Sherlock Holmes Collection

The Sherlock Holmes Book Series
Arthur Conan Doyle

5/5

  

A Study in Scarlett
The Sign of Four
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Valley of Fear
His Last Bow & The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

 I have just finished reading the collection of novels and short stories of this phenomenal series by Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes and Watson’s enthralling cases encompass 2,400 pages of mystery that leaves the disbelieving reader in awe of Holmes’ talents. Watson narrates their adventures where he describes a cacophony of remarkable abilities that Holmes possesses. The skills that he draws on include great powers of observation, theorising, deduction and logical reasoning which are displayed in full splendour as he tackles crimes, mysteries and fantastical complexities. Holmes’ role as ‘consulting detective’ sees an assortment of characters enter the rooms of Holmes and Watson’s at Baker Street, varying from: foreign royalty and influential politicians to people in the poorest realms of London.

Within the dense miasma of London in the Victorian era, multifaceted problems are brought to Holmes’ attention, for his magnificent and heralded skills are needed to decipher them. The role as “consulting detective” which he created for himself ensures that he can aid with problems that are not in the police’s jurisdiction but because he finds the challenge of these unusual and singular matters testing and fascinating. Watson chronicles their encounters into events of the people of London which bring them to their rooms as well as chartering his close quarters analysis of Holmes, and he recants Holmes’ explanations of how he uses his logical reasoning, observation and vast knowledge to come to his conclusions.

Doyle introduces an eccentric, intelligent and talented character who is Sherlock Holmes in his first novel “A Study in Scarlett”. It also sees the formation of the famous detective partnership of Holmes and Watson. The novel is split into 2 parts, which is a technique Doyle uses later in “The Valley of Fear”, though the novel is not considered Doyle’s best work, it nevertheless introduced us to Holmes and his outstanding abilities to solve crimes and mysteries through observing the minutest of details. The succeeding novel is my favourite of the four novels, “The Sign of Four”. I found the complicated and mystifying storyline really compelling and the way that Holmes conducted his investigation was truly remarkable. The intriguing plot consists of a secret pact made of four convicts, a stolen treasure and the characters’ service in the East India Company during the 1857 Rebellion. It is a spectacular book and I can not recommend it highly enough.

The short stories are recorded in the books: “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”, “The Return of Sherlock Holmes” and “The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes”. A few of the short stories that I really enjoyed reading included: ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, ‘The Five Orange Pips’, ‘The Speckled Band’, ‘The Final Problem’, ‘The Empty House’, and ‘The Priory School’. These case offer different qualities and these stories are either of significant importance or are brilliantly puzzling and a resolution to the crime or problem appears completely unfeasible, but Holmes somehow uncovers the truth by using a plethora of his methods.

The Sherlock Holmes series, is one that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and I have been especially fascinated with Holmes’ character and his exceptional abilities that unravel seemingly impossible scenarios that are of a criminal nature or just out of his personal investigative interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Watson