A Study in Scarlet: with original illustrations by George Hutchinson

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Hutchinson

A STUDY IN SCARLET is an 1887 detective novel by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1886, the story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become among the most famous characters in literature. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, an amateur detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."

The story, and its main characters, attracted little public interest when it first appeared. Only 11 complete copies of the magazine in which the story first appeared, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, are known to exist now and they have considerable value. Although Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories featuring Holmes, A STUDY IN SCARLET is one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. A STUDY IN SCARLET was the first work of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an investigative tool.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
• Release date: Dec 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9789176371718

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859. Before starting his writing career, Doyle attended medical school, where he met the professor who would later inspire his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet was Doyle's first novel; he would go on to write more than sixty stories featuring Sherlock Holmes. He died in England in 1930.

Book preview

Conclusion

Part 1

BEING A REPRINT FROM THE REMINISCENCES OF JOHN H. WATSON, M.D., LATE OF THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER 1

MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES

IN THE YEAR 1878 I TOOK MY DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MEDICINE OF THE University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the Army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as assistant surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it, the second Afghan war had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had advanced through the passes, and was already deep in the enemy’s country. I followed, however, with many other officers who were in the same situation as myself, and succeeded in reaching Candahar in safety, where I found my regiment, and at once entered upon my new duties.

The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. I was removed from my brigade and attached to the Berkshires, with whom I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand. There I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I should have fallen into the hands of the murderous Ghazis had it not been for the devotion and courage shown by Murray, my orderly, who threw me across a packhorse, and succeeded in bringing me safely to the British lines.

Worn with pain, and weak from the prolonged hardships which I had undergone, I was removed, with a great train of wounded sufferers, to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the veranda when I was struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to England. I was despatched accordingly, in the troopship Orontes, and landed a month later on Portsmouth jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a paternal government to spend the next nine months in attempting to improve it.

I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading a comfortless, meaningless existence, and spending such money as I had, considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did the state of my finances become, that I soon realized that I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate somewhere in the country, or that I must make a complete alteration in my style of living. Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel, and take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.

On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar, when someone tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Bart’s. The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man. In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine, but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me. In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.

Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson? he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets. You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut.

I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.

Poor devil! he said, commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. What are you up to now?

Looking for lodgings, I answered. Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.

That’s a strange thing, remarked my companion; you are the second man today that has used that expression to me.

And who was the first? I asked.

A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found, and which were too much for his purse.

By Jove! I cried; if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him. I should prefer having a partner to being alone.

Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass. You don’t know Sherlock Holmes yet, he said; perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion.

Why, what is there against him?

Oh, I didn’t say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas— an enthusiast in some branches of science. As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough.

A medical student, I suppose? said I.

No—I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist; but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors.

Did you never ask him what he was going in for? I asked.

No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him.

I should like to meet him, I said. If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?

He is sure to be at the laboratory, returned my companion. He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night. If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon.

Certainly, I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.

As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn, Stamford gave me a few more particulars about the gentleman whom I proposed to take as a fellow-lodger.

You mustn’t blame me if you don’t get on with him, he said; I know nothing more of him than I have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory. You proposed this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible.

If we don’t get on it will be easy to part company, I answered. It seems to me, Stamford, I added, looking hard at my companion, that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow’s temper so formidable, or what is it? Don’t be mealymouthed about it.

It is not easy to express the inexpressible, he answered with a laugh. Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes—it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge.

Very right too.

Yes, but it may be pushed to excess. When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape.

Beating the subjects!

Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes.

And yet you say he is not a medical student?

No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him. As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane and passed through a small side-door, which opened into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down the long corridor with its vista of whitewashed wall and dun-coloured doors. Near the farther end a low arched passage branched away from it and led to the chemical laboratory.

This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. I’ve found it! I’ve found it, he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by haemoglobin, and by nothing else. Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.

Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, said Stamford, introducing us.

How are you? he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.

How on earth did you know that? I asked in astonishment.

Never mind, said he, chuckling to himself. The question now is about haemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?

It is interesting, chemically, no doubt, I answered, "but practically

Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don’t you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains? Come over here now! He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. Let us have some fresh blood, he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger, and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction. As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour, and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.

Ha! ha! he cried, clapping his hands, and looking as delighted as a child with a new toy. What do you think of that?

It seems to be a very delicate test, I remarked.

Beautiful! beautiful! The old guaiacum test was very clumsy and uncertain. So is the microscopic examination for blood corpuscles. The latter is valueless if the stains are a few hours old. Now, this appears to act as well whether the blood is old or new. Had this test been invented, there are hundreds of men now walking the earth who would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes.

Indeed! I murmured.

Criminal cases are continually hinging upon that one point. A man is suspected of a crime, months perhaps after it has been committed. His linen or clothes are examined and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains, or mud stains, or rust stains, or fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question which has puzzled many an expert, and why? Because there was no reliable test. Now we have the Sherlock Holmes’s test, and there will no longer be any difficulty.

His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke, and he put his hand over his heart and bowed as if to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination.

You are to be congratulated, I remarked, considerably surprised at his enthusiasm.

"There was the case of Von Bischoff at Frankfort last year. He would certainly have

Reviews for A Study in Scarlet

[bobbybslax · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Audiobook) Wasn't overly impressed with this, but perhaps that's due to it being among the first of its genre. It had two key features I enjoyed, whoever: 1) Watson's first meeting with Holmes and 2) the surprisingly long whodunnit explanation in Part 2. I often struggle with mystery books given their penchant to focus on a large cast of names, objects, places, and other nouns which I find hard to keep track of and continually visualize in my head. I encounter this issue with some more detail-obsessed fantasy stories, too. So, I became lost throughout a lot of the first half even though it was still mildly enjoyable (in great part due to Stephen Fry's narration). The most consistently amusing part of that half is Watson's developing relationship with Holmes, in which we get to discover the detective's eccentricities along with his new sidekick. I often enjoy buddy (cop) comedies, so that stuff provided a more easy connection than the actual investigation. The book then switches out of Watson's POV for most of the second half, providing an extended backstory for the killer and his motivation. While long and not always riveting, it was a novel approach to the often tedious form of exposition dumps you find in mysteries. By the end of it I had even sympathized with the killer enough to hope to see them victorious. It became the emotional throughline of the book how the Holmes-Watson dynamic used to be, but I wouldn't say either of those elements were particularly deep or resolved. A short, mildly entertaining read.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Holmes is just too full of himself.

[sarielle-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read this series as a child and I'm re-reading it now after so many years. Unfortunately, in my memories it was a better book. I mean, the story is great! Completely unbelievable and unreal but great. However, Sherlock Holmes is much more annoying than I remember. When I was a child such peculiar and cocky creatures probably didn't bother me but now he is a bit too much for my taste.

Anyway, it was a pleasure to read it again (especially after watching the TV shows based on the series in the meantime) and I will keep reading the other books in this series.

[bkwurm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What better place to start reading Holmes than at the beginning? Although not usually a fan of mysteries, I enjoyed reading about Holmes and his unapologetically superior powers of observation and deduction. It was nice to begin at the beginning and read about how Holmes and Watson first met, but I am looking forward to moving past the introduction stage and discovering more of the depth in their characters and their friendship.As for the story itself, the spiral of story upon story upon story kept me engaged and entertained. The abrupt switch in the middle of the book from a 1900s London crime scene to an unexplored, pre-Mormon Utah was more than a little confusing, but once I figured out it was part of the story the switch was easy enough to follow. I don't know if I liked it enough to read the entire Holmes saga, but for now I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

[great_east_road · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

See my review of this book, and many more, at Tales from the Great East Road.

After serving his country in the Afghanistan war, Dr John Watson returns to his beloved London looking for a home. Permanently injured during his service and with little money, John soon realises he’ll need a roommate. By chance, a friend introduces him to the world’s only Consulting Detective, Sherlock Holmes – a man of great intellect and almost terrifyingly accurate observations. Thus begins their many adventures together, starting with the body of a man found in Lauriston Gardens, and the word Rache spelt in blood across the wall. With the police stumped, only Sherlock can solve the puzzle.

Sherlock Holmes is undoubtably the most well known fictional detective in the world, famed for his amazing ability to decipher clues that no-one else can. We are repeatedly told of his genius, through the adoring eyes of Dr John Watson, and the joy of this entire series is the many mysteries and trying to figure out just how Holmes was able to solve them. It is stated by Holmes several times that he is not in fact a genius, but merely able to observe tiny details that other people nearly always miss. The big reveal in A Study in Scarlet shows that it was actually a fairly simple case had the police seen all the details – as Holmes himself says “I’m not going to tell you much more of the case, Doctor. You know a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his trick, and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all”. Since the novel is written from Watson’s point of view, we are unable to notice what Holmes sees, as Watson is not an observant man – or at least, not as observant as Sherlock Holmes. The reader of this series comes to idealise Holmes as capable of solving anything because we see him through Watson’s eyes as an impressive genius beyond all doubt.

In terms of characters, both Watson and Holmes felt a little flat, especially Watson, which is odd considering he is the narrator of this novel. Watson spends most of his time marvelling at Holmes’ amazing abilities, and Holmes showing off said abilities. It seems that Conan Doyle wanted the reader to feel the same love for Holmes as Watson does, and what better way than to have the whole story narrated by a admiring (though not mindless) fan? This appears to be one of those issues with knowing the characters more through adaptations that through the source material itself. The relationship, which plays a huge part in practically all the films/TV shows, felt under developed as we were told, rather than shown, that they had become friends. This relationship is almost certainly expanded during the course of the entire series, but in terms of A Study in Scarlet, it seems to be sacrificed in favour of the mystery.

There were a few other surprises, namely that the story changes in both scenery and characters in the second half, to explain the mystery, and that the author’s political views aren’t exactly subtle1. On the whole, A Study in Scarlet is an enjoyable book, but I can’t help but feel that people’s love of Sherlock Holmes comes both from the entire series and the many different interpretations we have available.

3.5 stars.

1 Conan Doyle seemed to really hates Mormons. I wonder why?

[danielstj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This Arthur Conan Doyle novel didn't do it for me. It had a lot going for it but, around the halfway mark, veered off course considerably and (I felt) never regained the same momentum that it started with. The story itself is interesting until this point, but then it falls into platitudes and asides that, I found, were not as interesting in the details rather than in the entire picture. Nonetheless, we are introduced to Watson and Holmes and their investigation of the case and Holmes comes off strong in the first part. 2 stars.

[muumuumousie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a great introduction to the characters! Sherlock has a strong mind, but I was just as impressed by his equally strong personality. In this book, Sherlock is a young man in his 20s, carving out a position for himself as the world’s only consulting detective. This ability to support himself by being self-employed in a never-before-seen job, to build up enough of a reputation to continue receiving clients, to carve out a niche where one had never existed—all of this seems amazing to me. I was prepared for the idea of Sherlock being a great detective, of course, but to dedicate himself to this sort of career would take not just intellect, but courage and self-confidence, attributes that Holmes has in spades. I also like that Sherlock isn’t perfect. Sometimes he misses things, and his personality isn’t always the kindest. I like that his flaws are present but not excused. And I really love Watson: a doctor, a war vet, a quiet man who is happy to be included in the adventure.The story itself is a little awkward in places; Doyle’s craft certainly gets better as the series goes on. The lengthy flashback sequence seems a little out of place, although the tension continues to build. I liked the way that Doyle took his time with the story; he builds Holmes’ and Watson’s relationship slowly, and he really gives the readers time to enjoy the characters and their quirks. The early parts of the book are warm, humorous, and charming. These are some well-developed characters, right from the start, and this sets the tone for every Holmes book that follows. I also thought it was nice that Doyle gave a shout-out to Poe, who pioneered the genre, but it’s a bit unfair (and slightly ironic) that Sherlock Holmes felt the need to complain about him: “Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends’ thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour’s silence is really very showy and superficial.” Showy? Superficial? Has Sherlock looked in a mirror lately? :P Not to mention the fact that he’ll pull the same stunt on Watson in a later story. All in all, this book is delightful.

[ray_-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh my, did I love this book!

Ever since I was little, I always loved anything Sherlock Holmes related; I watched cartoons, movies...etc. But weirdly enough I never got around to actually read the books.

I finally picked this one up and Damn son!

The plot was so interesting and fun to go through, it kept me on my toes and I just NEEDED to know who the killer was.
Then I reached the second part and I was confused for like 7 pages or so and then BAM everything fell into place.
Well, color me surprised!

One more thing;
I absolutely Love Sherlock Holmes, with his odd behaviors and awesomely weird way of thinking!
His companionship with Dr. Watson is just so precious I can't even!

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Still great.

[bookwallah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THE book that started our collective cultural obsession with murder mystery detectives. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first novel, “A Study in Scarlet”, has all the elements we have come to love: Analytical Holmes, affable Watson, the dreary London streets, clueless Lestrade from Scotland Yard, the rooms at 221B Baker Street, the impossible murder without any “clews” -- and the mind numbing feats of analysis we all love to hate. Perhaps Holmes himself says it best when he tutors Watson on the difference between reasoning forward and reasoning backward analytically, “There are few people, however, who, if you told them a result, would be able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which lead them to that result.” Few indeed, few indeed. Thank you Sir Arthur for creating Holmes which inevitably led to my obsession. Highly recommended for all readers.

[iftyzaidi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Sherlock Holmes book I've read. I'm not particularly well read in the mystery/detection genre - its not my usual cup of tea - but I really enjoyed this work, burning through the short, light read in no time. I enjoyed the characterisation of Holmes and the dynamics of his interactions with Watson, from whose point of view most of the story is told. I did find the sudden transition to the wilds of Utah in the middle of the book somewhat odd - I even checked to make sure my copy of the novel hadnt been misbound, mixing in the pages of some pulp western with the Holmes story! But it all made sense in the end - just Arthur Conan Doyle developing the background to the mystery while also dipping into the moral panic occasioned by Mormon religious practices such as polygamy. Setting that and other niggling fin-de-seicle British bourgeoisisms (the murderer had learnt vindictiveness from the Indians, the dirty street children are nicknamed arabs, etc.) this is a greatly enjoyable read and certainly good enough to instill a desire to read more of the adventures of Holmes and Watson.

[david7466 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This first of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books introduces the character quite well with several references to his peculiararities. It's funny at times, graceful with explanations of character history and short enough to enjoy in a reading or two.

[asxz-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first ever Holmes. Wonderfully there is much of the modern understanding of Sherlock Holmes clearly laid out on the page. He is perhaps even more self aware than TV and movie adaptations allow describing his mood swings and eccentricities to Dr. Watson even before they move in together.

There is a remarkable section in the middle where the narrative goes all Fenimore Cooper and we are transported from London to the snowy peaks of Utah. Quite unexpected. This was more fun even than I had expected. Fortunately I have already purchased further volumes.

[haloedrain · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I would have liked it better if most of part 2 didn't feel so completely separate from the rest (and maybe were more accurate and less bigoted), but the detectiving part was alright. Holmes is a bit insufferable, but interesting too.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Study in Scarlet was the first Sherlock Holmes story published. Given its age (1886) it reads surprisingly well with crisp non-florid prose, almost like a novel written in 2017 by someone pretending to be from the 1800s. This is the first Sherlock Holmes I've read. It gives a sense that, while you may be confused, someone else understands the world and answers can be had. That is comforting, like a parent reassuring an anxious child. This is echoed in the name "Sure" as in assurance or confidence; "Lock" as in holding the key to the mystery; and "Holmes" which sounds like "Home", a reassuring feeling. The clues to the mystery are somewhat beside the point, contrived and making sense only after the explanation. Regardless, I really enjoyed it and look forward to dipping into more in a sequential fashion as they were published. Giving 5 stars as the origin story of Sherlock Holmes.For modern readers the Mormon sub-plot is weird and maybe a little offensive. However in the 1880s, they were indeed a novel, strange and exotic people who engaged in massacres and "harems". In the story they come to London, to the homes of the readers. It's a classic "invasion novel" popular at the time, similar to Dracula which saw Eastern Europeans as the invaders. The invasion of London by secretive sub-cultures is a common theme Holmes stories.

[greeniezona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book in pretty much one sitting, both to try to take advantage of my spring break to catch up on the 50 book challenge and to finish reading one of the many books lent to me by my sister in order to fill a box that I will be sending to her shortly. Though I didn't expect to finish it quite so quickly. I was instantly transported back to the days of watching Sherlock Holmes on PBS with my father and said sister. When is that series going to come out on DVD? ::sigh:: Anyway, the book was completely absorbing, though I have to wonder if early Mormon history was as bloodthirsty as dear Sir Arthur makes it out to me. But I won't say anything else so as not to spoil the ending.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First Sherlock Holmes novel. OK, but kind of hard to see in retrospect what the big deal was about. Holmes is just so unlikable. Gives history of how he and Watson got together though. Interesting but more in an historical sense than how it may stand on its own.

[fulner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked "The Lost World" so much that I wanted to find another Doyle audio book. There were lots of collections of short stories on Sherlock Holmes, but this seemed like the only long complete tail.It was long. I would have been happy if ended at about the end of the first half and they just told us how he determined the killer. Instead they started this whole other story about Mormons in the U.S. It was so different that I honestly didn't realize it was the same book. I thought it was some kind of "bonus feature" or something on the MP3 CD Disk. At the end of the second half they tied it all together, I won't spoil the ending, but part of me wishes someone had.

[johnabbott-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very well written, I love the style.

[nataliec7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just loved everything about this book!

[andreablythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Study in Scarlet is both Doctor Watson's and the world's first introduction to the frustrating, arrogant, and brilliant Sherlock Holmes. Watson in seeking a new flat to in which to live ends up paired with the consulting detective at 22B Baker Street. While at first Sherlock's profession and strange behavior is a mystery to the Doctor, he soon finds himself following Sherlock along in seeking out the truth behind the mysterious death of an American traveler. While I didn't like it as much as I enjoyed the tales in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the novel is short and a quick read with a compelling mystery.

[carsonkicklighter · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was not expecting the Church of Latter-Day Saints but maybe Sherlock was.

[leandrod-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intereſtiŋ. Makes me wonder how much of the picture it paints of Mormoniſm is true.

[kenzen-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sherlock Holmes, Mormons, murder. Great read!

[snat_3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Simply okay. I really enjoyed the first part in which Holmes solves the murder, but had to literally drag myself through the second part which goes all the way back to America and the Mormons to explain the murderer's motive. And that second part? Yeah, it takes forrrr-ehhhh-ver. Parts of it read like a textbook analysis of the Mormon faith. You can tell Doyle did his homework (and I kinda wish he hadn't done so quite so thoroughly--there's even a freaking footnote). The second half felt disjointed from the first half. I still enjoy the fact that Holmes is such an arrogant and pompous jerk, but if he serves as the basis for television's House (which I read somewhere was true), then I must say that Gregory House does it better. It was tolerable; don't regret reading it, but won't be reading it again.

[riestmc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read most of the Sherlock Holmes canon but this one most recently. I enjoyed reading about how Holmes and Watson meet.This story has a similar structure to 'The Valley of Fear' in that a large portion deals with the history leading up to the crime. I did not enjoyed this part of the book as much though. Doyle's deductive strains are the most interesting aspects of his writing, so the parts that do not include Homes seem bland in comparison.stillI really enjoyed this one. It is the first of the series and yet Doyle already masters the Sherlock Holmes character.

[391_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Doyle's plotting in the deductive portions of the book are fast-paced and intriguing, but the history section in part two always fell flat for me. I don't like the sudden change of style and voice, though the first time I read the book I really enjoyed trying to put the clues together by the end to see if I had followed Holmes' deductions. It's really just on the second (or fifteenth) readings that I realized how -boring- it really is.

[clong_818048 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is only my second foray into Sherlock Holmes, the other having been The Hound of the Baskervilles (which I read a long, long time ago). Overall, I thought this was decidely so-so. While I am a big Poe fan, I have never been particularly enthusiastic about the Dupin stories. I read this in some ways as the natural evolution of Poe’s tales, and from that perspective it felt like a significant step forward. I’m not sure I find Holmes particularly believable (more on this below), but both he Holmes and Watson are interesting and multi-dimensional characters. They play off each other effectively, and the Lestrade vs Gregson vs Holmes dynamic would also seem to offer fertile ground. I thought the contrast of the urban London scenes with the great Western US outdoors scenes was interesting. And I thought the climactic scene in which the murderer is revealed was an effective piece of theatre.Having said that, plenty of this felt to me like a first attempt at a novel length work. The scene with young Samford in Chapter 1 felt very clumsy to me. I also thought it was strange that Watson at first seems to pay little attention to his surroundings, but then suddenly gives detailed observations when we get to the murder house. I think that one of my biggest problems with the book is basic rejection of the entire premise. Holmes is famous for having said (elsewhere) “when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" and that is indeed his approach here. But in the real world what happens is that, when you have excluded the impossible you are usually left with a wide range of highly to not so highly probables. Even if you accept Holmes' assertion that he can recognize "a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man" who "has just come from the tropics" and "has undergone hardship and sickness" and whose "left arm has been injured," I don't see that Afghanistan is the only possible explanation for this confluence of facts. The most probable explanation, perhaps, but ridiculously far from the only one. (Plus, I don't particularly accept the assertion that there is a "medical type.")Also, "On the Great Alkali Plain" seems rife with inaccuracies to me. I have driven (recently) through Utah and Colorado, and while portions of it are indeed desolate and inhospitable, it's simply not true that, "from the Sierra Nevada to Nebraska, and from the Yellowstone River in the north to the Colorado upon the south, is a region of desolation and silence." Oh, and Brigham Young's band consisted fo 148 people, not 10,000. And there were a bunch of indian tribes living in the area, but you wouldn't have been likely to run across any Pawnee or Blackfoot. Does any of this really matter? It seems to me that, in a book where the hero's success depends on meticulous observation of the world around him, verisimilitude matters. And this also includes how you play the violin. My biggest problem with A Study in Scarlet was the laughably stereotypical depiction of the lecherous and avaricious Mormons, and how it is juxtoposed against Jefferson Hope as "a Christian, which is more than these folk here, in spite o' all their praying and preaching." I know that there were Mormons that did bad things (google "Mountain Meadows massacre"), but I have got to think that Doyle was either falling for or taking advantage of anti-Mormon propaganda. (In fairness, I suppose I should thank Doyle for making me curious enough about what actually happened to do a bit of research.)

[magemanda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first story concerning that most famous detective Sherlock Holmes and the doctor Watson. It concerns the first meeting of Holmes and Watson, the the case which cements Watson's desire to record Holmes' doings.I really enjoyed this rather pulpy detective story. It is fast-paced with very little deviation from the telling of the crime and the resolution.The main delight comes from the characters. Everyone knows of Sherlock Holmes, such as his deerstalker hat and pipe, and his ability to solve crimes. Now that I have read this story, I can appreciate his dry wit, towering arrogance and slight wistfulness that he never seems to garner the credit for solving mysteries.Watson is often represented as being rather stupid, but I infer from this story that he is merely naive about what human beings are capable of and doesn't have Holmes' expert knowledge of criminology. I loved the way that Holmes was patient and exasperated by turns when explaining his deductions to Watson. You also get a sense of the fact that Holmes is just dying to show off his abilities, and Watson's faithful recording of the case fits this neatly.The story loses half a star for two reasons, both of which are probably attributable to the time and manner of when it was released.The first is the abrupt switch from the location in London to the detailed story of Jefferson Hope, who hails from America. At first I was not at all clear why this had been introduced. I believe it may have been done because of the serialised nature of many Sherlock Holmes stories, enabling both new and existing readers to enjoy the tale, but it did jar somewhat.The second is the way that Mormons and Native Americans are dealt with, although I freely admit that this is due to modern sensibilities and an environment that now decries anything deemed not politically correct. I was a little shocked to see it, but accept that this is the peril of reading anything set in this era.Altogether, a pacy read with lovely dialogue and an instantly unforgettable character in the form of Sherlock Holmes.

[ct4bergeron · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Sherlock Holmes I read on my own. I remember reading the hound of baskerville in school, but forced to do so, didn't remember that I enjoyed it.With the movie that came out recently, I found myself wanting to know more about sherlock and watson. There relationship and the type of intrigue that they would solve.I really enjoyed this one, it is short and sweet, but a good read nonetheless.