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The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes #4
The Adventure of the Three Gables
A thrilling and suspenseful short story featuring the renowned Sherlock Holmes and his remarkable companion, Doctor Watson, as they investigate the curious happenings at Three Gables.
When an elderly woman, Mary Maberley, approaches Sherlock Holmes to ask for help, her case doesn’t seem interesting enough to appeal to him. Shortly after receiving her request, the masterful detective is threatened by a hired thug to stay away from the case, and he realises that there might be more to Mrs. Maberley’s story than he thought. A strange entanglement of leads, suspects, and motives begin to unfold as Holmes investigates.
First published in 1926, ‘The Adventure of the Three Gables’ is a short story sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Join Holmes as he analyses this puzzling case and immerse yourself in Arthur Conan Doyle’s riveting portrayal of Victorian London. Read & Co. Books is proud to republish this classic text in a new edition featuring a specially commissioned introduction and an article by the author.
When an elderly woman, Mary Maberley, approaches Sherlock Holmes to ask for help, her case doesn’t seem interesting enough to appeal to him. Shortly after receiving her request, the masterful detective is threatened by a hired thug to stay away from the case, and he realises that there might be more to Mrs. Maberley’s story than he thought. A strange entanglement of leads, suspects, and motives begin to unfold as Holmes investigates.
First published in 1926, ‘The Adventure of the Three Gables’ is a short story sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Join Holmes as he analyses this puzzling case and immerse yourself in Arthur Conan Doyle’s riveting portrayal of Victorian London. Read & Co. Books is proud to republish this classic text in a new edition featuring a specially commissioned introduction and an article by the author.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1926
7 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.6k books24.1k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 13, 2018
The story begins with a visit to Baker Street by Steve Dixie, a black man and a ruffian who warns Holmes to keep away from Harrow Weald. Watson knows nothing of this case, but Holmes knows who Dixie is and what the intrusion is all about. Dixie has come to intimidate Holmes, but Holmes finally secures Dixie’s cooperation by threatening to reveal what he knows about the suspicious Perkins case. Dixie’s boss is Barney Stockdale, and Holmes now realizes they must be connected with a case, which Holmes has just heard about from Mary Maberley, who lives at Three Gables, near Harrow Weald.
Mrs Maberley’s son was an attaché who recently died in Rome. Now some odd things have occurred at Three Gables. Mrs Maberley has lived there nearly two years, and in all that time has attracted very little attention. Suddenly, a man comes to her and offers to buy her house, despite several other similar houses being empty and on the market. She was asked to name a price; so she named one £500 higher than what she had paid. The man readily agreed, then asked to buy all the furniture in the house, which struck Mrs Maberley as very strange. She was not willing to do it, especially after her lawyer, Mr Sutro, told her that the agreement drawn up by the prospective buyer would not allow her to remove any possessions from the house. Mrs Maberley has now decided not to take the offer, but the buyer is still determined to make a deal.
Mrs Maberley’s son was an attaché who recently died in Rome. Now some odd things have occurred at Three Gables. Mrs Maberley has lived there nearly two years, and in all that time has attracted very little attention. Suddenly, a man comes to her and offers to buy her house, despite several other similar houses being empty and on the market. She was asked to name a price; so she named one £500 higher than what she had paid. The man readily agreed, then asked to buy all the furniture in the house, which struck Mrs Maberley as very strange. She was not willing to do it, especially after her lawyer, Mr Sutro, told her that the agreement drawn up by the prospective buyer would not allow her to remove any possessions from the house. Mrs Maberley has now decided not to take the offer, but the buyer is still determined to make a deal.
July 28, 2024
Meh.
Not worth reviewing it.
For the moment at least.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1927] [30p] [Crime] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5] <--
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
No vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1927] [30p] [Crimen] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Not worth reviewing it.
For the moment at least.
It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1927] [30p] [Crime] [1.5] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. A Study in Scarlet [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 2. The Sign of Four [2.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
★★★★☆ 4. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [3.5]
★★★★☆ 5. The Hound of the Baskervilles
★★★★☆ 6. The Return of Sherlock Holmes
★★★☆☆ 7. The Valley of Fear
★★★★☆ 8. His Last Bow [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 9. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [2.5] <--
★★★☆☆ 10. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
No vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1927] [30p] [Crimen] [1.5] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
May 22, 2023
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. This story reminds me strongly of A Scandal in Bohemia. There are some very remarkable women in the Sherlock chronicles…
The story was less enjoyable for me, because of the nature of the crime (really, take a lover, refuse to marry him, and have your men beat him up?). I despised the villain, and I was annoyed that Justice wasn’t done, yet I understood Holmes’ reasons for “compounding a felony as usual.” I was also bothered by his racist attitude towards Steve, especially since it was uncharacteristic of him, as made plain by The Yellow Face.
However, I did enjoy the humour... Holmes talking to Susan was something else. And Mrs. Maberley was a sweet old thing. Overall, I enjoyed the story, it’s just not one of my favourite Sherlock stories.
Content: D*mn; so help me the Lord (x2); I’ll see you in hell first; by He**en; G*d knows.
A Favourite Quote: “I never pass anything, however trifling,” said he with some pomposity…. “In twenty-five years’ experience I have learned my lesson. There is always the chance of finger-marks or something.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Now, Susan, wheezy people may not live long, you know. It's a wicked thing to tell fibs. Whom did you tell?” ...
“I am clearing out of here. I've had enough of you all. I'll send for my box to-morrow.” She flounced for the door.
“Good-bye, Susan. Paregoric is the stuff…”
The story was less enjoyable for me, because of the nature of the crime (really, take a lover, refuse to marry him, and have your men beat him up?). I despised the villain, and I was annoyed that Justice wasn’t done, yet I understood Holmes’ reasons for “compounding a felony as usual.” I was also bothered by his racist attitude towards Steve, especially since it was uncharacteristic of him, as made plain by The Yellow Face.
However, I did enjoy the humour... Holmes talking to Susan was something else. And Mrs. Maberley was a sweet old thing. Overall, I enjoyed the story, it’s just not one of my favourite Sherlock stories.
Content: D*mn; so help me the Lord (x2); I’ll see you in hell first; by He**en; G*d knows.
A Favourite Quote: “I never pass anything, however trifling,” said he with some pomposity…. “In twenty-five years’ experience I have learned my lesson. There is always the chance of finger-marks or something.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Now, Susan, wheezy people may not live long, you know. It's a wicked thing to tell fibs. Whom did you tell?” ...
“I am clearing out of here. I've had enough of you all. I'll send for my box to-morrow.” She flounced for the door.
“Good-bye, Susan. Paregoric is the stuff…”
May 25, 2020
This was a strange but dated adventure. There is a decent amount of racist stereotyping and sexism, which I struggled with.
Mary Maberley asks Holmes for help. She's an elderly woman who lives in a house called the Three Gables. Holmes becomes interested as a hired thug, Steve Dixie, threatens him not to get involved. Holmes finds out a man named Haimes-Johnson has approached Mrs. Maberley. He said he was acting on behalf of someone who wanted to buy her house and all its contents. Mrs. Maberley turned down the offer. The reason: the buyer would not allow her to remove anything from the house.
Holmes suspects that Haimes-Johnson's mysterious client wants something valuable which, unknown to her, has recently come into Mrs. Maberley's possession. There is a robbery at the Three Gables. The only items that are taken are from trunks that arrived a few days earlier. These contain the personal effects of Mrs. Maberley's recently deceased son.
Not bad. But not the best.
Mary Maberley asks Holmes for help. She's an elderly woman who lives in a house called the Three Gables. Holmes becomes interested as a hired thug, Steve Dixie, threatens him not to get involved. Holmes finds out a man named Haimes-Johnson has approached Mrs. Maberley. He said he was acting on behalf of someone who wanted to buy her house and all its contents. Mrs. Maberley turned down the offer. The reason: the buyer would not allow her to remove anything from the house.
Holmes suspects that Haimes-Johnson's mysterious client wants something valuable which, unknown to her, has recently come into Mrs. Maberley's possession. There is a robbery at the Three Gables. The only items that are taken are from trunks that arrived a few days earlier. These contain the personal effects of Mrs. Maberley's recently deceased son.
Not bad. But not the best.
December 31, 2020
Sexism really is dreadful in that era. Even if women wanted to commit crime, they have to do something that is
A) about hiding a secret scandal from her husband
B) protecting her son/husband
C) helping a boyfriend /husband
You can see why I'm complaining.
A) about hiding a secret scandal from her husband
B) protecting her son/husband
C) helping a boyfriend /husband
You can see why I'm complaining.
May 22, 2025
اسم الكتاب:– مغامرة المنزل ذي الأسقفِ المُحدَّبة الثلاثة - The Adventure of the Three Gables
اسم المؤلف: آرثر كونان دويل - Arthur Conan Doyle
عدد الصفحات: 26 صفحة
~ مختصر الرواية،،
تصل رسالة إلى هولمز من "ماري مابيرلي" محتواها إنه تتوالى عليها أحداث غريبة بالمنزل وهي بحاجة ماسّة إلى مشورته حيث إن زوجها الراحل "مورتيمر مابيرلي" أحد عملائه القدامى.
يتوجة كل من هولمز و د.واتسون للمنزل المُعنوَن على الرسالة وتستقبلهم ماري السيدة المسنة ذات شخصية شديدة الجاذبية اجتمعت فيها سمات الرقي والثقافة.
تشرع ماري بقص الأحداث بأن هناك من يرغب بشراء منزلها الذي إنتقلت إليه قبل عامين وبالسعر الذي تريده فتضع لهم سعراً مرتفعاً فمت الموافقة عليه واليوم الثاني بأنه يرغب بشراء الأثاث أيضاً، فتضع لهم سعراً مرتفعاً ولدهشتها يوافق عليه من دون نقاش أيضاً، بعد أيام يأتي الوكيل "هينز جونسون" بائع مزادات و مثمّن ولديه عقد لتوقيعها وما ذكر بالعقد يخالف ما تم الأتفاق عليه حيث إنه بعد التوقيع لا يحق لها حمل وأخذ أي شي من المنزل لذا ترفض التوقيع كونها ترغب بأخذ اشيائها الخاصة ومجوهراتها!
في أثناء ذلك ينتبه هولمز بأن الخادمة سوزان تتنصت على محادثتهم من خلف الباب وبعد استجوابها يعلم بأنها على صلة مع عصابة التي تتحرك بسرعة بدورها، لأن بعد استلام هولمز رسالة ماري بسويعات أتى ملاكم زنجي لتهديده!
يخمن هولمز بأنهم يريدون شيئاً مخفياً أو مدفوناً في المنزل، كون ماري لا تملك شيئاً نادراً و ذو قيمة وإن لم يطلب منها أحد شيئاً بالسنتين الماضيتيين و فجأة في خلال 3 أو 4 أيام جائتها طلبات ملحّة.
ينتبه هولمز لوجود صناديق في إحدى الزوايا وعليه ملصقات، وعند السؤال عنها يعلم إنها تخص ابنها دوغلاس ووصلت قبل أسبوع من ميلانو، وهي لم تفرغ محتوياتها بعد. ينصحها هولمز بتفريغها وفحصها ويعد بزيارتها باليوم التالي ليستمع روايتها وعند خروجهما من المنزل يجدان الملاكم الزنجي يراقبه.
في صباح الباكر يتلقى برقية من محامي ماري السيد سوترو يعلمه فيها بأن منزل عميلته تعرض للسرقة والشرطة تحكم سيطرتها على المكان لينطلق هولمز و واتسون إلى هارو ويلد، يخبره المحقق بأنها من عمل عصابة بارني ستوكديل، ولم يأخذو الكثير وتم تخدير السيدة حينها غير حزمة من الأوراق استطاعت ماري انتزاع ورقة واحدة منها.
يقرأ هولمز القصاصة ويعرف الشخص الذي يقصده الكاتب لذا يتوجهان إلى منزل السيدة "ايزادورا كلاين" الأرملة الشابة الإسبانية التي كانت متزوجة من الألماني العجوز كلاين وبعد وفاته أصبحت أغنى وأجمل أرملة عاشت عدة مغامرات مع عدة رجال كان منهم دوغلاس مابيرلي وهي الآن تستعد للزواج من الدوق الشاب لوموند وتسرب أي كلام قد يسبب فضيحة كبرى.
يتواجه هولمز مع السيدة التي تعترف بأنها أرسلت الفتوة المستأجرين لترهيب دوغلاس، وهو كتب روايتين عن قصتهما مع تغيير الأسماء وهذا ما كانت ستسمح به، وبعد موته أرسلت واحدة من العصابة كخادمة وكانت على استعداد لشراء المنزل بما فيه ولكنها فشلت فلجأت للأمر الأشد وهي نادمة على ذلك.
يخبرها هولمز بأنه على استعداد لتسوية الجناية، إن دفعت للسيدة ماري مابيرلي تكلفة السفر حول العالم.
~ مراجعتي ،،
مثل باقي الروايات، مشوقة و جميلة.
~ اقتباسات،،
1- دائماً ما يتسم هؤلاء الأشخاص الأذكياء بلمحة جنون. ~ هولمز
2- "لا يمكن الإستمرار في اللعب بأدوات حادة دون أن تصاب اليدان بأذى" ~هولمز
اسم المؤلف: آرثر كونان دويل - Arthur Conan Doyle
عدد الصفحات: 26 صفحة
~ مختصر الرواية،،
تصل رسالة إلى هولمز من "ماري مابيرلي" محتواها إنه تتوالى عليها أحداث غريبة بالمنزل وهي بحاجة ماسّة إلى مشورته حيث إن زوجها الراحل "مورتيمر مابيرلي" أحد عملائه القدامى.
يتوجة كل من هولمز و د.واتسون للمنزل المُعنوَن على الرسالة وتستقبلهم ماري السيدة المسنة ذات شخصية شديدة الجاذبية اجتمعت فيها سمات الرقي والثقافة.
تشرع ماري بقص الأحداث بأن هناك من يرغب بشراء منزلها الذي إنتقلت إليه قبل عامين وبالسعر الذي تريده فتضع لهم سعراً مرتفعاً فمت الموافقة عليه واليوم الثاني بأنه يرغب بشراء الأثاث أيضاً، فتضع لهم سعراً مرتفعاً ولدهشتها يوافق عليه من دون نقاش أيضاً، بعد أيام يأتي الوكيل "هينز جونسون" بائع مزادات و مثمّن ولديه عقد لتوقيعها وما ذكر بالعقد يخالف ما تم الأتفاق عليه حيث إنه بعد التوقيع لا يحق لها حمل وأخذ أي شي من المنزل لذا ترفض التوقيع كونها ترغب بأخذ اشيائها الخاصة ومجوهراتها!
في أثناء ذلك ينتبه هولمز بأن الخادمة سوزان تتنصت على محادثتهم من خلف الباب وبعد استجوابها يعلم بأنها على صلة مع عصابة التي تتحرك بسرعة بدورها، لأن بعد استلام هولمز رسالة ماري بسويعات أتى ملاكم زنجي لتهديده!
يخمن هولمز بأنهم يريدون شيئاً مخفياً أو مدفوناً في المنزل، كون ماري لا تملك شيئاً نادراً و ذو قيمة وإن لم يطلب منها أحد شيئاً بالسنتين الماضيتيين و فجأة في خلال 3 أو 4 أيام جائتها طلبات ملحّة.
ينتبه هولمز لوجود صناديق في إحدى الزوايا وعليه ملصقات، وعند السؤال عنها يعلم إنها تخص ابنها دوغلاس ووصلت قبل أسبوع من ميلانو، وهي لم تفرغ محتوياتها بعد. ينصحها هولمز بتفريغها وفحصها ويعد بزيارتها باليوم التالي ليستمع روايتها وعند خروجهما من المنزل يجدان الملاكم الزنجي يراقبه.
في صباح الباكر يتلقى برقية من محامي ماري السيد سوترو يعلمه فيها بأن منزل عميلته تعرض للسرقة والشرطة تحكم سيطرتها على المكان لينطلق هولمز و واتسون إلى هارو ويلد، يخبره المحقق بأنها من عمل عصابة بارني ستوكديل، ولم يأخذو الكثير وتم تخدير السيدة حينها غير حزمة من الأوراق استطاعت ماري انتزاع ورقة واحدة منها.
يقرأ هولمز القصاصة ويعرف الشخص الذي يقصده الكاتب لذا يتوجهان إلى منزل السيدة "ايزادورا كلاين" الأرملة الشابة الإسبانية التي كانت متزوجة من الألماني العجوز كلاين وبعد وفاته أصبحت أغنى وأجمل أرملة عاشت عدة مغامرات مع عدة رجال كان منهم دوغلاس مابيرلي وهي الآن تستعد للزواج من الدوق الشاب لوموند وتسرب أي كلام قد يسبب فضيحة كبرى.
يتواجه هولمز مع السيدة التي تعترف بأنها أرسلت الفتوة المستأجرين لترهيب دوغلاس، وهو كتب روايتين عن قصتهما مع تغيير الأسماء وهذا ما كانت ستسمح به، وبعد موته أرسلت واحدة من العصابة كخادمة وكانت على استعداد لشراء المنزل بما فيه ولكنها فشلت فلجأت للأمر الأشد وهي نادمة على ذلك.
يخبرها هولمز بأنه على استعداد لتسوية الجناية، إن دفعت للسيدة ماري مابيرلي تكلفة السفر حول العالم.
~ مراجعتي ،،
مثل باقي الروايات، مشوقة و جميلة.
~ اقتباسات،،
1- دائماً ما يتسم هؤلاء الأشخاص الأذكياء بلمحة جنون. ~ هولمز
2- "لا يمكن الإستمرار في اللعب بأدوات حادة دون أن تصاب اليدان بأذى" ~هولمز
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
The plot was pretty good but as you can imagine, I didn't enjoy the racism
June 2, 2020
There is some racist language in this short story that doesn't age well. The plot itself is pretty good.
Sherlock has a really good line near the end of the narrative: "I am not the law, but I represent justice, so far as my feeble powers go." That seems to be a good summation of his character.
Sherlock has a really good line near the end of the narrative: "I am not the law, but I represent justice, so far as my feeble powers go." That seems to be a good summation of his character.
October 17, 2023
sherlock was so hot in this please help me
January 12, 2019
I can ignore a certain amount of racist language in a book if there is context. This however was just bad.
December 6, 2023
2.75/5
There is some racist language in this short story that doesn't age well. The plot itself was good and interesting.
There is some racist language in this short story that doesn't age well. The plot itself was good and interesting.
May 27, 2024
This review is for a print version of the story.
Well, this hasn't aged well! There's a very racist portrayal of a black character, plus the whole story is just a tad too melodramatic for modern tastes. Still, it has some good points. Mrs. Maberley is a shrewd old lady, and I'm very glad she's going on her much desired trip around the world. Isadora Klein is despicable , and should get a more severe comeuppance. Susan belongs in jail. Holmes and Watson don't exactly save the day, but they do the best they can under the circumstances.
Of the late Baker Street tales, this one is not too bad.
Screen history:
1994 -- Granada -- Jeremy Brett/Edward Hardwicke --includes more background and a larger role for Langdale Pike. Mrs Maberley is aware of the unpublished novel, but doesn't bring it to the detectives' attention.
Well, this hasn't aged well! There's a very racist portrayal of a black character, plus the whole story is just a tad too melodramatic for modern tastes. Still, it has some good points. Mrs. Maberley is a shrewd old lady, and I'm very glad she's going on her much desired trip around the world. Isadora Klein is despicable , and should get a more severe comeuppance. Susan belongs in jail. Holmes and Watson don't exactly save the day, but they do the best they can under the circumstances.
Of the late Baker Street tales, this one is not too bad.
Screen history:
1994 -- Granada -- Jeremy Brett/Edward Hardwicke --includes more background and a larger role for Langdale Pike. Mrs Maberley is aware of the unpublished novel, but doesn't bring it to the detectives' attention.
April 18, 2017
The adventure of the Three Gables is, unfortunately, one of the tales of Sherlock Holmes as penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that has not withstood the test of time. Though the story and mystery themselves are both fairly average when compared to Doyle's other short works, this particular story is replete with the racist slurs and viewpoints of the time and throws a "lesson" in misogynistic morality into the pot for good measure. With this considered the reader is left with a sub - par work from an otherwise prolific writer. This would not be a recommended first read if someone was looking to delve into the world of Sherlock Holmes, though an avid fan could surly still find enjoyment in it.
November 23, 2018
I never thought I would get here, but the source material has made me hate Watson, who has always been such a favorite of mine in all adaptations. The original Watson is such a useless waste of space, who has nothing to offer but bigotry. Ugh!
And the ending? Seriously, she did all that just to get a novel?
And the ending? Seriously, she did all that just to get a novel?
January 23, 2022
Sorry the racism in this one makes it a cringy read. Holmes is just plain rude to everyone throughout this. It's a shame because some earlier works showed Conan Doyle to be quite sympathetic to people of other races. Not sure what was happening in his world, at the time, to cause this change :(
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January 28, 2013Racist, sexist, bullshit which should never have been published.
December 2, 2014
While I liked the story in general, it contained some racist language and ideas which I was uncomfortable with. These were a bit off-putting and detracted from the experience.
August 21, 2016
Leido en castellano edici{on Aguilar con DVD
May 14, 2019
Sherlock Holmes is wrapped into a mystery of intrigue that becomes unraveled only by his peculiar genius and cunning. It's not a perfect story, but it's still a Sherlock Holmes story.
December 17, 2021
Alhoewel het een leuk avontuurtje is, geeft het verhaal voor de lezer weinig aanknopingspunten om zelf tot een oplossing te komen.
January 5, 2022
It was a good story, there was some racism and sexism that hasn't aged well, but I thought it was a good plot, I loved how Sherlock ended the story.
June 11, 2023
you're racist, Mr. Holmes
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November 5, 2023Yikes… the first page was just one huge cringe of racist word sludge. Blurgh! I think I’ll skip this one.
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November 16, 2023holy shit this is racist
March 20, 2024
Convinced it’s not authentic, outwardly racist, weird structure 🫤
August 28, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #Holmes
Pardon me, Ma Kaali. One of the rare Doyle works, I am rendering three stars.
The Adventure of the Three Gables is one of those late-period Holmes stories where you can sense Arthur Conan Doyle was running on fumes, yet still managed to pull together an atmospheric little case.
I read it in 2003, and even then I remember thinking it felt different from the sharper, earlier tales—it’s as though the machinery of the detective story is still there, but the heart isn’t quite beating as strongly.
The setup is undeniably classic Holmes: a widow, Mrs. Maberley, living in a quiet house called Three Gables, suddenly finds herself at the center of an odd proposition. She is offered a generous sum to sell not just her house, but all of its contents, sight unseen. Immediately, Holmes’ antennae start twitching, because what could possibly be so valuable inside a house that someone wants to buy everything wholesale?
It’s the kind of strange premise that Doyle excelled at conjuring, luring the reader in with a sense of domestic normalcy about to be overturned.
But once the case gets moving, the cracks show. The heavies who confront Holmes—especially the character of Steve Dixie—are written with a mix of caricature and unfortunate racial stereotyping that has not aged well at all.
Even back in 2003, I remember wincing at it. Doyle, otherwise so good at sketching out human types with brisk efficiency, seems careless here, and the dialogue comes across as clumsy. It is one of the reasons why Three Gables is often ranked toward the bottom of the Holmes canon.
Still, there are things to appreciate. Mrs. Maberley herself is a compelling figure—a woman who has lived a colorful, independent life, now suddenly under threat for reasons she doesn’t understand. Holmes treats her with an unusual gentleness, which gives the story a little more warmth than its plot might otherwise warrant.
The twist, when it comes, is not a shocking deduction so much as a revelation of human spite: an old flame, driven by jealousy and humiliation, wants to destroy evidence of his past connection with Mrs. Maberley’s family. Instead of grand crimes or hidden treasures, we get smallness—petty vengeance and ego. It’s less “detective thriller” and more “social melodrama.”
Reading it as an adult in 2003, I actually found that human pettiness angle fascinating. Most detective fiction thrives on grand puzzles, but here Doyle exposes something very banal: how destructive pride and envy can be.
Holmes himself seems faintly irritated by the case, almost as if he, too, recognises that there’s nothing particularly clever to solve. His deductions feel lighter, less dramatic, but the moral undercurrent is there—truth has to be uncovered, even if what lies beneath is only squalid and sad.
It’s also worth noting that by the time Doyle wrote The Three Gables, he’d already written far more inventive stories, and one can’t help but feel he was repeating himself. There’s no Moriarty, no grand chase through London, no ingenious locked-room twist—just a rather straightforward investigation with Holmes more a curious onlooker than a driving force. Yet for all its flaws, the story lingers in memory, perhaps because it feels closer to life.
Not every crime is spectacular; sometimes it’s just about wounded pride, old love affairs, and the lengths to which people will go to save face.
Therefore, while The Adventure of the Three Gables will never be anyone’s favourite Holmes tale, I still think it earns its place in the canon.
It’s a quiet, flawed, but oddly telling piece of the puzzle—showing both Doyle’s weariness with his great detective and his enduring fascination with the dramas hidden inside seemingly ordinary households.
Pardon me, Ma Kaali. One of the rare Doyle works, I am rendering three stars.
The Adventure of the Three Gables is one of those late-period Holmes stories where you can sense Arthur Conan Doyle was running on fumes, yet still managed to pull together an atmospheric little case.
I read it in 2003, and even then I remember thinking it felt different from the sharper, earlier tales—it’s as though the machinery of the detective story is still there, but the heart isn’t quite beating as strongly.
The setup is undeniably classic Holmes: a widow, Mrs. Maberley, living in a quiet house called Three Gables, suddenly finds herself at the center of an odd proposition. She is offered a generous sum to sell not just her house, but all of its contents, sight unseen. Immediately, Holmes’ antennae start twitching, because what could possibly be so valuable inside a house that someone wants to buy everything wholesale?
It’s the kind of strange premise that Doyle excelled at conjuring, luring the reader in with a sense of domestic normalcy about to be overturned.
But once the case gets moving, the cracks show. The heavies who confront Holmes—especially the character of Steve Dixie—are written with a mix of caricature and unfortunate racial stereotyping that has not aged well at all.
Even back in 2003, I remember wincing at it. Doyle, otherwise so good at sketching out human types with brisk efficiency, seems careless here, and the dialogue comes across as clumsy. It is one of the reasons why Three Gables is often ranked toward the bottom of the Holmes canon.
Still, there are things to appreciate. Mrs. Maberley herself is a compelling figure—a woman who has lived a colorful, independent life, now suddenly under threat for reasons she doesn’t understand. Holmes treats her with an unusual gentleness, which gives the story a little more warmth than its plot might otherwise warrant.
The twist, when it comes, is not a shocking deduction so much as a revelation of human spite: an old flame, driven by jealousy and humiliation, wants to destroy evidence of his past connection with Mrs. Maberley’s family. Instead of grand crimes or hidden treasures, we get smallness—petty vengeance and ego. It’s less “detective thriller” and more “social melodrama.”
Reading it as an adult in 2003, I actually found that human pettiness angle fascinating. Most detective fiction thrives on grand puzzles, but here Doyle exposes something very banal: how destructive pride and envy can be.
Holmes himself seems faintly irritated by the case, almost as if he, too, recognises that there’s nothing particularly clever to solve. His deductions feel lighter, less dramatic, but the moral undercurrent is there—truth has to be uncovered, even if what lies beneath is only squalid and sad.
It’s also worth noting that by the time Doyle wrote The Three Gables, he’d already written far more inventive stories, and one can’t help but feel he was repeating himself. There’s no Moriarty, no grand chase through London, no ingenious locked-room twist—just a rather straightforward investigation with Holmes more a curious onlooker than a driving force. Yet for all its flaws, the story lingers in memory, perhaps because it feels closer to life.
Not every crime is spectacular; sometimes it’s just about wounded pride, old love affairs, and the lengths to which people will go to save face.
Therefore, while The Adventure of the Three Gables will never be anyone’s favourite Holmes tale, I still think it earns its place in the canon.
It’s a quiet, flawed, but oddly telling piece of the puzzle—showing both Doyle’s weariness with his great detective and his enduring fascination with the dramas hidden inside seemingly ordinary households.
April 25, 2025
في “مغامرة الجملونات الثلاثة”، نجد أنفسنا أمام واحدة من القصص القصيرة التي كتبها آرثر كونان دويل في أواخر مسيرته مع شخصية شيرلوك هولمز، ويبدو أنها تحاول التمسك بالقالب الكلاسيكي لتحقيقات هولمز لكنها لا تقدم الكثير مما يمكن تذكره لاحقًا. هناك لمحات من الذكاء المعتاد في تحليلات هولمز، لكنه ذكاء يأتي متأخرًا قليلًا، وكأن القصة لا تجد إيقاعها إلا في النصف الأخير منها.
البداية تقليدية إلى حد كبير: سيدة مسنة تتلقى عرضًا مريبًا لبيع منزلها مقابل مغادرته فورًا دون أخذ أي شيء من ممتلكاتها. الموقف غريب دون شك، لكنه لا يحمل في طياته التوتر أو الغموض الذي يجعل القارئ يتشبث بالقصة منذ السطور الأولى. حضور شيرلوك هولمز في القصة، على الرغم من تميزه المعتاد، لا يحمل هنا تلك اللمسة النفسية أو الوجود الطاغي الذي اعتدنا عليه في مغامراته الأخرى.
ما يُحسب للقصة أنها تحاول الغوص في خلفيات اجتماعية وشخصية لأفراد من الطبقة الراقية، ومحاولة التستر على ماضٍ قد يُعد مشينًا، لكنها لا تمنح القارئ تعقيدًا كافيًا أو صراعًا داخليًا يمكن التفاعل معه بعمق. الحبكة، وإن كانت دقيقة في نهايتها، تفتقر إلى التدرج الذي يجعل الوصول إلى الحل لحظة مشوقة بحق.
الشخصيات الثانوية، ورغم حضورها في المشهد، لا تترك أثرًا كبيرًا. شخصية ستيف ديكسي، على سبيل المثال، تُستخدم كأداة سردية للتهديد فقط، دون تطوير فعلي يُكسبه عمقًا أو حتى غموضًا. كذلك، لا توجد انعطافات سردية مفاجئة أو تكشفات مثيرة، بل مجرد تتبع منطقي هادئ للأدلة حتى الوصول إلى الحل.
القصة ليست سيئة بأي حال، لكنها تندرج ضمن القصص التي تُقرأ مرة واحدة دون أن تبقى طويلاً في الذاكرة. ربما لأنها تفتقد تلك اللحظة الخاصة التي يشعر فيها القارئ أنه أمام عبقرية لا تُكرر، والتي ميزت كثيرًا من مغامرات هولمز الأقدم.
In The Adventure of the Three Gables, we find ourselves reading one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s later short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes—a story that tries to hold onto the classic investigative formula, yet doesn’t offer much that lingers in the reader’s memory. There are glimpses of Holmes’s trademark brilliance in deduction, but it arrives somewhat late, as if the story only finds its rhythm in the latter half.
The beginning is rather conventional: an elderly woman receives a suspicious offer to buy her home on the condition that she vacates it immediately without taking any of her possessions. It’s certainly an odd scenario, but it lacks the kind of tension or mystery that grips the reader from the first lines. Holmes’s presence, while still marked by his sharp mind, doesn’t carry the psychological depth or commanding presence we’ve come to expect from his other adventures.
To the story’s credit, it attempts to delve into the personal and social reputations of the upper class, and the desire to hide a shameful past, but it doesn’t provide enough complexity or internal conflict for the reader to deeply engage with. The plot, although neat in its conclusion, lacks the build-up that would make the resolution truly compelling.
The secondary characters, though present, don’t leave a strong impression. Steve Dixie, for example, serves mainly as a narrative device for intimidation, without any real development or intrigue. There are also no surprising twists or major reveals—just a calm, logical following of clues that leads to the conclusion.
This story is by no means bad, but it falls into the category of one-time reads—interesting in the moment, yet unlikely to be remembered long after. Perhaps it’s because it lacks that special moment where the reader feels they are witnessing a rare display of genius, something that defined so many of Holmes’s earlier and more memorable adventures.
البداية تقليدية إلى حد كبير: سيدة مسنة تتلقى عرضًا مريبًا لبيع منزلها مقابل مغادرته فورًا دون أخذ أي شيء من ممتلكاتها. الموقف غريب دون شك، لكنه لا يحمل في طياته التوتر أو الغموض الذي يجعل القارئ يتشبث بالقصة منذ السطور الأولى. حضور شيرلوك هولمز في القصة، على الرغم من تميزه المعتاد، لا يحمل هنا تلك اللمسة النفسية أو الوجود الطاغي الذي اعتدنا عليه في مغامراته الأخرى.
ما يُحسب للقصة أنها تحاول الغوص في خلفيات اجتماعية وشخصية لأفراد من الطبقة الراقية، ومحاولة التستر على ماضٍ قد يُعد مشينًا، لكنها لا تمنح القارئ تعقيدًا كافيًا أو صراعًا داخليًا يمكن التفاعل معه بعمق. الحبكة، وإن كانت دقيقة في نهايتها، تفتقر إلى التدرج الذي يجعل الوصول إلى الحل لحظة مشوقة بحق.
الشخصيات الثانوية، ورغم حضورها في المشهد، لا تترك أثرًا كبيرًا. شخصية ستيف ديكسي، على سبيل المثال، تُستخدم كأداة سردية للتهديد فقط، دون تطوير فعلي يُكسبه عمقًا أو حتى غموضًا. كذلك، لا توجد انعطافات سردية مفاجئة أو تكشفات مثيرة، بل مجرد تتبع منطقي هادئ للأدلة حتى الوصول إلى الحل.
القصة ليست سيئة بأي حال، لكنها تندرج ضمن القصص التي تُقرأ مرة واحدة دون أن تبقى طويلاً في الذاكرة. ربما لأنها تفتقد تلك اللحظة الخاصة التي يشعر فيها القارئ أنه أمام عبقرية لا تُكرر، والتي ميزت كثيرًا من مغامرات هولمز الأقدم.
In The Adventure of the Three Gables, we find ourselves reading one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s later short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes—a story that tries to hold onto the classic investigative formula, yet doesn’t offer much that lingers in the reader’s memory. There are glimpses of Holmes’s trademark brilliance in deduction, but it arrives somewhat late, as if the story only finds its rhythm in the latter half.
The beginning is rather conventional: an elderly woman receives a suspicious offer to buy her home on the condition that she vacates it immediately without taking any of her possessions. It’s certainly an odd scenario, but it lacks the kind of tension or mystery that grips the reader from the first lines. Holmes’s presence, while still marked by his sharp mind, doesn’t carry the psychological depth or commanding presence we’ve come to expect from his other adventures.
To the story’s credit, it attempts to delve into the personal and social reputations of the upper class, and the desire to hide a shameful past, but it doesn’t provide enough complexity or internal conflict for the reader to deeply engage with. The plot, although neat in its conclusion, lacks the build-up that would make the resolution truly compelling.
The secondary characters, though present, don’t leave a strong impression. Steve Dixie, for example, serves mainly as a narrative device for intimidation, without any real development or intrigue. There are also no surprising twists or major reveals—just a calm, logical following of clues that leads to the conclusion.
This story is by no means bad, but it falls into the category of one-time reads—interesting in the moment, yet unlikely to be remembered long after. Perhaps it’s because it lacks that special moment where the reader feels they are witnessing a rare display of genius, something that defined so many of Holmes’s earlier and more memorable adventures.
November 18, 2024
The story begins with a visit to 221B Baker Street from Steve Dixie, a black man and a cowardly ruffian who warns Sherlock Holmes to keep away from Harrow. Although Dixie has come to intimidate Holmes, Holmes secures Dixie's future cooperation by threatening to tell what he knows about the suspicious Perkins death involving Dixie. Dixie's boss is Barney Stockdale, and he must be connected with the Harrow Weald case, of which Holmes has just learnt from a message from Mary Maberley, a lady who lives at Three Gables, a house at Harrow Weald.
Mrs Maberley is an elderly woman whose son has recently died in Rome. He was an attaché there. Some peculiar things have happened at Three Gables. Mrs Maberley has lived there nearly two years and in all that time has attracted very little attention from her neighbours. Suddenly, however, a man came to her recently and offered to buy her house and all the furniture in it. She was not really willing to do it, especially after her lawyer, Mr Sutro, told her that the legal agreement drawn up by this prospective buyer would forbid her to remove any possessions from the house when she moved out.
Mrs Maberley is an elderly woman whose son has recently died in Rome. He was an attaché there. Some peculiar things have happened at Three Gables. Mrs Maberley has lived there nearly two years and in all that time has attracted very little attention from her neighbours. Suddenly, however, a man came to her recently and offered to buy her house and all the furniture in it. She was not really willing to do it, especially after her lawyer, Mr Sutro, told her that the legal agreement drawn up by this prospective buyer would forbid her to remove any possessions from the house when she moved out.
March 30, 2023
This one started off good enough, with an interesting character and secrets. Then a twist with an old lady and someone wanting to buy her house and everything in it. I also love when Sherlock calls upon his street contacts, this one giving him the gossip that he can't get anywhere else. But when Holmes leaves the woman for the night, even telling her that she'll be robbed and to have someone stay with her, I was disappointed when it actually happened, knowing that Sherlock's intelligence usually prevents this sort of thing from happening and so I felt it was a sort of plot hole, and not common for Doyle to do. The end rounded out nicely as usual, and the story was enjoyable. It just didn't end up being one of my favorites.
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