The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

[Nicolle]

We will read the standard version of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which includes:
"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"
You can choose to read any amount of these short stories or all of them.
When posting comments about books start the post with the title of the short story that you are talking about. Then put the comment like this (view spoiler)[.... (hide spoiler)] if there are spoilers, or just comment if you are merely voicing an opinion ect.
Discuss the books freely and if your require some directions and maybe some direct questions just ask and I will supply them.

[Jonathan]

I would particularly recommend the first two from memory of having read them a while ago...

[Danielle The Book Huntress]

I'll definitely have to participate in part or in full. Love Sherlock Holmes.

[Yasiru]

I remember most of these. Will be able to participate.

[Dalynn]

YES! The volume I have is a huge, fancy, gold-edged volume which is called "complete" and "illustrated" -- and this is part of it! I'm so excited! Looking forward to this one for sure. :)

[Carrie]

I'm in! I bought the book last week. :)

[Melissa]

I picked up a used copy at Half Price Books. (love that store!) I'm pretty sure I got the right one. :) Looking forward to it!

[Whitney]

I want the annotated versions of all the Sherlock holmes books. I have become obsessed with annotated versions of classics :)

[midnightfaerie]

Melissa - love that store too! best ever!

Chakara - I'm starting to get into those as well. Amazing what you can learn with them. I usually like to read them after I've read the original.

As for the adventures of sherlock holmes. it was great! doyle is a great writer!

[The Pirate Ghost]

It's also free for Kindle...


(gulp!) Please don't shoot the messenger or anything like catapult him into the wall or nuthin...

[midnightfaerie]

yeah, that's one i actually downloaded for free to my kindle.

[Jessi]

This was the first kindle book I ever got and I finished it not too long ago I really really enjoyed it

[Jonathan]

Hugh The Curmudgeon wrote: "It's also free for Kindle...


(gulp!) Please don't shoot the messenger or anything like catapult him into the wall or nuthin..."

Most classics are aren't they? But I went with a cool full leather set of Sherlock Holmes in one volume. Can I put the messenger in the stocks instead?

[Yasiru]

You could get it from Project Gutenberg I think.
It's part of my two volume paperback set of the Complete Sherlock Holmes.
If I ever get an e-book reader, I'd stick to freely available classics.

[Dalynn]

Yasiru - I don't have an eReader device; I simply downloaded the "Kindle for PC" from Amazon for free and have been downloading free classics every chance I get. ;)

[Hayley]

Ooh! I'm in. I haven't read this in years.

[Alex]

Can't wait! Just got the book :)

[Yasiru]

@Dalynn- I use software like Mobipocket Reader (which supports .epub files from Project Gutenberg among others- last I heard Kindle can't use .epub files without converting with a tool like Calibre).
Microsoft's Reader application is one of my favourites, but Microsoft has decided to discontinue it.
I'll give Kindle for PC a go. Thanks!

[Gaylinn]

I have just started reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Have read the first story and started the second. Really liking it so far. Got it free from Amazon.

[Missy]

Just got it =]

[Jonathan]

Can't wait for some discussion on this one :D

[Carrie]

I'm looking forward to the discussions also. I love Sherlock Holmes. Anyone watch the old PBS Sherlock series starring Jeremy Brett? That's my favorite Sherlock series.

[Yasiru]

Mine too. Some of the most faithful dramatisations I've seen of any series. It was originally a Granada TV production for ITV. Jeremy Brett will always be the quintessential Holmes, always inspiring, but never bettered.

[Gaylinn]

I finished it after getting it free on Amazon. Really enjoyed each story.

[Jonathan]

I was watching some of that the other day. I have to admit it's the most faithful portrayal. But I love the modern takes on the books also. Mainly because they chose excellent actors for the roles...

Also I'm currently reading the modern Holmes novel The House of Silk before reacquainting myself with the old books. I'll write how it compares...

[Parikhit]

Now this might come as a shocker but I haven't read the Sherlock Holmes stories completely. I remember reading a couple of them years ago.

Would, therefore, starting with the third book in the series be an unsuccessful attempt?

[Riya]

good question Parakhit. ive actually been wondering this as well since i have also never read any of sherlock holmes stories.

[Yasiru]

Parikhit wrote: "Now this might come as a shocker but I haven't read the Sherlock Holmes stories completely. I remember reading a couple of them years ago.

Would, therefore, starting with the third book in the ..."

Mariya wrote: "good question Parakhit. ive actually been wondering this as well since i have also never read any of sherlock holmes stories."


The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a short story collection with a dozen stories. A good place to start with Holmes. Better to leave the novels for after you read this.

Here's the text at Project Gutenberg- http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1661

A public domain audiobook (which I haven't checked since I dislike audiobooks) is linked on the Wikipedia page (which gives the same list of stories as the original post here does).

Hope that clears things up for you guys.

[Janice]

I have never read a sherlock holmes story/ novel and have always been rather sceptical and reluctant towards ever reading one. I guess I will give it a try and see where it will take me. Isn´t that what goodreads is (partly) about, getting to explore books you would have never touched otherwise? So, I am looking forward to it!

[☯Emily , moderator]

This is a good way to see if you enjoy Sherlock Holmes. The short stories are actually better than the novels. If you don't like the stories, at least you didn't waste a lot of time finding out. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" got me hooked as a child.

[Yasiru]

'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' is one of my favourites too. In fact, this collection has some of the most memorable for me, including 'The Adventure of the Red-Headed League' and 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle'.

Might help to watch the Jeremy Brett series mentioned earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmlwZ4... (Probably an infringement and due to be taken down, but you can view it in parts for now. This is 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band'.)

[Gaylinn]

I can't pick a favorite from the stories.

Has anyone read The Beekeepers Apprentice by Mary R. King? It is the first novel in her series about
Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russel and takes place after he has retired and moved to the country.

[Jonathan]

To all wondering I read the short stories first and am yet to read any of the novels in full. So the short stories are the perfect way to get into the brilliant world of Sherlock Holmes.

[Yasiru]

I haven't yet read anything outside the canon.

[Gaylinn]

I read thhe novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Doyle when I was younger and loved it.

[Yasiru]

Definitely the most entertaining, though my favourite novel is The Sign of Four.
Oddly (for being anachronistic), the collection that first got me into the stories is The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

[Jonathan]

Yasiru wrote: "I haven't yet read anything outside the canon."

The short stories I'm referring to are part of the canon. I'm enjoying the new book by Anthony Horowitz though - he does a great job of using similar style and tone to Doyle. And the book was authorised by the Sherlock Holmes Estate.

[Parikhit]

Yasiru wrote: "Parikhit wrote: "Now this might come as a shocker but I haven't read the Sherlock Holmes stories completely. I remember reading a couple of them years ago.

Would, therefore, starting with the thi..."

Thanks Yasiru.

[Yasiru]

@Jonathan- I meant the one Gaylinn mentioned. I've heard of Horowitz's. Sounds like it's worth getting hold of.

@Parikhit- No worries! :)

[Jonathan]

Yasiru wrote: "@Jonathan- I meant the one Gaylinn mentioned. I've heard of Horowitz's. Sounds like it's worth getting hold of."

Ah my mistake. But yes I'm over halfway through and it's brilliant. It's true to canon and character!

[Yasiru]

Added to my aim list. Seems fairly short.

[Jonathan]

The one I'm reading is only 294 pages. Which again sticks to the true classic style. I would have laughed if they'd come out with a 500 page epic Holmes because it would have been different to the style completely.

[Yasiru]

I saw some 'Young Sherlock Holmes' books around the 350 page mark. The very idea put me off without ever cracking them open though.

[Jessi]

The only thing that bothered me about this book was that the cases discussed were not in any kind of order. I think we should have heard about them in consecutive order.

[Yasiru]

The manner in which they were originally published (in the Strand magazine) is to blame for that I think. This set collects, if I recall, stories from a given period from the magazine.

Also, Doyle rather underestimated his own creation, so he might have been aiming for more or less standalone stories, with only the barest thread of a consistent continuity (aided by the fact that the in-story conceit is that Dr Watson himself is publishing these stories in confidence, only once dangers have passed for the involved parties, etc.).

[Sandie]

Gaylinn wrote: "I can't pick a favorite from the stories.

Has anyone read The Beekeepers Apprentice by Mary R. King? It is the first novel in her series about
Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russel and takes place aft..."

I've read the first two books in that series and really liked them. The first book actually conviced me I should try to read original Holmes short stories again.

I also don't like how the stories aren't told in any order because I find myself asking "what the heck happened to your wife, Watson?" The stories tend to leave me with more questions than answers, and I don't like that.

[Yasiru]

You can always find a chronological order online someplace (possibly Wikipedia). Some glaring timeline inconsistencies will remain, but you can generally piece it together. It's not that important though with this particular collection.

On Watson's wives, I've always put down his lack of mention to Victorian attitudes and Watson's concern in telling the stories (when you consider they're written by him) focused entirely on the case, its circumstances, and above all- Holmes.
Especially with Mary Morstan, (view spoiler)[I think when we reunite the tragedy has already played out. When mention is made, he appears quite sincere. (hide spoiler)]

I'll add King's books to my ever growing list.

[Jonathan]

The Horowitz work having been completed is brilliant. I'll write more in the currently reading topic.

[Nicolle]

Ok, so when posting comments about books start the post with the title of the short story that you are talking about. Then put the comment like this (view spoiler)[ ...... (hide spoiler)] if there are spoilers, or just comment if you are merely voicing an opinion ect.

[Yasiru]

I missed that there were spoiler tags on here. Corrected now.