This book is simply vast, all the Sherlock Holmes stories (one reviewer has found one omited). It has a handsome leather cover, and the paper is high quality, silky to the touch, all 1077 pages of it, and a xvi page introduction giving some of the history of the publication and its reception over the years. All for less than £20.00!
Except for The Hound of the Baskervilles I had not read a Holmes mystery since I accidentally dropped my paperback copy of a Penguin collection of short stories out of a train at a station somewhere in one of the Welsh valleys in 1959 , so it has been virtually a new read. And, wisely or not, I am basing my review on the first 225 pages.
There is always a feeling of loss when a mystery has been solved, but the solving and the atmosphere of the stories still grip the imagination. The stories are not great literature, but the style is at least literate, and unlike much great literature they can be readily understood. The writing is actually vivid and atmospheric, and much better written than the Agatha Christie stories, where the characters are wooden and the style not memorable. I warm towards the characters, they are certainly credible , although some of the plots are not. They are an enjoyable read, and should be read for fun!
Some of the incidental details reveal some interesting social history. Cocaine was legal, and heavily used by Holmes, much to Watson's concern, although the visit to an opium den in Limehouse did not mean he inhaled. He smoked an enormous quantity of shag. I also noted that both Holmes and Watson quite legally carried pistols when they considered them necessary. When travelling by train to Ross (presumably Ross on Wye) there was no Severn Tunnel, they travelled through Gloucester, and there were no restaurant cars, the trains stopped at Swindon for passengers to take lunch. It was remarkable that the mistress of a substantial household , expecting the two men to stay overnight, we read "a large and comfortable double-bedded room had been placed at our disposal." This was not thought to be remarkable, nor were any adverse conclusions drawn about the arrangements.
The main characters are, as one would expect, chivalrous, but their opinion of women would not be regarded as acceptable today, for example , on page 220, Holmes responds to a woman's argument in a way we would regard as patronising: " I have seen too much not to know that the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner." What I have found remarkable, having seen so many Holmes films on television that when I read Holmes I automatically see Jeremy Brett, is that none of the films mention Watson's wife. She first appears in the second of the longer stories, and is subsequently referred to as "my wife". She is , of course, wholly in sympathy with Watson's support of Holmes's work.
I look forward to reading the next 47 stories, and would happily recommend this collection.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Follow the author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Products related to this item
Page 1 of 1Start over
About the author
Products related to this item
Page 1 of 1Start over
Love the cover
These leatherbound covers are so nice. Everyone says don't judge a book by its cover - but I would buy a book just because it has a lovely cover. I bought this as a gift and have therefore not yet seen the inside.
Top reviews from United Kingdom
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2011
