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A Study in Scarlet - The Sign of the Four

By Arthur Conan Doyle, David Stuart Davies (Preface)

(166)

| Paperback | 9781840224115

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Book Description

"Doctor Watson, Mr Sherlock Holmes" - The most famous introduction in the history of crime fiction takes place in Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, bringing together Sherlock Holmes, the master of science detection, and John H. Watson, the great detective's faithful chronicler. Continue

5 Reviews

After 20 years since first reading children's version of Sherlock Holmes, I started rereading the original novels because of the BBC mini series Sherlock. It is very interesting and I have rediscovered many things upon rereads.
The novel is in two parts - the first part was the detective story betw ... (continue)

After 20 years since first reading children's version of Sherlock Holmes, I started rereading the original novels because of the BBC mini series Sherlock. It is very interesting and I have rediscovered many things upon rereads.
The novel is in two parts - the first part was the detective story between Sherlock and Watson, and the second part was the story behind the crime taken place in America. The first part was invaluable - it described the relationship between Sherlock and Watson in detail, their first impressions, and how they started living together in 221B Baker Street. In the children's version, I never learned about the actual personalities of the characters and only focused on the detective stories. This is the first time I got to know the person of Sherlock Holmes.
The second part was the story in America. Compared to the first part of the elite conversation in England between the two intelligent gentlemen, the dialog in the second part was coarse and uneducated. The two parts created a large contrast. England was damp and rainy, and America was dry and harsh. This is surprising but was not really a surprise during Victorian time. To Victorians, America was probably an exotic place full of outlaws, so it was worth for the author to set the story in, just like how the current James Bond likes to go to exotic locations such as Turkey or Russia.
I found it so interesting to read a Victorian detective novel. Yes the plot was simple compared to the 21th century crimes, and this is perhaps why the modern BBC had to change the crime plot to suit modern audience's taste. However the view of Victorians is interesting, and the friendship between Sherlock Holmes and Watson is timeless and classic.
** spoiler **
P.S. I cannot believe the cab driver actually gave two pills to the person he wanted to kill and let him choose!!! Why would anyone want to risk the possibility of not actually killing the person you want to kill? What if the guy picked the harmless pill and the cab driver had to die instead??

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material girl said on Feb 2, 2012 | Add your feedback

Maybe this is the first fiction of Sherlock Holmes... I think this long fiction can be condensed into a short one. And the story about "Utah Flower" is very boring, and, well, poorly-written.
But this is still an important story, to tell us how Watson and Holmes met and... the adventure began!

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Samsara said on Mar 7, 2011 | Add your feedback

I have to say that I didn't really pick this edition of the book. The one I got is "The complete Sherlock Holmes in six volumes" by P. F. Collier & son and it is super old… So far I really liked it! The ambiance of those years is bewitching (the European as well as the American one)! But the second ... (continue)

I have to say that I didn't really pick this edition of the book. The one I got is "The complete Sherlock Holmes in six volumes" by P. F. Collier & son and it is super old… So far I really liked it! The ambiance of those years is bewitching (the European as well as the American one)! But the second part of the book is a bit more annoying, at the beginning at least. Obviously, it's linked with the first part but… It's not told from the start and it's a bit annoying reading several chapters not involving Holmes at all without clearly knowing the link with the first part. If you don't want to end as puzzled as I were, pay close attention to the names. But except for that, I loved it! Can't wait to read the other adventures of dear Holmes :)

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Patricia said on Apr 29, 2010 | Add your feedback

Excellently written. It's cool how the story starts at the end, goes back in time, and then back to the present. Love the character of Jefferson Hope. Very admirable.

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audioreader said on Oct 17, 2009 about the Others edition | Add your feedback