Collection] [3.5] [Partly Recommendable]
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★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes

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La mejor colección de SH hasta ahora.

Otra colección de cuentos cortos por Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Esta memoria incluye historias no cronológicas, algunas sucediendo entre #2, #3, #4, y así. Algunas incluso tomando lugar antes de #1. La segunda colección también una bolsa mixta, gran sorpresa, pero con algunas muy únicas. En este volumen Sherlock diciendo su famosa frase “Elemental” por primera vez. Muy interesante conocer los orígenes de Mycroft Holmes, el hermano de Sherlock, con sobresalientes poderes deductivos incluso mayores que los de él. Y la introducción del Profesor James Moriarty, el archienemigo más grande de Sherlock.

Ir por lo Mejor, considerar lo Bueno, loquesea lo Meh.

Lo Mejor :
★★★★★ "El Problema Final."
★★★★★ "El Rostro Amarillo."
★★★★★ "El Intérprete Griego." [4.5]
★★★★★ "El Ritual de Musgrave." [4.5]
★★★★☆ "El «Gloria Scott»."

Lo Bueno :
★★★☆☆ "El Hombre Encorvado." [3.5]
★★★☆☆ "Los Hacendados de Reigate."
★★★☆☆ "El Paciente Residente."

Lo Meh :
★★☆☆☆ "La Caja de Cartón." [2.5]
★★☆☆☆ "Estrella de Plata."
★★☆☆☆ "El Tratado Naval."
★☆☆☆☆ "El Oficinista del Corredor de Bolsa."

Queda pendiente, la serie de BBC.

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.



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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1893] [378p] [Colección] [3.5] [Parcialmente Recomendable]
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[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Read here on GR October 2020
So this is my second read here on GR. And this is for The English Mysteries Group, group read of all Sherlock Holmes Novels and short stories , run by me.

So as with "Adventures" I will detail every short story as I read them

Silver Blaze
Holmes delays going down to Devon, expecting the theft of the race winning horse and the murder of its trainer to be solved quickly, however eventually he relents and gets a "Eureka" moment at the mutton curry !
Cardboard Box
Holmes is called in by Lestrade to what is originally thought of as a joke, a lady receives 2 severed Ears in a box in the post. Holmes believes its more serious and using modern techniques (for the time) arrives at the solution.
Yellow Face
Holmes is called in by a worried husband, who is confused and concerned by his wife's change in behaviour. She visits a neighbouring cottage at all hours of the day and night. Holmes analysing the evidence arrives at for once an incorrect solution, and tells Watsonto remind him "Norbury" should he ever get above himself.
Stockbroker's Clerk
Holmes visits Watson in his practice, and asks him to accompany him to Birmingham to investigate the strange story of a stockbroker's clerk who had been offered an inordinate amount of money to start a new job for an unknown company , whilst giving up a guaranteed job in London.
Gloria Scott
Sherlock allows John Watson to look through some of his old cases on a cold Winters night in Baker Street. Sherlock is invited to the home of one of his fellow students for a Summer break, where his friends father , a JP, is visited by an old sailor.
Musgrave Ritual
Another old case sees Sherlock staying with another fellow student who has inherited his father's old mansion and the mantle of the leader of the ancient family of Musgrave. He contacts Sherlock as his butler is behaving strangely.
Reigate Squire
After enormous exertions in Europe, Holmes is persuaded by Watson to rest at Watson's acquaintance in Reigate, Surrey. Local burglaries do not initially interest Holmes who has been told to rest, until a murder takes place at yet another burglary.
Crooked Man
A wonderful story in which Holmes is called in to what appears to be a simple murder as a result of a family dispute, but where is the key of the locked door ?
Resident Patient
A fellow doctor is at his wits end when he visits Watson and Holmes. His resident patient who is his benefactor is up in arms over his rooms being invaded by persons unknown.
Greek Interpreter
One of my favourite Holmes short stories, in which we are introduced for the first time to a member of Holmes' family. The amazing Mycroft who spends most of his time at the Diogenes club, when not auditing Government departments. Mycroft has a Greek neighbour who has an interesting tale, call for Sherlock.
Naval Treaty
Again a wonderful story, extra long, that showcases Holmes deductive talent. An old school friend of Watson is now an important albeit junior member of the Government responsible for copying important International treaties. Calamity strikes and his office is burgled, he succumbs to an attack of brain fever and it is some weeks before he is well enough to contact his friend John Watson and his colleague Sherlock Holmes to help save his career and honour.
Final Problem
And here we are in February 2021 (well almost) and this is our group read for the month. A wonderful short story that emphasises both Holmes special qualities and Watson's love for his friend.

Initial Read here on GR in October 2018
This is just a wonderful , to me, walk down memory lane, re-living and re-experiencing some of the most iconic Holmes stories ever written by "Sir Arth".

This book contains such gems as "The Musgrave Ritual", "Silver Blaze", "The Resident Patient", "The (fabulous) Greek Interpreter" - πολι καλά and of course the amazing, emotional, fatal "The Final Problem".

The Final Problem, what can one say, I almost had tears in my eyes as the letter arrives for Watson to return to the Hotel, I'm shouting at the book, "its fake, don't leave Sherlock on his own, its a trap." , but as ever, he rushes back and we all know the consequences. ,

So very soon I shall have commence the "Return of Sherlock Holmes".

[Beata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Fry is a genius of interpretation...

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story collection, but I refuse to rate it higher than ‘okay’ because it must be penalised for the one incredibly racist short story included in the collection. My jaw actually dropped while listening to that one, which is a phenomenon in itself as I’m not very expressive when reading/listening to books. There were also some fatphobic descriptions which were simply awful. I want to start with emphasising those things.

That aside, most of the mysteries in this one were pretty good. I felt like they did a good job of showing Sherlock as human. We get to see some cases that baffled him, and others where he had to put himself at risk in order to solve the crime. But don’t get it twisted – we definitely get to see him as the genius he is more often than not. We get to meet Mycroft and seeing Sherlock interact with him humanised him more than any of the other novels and collections have. I also really liked seeing him and Watson work together when solving cases. It was bittersweet to see their friendship change and morph over time, and then everything that happened at the end of the collection.

Overall, not a bad short story collection but the racism and fatphobia really did detract from my full enjoyment.

This review and others can originally be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2020/0...

[Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Jan. 30, 2022: This is another review that was originally written piecemeal, so I've now edited it into a unified whole.

This is Doyle's second collection of canonical Sherlock Holmes stories, containing a dozen tales originally published in The Strand magazine between Dec. 1892 and Nov. 1893. It's included in an omnibus volume of Holmes books that my wife gave me several years ago, The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes, which is enhanced by all of the original black-and-white drawings by gifted artist Sidney Paget. All of the stories embody the characteristic features of the author's Holmes fiction: challenging intellectual puzzles that present opportunities for pure deductive reasoning, a satisfying period ambiance, human drama (sometimes with exotic features), and the comfortable Holmes-Watson interaction. (I won't comment on all of them individually.)

I'd already read four of the stories elsewhere before starting this book. These are: "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk," which is included in Great English Short Stories though I didn't comment on it in detail in my review of that anthology (and which is actually difficult to comment on without a spoiler); "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual," the antiquarian flavor of which, built around a strange centuries-old family tradition, make it one of my favorites in the Holmes corpus; "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box," in which the titular box, mailed to a respectable and demure middle-aged spinster, draws the reader in immediately with its grisly contents: two severed human ears; and "The Adventure of the Final Problem." The latter story is the only one Doyle wrote in which Prof. Moriarty actually appears (he's alluded to in The Valley of Fear). As well-read Holmes fans already know, it's also very pivotal in the history of the Holmes canon --but no spoilers here! :-)

"The Adventure of the Yellow Face" was my favorite here; it's also a rare Holmes tale in which the great detective's theory of the case proves to be wrong (that's no spoiler, since Watson tells us so in the first paragraph). "The Adventure of Silver Blaze" involves the disappearance of a race horse favored to win a major race; and though many Holmes stories don't involve murder, this case is one that comes with a corpse. I did not figure out the solution --though of course it seems pretty obvious once Holmes explains it!-- and the racing milieu might appeal to Dick Francis fans (I haven't read any of his work myself, but my wife has). In "The Adventure of the 'Gloria Scott'" Doyle looks back into Sherlock's college days, to recount his first brush with the world of crime. Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's more observant and analytical brother, is introduced in "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter" (in the original canon, I believe he only appears here and in one other story). Finally, "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty" is one of a few Holmes cases that involve high stakes for British national interests.

With critics who disparage "genre fiction" (as if general or "mainstream" fiction wasn't a genre of its own!), it's axiomatic that mysteries, for instance, don't address serious philosophical issues. Of course, mystery readers know that bringing characters face to face with issues of good and evil, crime and punishment, extremes of human moral behavior with serious stakes, is uniquely apt to suggest questions about right and wrong, meaning and purpose in the universe, and theodicy (to say nothing of social and psychological questions). True, Holmes doesn't often wax explicitly philosophical. And when he does, he's more apt to prompt readers to ask themselves the questions rather than to pose answers. But the former is something that the best of serious fiction does. I'll close with a couple of quotes:

"What object is served by this cycle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable. But what end? There is the great standing perennial problem to which human reason is as far from an answer as ever."

"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion.... Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessary for our existence. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."

[Steven Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buenos relatos.

He finalizado muy satisfecho tras leer esta recopilación de relatos. Al iniciar, creí que se parecerían los relatos a los presentados en las Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes, pero me alegra que no haya sido así; no porque los relatos del libro predecesor no me hayan gustado, sino porque al tener detalles diferentes me hace disfrutar mucho más la lectura. En todas las historias aquí presentadas los inicios son diferentes, hay más explicaciones sobre los métodos de deducción de Sherlock y la mayoría no son predecibles. La calificación de cinco estrellas es más que merecida.

Al igual que como hice en Las Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes, por cada relato realicé un pequeño análisis, una calificación individual y una moraleja. Todos los relatos siempre deben tener una enseñanza, eso es importante. Así que a continuación, está lo que pienso sobre cada relato:

1. Estrella de Plata 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Después de mirar los periódicos, Sherlock decide ir a King’s Payland para investigar sobre el asesinato de John Straker y la desaparición de “Estrella de Plata”.
Opinión: Excelente relato, lleno de intriga y muy interesante. Lo más destacado fue conocer el método que usó Sherlock para descubrir la verdad y el culpable de este acontecimiento. También fue interesante conocer el fanatismo que Watson tiene hacia Sherlock, debido a que Holmes reconoce que también se ha equivocado muchas veces, pero que por culpa de Watson nadie cree que eso sea posible.
Moraleja: No maltrates a los demás para lograr tus metas.

2. El rostro amarillo. 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Grant Munro visita a Sherlock para pedirle consejo sobre la extraña forma en que se está comportando su esposa.
Opinión: Un relato muy bonito que no tiene asesinatos, trampas, mentiras o algo parecido. En cambio, es un relato sencillo donde observaremos a un Sherlock diferente con una faceta humilde y equivocándose como cualquier ser humano. Entre lo mejor destaco esta frase:

"Watson, si alguna vez le parece que confío demasiado en mis habilidades, o si dedico a un caso menos esfuerzo del que se merece, hágame el favor de susurrarme al oído "Norbury" y le estaré infinitamente agradecido." —Sherlock Holmes

Moraleja: Hay dos: La primera moraleja es que no todos los misterios deben ser oscuros, ni todo lo que ocultamos debe ser malo; algunas veces, lo que escondemos es lo mejor de nosotros. La segunda moraleja es que muchas veces ocultamos la verdad por miedo, debemos enfrentar el miedo… siempre.

3. El escribiente del corredor de bolsa. 3/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock le pide a Watson que lo acompañe a resolver un caso que está relacionado con Hall Pycroft, un corredor de bolsa al que le ofrecieron un trabajo por mucho dinero.
Opinión: Tiene mucha similitud con otros relatos, donde los criminales aprovechándose de la ingenuidad de un trabajador aprovechan para cometer algún delito. La participación de Sherlock fue baja y la historia fue predecible, por lo que lo mejor fue el inicio donde se cuenta un poco de la vida de Watson una vez se ha casado. Del resto no hay nada más que decir.
Moraleja: Siempre existirán personas que se aprovecharán de la ingenuidad de otros.

4. El Gloria Scott 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock le cuenta a Watson sobre el primer caso que resolvió en su vida; caso que ayudó a que se decidiera a volverse un inspector.
Opinión: Muy bueno, uno de los mejores relatos. Hay varios elementos interesantes como cambios de identidad, un motín, criptología, etc. Asimismo, también es fascinante que quien narre la historia sea Sherlock, ya que nos permite conocer detalles de su juventud, como por ejemplo su timidez al hacer deducciones o para actuar. Muy recomendado.
Moraleja: No es correcto ocultar el pasado. Lo correcto es aceptarlo, superarlo, aprender de él y continuar con nuestra vida.

5. El ritual de los Musgrave. 4,5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock nuevamente le cuenta a Watson otro caso que resolvió en su juventud, clave para comprobar sus verdaderas capacidades como detective.
Opinión: Me gustó mucho. Al inicio me causó risa, porque Watson critica a Sherlock por su desorden, y éste en vez de ordenar, prefiere contarle un relato de sus aventuras provocando que a Watson se le olviden sus protestas. En cuanto al caso estuvo bien desarrollado. También veremos de nuevo esa faceta de Sherlock de no confiar tanto en sus habilidades por temor a fallar.
Moraleja: Nuestros pensamientos e ideas también son peligrosos en algunos casos. Nos pueden hacer arriesgar hasta nuestra propia vida.

6. Los hacendados de Reigate 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock se va a descansar a una casa de campo junto con Watson, debido a que había caído enfermo por un caso que tardo dos meses en resolver. Solo que al llegar allí, bueno… encontrará otro caso.
Opinión: Excelente. Me encantaron las clases de grafología que Sherlock le da a Watson, así como su habilidad para fingir enfermedad y torpeza, solo para despistarlos a todos y así resolver el caso. Muy recomendado para quienes les interesa la grafología.
Moraleja: La ventaja de ser inteligente es que sabes que resulta más fácil pasar por tonto.

7. El hombre encorvado 1/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock le pide a Watson que le sirva de testigo para un caso en el que está trabajando.
Opinión: Quizás el relato menos interesante de todos. No me llamó la atención, no me gustó el desenlace y como Sherlock prácticamente aquí no hace nada, solo es un relato simple y aburrido.
Moraleja: Hay problemas que se resuelven solos.

8. El paciente interno 2/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: El doctor Percy Treveylan visita a Sherlock para contarle su historia.
Opinión: Nuevamente Sherlock resuelve todo fácilmente, aunque no me gustó el final. Lo más destacado es observar a Sherlock, que decide no ayudar a su cliente porque entiende que no le está contando la verdad. No hay mucho más que contar, solo es otro relato.
Moraleja: Por más que huyamos de nuestros miedos tarde o temprano tendremos que enfrentarlos.

9. El intérprete griego 4/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock le presenta a Watson a su hermano Mycroft, quien a la vez le da un caso para que resuelva sobre un intérprete llamado Melas.
Opinión: Me gustó mucho la presentación de Mycroft, porque fue muy divertido e interesante ver a alguien con la misma capacidad de deducción de Sherlock. Sin embargo, creo que es tan buena la presentación que el verdadero caso pasa a segundo plano. Con ese magnífico inicio, me quedé esperando una real participación de Sherlock y Mycroft que nunca llegó. Los antagonistas cometieron errores sin sentido, Sherlock nuevamente casi no hace nada y el final es muy rebuscado. Las cuatro estrellas son por la parte inicial, de lo contrario podría tener solo dos.
Moraleja: A pesar de que pensemos que somos únicos por nuestra personalidad o habilidades, solo somos un producto de combinaciones de los seres humanos de nuestro entorno.

10. El tratado naval 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Percy Phelps, excompañero de Watson, pide ayuda a Sherlock para recuperar unos documentos importantes.
Opinión: La narración de Percy en la mayor parte del relato es muy buena, acompañado de una intriga permanente por no tener ni idea de quién es el culpable. Sin mentir, sospeché de todos, incluso del mismo Percy. Es un relato en el que a pesar de que Sherlock solo hace lo primordial para resolver el caso es muy interesante en todo momento.
Moraleja: Es importante usar la lógica y no arriesgarnos a hacer cosas sin sentido.

11. El Problema Final 5/5 ⭐️
Sinopsis: Sherlock Holmes intentará capturar al profesor Moriarty, que realmente es un gran criminal.
Opinión: Espectacular, por lejos es el mejor relato. Cuando inicié a leer todos estos relatos, estaba esperando encontrar esta historia, porque la película “Sherlock Holmes: juego de sombras”, que me encanta por cierto, está basada en esta historia. El problema final es un relato magnífico, en el que Sherlock y el profesor Moriarty juegan al gato y al ratón; es como una partida de ajedrez, en donde ambos saben exactamente qué es lo que hará el otro, y por medio de sus “jugadas” intentan aventajársele a su rival. El único defecto que le encuentro es que es muy corto; sin embargo, eso no le quita que sea espectacular. Todo aquel que le gusté el personaje de Sherlock Holmes tiene que leer este relato.
Moraleja: A veces el mayor sacrificio termina siendo el mayor logro de tu vida.

Y bien, eso ha sido todo. Me encantaría escribir más sobre cada relato, pero creo que no es necesario. Lo mejor es que cada quien lea cada relato con calma y disfrute de estas aventuras. Ahora mi próximo destino es El Sabueso de los Baskerville.

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes presents a collection of stories of our ingenious detective, Sherlock Holmes, chronicled by his ever loyal friend and at times assistant, Dr. Watson. The collection has eleven stories. According to my enjoyment of the cases, the ratings ranged between 3 to 5 stars (except one which I didn't enjoy much).

The Silver Blaze - 5 stars,
The Naval Treaty - 5 stars,
The Final Problem - 5 stars,
The Musgrave Ritual - 4 stars,
The Raigate Puzzle - 4 stars,
The Greek Interpreter - 4 stars,
The Yellow Face - 4 stars,
The Crooked Man - 3 stars,
The Stockbroker's Clerk - 3 stars,
The Resident Patient - 3 stars and
Gloria Scott - 2 stars.

Like all others I've read thus far, this collection also demonstrates Holmes's extraordinary analytical skill, power of observation and his exceptional ability to disguise himself. In all these capacities, Sherlock Holmes never ceases to surprise us. Though he is fictional, I have always admired and respected this extraordinary man as if he was a real living being. However, this particular collection drew me closer to Sherlock Holmes and I cannot believe he is dead. No, he isn't dead. He can't be dead. He is immortal.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes was the fourth in the series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with much of this book narrated by his friend, Dr. Watson. And in his own words:

"In choosing a few typical cases which illustrate the remarkable mental qualities of my friend, Sherlock Holmes, I have endeavored, as far as possible, to select those which presented the minimum of sensationalism, while offering a fair field for his talents. It is, however, unfortunately impossible to entirely separate the sensational from the criminal, and a chronicler is left in the dilemma that he must either sacrifice details which are essential to his statement, and so give a false impression of the problem, or he must use matter which chance, and not choice, has provided him with."

"The small matter which I have chronicled under the heading 'A Study in Scarlet,' and that other later one connected with the loss of the Gloria Scott, may serve as examples of this Scylla and Charybdis which are for ever threatening his historian. It may be that, in the business of which I am about to write, the part which my friend played is not sufficiently accentuated; and yet the whole train of circumstances is so remarkable that I cannot bring myself to omit it entirely from this series."

This certainly was my favorite of the series so far as we got a much different and richer perspective of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friendship with Dr. Watson. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes was a masterpiece in its eleven short stories as we are dazzled by his skills in deductive reasoning. My favorites included, 'Silver Blaze,' 'The Yellow Face,' 'The Stockbroker's Clerk,' 'The Resident Patient,' and 'The Final Problem." These stories were more complex in the invesigative skills and deductive reasoning required as they also took on a much darker and ominous tone. We come to meet Sherlock Holmes brother, and of course, his nemesis, Professor Moriarty, 'The Napolean of Crime.' I will continue to read the series as I am hooked. This is why the writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has stood the test of time and has endured as a favorite classic.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 an off-screen (and thus retcon-able) death for both Holmes and his adversary. 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 his “death”.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second original collection

Review of free Kindle edition
A Public Domain Book

This second collection of Sherlock Holmes stories was published in 1893 but the publication date is sometimes listed as 1894. The 12 stories in this collection appear in the same order as they were published in The Strand Magazine except that the first British edition did not include "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box", though it was in the first U.S. edition. Later U.S. editions also omitted the story. Apparently Conan Doyle requested the omission. I haven't found a conclusive reason for this but it may have been because the plot contains adultery which Conan Doyle may have felt to be unsuitable for children. Which, of course, begs the question of why he wrote and published it that way in the first place. This free Kindle edition has the following stories:

Adventure I. Silver Blaze
Adventure II. The Yellow Face
Adventure III. The Stock-Broker's Clerk
Adventure IV. The "Gloria Scott"
Adventure V. The Musgrave Ritual
Adventure VI. The Reigate Puzzle
Adventure VII. The Crooked Man
Adventure VIII. The Resident Patient
Adventure IX. The Greek Interpreter
Adventure X. The Naval Treaty
Adventure XI. The Final Problem
Just as with many editions, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" has been omitted.

Doyle intended this to be the last collection of Holmes stories as he was already planning Holmes' demise and exit from literature. He was persuaded to write what would have been the penultimate Holmes adventure, The "Hound of the Baskervilles", before killing off Holmes in 'The Final Problem." As we now know, like the reported death of Mark Twain, the story of Holmes' death was greatly exaggerated and Holmes returned in triumph never to leave us again as the world-wide popularity of the Holmes adventures appears likely to live on into the distant future.

Note that both Amazon and GoodReads apparently combine reviews and ratings of different editions which do not contain the same stories.

[Bernhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are the second collection of short stories and the fourth Sherlock Holmes related release (including the first two novels) by Arthur Conan Doyle. These, very much like the previous Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, don’t disappoint and present much fun.

I’ve always liked reading short stories. Sometimes I prefer to read something that I know will end in just a few pages, instead of a longer novel/book. The Sherlock Holmes short stories besides being that are also fun and mostly action packed. Sure, there are some hits and misses, but they’re very good for the major part. They’re fun, mysterious (most of them), have a great main character in Sherlock Holmes and are narrated in an interesting way by Holmes’s companion, Watson. They’re also quite atmospheric, taking place mostly in London and its surroundings during the late 1800s Victorian era.

Most of these stories range from good to pretty good, with some being slightly superior to others. My favourite stories in this collection were Silver Blaze, The Musgrave Ritual and The Final Problem. Other very good ones were The Reigate Puzzle, The Resident Patient, The Greek Interpreter and The Naval Treaty. On the other hand, the story I liked the least was definitely The Stock-Broker’s Clerk.

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo pequeños comentarios individuales de cada relato en mi perfil, pero el promedio de todos dio: 3.09 ★

Silver Blaze ★ ★
The Yellow Face ★ ★ ★
The Stockbroker's Clerk ★ ★ ★
The Gloria Scott ★ ★ ★
The Musgrave Ritual ★ ★ ★
The Reigate Squires ★ ★ ★ ★
The Crooked Man ★ ★
The Resident Patient ★ ★ ★
The Greek Interpreter ★ ★ ★
The Naval Treaty ★ ★ ★ ★
The Final Problem ★ ★ ★ ★

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is another set of short-stories that are solved by the renowned detective. Whilst I enjoyed this book, I do think that some of the stories are dated as there were some issues like racial slurs or more specifically a racist story and fat-phobic issues/terms.

But other than that I really liked the stories and to see Sherlock do what he does best. I liked the writing and as always I liked the way the mysteries were solved.

4 stars

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Á, Sherlock Holmes, személyesen! Micsoda kellemes meglepetés.
- Részemről a szerencse, kedves Kuszma. De mit látok? Csak nem pont most olvasta el a rólam szóló kötetet?
- Valóban! Ezt meg miből találta ki?
- Nos, a hüvelykujja körme alatt papírcafatot látok, amelyet sárgaságából ítélve a hetvenes évek második felében gyárthattak, és az is köztudott, hogy a Kriterion Könyvkiadó puhafedeles könyveinek gerince a rossz ragasztás miatt foszlásra felettébb hajlamos. Márpedig a Kriterion az én emlékirataimat pont 1976-ban adta ki. Továbbá az imént azt mormolta magában, hogy "az a kokainista mániás depressziós", és ez megerősített abban, hogy csakis egy Doyle-könyvön mélázhat. És az is segített, hogy láttam, most tölt fel épp egy értékelést rólam.
- Hogyhogy? Ön olvassa az értékeléseimet?
- Csak a párbeszédeseket. Azok szellősek.
- És? Meg van elégedve az Önről írottakkal?
- Legalább nem használta az "aranyos" szót, ez is valami.
- Igen, szerencsére Ön megtette helyettem.
- Mindenesetre meglehet, túlságosan sokat vár egy százéves szövegtől. Ez a krimiirodalom hajnala, itt még a viktoriánus olvasók ingerküszöbét kellett megugrani, nem a dekadens, Hannibal Lecteren szocializálódott fogyasztói társadalomét.
- Nyilván. De sajnos legjobb szándékkal sem tudom akkor olvasni ezeket a műveket, amikor Mr. Doyle írta őket.
- Világos. De hogy a frenetikus lezárás sem nyűgözte le!
- Frenetikus. No persze. Már ne is haragudjon, de az egy bántóan összecsapott fejezet. Lerí róla, Moriarty professzor figuráját a szerző csak úgy a kabátujjából rángatta elő, hogy legyen valami kellően nagy formátumú gonosztevő, akinek a segítségével lezárhatja a Sherlock Holmes-szakaszt az életében. Ha lett Doyle-ban egy csepp hivatástudat, nem 17 oldalban, hanem 250-ben fejti ki a sztorit.
- Hm, hát igen. Akkoriban már eléggé elmérgesedett a viszony köztem és teremtőm között.
- Remélem, azért nem bántottam meg.
- Ugyan, dehogy. Örültem a találkozásnak. A legjobbakat.
- Viszontlátásra.
- Egy pillanat... csak még egy kérdést...
- Elnézést, ez Columbo hadnagy dumája.
- Öööö, akkor bocs.

[Carl Audric Guia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was great. Its being a collection of short stories made it hard for me to connect. I always thought that "it will just be 20 pages, you don't have to attach yourself too much." When you're tossed around the air every 20 pages or so, it can really be troubling.

Starting a new chapter had always been the hardest part. It feels like "ah, here we are again." But a few pages in, I'm hooked. Holmes' power of logic and deduction amazes be every single time.

The plot of the stories had a formula; it's always a mystery at the beginning and Holmes' solving it at the end. The problem is, I haven't found that certain formula. Although each chapter is so clockwork, it always has something new for the reader. You may think that "nah, Arthur Conan Doyle cannot have this so many ideas".

But yes, he does. And that's what I love so much about the chronicles of Sherlock Holmes. It may feel like Doyle's writing has already peaked after reading a good one, but it just keeps getting better and better.

[Yani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que el título incluya la palabra “memorias” sugiere mucho y, aunque sé que la mayoría ya sabe cómo termina, no por eso voy a arruinarle el final a la minoría. Creo que no supera a Estudio en escarlata o El sabueso de los Baskerville y, aunque varios de estos cuentos me supieron a poco, valió la pena llegar hasta el final. Además, las aristas que se presentan de Holmes lo pintan mucho mejor que en los libros anteriores (sigue siendo un misógino, lamentablemente eso no lo cambia). Haré un punteo sencillo sobre los relatos que están incluidos en este volumen, sin spoilers. La calificación total corresponde al promedio de las estrellas individuales que puse entre paréntesis.

Silver Blaze (4): entretenido cuento sobre la desaparición de un caballo de carreras y el asesinato de su entrenador. Holmes despliega mucho humor e ironía, siempre burlándose de la ley pero manteniéndose dentro de ella para defenderla.

La cara amarilla (5): se presenta como uno de los casos en donde Holmes falló. Un hombre acude a él, desesperado, porque sospecha que su esposa anda en algo raro. El relato es muy bueno por el trasfondo que tiene y el señor Munro se llevó mi respeto.

El escribiente del corredor de Bolsa (4): con este cuento casi me duermo (la explicación del denunciante es demasiado larga), pero en el final tiene un giro interesante.

La corbeta Gloria Scott (3): es el primer caso de un joven Holmes y se lo presenta a Watson. La historia me pareció original y permite conocer al Holmes estudiante, aunque el relato me aburrió en varios momentos.

El ritual de los Musgrave (4): otro caso de juventud de Holmes. El planteo del enigma me gusta por lo que implica. Me molestó que se atribuyeran tantas calificaciones a una persona sólo por ser de X nacionalidad (plasma una época, eso seguro). Sentí que estaba leyendo Asesinato en el Orient Express.

Los Caballeros de Reigate (3): se presenta a un Holmes débil y eso suma. Es el caso del robo de unas casas que luego termina con un giro peculiar. No me gustó mucho.

El jorobado (4): un coronel aparece asesinado en el mismo cuarto cerrado en donde discutía con su esposa ¿Fue ella? Encontré un par de referencias a Los crímenes de la calle Morgue, tal vez era imposible no verlas (sobre todo por lo del cuarto cerrado).

El enfermo interno (3): un médico pide la ayuda de Holmes cuando dos hombres misteriosos (uno diciendo que es cataléptico) se presentan frente a él. No es una brillantez, pero intriga lo suficiente.

El intérprete griego (5): este me gustó porque se presenta a un personaje que venía esperando desde hacía tiempo y porque cualquier cosa que contenga un problema lingüístico de fondo me llama la atención. El final es interesante.

El tratado naval (4): demasiado largo y con una motivación tan débil como efectiva. Esta vez, el asunto tiene carácter político y Holmes debe ayudar a mantener el equilibrio.

El problema final (5): nombre más “spoileador”, imposible. Y Watson empieza contándolo todo, sin compasión por el pobre lector al que le romperá el corazón. Aparece Moriarty, el “Napoleón del crimen”, y el resto es historia.

Menos mal que ya tengo El regreso de Sherlock Holmes.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 work. He's a man living in his time and place in the world and is both affected by it and engaged by it- he does not live in a vaccum. He reads about politics, seems to understand the colonial system and has opinions about it, and reads other books. He does enjoy every day things, a beautiful day, a picnic, and can even be poetical (yes, really, there's a story where he philosophizes about flowers).

But lest you think this is all the mushy stuff- the last story in this collection, "The Final Problem," introduces Professor Moriarty. And that's anything but mushy! And really, the other stories aren't really either- its just the presence of much sentiment at all seems rather unusual. There's the requisite amount of chases, nighttime frights, fights, intrigue, and murder, as ever.

My favorites were "The Yellow Face," "The Adventure of the Crooked Man," (which has a dramatization appearance by Brian Blessed, btw), and "The Final Problem".

A must read for those Holmes fans that like to see the charcter develop as well as solve the mysteries.

[Barry Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with most short story collections, you have hits and misses. However in this collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, Conan Doyle writes far too many misses to be it to be enjoyable. As the collection went on I found myself getting less and less invested in the stories of the great detective. I tutted and sighed at how formulaic and ridiculous some of the stories were. My utter frustration came to a vocal climax when Holmes was pushed from the Reichenbach Falls and I muttered, "thank god".

If you're looking for a recommendation, give The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes a go. It's a far superior collection.

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 of money to finance his mistress. Holmes solves the case by checking the behavior of other animals in the barn. Nothing remarkable here. 2 stars

The Yellow Face Jack is black. Effie is white. They have Lucy who is black. Jack dies and Effie marries John. Effie hides Lucy because she is black to John. No crime for Holmes to solve. Looks like just a story on racism and not your typical Sherlock Holmes. 2 stars

The Stock-broker’s Clerk Two brothers trying to fool a job applicant. A story similar to the previous ones where an undesirable person is eliminated so that the crime can be committed. Quite a good story to read even if there is no big action. I liked this one. 3 stars

The “Gloria Scott” This story seems not to follow the usual format: a customer comes to Holmes and Watson, they investigate, there is a cover-up, they employ the power of deduction the crime is unfolded, the situation is rectified. In this story, only the power of deduction is used and everything is flashback (memory?). I liked the fact that there is variation in this collection and of course the plot is very interesting. Gloria Scott here is the name of the ship. 3 stars

Musgrave Ritual Very interesting plot. It also deviates from the usual Watson telling the story. This is the story-within-the-story (frame tale) where Holmes is the narrator recounting a story that happened before. If I understood this correctly, this is one of the first story where he used his power of deduction and that incident is very interesting because of the oak. 3 stars

The Raigate Puzzle A coachman, William Kirwan is found dead (murdered) holding a piece of paper with some notes appearing on it. Holmes, an expert in handwriting, deduces that those notes have been from two men. The plot is tight and stimulates thinking. Well-told. 3 stars

The Crooked Man Holmes asks Watson to get his opinion regarding the death of a man where the prime suspect is his wife. The way the crime was put in the open is not really new but maybe during that time it was so this should be okay. 2 stars

The Resident Patient Doctor Trevelyan is offered by Blessington good lifestyle in exchange of the professional fees that the doctor gets from his practice and by default, Blessington becomes Trevelyan’s resident patient. Then when the doctor meets another patient, the whole scheme becomes questionable. Quite interesting for me. 3 stars

The Greek Interpreter This is where Holmes’ elder brother makes a debut appearance. Mycroft also has those great observation skills and power of deduction that Holmes has. It’s just that he does not have the energy so he (Mycroft) consult Holmes regarding his neighbor, Mr. Melas, the Greek interpreter. Melas is invited to translate a document but when he arrives in the house of his client, he sees that the windows are papered so the suspicion begins and the plot thickens. I liked this one too. 3 stars

The Naval Treaty An important naval treaty is found to be missing in the office of Mr. Percy Phelps, an old schoolmate of Watson. The document is taken when he was out taking some coffee. The story is a long one with each suspect and his/her possible motive is analyzed. This one made me want to become a detective. Very good analysis. 4 stars

The Final Problem The story that introduces Holmes’ arch-enemy and greatest opponent, the criminal mastermind, Professor Mortiarty. The 2011 film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is based in part on this short story. It ends with Holmes and Moriarty plummeting into the falls, and Watson is shown writing the final sentences of "The Final Problem" on his typewriter. Very engaging story and I can’t wait to get a copy of the film so I can watch it myself. What a nice way to end this collection! 5 stars!

At some point in my reading, it became boring. I noticed that some of the stories became formulaic. I thought, what's the use of completing the canon when the reading is no longer enjoyable and becoming a chore? However, the last two stories recapped the collection quite well. So, I am off to the third collection of his short stories called "The Return of Sherlock Holmes." Again, I am not sure why these are grouped as "return." Did he rest from writing and came back by publishing these stories in series? But that is not important, the stories are nice to read!

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book of the Sherlock Holmes collection, published in 1893 after Doyle had grown to resent the character. Even Doyle's own mom was fascinated by Holmes. Because Doyle was such an eclectic personality, it only strikes me as logical that he would loathe being tied down to the singular detective.

Doyle had such a wealth of interests that he had other characters he wanted to explore (like Professor Challenger from the Lost World.) In order to free himself from the millstone, he concocted a way to kill off the character in the story entitled the Final Problem which closes the anthology with the villainous Moriarty completing the deed.

As for the stories here, they all are memorable, strongly written with the Final Problem striking chords of pathos that resonated for years, such that Doyle wrote the Hound of the Baskervilles to assuage the furor, and punctuate the career of Holmes. Even doing that kept the avid fans hungry for more of this particular character with his inevitable eventual return coming when his mother kept at him.

No one, not even Doyle, wants to disappoint Mom.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though some of these stories slipped into the formulaic, I was still entertained. The one I keep thinking of, however, is the one that's most laughable – for both good and bad. “The Adventure of the Reigate Squire” is problematic in its plot elements, especially with the introduction at the very end of a name we’d not heard before (What?!), but the description of Sherlock’s physical actions are a visual delight (and that’s something I don’t usually value). The 'bad-laughing' had me wondering if this is when Doyle started to weary of his creation, yet the powerful stories that succeed it belie that.

The famous last story ("The Final Problem") I’d read a long time ago; but, of course, I appreciate it much more now that I have more than just my childhood reading of “The Case of the Speckled Band” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” under my Sherlockian cap.

[Alaska Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

sencillamente soy la más feliz leyendo estos libros y me dan toda la energía de la que carezco justo ahora...

le pondría cinco estrellas pero sigo siendo objetiva; ¡por cierto! las apariciones de Mycroft son CINE.

amo estos libros.

[Chafic (Rello) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been, by far - the best of the Sherlock Holmes series for me.

I enjoyed every single one of these short stories - not only were the mysteries themselves interesting, it is clear that the observation of Sherlock Holmes' fascinating character is what draws the attention of the reader. From his first case to his last, this has been truly enjoyable.

I really enjoy this whole backstory. Go character development!

[Steve Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This second collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories covers those that originally saw publication in The Strand magazine between December 1892 and December 1893. I’d put it on a par with the first collection – no real bad stories, about five good ones, and seven middling ones.

The five I consider to be a notch above the rest are:-

‘The Adventure Of The Yellow Face.’ Which is a good and straightforward yarn concerning a mysterious face that appears at a window. And why does a man’s wife disappear at 3am?

‘The Adventure Of The Stockbroker’s Clerk’ is a fine enough tale, but only just makes it into my group of the best stories in this collection! Why is a man employed by someone pretending to be two people?

‘The Adventure Of The Gloria Scott’ is a memorable one, in which Holmes tells Watson of his very first case. The father of a friend is oppressed by a strange sea-faring man.

‘The Adventure Of The Naval Treaty.’ Though the ending is not as fine as the strong opening, it’s still a well told tale. A copier has important government papers stolen from him.

‘The Adventure Of The Final Problem’ is the famous one of course where Holmes meets Moriarty in Switzerland, at the Reichenbach Falls. There’s a good sense of atmosphere, mystery and adventure with this one.

As a whole, the occasional dull passages in which a lot of flat telling can go on are generally more than made up for by tons of misty atmosphere, and by the unique and fascinating character of Holmes himself. As I’ve stated with regards to the previous book, if you are able, I would track down one of the many editions which have the original illustrations, as they add greatly to the atmosphere. I actually read this as part of a one tome ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Illustrated Short Stories’ from Chancellor Press (a 1987 reprint of a book published in 1985).

[Note. I’m currently coming to the end of the third collection, ‘The Return Of Sherlock Holmes.’ Contrary to reports - and I think Doyle himself - that he was running out of steam and had had enough of his creation, I’m actually finding it consistently better than the first two collections].

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It has been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important."

Sherlock Holmes continues solve mysteries and stop villains across England and abroad. His trusted biographer and friend, Dr. Watson, continues to document this sleuth's adventures. Wether in the countryside or a grand mansion, there is yet a mind that rivals that of Sherlock but while he is busy solving crime, someone else is in the business of creating it. Dr. James Moriarty is a criminal mastermind and his organization is causing havoc across Europe. Sherlock makes it his mission to stop him but in the process makes himself a target.

Originally published in 1894, 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes' is the fourth installment in these series. A collection of short stories, each was different and entertaining, giving more insight into Sherlock Holmes himself. Called upon by royalty and commoners alike, Holmes uses his acute abilities of deduction and observation to solve crimes that seem unsolvable. He has yet to meet an opponent that rivals his mind until he learns of James Moriarty, a former math professor and genius turned criminal mastermind. Sherlock follows Moriarty's steps and tries to undermine his organization. This, in turn, puts him on Moriarty's radar. I found this book to be very well written and highly entertaining. The standout story for me is 'The Final Problem', for obvious reasons. This tome was meant to be the detective's last but readers demanded more and thus Doyle complied. I am so looking forward to continue onto the next book. A great read.

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4,5 en realidad*
El último relato ha sido desgarrador 💔

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are better than modern bestsellers any day of the week. Intriguing mysteries, crisp writing, great vocabulary...these definitely stand the test of time.

[D'Ailleurs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δεν ντρέπομαι να αναφέρω ότι ο Σέρλοκ Χόλμς είναι ο αγαπημένος μου λογοτεχνικός ήρωας όλων των εποχών. Παρόλο που οι ιστορίες του (τα τελευταία χρόνια που τις ξαναδιάβασα σε κανονική και όχι παιδική μετάφραση) είναι εκτελεστικά παροχημένες συγκριτικά με την σύγχρονη λογοτεχνία κρύβουν πολύ περισσότερη οξυδέρκεια από μοντέρνους συγγραφείς. Δεν υπάρχει λόγος να γίνει ανάλυση του βιβλίου άλλωστε ο Σέρλοκ Χόλμς είναι ιδέα και παρόλες τις αδυναμίες της διήγησης αυτό που αποτυπώνεται στον αναγνώστη είναι η πολυπλοκότητα του συγκεκριμένου χαρακτήρα και όχι το ίδιο το μυστήριο.

Επίτηδες άφησα την συλλογή αυτή καθώς η ιστορία "The final problem" με την αναμέτρηση Σέρλοκ Χόλμς - Καθηγητή Μοριάρτι πάντα με στεναχωρούσε. Γιαυτό και διάβασα ξανά αμέσως μετά το "Μυστήριο του άδειου σπιτιού" με την επιστροφή του μεγάλου ντετέκτιβ. Και μια μικρή σημείωση: σε γενικές γραμμές δεν είμαι ευσυγκίνητος ειδικά όταν βλέπω ταινίες/σειρές αλλά μια από τις σπάνιες φορές που δάκρυσα ήταν στην Ρώσικη μεταφορά των ιστοριών του Χόλμς (την ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΗ ΜΕΤΑΦΟΡΑ με τον ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΟ ΧΟΛΜΣ ΟΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΕΠΟΧΩΝ) στο σημείο που ξανασυναντιούνται οι δύο φίλοι. Όσοι θέλετε δείτε μαζεμένα όλα τα επεισόδια με Αγγλικούς υπότιτλους εδώ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAAIm...

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much, much better than The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. As with any short story collection, it has a few misses. These include The Reigate Squires and The Resident Patient. However, it has so many highlights. These are:

- Silver Blaze [Which is where we are introduced to the curious incident of the dog in the night-time]
- The Gloria Scott
- The Musgrave Ritual [This and the previous story being cases solved prior to Holmes having met Watson]
- The Crooked Man [Which is the closest we will come to hearing the mythical “Elementary, my dear Watson”, which is never actually uttered by Sherlock Holmes on any occasion]
- The Greek Interpreter [Mycroft Holmes! Who is, actually, the “superior thinker” of the brothers]
- The Final Problem [Professor Moriarty – as I read in DK’s The Sherlock Holmes Book: “When the story was published in The Strand Magazine, the reaction was consternation, shock, even outrage.”]