The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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I have to admit, while I hold some of Doyle's Holmesian novels close to heart, he is a darn good short story writer. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the first published series of short stories by Doyle, and it really shows a great deal more about the famous detective and his trusty doctor (who is now married!). 


The Adventures features one of the greater characters in the series. She's a brilliant criminal who's name will always appear next to Sherlock Holmes', even though she is only mention in one short story (talk about a memorable character!). She is the infamous Irene Adler, or as she is called in the story "The Woman". If you want a bit of romance from the detective, this is the closest you'll get, as Adler is the only woman to match wits with Holmes. She features in "A Scandal in Bohemia". 
If you want a good laugh (possibly at the expense of some red-haired people) and an interesting tale, look no further than "The Red-Headed League". It's a story about a terrible "prank" on the red-haired people of London who get paid to do nothing, until one day, the league vanishes. This story has an interesting twist near the end, which made it pretty enjoyable.
Another favorite of mine was "The Boscombe Valley Mystery". The story features a wild goose chase that revolves around a singular man, James McCarthy, who swears he's innocent. This story is brilliant in the fact that for a while, you can't be quick sure whether James is telling the truth, you just have to go off of faith in Holmes (who seems to be infallibly right) to find out the truth. And it's the truth that'll shock you!
"The Speckled Band" is also a great thriller, but just a warning, it jumps way back in time, so don't expect Watson's wife to make an appearance.


Now, I won't review every story in the book, but here's a few who I thought were a little weaker:


"The Engineer's Thumb" is a bit of a weird story with a big anticlimax. While Holmes isn't always suppose to "catch the bad guys", this story builds up a lot for no closure. Not something an avid book reader wants in a short story.
Another odd little story is "The Man With The Twisted Lip". This story is one the few that writers often try to add to in their own ways (a good example is "The Men With The Twisted Lips" by S. J. Rozan). There's no real explanation as to why this case is important, and it really seems like a string of coincidences. Doyle never explained this story, so we may never know the real truth behind it.


Overall, this is a good read. It's not a "sit down and finish in one day" type of book. It's a good meal book (I like to read and eat. It's odd, but pleasurable) or "in between books" book. Overall, four pearls!


Tune in next week for more Canon reviews!


XOXO
Babsie