A Study in Scarlet (Legend Classics)

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.”

When Dr. John Watson takes lodgings in Baker Street with the quirky consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, they are both quickly drawn into a mysterious case that has left Scotland Yard baffled. A man is found dead in a south London house, his face a mask of horror, but there are no signs of violence. Meanwhile a mysterious word has been written in blood on the wall and through Sherlock Holmes’ observations and deductions, they uncover a tragic tale of love and revenge.

The Legend Classics series:
Around the World in Eighty Days
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Importance of Being Earnest
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Metamorphosis
The Railway Children
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Frankenstein
Wuthering Heights
Three Men in a Boat
The Time Machine
Little Women
Anne of Green Gables
The Jungle Book
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories
Dracula
A Study in Scarlet
Leaves of Grass
The Secret Garden
The War of the Worlds
A Christmas Carol
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Heart of Darkness
The Scarlet Letter
This Side of Paradise
Oliver Twist
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Treasure Island
The Turn of the Screw
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Emma
The Trial
A Selection of Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
Grimm Fairy Tales
The Awakening
Mrs Dalloway
Gulliver’s Travels
The Castle of Otranto
Silas Marner
Hard Times

• Language: English
• Publisher: Legend Press
• Release date: Jun 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781787198272

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

novels.

PART I

(Being a reprint from the reminiscences of JOHN H. WATSON, M.D., late of the Army Medical Department.)

CHAPTER I

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 pack-horse, 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 verandah, 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 dispatched, 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 to 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 some one tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Barts. 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 to-day 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 wine-glass. 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 to night. If you like, we shall 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 mealy-mouthed 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 further 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 hemoglobin, 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 hoemoglobin. 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 Guiacum 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’ 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 been hung had this test been in existence. Then there was Mason

Reviews for A Study in Scarlet (Legend Classics)

[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.

[therebelprince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've long felt bad about never having read any of the nine books that make up the Sherlock Holmes canon, so finally I've rectified that... and what an odd little work it is.

The first half of the book is what's important, historically, but it's the least interesting. Conan Doyle doesn't write natural dialogue, and a result the discussions between Watson and Holmes come across more like a treatise on how detective work - in the real world and in novels - is evolving and progressing. While this is all very very interesting, particularly to someone like myself who has read a lot of Christie and Poe etc, it feels like an essay that has been structured in story form, rather than the other way around.

On top of this, I concede that I have a bias against this "one really smart quirky man always outdoes everyone" formula. Holmes started it, but it's returned in the last ten years or so to television, and personally I think it just weakens the narrative when every other character functions only as a sounding board for our god of a leading man. Sherlock is cunningly described by Watson as a seemingly paradoxical man who in fact has rational reasons for all of his education and activities, although even the great detective can't seem to fix his (bipolar?) moods. As their friendship is still embryonic at this stage, Watson can give us no insight into Holmes' life, and Holmes offers none, so he remains a cipher. But I'm treating this as a pilot episode, so that's okay. More immediately fascinating are the elements of contemporary life: street beggars working for Holmes, the necessary advantages and disadvantages that came from being a police officer in the era - thrilling stuff.

The second half is a mixed bag also. Conan Doyle is an admirable prose writer, and his description of the events twenty years prior to the murders is captivating and gripping. On the other hand, it is filled with amazingly anti-Mormon sentiment. I'm no religious sympathiser myself, but I couldn't take it seriously when the narrator assured us that all Mormons kill or destroy anyone who attempts to leave their faith.

An odd little novel, and I've already started the second one, since I'm very eager to see if Conan Doyle can somehow retain his marvelous leading character, whilst furthering his skills in the other required areas.

(Two and a half stars)

[archren · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you are a science fiction fan, you have probably already read the Sherlock Holmes books. I know I’m late to the bandwagon on this, but if you’ve been avoiding them for some reason, let me add my voice of encouragement. You should read at least one Sherlock Holmes mystery in your life. This was my first, and I really enjoyed it. In this first volume, Dr. Watson meets Sherlock Holmes and they become roommates. Holmes demonstrates all the nigh-magical powers that his deductive reasoning grant him from the start. Watson finds this at once mysterious and fascinating, resolving to chronicle Holmes’ skill. Those skills are tested by the death of a man in an empty house, with no wounds, covered in blood. Whodunnit? The language holds up quite well for the modern reader. It is a little archaic, but flows just fine. The most anachronistic part of it is the structure. For one, unlike a modern mystery, the reader doesn’t have access to all the clues and has no chance to solve the puzzle on their own. Also, Sherlock Holmes reveals the murder in the middle of the story instead of at the end. After the big reveal, the scene shifts so suddenly that I was afraid that my download of the ebook had been corrupted, and that there was another book in the middle of mine. It goes from Holmes’ rooms in London to the middle of the American Western desert forty years previously, where a man and a girl are dying of thirst. This shift was mind bogglingly abrupt, but by following it all the way through one learns about why Holmes’ was right in his identification of the murderer. This emphasis on deductive reasoning and its power forms a strong link with the mindset of your average science fiction novel – things are known and knowable, the universe works logically and predictably, and by applying logic the most difficult puzzles can be solved. However, by being set in a “normal” setting, it is non-threatening to your everyday reader. I imagine that you can draw a direct line from the popularity of the Holmes’ stories to the popularity of the currently multiplying CSI series. So if you’re a fan of science fiction, or just forensics, this book should be a part of your library.

[jopearson56 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The first Sherlock Holmes book -- did Conan Doyle invent the filtering of a story through a secondary participant (Dr. Watson)? I haven't ever read any Sherlock Holmes books, and I wasn't overly impressed. It was okay and a quick read, but Holmes seems like a pretty arrogant SOB to me. Knows too much and is glad to tell everyone so. The Utah digression was distracting.

[ruthich · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The original and best Sherlock Holmes story, about fear, hatred, tragedy, recrimination, and all with a back story of Mormonism in the USA. If you have not read this yet, I'd encourage you to. You'll be hard pushed to find better mystery writing today.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Holmes is just too full of himself.

[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!

[marsap_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes book written by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Not only do we “meet” the character of Sherlock Holmes, but we also learn of how Holmes begins his partnership with Dr. John Watson. In this debut, a dead man is discovered in a bloodstained room. The only clues are a wedding ring, a gold watch, a pocket edition of Boccaccio's Decameron, and a word scrawled in blood on the wall. After only a quarter of the narrative our hero solves the mystery, following which we travel back in time to learn the prehistory of the crime, set in the Mormon community of 1840s-1860s Utah. This can be a little disconcerting. However, prevail because the stories will collide, everything will fall into place and you will realize why these story continue to intrigue readers today. 5 out of 5 stars.

[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.

[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!

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

The first of the Sherlock Holmes stories and an excellent opener. Fully intend to (finally) read all the others... a glaring gap in my literary history.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsThis is the first Sherlock Holmes novel when Dr. Watson first meets Holmes. They become roommates and soon after, there is a murder. The mystery is actually solved in part one of the story, then part two gives more background information on how/why it all happened. It was off and on for me for holding my interest. I was just getting interested in Watson and Holmes getting to know each other, then the murder came about. I lost focus for a bit, then was getting interested again when part one ended, and there was a shift to different characters and a different setting, which caused me to lose interest a bit, once again. Once that got going, I got interested again. I do think I liked this better than the Holmes short stories I've read (although the way it was structured it almost felt like a couple of short stories until it came together in the end!). Overall, I liked it enough to rate it good.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read many of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but somehow I missed this first novella that starts the Sherlock Holmes legend. This is the first story where Holmes meets Watson and the world is introduced to Holmes' bizarre behavior and his science of deductive reasoning. SPOILER ALERT - The mystery in this book was strong, but what I really enjoyed was the background story about the two murdered victims and the murderer. The victims are two men who used to be Elders in the Mormon Church. Back in Utah, one of the men forced a young woman to be one of his many wives, even though she was already betrothed to another man. The woman dies of a broken heart and her fiance spends the rest of his life chasing the two men all over the world to avenge his lover's death. I found the portion of the book that didn't involve Holmes and Watson to be fascinating, partly because it showed how some people viewed Mormons during the 19th Century, but also because the story was so well told. It made me wonder if there were other non-Sherlock Holmes stories that could have been written by this great author.

[amydross · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I vaguely knew , but had kind of forgotten just how much of this book takes place in America (among Mormons, no less!). It's so weird.It's like, you carry around this sense in your soul of who Arthur Conan Doyle is, and what Sherlock Holmes mysteries are like, and there's lots of violin playing and pipe smoking and breakfasts at 221b and it's all quite civilized, and you forget all about these pioneer people herdin' cattle and goin' a courtin' in Salt Lake City. It was surprisingly okay, though.I was more puzzled by the ending, elements of which seem like a weird departure from the rest of the mystery.

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Still great.

[nosajeel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant from beginning to end, even the notorious extended flashback to the adventure story set in the American West. The first Sherlock Holmes book introduces Watson, depicts his first meeting with Holmes, and sets them off on a classic puzzle mystery.

[smiler69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the work which introduced the reading public to the phenomenon that is Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr Watson, who narrates the story as he describes his first encounter with the great Holmes, when both were still young men and looking to share living quarters to accommodate restricted budgets. Watson, who has plenty of time on his hands, gladly assists Holmes in this first adventure. Holmes is pompous and very full of himself, but as it turns out, he is also never wrong, even though he comes to immediate conclusions and makes seemingly preposterous statements about details of the crimes and criminals while seemingly going on very little evidence. I had no idea what to expect with this story, and so was nicely surprised that it is made up of two parts. In the first part, there is a mysterious murder of an American man thought to have been poisoned in London. Then the narrative switches to the USA and relates the tale of a man and a little girl dying of thirst and hunger who are the last survivors of a large party of travellers heading out west across the desert in Salt Lake Valley, who are rescued by a party of Mormons, on their way to found Salt Lake City. They rescue John Ferrier and little Lucy on the condition that the pair adopt the Mormon religion, which, according to Doyle's wild imagination took draconian measures to punish those who didn't toe the line. And from there evolves the drama which unfolds years later in London. A really great story, though Holmes himself doesn't really interest me much so far.

[krista.rutherford · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sherlock Holmes is a unique and distinctive character in classic fiction. He derives deductions from the tiniest circumstantial details no one else would ever notice.

[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!

[marcusbastos-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Born of Sherlock HolmesA Study in Scarlet presents to the broad public Sherlock Holmes, an private “consulting detective”, and his acquaintance (and future partner) Dr. Watson, an eye doctor with some experience in war’s theater. In this story Holmes taught the broad principles of deductive thinking and exemplified the correct disposition of mind one with detective’s aspirations must cultivate. The plot occurs in London and South Lake City, Utah, USA. In order to help the London’s police to resolve the matter, Holmes shows flashes of his wisdom and captivates his lodge’s companion. In this way was born an enduring friendship and a series of adventures in the world of crime. This is the first book in Sherlock Holmes’s series. One can call it a touchdown!

[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.