The Complete Sherlock Holmes Illustrated

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Desultory readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning. No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.

“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic.

Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.”

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment.”

where there is no imagination there is no horror.

It’s heads I win and tails you lose. Whatever they do, they will have followers. ‘Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l’admire.’”*

“A fool always finds a greater fool to admire him” (from Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux’s L’Art Poétique). [Ed.]

The most commonplace crime is often the most mysterious because it presents no new or special features from which deductions may be drawn.

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence,” returned my companion, bitterly. “The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done.

what is out of the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance.

Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”

when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

“There are no fools so troublesome as those who have some wit.” (Rochefoucauld) [Ed.]

“Of course we know that men despise what they don’t understand.” [Ed.]

the chief proof of man’s real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness.

the keenest reasoner may occasionally be deceived.

a change of work is the best rest.

while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.

for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination.”

but there is nothing so important as trifles.

it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”

“It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

“What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable.

So he does have a soul even if he tries to hide it

For two hours we rambled about together, in silence for the most part, as befits two men who know each other intimately.

Gay. They were totally gay.

trees are always a neighbourly kind of thing.

soft Johnnie

Interesting slang

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 all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. 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.”

I wish that he were here.

Gay

I have not lived for years with Sherlock Holmes for nothing.

Lol

“Where is it?” Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he, the man of iron, was shaken to the soul. “Where is it, Watson?”

So he does feel emotions

Now he was dancing and laughing and wringing my hand.

Wth out of character much

I at his request had sold my practice and returned to share the old quarters in Baker Street.

Becaus this is a totally straight thing to do

in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food,

Same tbh

That a man should lie in wait for and follow a very handsome woman is no unheard-of thing,

Unfortunately

and this he brought into my room,

Why is he in Watson's room?!?!

later still he entered my room

Again!

“When do we start?” “You are not coming.” “Then you are not going,” said I. “I give you my word of honour—and I never broke it in my life—that I will take a cab straight to the police-station and give you away, unless you let me share this adventure with you.”

True love lmao

I felt Holmes’s hand steal into mine

"they were roomates"

The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it.

How can you build on such a quicksand? Their most trivial action may mean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin or a curling tongs.

Sir Arthur truly understood women lol

there should be no combination of events for which the wit of man cannot conceive an explanation.

how often is imagination the mother of truth?

“I knew you would not shrink at the last,” said he, and for a moment I saw something in his eyes which was nearer to tenderness than I had ever seen.

Going a bit soft now eh

my Watson.

Possesive much

“I have never loved,

Liar

on general principles it is best that I should not leave the country. Scotland Yard feels lonely without me, and it causes an unhealthy excitement among the criminal classes.

Lolll

In reply I had a telegram asking for a description of Dr. Shlessinger’s left ear.

Maybe don't ignore that

His explanation of his sudden and opportune appearance was simplicity itself, for, finding that he could get away from London, he determined to head me off at the next obvious point of my travels.

He really can't bear too be away from his bf

“There are the wheels, Watson. Quick, man, if you love me!