BUDDY READ: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

I am (apparently) leading a group read for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for another group and, seeing as it is a collection of classic mysteries, thought I would set up a buddy read for it in this group as well for the month of May.

The most recognized detective in all of literature, Sherlock Holmes first appeared in A Study In Scarlet in 1887. His deductive reasoning, keen insight, skillful observations, and investigative tactics became the tools necessary to solve riveting and intriguing crimes that continue to delight generations of readers. Something I found interesting is that the book was banned in the Soviet Union in 1929 for its author's “occultism,” although the book shows few to no signs of such material, and the embargo was later lifted.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes includes the following twelve stories:

A Scandal in Bohemia
The Adventure of the Red-Headed League
A Case of Identity
The Boscombe Valley Mystery
The Five Orange Pips
The Man with the Twisted Lip
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
The Adventure of the Speckled Band
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches


Don’t have a copy? You can find a free copy at any of the following online sources:

Amazon

B&N (Free at time of posting)

Project Gutenberg

[❂ Murder by Death]

I'm interested. Are we treating it as a regular book, or breaking it down the 3 stories each week?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I'm interested. Are we treating it as a regular book, or breaking it down the 3 stories each week?"

We can do it however people want to do it. In the other group I believe we are doing it as a regular book.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Have finished the first five stories, seven to go. Anyone else reading it, or planning to join in? ☺

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I'm going to read it this month, reread really.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Marisa wrote: "I'm going to read it this month, reread really."

YAY! ☺

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "Have finished the first five stories, seven to go. Anyone else reading it, or planning to join in? ☺"

It's a re-read for me, too, but I thought we were starting in May?!? I was waiting until today to get started, lol...

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

Sme here ;)

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Jennifer -- I did set this up for May, but that doesn't mean people could not start reading before then. It was close enough to end of April that I figured I might as well start. Still 5/12.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I'm now with Murder of Crows, but there will some story from time to time.

[❂ Murder by Death]

I started reading Adventures last night - I had found a Folio Society copy at a used bookstore back in February and this was the perfect excuse to crack it open.

I've read the Red-Headed League, A Scandal in Bohemia, and A Case of Identity. All three are excellent, but I think I actually prefer the Adventure of the Red-Headed League over A Scandal in Bohemia just a little bit. I LOVE the ending of Scandal, but the Red-Headed League is consistently interesting from start to finish.

[❂ Murder by Death]

I just looked over your list at the top and I think my copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes varies a bit from yours. I'll check when I get home, but I don't see "A Case of Identity" on your list...

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

Jennifer, my copy has "A Case of Identity" too. I've already begun the book, although I've only read the book about the woman ;) , "A Scandal in Bohemia". I've liked it as always, although I've read it more than once (I don't remember how many), it's always a nice and fun read.

Heather, thank you for giving me a hint to read this book.

[J.A.]

I've been dipping in and out of this book for the last few months. This gives me a good nudge to finished it this May!

[Kimberly]

OMG! I totally forgot about this buddy read. At least it's only the 6th. And they are short stories. So, I'll have to get started, ASAP. ;) :)

[❂ Murder by Death]

Marisa wrote: "Jennifer, my copy has "A Case of Identity" too. I've already begun the book, although I've only read the book about the woman ;) , "A Scandal in Bohemia". I've liked it as always, although I've rea..."

Ah, ok, maybe it was just accidentally left off the list above. It's a short short-story so it's easy to miss. :)

I read The Bascombe Valley Mystery and The Five Orange Pips last night. I always forget the ending of Five Orange Pips for some reason - probably because I'm not used to stories ending that way...

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

Same here about the five Pips. Anyway, I usually forget the end, so not a lot of problem with these books.

[Kimberly]

My copy also has different stories from the ones listed. Course, my copy is the Complete Sherlock Holmes that was released by Barnes and Noble Books in 1992. :) I was going through a "collecting classic books" phase. ;) So, I also have the other books listed, as well.

I was able to finish A Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League last night. Holmes sure has a way of spotting the little things. :) And, they are always so obvious, once he mentions them. I had forgotten about the woman. :) She seems to be his match in noticing the little things. ;):)

Onto the next story... :)

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

In my copy I don't have:
* The adventure of the dancing men
* The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
* The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
but I have:
* A case of Identity
* The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
* The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

I've read half of the book and I'm finishing "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle".

On another note, I don't forget "the woman" (There's an Adler Hotel in Madrid, that I see very frequently) and I was very happy when, a couple of years ago, I see Reichenbach Falls.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I just looked over your list at the top and I think my copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes varies a bit from yours. I'll check when I get home, but I don't see "A Case of Identity" on your l..."


The page from which I copied the list of stories had "The Dancing Man" listed, but it is NOT in the book I have and "A Case of Identity" is. Have edited the intro to reflect this correction. Interesting how some editions of this book seem to contain different stories, isn't it?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Read two more stories since Monday, so only four more to go for me. The discovery of the blue carbuncle seemed familiar to me, (view spoiler)[hidden inside a goose, (hide spoiler)] but I did not remember anything else of the story. I guessed the outcome of the "Speckled Band," as I have a few of these, but it's always interesting to see how our detective comes by his conclusions.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

A discussion in the other group brought up some good questions, and reminded me of a program people here might find interesting. A member wrote:


"I'm curious what others think: Why is the Sherlock Holmes character so adaptable to various treatments? Tina mentions the modernized SHERLOCK series which is clever and the version with a female Watson. Those are just the latest incarnations. There have been radio dramas, movies, young Sherlock movie, cartoons, more movies with no relation to the original stories, plays, 'further adventures', etc. Why so much fuss over a fictional sleuth?"


So -- my question to those who wish to think on it is:

What do you think is the universal appeal to Sherlock Holmes? What draws people to him, to these stories? Why do you think the interest has lasted 120 years?


As I said above, there was an interesting documentary that aired on PBS in 2014 which might interest Sherlock fans. You can read about it here: How Sherlock Changed the World. I recorded it, and have watched it a couple times. Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous sleuth were indeed way ahead of the times in detection work.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I suppose that's his "rationality" is as modern today as before (more even), you're always thinking if he's going to have feelings.. (even I don't usually like the modernized Sherlock)

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

And I've only four more to go too. And I remembered quite well "A case of identity" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"

[❂ Murder by Death]

I agree with Marisa: his rational thought process and his method are timeless. He's always in control, he never loses (except to that woman) and he always shows the reader how the strangest, most fantastic mysteries can be solved through observation.

I personally love him because he's the ultimate cold, rational thinker who is able to control just about everything - he's the first James Bond, only without the romance and gadgets. :D

ETA: Although with the exception of the BBC Sherlock, I really don't like any of the other adaptations.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I've already finished the book. Although I don't remember the stories as a whole, I remember the details and the core of it. I've enjoyed reading it a lot, thank you a lot, Heather, for suggesting it.

[Kimberly]

Finished A Case of Identity and The Boscombe Valley Mystery. I didn't remember them until I started to read them. ;) It's only been a couple of years since I read them for the first time, so as I go along, I'm remembering what happened. :) What clues Sherlock spots to solve the cases. I'm still enjoying them. :)

What I like about Sherlock is how he focuses on details that most people see, but don't observe. He uses those details to his advantage and it makes him appear to be a mind-reader. ;) And, when he tells Watson what it was he observed, it is so obvious how he came to the conclusions he did.

I happen to like a few of the recent Holmes movies/shows. Right now, Elementary is one of my favorite TV shows. I find a female Watson to be an interesting choice and Lucy Liu does a wonderful job in that role. I also liked the movies with Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes. Mostly because they had good action scenes. :) I'd have to admit though, that they are the only ones I've seen. :O So, I can't say much about any others out there...

[Kimberly]

After finishing The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle I'm reminded of another reason I like Sherlock Holmes. He doesn't always turn in the criminal. :O He understands extenuating circumstances and makes his choices on a case-by-case basis. He isn't as black and white as some characters are. :) To me, it makes him very likable. :)

[❂ Murder by Death]

I read The Man with the Twisted Lip last night. I think I read this for the first time around the time when there was an expose on TV about professional beggars that were making fantastic sums of money pretending to be homeless. I remember thinking at the end of this story "there really is nothing new under the sun".

I also thought this one was interesting because Holmes never explains how he figured it out - he just says it took an ounce of tobacco to do it.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Marisa wrote: "I've already finished the book. Although I don't remember the stories as a whole, I remember the details and the core of it. I've enjoyed reading it a lot, thank you a lot, Heather, for suggesting it."


You're welcome, Marissa -- and thank you for joining in!

I thought I would finish this weekend, but still have two left.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I read The Man with the Twisted Lip last night. I think I read this for the first time around the time when there was an expose on TV about professional beggars that were making fantastic sums of ..."

You're right, he never says exactly what gave the perpetrator away in this one, though it was what I too had suspected. I think he may have alluded to there being "similar" cases he had read about, though. I know he said that in "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor."

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Finished the last two stories. Good collection. Anyone else finished yet? What did you think? I find it odd that this book was banned in Russia because of "occultism," as there is nothing in it that even vaguely touches on the occult.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I don't understand about "occultism" in this book, where is it?. And... was it banned? Because perhaps it changes its place at the Ultimate Challenge....

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Marisa: When it was first published, it was initially banned in Russia because of "occultism." I don't see it, either, unless they saw his gift for deductive reasoning as shamanistic...as Holmes supposedly having some sort of ESP.

[Kimberly]

I have two more to go. I got sick and fell behind. But, I'm feeling mostly better and am trying to catch up.

I don't see why it was banned, either. It may have to do with the seeming ESP. But, Sherlock explains how he comes up with the results, and it's always logical, and never ESP. It was a different time and place back then, too.

[Sandra J]

I think it may have more to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's belief in spiritualism. If I remember correctly he was very involved in seances and the like.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "Finished the last two stories. Good collection. Anyone else finished yet? What did you think? I find it odd that this book was banned in Russia because of "occultism," as there is nothing in it tha..."

I finished up last night. It occurs to me that some of his best known and loved short stories are in this collection and I wonder if that's because these are the early stories, one's he would have written before Sherlock Holmes took over his life (which he hated - he never thought very highly of his SH writing and was disappointed it was so much more popular than his other full-length novels).

Of the collection, the only one I didn't remember clearly from before was the last one, the Beryl Coronet.

I didn't know about it being banned in Russia - I'm definitely using this one for the Ultimate Challenge then - woot! Like Sandra J, I'm guessing the banning had more to do with the author's proclivities and obsession with the occult than anything that's actually contained in this book.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Sandra J wrote: "I think it may have more to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's belief in spiritualism. If I remember correctly he was very involved in seances and the like."


That's true, he was, and also wrote a book about fairies, in which he also expressed a belief. That would certainly make sense, particularly if they had not actually read the book, but were basing their reasons on what they had heard about the author.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

Yes, there're a lot of book which features characters from that time, and Conan Doyle appears always like that.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Anyone else reading the book? Anyone with comments, observations, questions?

[Tina]

I would love to read the book! I just have to find a copy. I do paper only.

[Tina]

I hope to win !! I'm sure it will be great!

[Tina]

Oh I envy you guys and the buddy reads on Sherlock Holmes!!

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Tina: We finished this one in May, but maybe we'll do another one in the new year -- either Sherlock or an Agatha Christie. ;-)

[Tina]

I just bought as Agatha Christie at a yard sale today!! .25 cents. 5 Classic Murder Mysteries The Secret Adversary, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Boomerang Club, The Moving Finger, and Death Comes as The End.!! So excited!! I'll save it til next time!!

[☯Emily]

Tina, you are welcome to join the Agatha Christie book club on GR. We are reading all of Dame Christie's books and then will start over again! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Annamarie]

I have tried on and off for several years to read Sherlock Holmes stories. I cant seem to get into them. Any great ones to start with as suggestions?

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most well-known and most-read Sherlock Holmes story. I would suggest starting there.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most well-known and most-read Sherlock Holmes story. I would suggest starting there."

I second this - especially if you like spooky/gothic type stories.

[Annamarie]

ok. I will try and see how it goes from there! Thank you so much!