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Sherlock Holmes: the Novels
Introduction by Michael Dirda.
Includes the four novels:
- A Study in Scarlet
- The Sign of Four
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- The Valley of Fear
Includes the four novels:
- A Study in Scarlet
- The Sign of Four
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- The Valley of Fear
571 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
1073 people are currently reading
4170 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.8k books24.4k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish 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 275 reviews
March 23, 2023
I've always wished that Goodreads should have a decimal rating system, which would help readers to "precisely" rate a book. But I won't say that while reviewing this book, for there's no doubt in my mind that this book deserves anything less than 5 perfect stars
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - you beauty!
While many things have already been said about this book, I'd just say that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had the ability to keep the reader thoroughly engaged, boggling their minds with the mystery, swooning it with fright, and making them fall off their seat with admiration so profound that any reader would find it impossible to resist to read.
Needless to say, I was fascinated by the prodigious fictional detective and his intuitive skills that helps him crack the toughest of cases from the barest of clues.
For the lovers of detective fiction, I'd say Sherlock is a perennial source of both inspiration and magnificence.
While reading the novels, I always felt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had been a connoisseur of psychology.
This is one of those books whose mesmerizing quotes will always remain with me!
5/5 without a second thought! Add to this, I'm so proud of myself that I prioritized reading Sherlock over watching it (for watching any series/movie after reading the book/work feels all the more wonderful; add to this no reader would say that the movie/series was better than the book)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - you beauty!
While many things have already been said about this book, I'd just say that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had the ability to keep the reader thoroughly engaged, boggling their minds with the mystery, swooning it with fright, and making them fall off their seat with admiration so profound that any reader would find it impossible to resist to read.
Needless to say, I was fascinated by the prodigious fictional detective and his intuitive skills that helps him crack the toughest of cases from the barest of clues.
For the lovers of detective fiction, I'd say Sherlock is a perennial source of both inspiration and magnificence.
While reading the novels, I always felt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had been a connoisseur of psychology.
This is one of those books whose mesmerizing quotes will always remain with me!
5/5 without a second thought! Add to this, I'm so proud of myself that I prioritized reading Sherlock over watching it (for watching any series/movie after reading the book/work feels all the more wonderful; add to this no reader would say that the movie/series was better than the book)
September 20, 2020
Since I used to be a fan of the BBC show I thought it would be fun to check out the source material. Well, what can I say? I couldn't have been more wrong. The original Sherlock novels truly suck ass. I cannot put it in a friendlier manner. (I mean, I could ... but I don't want to.)
They're so lazily written (like, seriously? I knew Doyle only wanted to make money and never put the time and effort into editing his books, but wow, the plots of these novels are such a fucking mess!) and on top of that, Doyle spews his pro-imperialism propaganda in most of these novels and I'm not here for this shit.
A STUDY IN SCARLET - 1 star - (review)
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES - 2,5 stars - (review)
THE SIGN OF FOUR - 1 star - (review)
THE VALLEY OF FEAR - 1 star - (review)
Do I really need to read another story in which violence and corruption always happen outside of England's "green and peaceful land", because Englishmen are known for their goodness and high moral values (*coughs* British imperialism is a thing), and only foreigners are criminals? Absolutely fucking not.
In the source material, Sherlock functions as a white knight, persevering the "civilized values" of the British Empire (*coughs* don't forget the slave trade, ya'll) against "barbarity and disorder". Ain't nobody got time for that. The game, my fellow readers, is so not afoot.
They're so lazily written (like, seriously? I knew Doyle only wanted to make money and never put the time and effort into editing his books, but wow, the plots of these novels are such a fucking mess!) and on top of that, Doyle spews his pro-imperialism propaganda in most of these novels and I'm not here for this shit.
A STUDY IN SCARLET - 1 star - (review)
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES - 2,5 stars - (review)
THE SIGN OF FOUR - 1 star - (review)
THE VALLEY OF FEAR - 1 star - (review)
Do I really need to read another story in which violence and corruption always happen outside of England's "green and peaceful land", because Englishmen are known for their goodness and high moral values (*coughs* British imperialism is a thing), and only foreigners are criminals? Absolutely fucking not.
In the source material, Sherlock functions as a white knight, persevering the "civilized values" of the British Empire (*coughs* don't forget the slave trade, ya'll) against "barbarity and disorder". Ain't nobody got time for that. The game, my fellow readers, is so not afoot.
August 13, 2019
Sherlock Holmes è stato un personaggio molto importante nel mio periodo adolescenziale, in cui mi dedicavo quasi esclusivamente alla lettura di horror (quelli di Stephen King) e di gialli (quelli di Agatha Christie e di Arthur Conan Doyle).
Quando dopo molti anni, ho scoperto questa edizione Einaudi contenente tutti i romanzi (Uno studio in rosso, Il segno dei quattro, Il mastino dei Baskerville e La valle della paura) mi sono fiondata ad acquistarlo (all’appello manca la raccolta di tutti i racconti, ma rimedierò sicuramente… prima o poi).
Sherlock Holmes, anche grazie alla serie tv ben riuscita Sherlock, lo conosciamo tutti: eccentrico, geniale e affatto modesto. Vive al 221B di Baker Street assieme al dottor Watson, suo fidato amico, fuma la pipa e si droga quando non ha casi da risolvere che lo tengono attivo e interessato al mondo.
Perché Sherlock, nonostante il suo caratteraccio, piace così tanto? Probabilmente perché ha uno spirito d’osservazione fuori dal comune e riesce così a interpretare e a “indovinare” cose a noi sconosciute ma che sono lì, davanti ai nostri occhi. Indovinare è il peggior termine che potrei usare, e se Sherlock fosse qui accanto a me probabilmente sarebbe deluso da questa scelta inappropriata di termini. Me ne scuso.
«No, io non tiro mai a indovinare: è un’abitudine che odio perché distrugge le facoltà logiche. Quello che le sembra strano, lo è solo perché lei non segue il mio filo logico e non tiene conto dei piccoli fatti da cui possono dipendere importanti conclusioni.»
Ovviamente tutto questo è possibile perché Arthur Conan Doyle lo rende possibile, ma in realtà è come se Sherlock esistesse realmente, noi lettori (o di sicuro io) crediamo che tutte le sue deduzioni e le sue scoperte geniali siano reali e non frutto di fantasia, e magari siamo convinti che al 221B di Baker Street Sherlock, e ovviamente Watson, siano realmente esistiti!
Come fa notare Margherita Oggero nella prefazione, Uno studio in rosso, che è il primo romanzo (1887), e La valle della paura, che è l’ultimo dei quattro romanzi (1915), sono strutturati nello stesso modo: si dividono in due parti; nella prima si svolge il crimine, c’è l’indagine e la soluzione del caso; nella seconda parte si torna indietro negli anni e si raccontano gli antefatti e di conseguenza i moventi.
Sarà un caso, ma entrambi i romanzi mi sono piaciuti molto, La valle della paura ancora di più rispetto a Uno studio in rosso. Sia nel presente, sia nel passato, sono stata sorpresa dagli eventi e dalla risoluzione finale: colpi di scena a cui non avevo pensato e che mi hanno piacevolmente colpita.
Il secondo romanzo, Il segno dei quattro (1890) è quello che mi è piaciuto meno. Questo non significa che non mi sia piaciuto, anzi; mi ricordo tra l’altro che era uno di quelli che avevo già letto durante l’adolescenza, ma non mi ricordavo assolutamente chi era il colpevole e come si erano svolti i fatti (avevo un’idea, ma si è rivelata sbagliata).
Il terzo romanzo, Il mastino dei Baskerville (1902), è probabilmente il testo più conosciuto di Arthur Conan Doyle, anche se oserei paragonare la sua “fama” con quella di Uno studio in rosso, ma magari anche in questo caso potrei sbagliarmi.
Assieme a La valle della paura, Il mastino dei Baskerville è stato il romanzo che più ho preferito, forse perché c’è una mescolanza di generi: il giallo e l’horror.
Ho sempre trovato Sherlock Holmes un personaggio affascinante per la sua genialità e leggere i romanzi che parlano di lui e dei suoi casi è stato un piacere. Se vi piace lui o il genere giallo, i libri su Sherlock sono un porto sicuro dove approdare ogni qualvolta si ha bisogno di braccia amiche pronte ad accogliervi.
Valutazione: 4.5
Quando dopo molti anni, ho scoperto questa edizione Einaudi contenente tutti i romanzi (Uno studio in rosso, Il segno dei quattro, Il mastino dei Baskerville e La valle della paura) mi sono fiondata ad acquistarlo (all’appello manca la raccolta di tutti i racconti, ma rimedierò sicuramente… prima o poi).
Sherlock Holmes, anche grazie alla serie tv ben riuscita Sherlock, lo conosciamo tutti: eccentrico, geniale e affatto modesto. Vive al 221B di Baker Street assieme al dottor Watson, suo fidato amico, fuma la pipa e si droga quando non ha casi da risolvere che lo tengono attivo e interessato al mondo.
Perché Sherlock, nonostante il suo caratteraccio, piace così tanto? Probabilmente perché ha uno spirito d’osservazione fuori dal comune e riesce così a interpretare e a “indovinare” cose a noi sconosciute ma che sono lì, davanti ai nostri occhi. Indovinare è il peggior termine che potrei usare, e se Sherlock fosse qui accanto a me probabilmente sarebbe deluso da questa scelta inappropriata di termini. Me ne scuso.
«No, io non tiro mai a indovinare: è un’abitudine che odio perché distrugge le facoltà logiche. Quello che le sembra strano, lo è solo perché lei non segue il mio filo logico e non tiene conto dei piccoli fatti da cui possono dipendere importanti conclusioni.»
Ovviamente tutto questo è possibile perché Arthur Conan Doyle lo rende possibile, ma in realtà è come se Sherlock esistesse realmente, noi lettori (o di sicuro io) crediamo che tutte le sue deduzioni e le sue scoperte geniali siano reali e non frutto di fantasia, e magari siamo convinti che al 221B di Baker Street Sherlock, e ovviamente Watson, siano realmente esistiti!
Come fa notare Margherita Oggero nella prefazione, Uno studio in rosso, che è il primo romanzo (1887), e La valle della paura, che è l’ultimo dei quattro romanzi (1915), sono strutturati nello stesso modo: si dividono in due parti; nella prima si svolge il crimine, c’è l’indagine e la soluzione del caso; nella seconda parte si torna indietro negli anni e si raccontano gli antefatti e di conseguenza i moventi.
Sarà un caso, ma entrambi i romanzi mi sono piaciuti molto, La valle della paura ancora di più rispetto a Uno studio in rosso. Sia nel presente, sia nel passato, sono stata sorpresa dagli eventi e dalla risoluzione finale: colpi di scena a cui non avevo pensato e che mi hanno piacevolmente colpita.
Il secondo romanzo, Il segno dei quattro (1890) è quello che mi è piaciuto meno. Questo non significa che non mi sia piaciuto, anzi; mi ricordo tra l’altro che era uno di quelli che avevo già letto durante l’adolescenza, ma non mi ricordavo assolutamente chi era il colpevole e come si erano svolti i fatti (avevo un’idea, ma si è rivelata sbagliata).
Il terzo romanzo, Il mastino dei Baskerville (1902), è probabilmente il testo più conosciuto di Arthur Conan Doyle, anche se oserei paragonare la sua “fama” con quella di Uno studio in rosso, ma magari anche in questo caso potrei sbagliarmi.
Assieme a La valle della paura, Il mastino dei Baskerville è stato il romanzo che più ho preferito, forse perché c’è una mescolanza di generi: il giallo e l’horror.
Ho sempre trovato Sherlock Holmes un personaggio affascinante per la sua genialità e leggere i romanzi che parlano di lui e dei suoi casi è stato un piacere. Se vi piace lui o il genere giallo, i libri su Sherlock sono un porto sicuro dove approdare ogni qualvolta si ha bisogno di braccia amiche pronte ad accogliervi.
Valutazione: 4.5
April 18, 2019
Il mio primo contatto con questo autore è stato positivo. Mi sono piaciuti i quattro racconti, in particolare "Il mastino dei Baskerville". E' vero, è scritto piccolo piccolo e sono diventata quasi cieca per leggere, però la lettura è scorrevole, interessante, vuoi sempre andare avanti per vedere come va a finire, soprattutto le doti investigative di Sherlock Holmes mi hanno affascinato.
September 5, 2018
"Elementare, Wathson!".
Conan Doyle è un grande scrittore, difatti da lui si sono poi ispirati tutti i giallisti celebri. Grande narratore, non stanca mai e ti lascia con il fiato sospeso per tutte le storie. Da rileggere mille e mille volte.
Conan Doyle è un grande scrittore, difatti da lui si sono poi ispirati tutti i giallisti celebri. Grande narratore, non stanca mai e ti lascia con il fiato sospeso per tutte le storie. Da rileggere mille e mille volte.
August 16, 2022
~Mire – me explicó -, considero que el cerebro del hombre es originalmente un pequeño desván vacío, que uno debe ir llenando con los enseres que prefiera. El necio mete en él todos los trastos que encuentra, de modo que los conocimientos que podrían serle útiles no disponen de lugar, o, en el mejor de los casos, están mezclados con tantas otras cosas que es difícil dar con ellos. Ahora bien, el artesano habilidoso pone mucho cuidado con lo que introduce en su cerebro-desván. Solo tendrá las herramientas que puedan ayudarle en su trabajo, pero de estas tendrá un buen surtido, y todas dispuestas en un orden perfecto. Es un error creer que el cuartito tiene paredes elásticas y puede dilatarse sin límite. Créame, llega un momento en que todo conocimiento añadido supone el olvido de algo que antes sabías. Es, por tanto, de máxima importancia no permitir que datos inútiles desalojen a los útiles.~
Sherlock Holmes
Este libro me dejó gratamente sorprendida en muchos aspectos. Las cuatro novelas que están acá me parecieron increíbles y de cada una me llevo personajes y momentos maravillosos. La manera en la que está narrada el libro, me mantenía pendiente todo el tiempo y no podía esperar por saber quién había cometido el crimen o cuales eran sus motivos para hacerlo. De los personajes, sin duda Sherlock Holmes🕵️❤ es mi favorito, no solo por sus razonamientos del otro mundo, si no porque me encariñe mucho con él y con su manera de hacer las cosas (en serio me gustaría estar en su cabeza). Me encantó la pasión con la que asumió cada trabajo y me saco unas cuantas carcajadas con su sarcasmo y su manera de ser. El Dr. Watson fue increíble🤗 y me gustó mucho como narró la historia y sobre todo me gustó que, normalmente, andaba tan pérdida como él con todo lo que decía Sherlock. También rescató la paciencia que él tenía, porque a pesar de que me encantó Sherlock, creo que no podría evitar enojarme con el todo tiempo.
Estudio en escarlata fue, para mí, la mejor historia💞. El sentimiento que me dejó fue hermoso, me hizo creer en la justicia y me enamore de la historia que hay detrás del asesinato😍. Al final de la novela, cuando todo cae en su lugar y se entiende por qué se cometió el crimen y por qué Sherlock hizo las cosas como las hizo, me dejó en shock y con el corazón a mil. En serio, fue un excelente abrebocas para el resto del libro.
El signo de los cuatro, la segunda novela, me pareció interesante, pero siento que no llego al mismo nivel que la primera. Aún así, fue muy entretenida y la trama me mantuvo metida en la historia. De esta historia rescató que Watson se enamora y yo aprobé ese romance con locura.
El sabueso de los Baskerville es la tercera novela y la verdad, me gustó más que la anterior. En esta historia Sherlock me dejó en shock una vez más, nada de lo que él hizo me lo esperaba, es más, nunca sé que esperarme de él🤔, siempre tiene una manera rara de hacer las cosas. Lo que más me dejo impresionada fue que por primera vez, si pude atinarle al asesino😉 y más o menos a sus motivaciones.
El Valle del terror, la última novela, llegó casi al nivel de estudio en escarlata. Fue increíble todo lo que paso en esta historia y el giro que toma en la primera parte, no me lo veía venir, es más creo que hasta los personajes de la historia quedaron tan en shock como yo😨. Lo mejor fue la segunda parte, donde explican porque paso todo lo de la primera parte y la verdad es imposible no quedar con la boca abierta otra vez😨.
Me encantaron mucho estas cuatro novelas y sobre todo la estructura narrativa que tiene cada una de ellas. A veces me costaba un poco entender la historia, porque en un momento te están explicando el asesinato y al otro te están describiendo un lugar con pelos y señales, y en ese momento es complicado conectar todo, pero cuando uno se entera porque eran tan importantes las descripciones, es inevitable no ir a volver a releerlo todo.
Recomiendo mucho este libro, no solo por lo increíble que está, si no por todas las reflexiones que hay en él, sobre la moral, la inteligencia, el razonamiento, la vida, TODO. Básicamente, Sherlock se cuestiona todo y hace que uno también lo haga.
Sherlock Holmes
Este libro me dejó gratamente sorprendida en muchos aspectos. Las cuatro novelas que están acá me parecieron increíbles y de cada una me llevo personajes y momentos maravillosos. La manera en la que está narrada el libro, me mantenía pendiente todo el tiempo y no podía esperar por saber quién había cometido el crimen o cuales eran sus motivos para hacerlo. De los personajes, sin duda Sherlock Holmes🕵️❤ es mi favorito, no solo por sus razonamientos del otro mundo, si no porque me encariñe mucho con él y con su manera de hacer las cosas (en serio me gustaría estar en su cabeza). Me encantó la pasión con la que asumió cada trabajo y me saco unas cuantas carcajadas con su sarcasmo y su manera de ser. El Dr. Watson fue increíble🤗 y me gustó mucho como narró la historia y sobre todo me gustó que, normalmente, andaba tan pérdida como él con todo lo que decía Sherlock. También rescató la paciencia que él tenía, porque a pesar de que me encantó Sherlock, creo que no podría evitar enojarme con el todo tiempo.
Estudio en escarlata fue, para mí, la mejor historia💞. El sentimiento que me dejó fue hermoso, me hizo creer en la justicia y me enamore de la historia que hay detrás del asesinato😍. Al final de la novela, cuando todo cae en su lugar y se entiende por qué se cometió el crimen y por qué Sherlock hizo las cosas como las hizo, me dejó en shock y con el corazón a mil. En serio, fue un excelente abrebocas para el resto del libro.
El signo de los cuatro, la segunda novela, me pareció interesante, pero siento que no llego al mismo nivel que la primera. Aún así, fue muy entretenida y la trama me mantuvo metida en la historia. De esta historia rescató que Watson se enamora y yo aprobé ese romance con locura.
El sabueso de los Baskerville es la tercera novela y la verdad, me gustó más que la anterior. En esta historia Sherlock me dejó en shock una vez más, nada de lo que él hizo me lo esperaba, es más, nunca sé que esperarme de él🤔, siempre tiene una manera rara de hacer las cosas. Lo que más me dejo impresionada fue que por primera vez, si pude atinarle al asesino😉 y más o menos a sus motivaciones.
El Valle del terror, la última novela, llegó casi al nivel de estudio en escarlata. Fue increíble todo lo que paso en esta historia y el giro que toma en la primera parte, no me lo veía venir, es más creo que hasta los personajes de la historia quedaron tan en shock como yo😨. Lo mejor fue la segunda parte, donde explican porque paso todo lo de la primera parte y la verdad es imposible no quedar con la boca abierta otra vez😨.
Me encantaron mucho estas cuatro novelas y sobre todo la estructura narrativa que tiene cada una de ellas. A veces me costaba un poco entender la historia, porque en un momento te están explicando el asesinato y al otro te están describiendo un lugar con pelos y señales, y en ese momento es complicado conectar todo, pero cuando uno se entera porque eran tan importantes las descripciones, es inevitable no ir a volver a releerlo todo.
Recomiendo mucho este libro, no solo por lo increíble que está, si no por todas las reflexiones que hay en él, sobre la moral, la inteligencia, el razonamiento, la vida, TODO. Básicamente, Sherlock se cuestiona todo y hace que uno también lo haga.
April 24, 2025
gente: continuaré la lectura de sherlock con la colección!
August 30, 2024
3 años después termino el tomo de novelas (4) de Sherlock, editorial Penguin. En mi opinión, más que correcta traducción, buen papel y tamaño de letra.
—por cierto, es curioso todo lo que ha cambiado «nuestra vida» desde ese 3 de noviembre del 2021 cuando empecé la lectura de estos clásicos.
Como recomendación para los que empiezan, por favor, para disfrutar más la lectura sigan el orden canónico:
A Study in Scarlet (Estudio en escarlata) (1887) Novela.
The Sign of the Four (El signo de los cuatro) (1890) Novela.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes) (1892) Relatos.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Las memorias de Sherlock Holmes) (1894) Relatos.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (El sabueso de Baskerville) (1902) Novela.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (El regreso de Sherlock Holmes) (1905) Relatos.
The Valley of Fear (El valle del miedo) (1915) Novela.
The Last Bow of Sherlock Holmes (Su última reverencia) (1917) Relatos.
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (El archivo de Sherlock Holmes) (1927) Relatos.
—por cierto, es curioso todo lo que ha cambiado «nuestra vida» desde ese 3 de noviembre del 2021 cuando empecé la lectura de estos clásicos.
Como recomendación para los que empiezan, por favor, para disfrutar más la lectura sigan el orden canónico:
A Study in Scarlet (Estudio en escarlata) (1887) Novela.
The Sign of the Four (El signo de los cuatro) (1890) Novela.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes) (1892) Relatos.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Las memorias de Sherlock Holmes) (1894) Relatos.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (El sabueso de Baskerville) (1902) Novela.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (El regreso de Sherlock Holmes) (1905) Relatos.
The Valley of Fear (El valle del miedo) (1915) Novela.
The Last Bow of Sherlock Holmes (Su última reverencia) (1917) Relatos.
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (El archivo de Sherlock Holmes) (1927) Relatos.
October 3, 2020
"Strange indeed is human nature."
1. A study in scarlet
This is a story about losing love, fanatic loyalty gone bad, and revenge. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of the first person, who continues to narrate all the four novels, Dr. Watson. He then describes us his encounters and gradual developments with Mr. Sherlock Holmes after they become room mates. In this story, I find myself first in London where two murders occurs, one succeeding the other, in two separate places, which are, obviously connected and committed by the same person. The second part, we are taken to Mid west America, among of Mormons, where some were staunch devotees and had preposterous rules and way of living. The story would then come into circle and it would make sense.
2. Sign of the Four
It is a very odd but interesting story. A free trip to Southern India and Andamans in the second part. The first part, there is a woman whose father has been missing for years, and since, she started receiving anonymous gifts and letters. In another house, there are some secrets a a father takes with him to his grave. However, the sons come to know of a treasure hidden and they try to find it only to realise that enemies of the past are waiting on them. One of them get murdered, but by who? Then the trip down the memory lane to India makes complete sense.
3. The Hounds of Baskerville
This is by far the most mysterious and my favourite. This is definitely for my list of rereads. I can never talk and express much bout books I love, because I am rather afraid of falling short. Spooky and mysterious at its best. I mean, while reading it I could not decide if it the deaths were criminal or supernatural offenses. The moor is indeed Okay, I can say no more.
"As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor."
4. Valley of fear
It begins where Mr. Holmes get a strange letter about an impending murder of certain Mr. Douglas. Before they could prevent this, the murder already happens. Now, on further investigation in the murder spot, Both Dr. Watson and Mr Holmes find some eerie acts on Mrs. Douglas and the victim's friend, Mr. Barker. This story also takes us to a second location, which is of the past. The latter being called The valley of fear, and we get acquainted with a society of rogue murderers. It is a fascinating story, but I cannot say it is his best.
But all in all, more than the stories, I have become much of a fan of Doyle's writing and story telling style. Worth every minute of reading :)
1. A study in scarlet
This is a story about losing love, fanatic loyalty gone bad, and revenge. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of the first person, who continues to narrate all the four novels, Dr. Watson. He then describes us his encounters and gradual developments with Mr. Sherlock Holmes after they become room mates. In this story, I find myself first in London where two murders occurs, one succeeding the other, in two separate places, which are, obviously connected and committed by the same person. The second part, we are taken to Mid west America, among of Mormons, where some were staunch devotees and had preposterous rules and way of living. The story would then come into circle and it would make sense.
2. Sign of the Four
It is a very odd but interesting story. A free trip to Southern India and Andamans in the second part. The first part, there is a woman whose father has been missing for years, and since, she started receiving anonymous gifts and letters. In another house, there are some secrets a a father takes with him to his grave. However, the sons come to know of a treasure hidden and they try to find it only to realise that enemies of the past are waiting on them. One of them get murdered, but by who? Then the trip down the memory lane to India makes complete sense.
3. The Hounds of Baskerville
This is by far the most mysterious and my favourite. This is definitely for my list of rereads. I can never talk and express much bout books I love, because I am rather afraid of falling short. Spooky and mysterious at its best. I mean, while reading it I could not decide if it the deaths were criminal or supernatural offenses. The moor is indeed Okay, I can say no more.
"As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor."
4. Valley of fear
It begins where Mr. Holmes get a strange letter about an impending murder of certain Mr. Douglas. Before they could prevent this, the murder already happens. Now, on further investigation in the murder spot, Both Dr. Watson and Mr Holmes find some eerie acts on Mrs. Douglas and the victim's friend, Mr. Barker. This story also takes us to a second location, which is of the past. The latter being called The valley of fear, and we get acquainted with a society of rogue murderers. It is a fascinating story, but I cannot say it is his best.
But all in all, more than the stories, I have become much of a fan of Doyle's writing and story telling style. Worth every minute of reading :)
May 20, 2017
Reseñado en mi blog Nanny Books
Amo a Sherlock Holmes, es una de mis manías no sanas que debo tratar pronto con un especialista. Me encanta coleccionar ediciones de las obras de Doyle, aunque las tenga repetidas. Cuando me enteré de que Penguin estaba editando la colección completa de cuentos y compilando todas las novelas en un solo libro, no pude evitar enloquecer de amor y salir corriendo a comprarlo. Así que aquí estoy, con mi ejemplar de Sherlock Holmes, Novelas, totalmente encantada de la vida.
Si bien me he tomado una semana para leer todas las novelas que contiene este libro, solo voy a reseñar dos en el blog, que son las que aún no lo estaban: El signo de los cuatro (ya está disponible) y El valle del miedo (aquí estamos). En cuanto pueda, compraré el resto de la colección que compila los cuentos. Ahora, un par de puntos generales sobre el libro:
¡Me ha encantado! Tener todas las novelas en una es una joya, uno de los libros más cuidados y valorados de mi estantería desde ahora y para siempre. Presenta una edición clásica, sin adornos, pero con una correcta ortografía, lo que es un milagro.
Me da una cierta nostalgia saber que ya he acabado con todas las novelas y que ahora ya no tengo material nuevo del único Sherlock Holmes. ¿Será posible resucitar a Doyle para que siga escribiendo? Pufff, que dilema.
En definitiva, las novelas que componen este libro, son una lectura entretenida y apasionante, apta para relecturas y para obsesionarse con sus personajes. Sorpresas, aventuras, misterios y los crímenes más originales. Muy recomendado.
November 21, 2020
These are great detective novels. I loved it. One of the better mysteries I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
December 17, 2025
Magistral, es la palabra. Un detective excéntrico y muy inteligente resuelve todo tipo de acertijos y crímenes en la Inglaterra victoriana. Mi favorita de las cuatro novelas es "El sabueso de los Baskerville", Holmes sale de su zona de confort en Londres para ir a la zona paramosa de Dartmoor.
February 6, 2024
As far as I’m aware, it’s what fueled the modern day detective/crime novel. That being said, I truly feel as though giving the Sherlock Holmes anything less than five stars would a grave injustice. They’re classics for a reason!
Like another reviewer, I actually decided to give this volume a try because I so loved the Netflix series. I’m disappointed that of the four stories (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear) didn’t involve my absolute favorite villain ever, Professor Moriarty (well, Valley of Fear touched on him but just the slightest references).
I don’t know if it’s just these four stories that he’s absent from, or if Netflix made his character much more central to the series than any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s many short stories. If anyone reading this is a fan of SH, though, please let me know if and where I can find more Moriarty!
Anyway, I did enjoy all stories immensely. I do agree with the reviewer on some of their points of criticism, like how all of the crime seemed to happen in “faraway lands” (well, America, for The Sign of the Four and The Valley of Fear) and how Britain was constantly described to be some idyllic, green pastured land unblemished by crime for the most part.
Also, the Sherlock Holmes in the novel seems to be much more patient with Watson (and everyone else) than TV Holmes, but I suppose that’s to be expected given these were written in the 1880s, I believe.
Other than that, I found the stories to be quite captivating. Learning all of the strange details of the often confusing crimes first, reading the story as it happened, then hearing Sherlock’s conclusions as to how he how he fit the pieces of the puzzle together was just as satisfying as it’s always been.
I don’t think it’s something I can recommend or not… by now, people have surely already read this, or have decided they’ll either read it in the future or not. If I had to rate the four stories from my favorite to my least favorite, I’d say:
1) The Valley of Fear
2) The Hound of the Baskervilles
3) A Study in Scarlet
4) The Sign of the Four
One final note:
It’s crazy that this publication still has Sherlock shooting up cocaine. I thought Doyle had changed that “peculiar habit” of Holmes’s in the novels after learning more as a medical doctor about just how bad the drug is for people. It’s little things like that, however, which make books from so long ago even more interesting!
Like another reviewer, I actually decided to give this volume a try because I so loved the Netflix series. I’m disappointed that of the four stories (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear) didn’t involve my absolute favorite villain ever, Professor Moriarty (well, Valley of Fear touched on him but just the slightest references).
I don’t know if it’s just these four stories that he’s absent from, or if Netflix made his character much more central to the series than any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s many short stories. If anyone reading this is a fan of SH, though, please let me know if and where I can find more Moriarty!
Anyway, I did enjoy all stories immensely. I do agree with the reviewer on some of their points of criticism, like how all of the crime seemed to happen in “faraway lands” (well, America, for The Sign of the Four and The Valley of Fear) and how Britain was constantly described to be some idyllic, green pastured land unblemished by crime for the most part.
Also, the Sherlock Holmes in the novel seems to be much more patient with Watson (and everyone else) than TV Holmes, but I suppose that’s to be expected given these were written in the 1880s, I believe.
Other than that, I found the stories to be quite captivating. Learning all of the strange details of the often confusing crimes first, reading the story as it happened, then hearing Sherlock’s conclusions as to how he how he fit the pieces of the puzzle together was just as satisfying as it’s always been.
I don’t think it’s something I can recommend or not… by now, people have surely already read this, or have decided they’ll either read it in the future or not. If I had to rate the four stories from my favorite to my least favorite, I’d say:
1) The Valley of Fear
2) The Hound of the Baskervilles
3) A Study in Scarlet
4) The Sign of the Four
One final note:
It’s crazy that this publication still has Sherlock shooting up cocaine. I thought Doyle had changed that “peculiar habit” of Holmes’s in the novels after learning more as a medical doctor about just how bad the drug is for people. It’s little things like that, however, which make books from so long ago even more interesting!
July 8, 2020
Consists four novels.
A Study in Scarlet
*******************
The well narrated suspense thriller in words. With very few characters.,
Dr.Watson, Lestrade, Gregson, John/Lucy Ferrier, Jefferson Hope, Drebber, Strangerson & Holmes(Obviously), Author made such a wonderful mysterious novel.
Author neatly making the knots at the first part, to develop high enthusiasm towards the readers and
revealing them one by one at the other part.
It gives such a wonderful experience that the reader himself may feel that, he is taking part of the detective team. And travelling all the way through American deserts and London streets.
Nicely carved novel!!!👌🏻👍🏻
“The Sign of the Four”
*************************
Greatly narrated.
This novel made me to cherish my Andaman travel days. As the novel travels all the way from London streets, Thames river to Agra, Madras(Chennai), Bihar, Andaman Islands(Mt.Harriett) and so..which feels closer to me to connect well.
Though, Holmes study of crime gives thrilling experience throughout, but Jonathan Small character’s final narration (which is fictional with Indian Sepoy Mutiny) reveals the stronger reason for the crime happened, which is awesome.
Finally, this 19th century novel, hardly resembles the Tamil movie “Mankaatha”, where the four thieves trying to steal the Indian treasure, while two army mens(Sholto/Mortsan) took over from thieves.
Crazy KollyCinema directors 😜😁😁
The Hound of Baskervilles
****************************
Yeah, done with the little longer novel(upto me).
Well narrated thriller., Greatly making the knots, narrated with thrilling sequences, twists and turns and revealing the mysteries at the end one by one.
This time, Dr.Watson took over much rather than detective Holmes, while the novel background in Devonshire moor rather than London.
Story revolving around Baskerville family’s estate and property. And regarding the murders happened by the name of an hound. Well narrated . One can read quicker as much(but for me took long due to personal reasons)
Seems, if it taken as a movie as well-developed, surely it will be one of the all time suspense thriller number.
The Valley of Fear
*******************
One of the best all above novels. Pages are flying. I dont know how I crossed it quickly. This novel has two parts while the first of half is simply rapid & suspense.
And the second part is, kind of story like narration.
I dont want to reveal the suspense by telling the story plot. But story will make you to fly all the way to United states from Birlstone(LONDON).
Again a Perfect Crime, Investigative, Thriller Novel.
All the above novels are worth, to make as movie. That’s why we are seeing Sherlock Holmes kinda movie in all languages.
December 22, 2019
A Study in Scarlet ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed this introduction to the characters of Holmes and Watson. The case was interesting, too, but I was a bit disappointed with Holmes' deduction of it because in the middle of the book you get this expansive backstory of the murderer that reads like a story within a story but this is not part of the deduction and it's not explained where it is supposed to come from or if the characters are even aware of it. Also, WTF, Sherlock, you can't just poison a dog, no matter how old it is!
The Sign of Four ★★★★.5
I liked this even more! It had so many layers that kept getting revealed and I loved the little trips they had to undertake (including Toby, the dog). I could've done without the racist side comments though. Holmes really is a great character, very arrogant but fun to read and wow, does he take a lot of cocaine (and in such a nonchalant manner). Also, how cute are Ms Morstan and Watson together? I wish she'd had a bigger role.
The Hound of the Baskervilles ★★★★.5
My favorite so far! I loved the Gothic setting, all the fog and the creepy atmosphere of the moor. Also, I seem to really like it when Sherlock and Watson have to travel for their cases. The case itself was great, too, because it was made up of so many different threads and because it bordered on the supernatural so much; I really wasn't sure about the actual state of the hound for a long time. . On a side note: I wish this didn't include so many animal deaths (poor moor ponies).
The Valley of Fear ★★★.5☆
My least favorite out of this book. The case was cool and I enjoyed the whole first part but part 2 took a long step back and gave you the background story to the characters involved in the crime, just like A Study in Scarlet did. Their past was definitely interesting but I didn't want to read about it in such detail.
I really enjoyed this introduction to the characters of Holmes and Watson. The case was interesting, too, but I was a bit disappointed with Holmes' deduction of it because in the middle of the book you get this expansive backstory of the murderer that reads like a story within a story but this is not part of the deduction and it's not explained where it is supposed to come from or if the characters are even aware of it. Also, WTF, Sherlock, you can't just poison a dog, no matter how old it is!
The Sign of Four ★★★★.5
I liked this even more! It had so many layers that kept getting revealed and I loved the little trips they had to undertake (including Toby, the dog). I could've done without the racist side comments though. Holmes really is a great character, very arrogant but fun to read and wow, does he take a lot of cocaine (and in such a nonchalant manner). Also, how cute are Ms Morstan and Watson together? I wish she'd had a bigger role.
The Hound of the Baskervilles ★★★★.5
My favorite so far! I loved the Gothic setting, all the fog and the creepy atmosphere of the moor. Also, I seem to really like it when Sherlock and Watson have to travel for their cases. The case itself was great, too, because it was made up of so many different threads and because it bordered on the supernatural so much; I really wasn't sure about the actual state of the hound for a long time. . On a side note: I wish this didn't include so many animal deaths (poor moor ponies).
The Valley of Fear ★★★.5☆
My least favorite out of this book. The case was cool and I enjoyed the whole first part but part 2 took a long step back and gave you the background story to the characters involved in the crime, just like A Study in Scarlet did. Their past was definitely interesting but I didn't want to read about it in such detail.
June 8, 2016
"Elementare, Wathson!". Conan Doyle è un grande scrittore, difatti da lui si sono poi ispirati tutti i giallisti celebri... Grande narratore, non stanca mai e ti lascia con il fiato sospeso per tutte le storie... Da rileggere mille e mille volte...
April 15, 2021
Wow! Just wow!
Sherlock Holmes is a really famed character, he is the most popular detective in the pop culture and is the most portrayed movie character of all time. But I had never read any Sherlock Homes before and the only Sherlock Holmes movie I had watched was "Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes" which I believe is more a "Tom and Jerry" movie than a "Sherlock Holmes" one. Still this collection amazed me a lot!
Most people read these books for the great character of Sherlock Holmes but the thing which I liked the most was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's storytelling. Plus there were some other great characters too, one character which isn't mentioned much in the list of great characters by Conan Doyle yet I liked him very much was the protagonist of the second half of the last novel.
The first novel, A Study in Scarlet is a good novel though it's first half was extremely boring. The transition to the second half was hard for me too but once I got into the second half, I realised it was much better than the first one.
The second novel, The Sign of the Four is not a bad novel but it is not as good as other novels in this collection, according to me. Also this book has some racist and sexist elements which make it unsuitable for some of today's readers, but I don't think that's something to criticize as it is also a product of it's time.
The third novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles doesn't begins just after the events of the second novel, they are seperated by a bunch of short stories which aren't included in this collection. That's actually a good thing because now the author doesn't waste time in strengthening the partnership of Holmes and Watson. This novel is the best one in the collection and can be even read as a standalone. It is in this very novel why I realised Sherlock Holmes is this popular.
The fourth novel, The Valley of Fear is also seperated from the third novel by a bunch of short stories. This novel's plot is similar to that of the first novel but better. Unlike previous novels, it connects to the short stories and mentions some of the characters which don't appear in novels but only in short stories like Professor Moriarty.
Now, I will most probably read the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories which if I am right is collected in four books so, that I can fill the gaps between the novels and I have heard sometime that Conan Doyle is known more for his short works than his long works.
Sherlock Holmes is a really famed character, he is the most popular detective in the pop culture and is the most portrayed movie character of all time. But I had never read any Sherlock Homes before and the only Sherlock Holmes movie I had watched was "Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes" which I believe is more a "Tom and Jerry" movie than a "Sherlock Holmes" one. Still this collection amazed me a lot!
Most people read these books for the great character of Sherlock Holmes but the thing which I liked the most was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's storytelling. Plus there were some other great characters too, one character which isn't mentioned much in the list of great characters by Conan Doyle yet I liked him very much was the protagonist of the second half of the last novel.
The first novel, A Study in Scarlet is a good novel though it's first half was extremely boring. The transition to the second half was hard for me too but once I got into the second half, I realised it was much better than the first one.
The second novel, The Sign of the Four is not a bad novel but it is not as good as other novels in this collection, according to me. Also this book has some racist and sexist elements which make it unsuitable for some of today's readers, but I don't think that's something to criticize as it is also a product of it's time.
The third novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles doesn't begins just after the events of the second novel, they are seperated by a bunch of short stories which aren't included in this collection. That's actually a good thing because now the author doesn't waste time in strengthening the partnership of Holmes and Watson. This novel is the best one in the collection and can be even read as a standalone. It is in this very novel why I realised Sherlock Holmes is this popular.
The fourth novel, The Valley of Fear is also seperated from the third novel by a bunch of short stories. This novel's plot is similar to that of the first novel but better. Unlike previous novels, it connects to the short stories and mentions some of the characters which don't appear in novels but only in short stories like Professor Moriarty.
Now, I will most probably read the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories which if I am right is collected in four books so, that I can fill the gaps between the novels and I have heard sometime that Conan Doyle is known more for his short works than his long works.
January 25, 2024
La raccolta di romanzi su Sherlock Holmes "Uno studio in rosso", "Il segno dei quattro", "La valle della paura " e "Il mastino dei Baskerville" trasporta il lettore nell'eclettica Londra vittoriana, dove il geniale detective Holmes risolve intricati misteri con il suo fedele compagno, il Dr. John Watson.
Ogni romanzo presenta una trama più o meno avvincente, colma di suspense e colpi di scena, mentre Holmes affronta casi che spaziano dall'omicidio alla scomparsa di persone, dalla vendetta antica a fenomeni soprannaturali.
Sherlock Holmes ha un acume deduttivo fuori dal comune, e i suoi metodi investigativi sono diventati ormai leggendari, sebbene improbabili per qualsiasi umano che si rispetti. A volte le sue deduzioni sono infatti talmente esagerate, da apparire eccessivamente romanzate.
Elemento di grande fascino è sicuramente la dinamica tra Holmes e Watson: la saggezza pragmatica di Watson funge da perfetto contrappeso all'ingegno eccentrico di Holmes, creando un duo indimenticabile.
Alcuni misteri mi hanno entusiasmata più di altri: non apprezzo quelli in cui si scomoda un passato remoto e una moltitudine di personaggi lontani dalla vicenda e dal tempo di narrazione. Preferisco avventure con storia e arco temporale limitati a un solo livello narrativo, così da mantenere l’interesse più vivo e il lettore più partecipe.
Nonostante il passare del tempo, la raccolta di romanzi su Sherlock Holmes rimane un pilastro del genere del giallo e una lettura avvincente per chiunque apprezzi l'arte della deduzione. Doyle ha creato un lascito indelebile nella letteratura, e la figura di Sherlock Holmes rimane un personaggio iconico di cui non potremmo ormai più mai fare a meno.
Ogni romanzo presenta una trama più o meno avvincente, colma di suspense e colpi di scena, mentre Holmes affronta casi che spaziano dall'omicidio alla scomparsa di persone, dalla vendetta antica a fenomeni soprannaturali.
Sherlock Holmes ha un acume deduttivo fuori dal comune, e i suoi metodi investigativi sono diventati ormai leggendari, sebbene improbabili per qualsiasi umano che si rispetti. A volte le sue deduzioni sono infatti talmente esagerate, da apparire eccessivamente romanzate.
Elemento di grande fascino è sicuramente la dinamica tra Holmes e Watson: la saggezza pragmatica di Watson funge da perfetto contrappeso all'ingegno eccentrico di Holmes, creando un duo indimenticabile.
Alcuni misteri mi hanno entusiasmata più di altri: non apprezzo quelli in cui si scomoda un passato remoto e una moltitudine di personaggi lontani dalla vicenda e dal tempo di narrazione. Preferisco avventure con storia e arco temporale limitati a un solo livello narrativo, così da mantenere l’interesse più vivo e il lettore più partecipe.
Nonostante il passare del tempo, la raccolta di romanzi su Sherlock Holmes rimane un pilastro del genere del giallo e una lettura avvincente per chiunque apprezzi l'arte della deduzione. Doyle ha creato un lascito indelebile nella letteratura, e la figura di Sherlock Holmes rimane un personaggio iconico di cui non potremmo ormai più mai fare a meno.
November 12, 2025
I am a Sherlock Holmes fan. I have discovered that I'm not a true lover or obsessor because when I read critiques or essays, I realize how much I don't know. But I am a fan. During his writing of Sherlock, Sir Conan Doyle wrote four novels about Holmes. The rest were short stories. And reading all four of them in a row has given me much to ponder.
#1 - I did indeed discover the inconsistencies that Doyle is famous for. In the the first novel where we meet everyone, Watson talks about getting shot in the shoulder. By the second novel, it's changed to the leg. Also in the first novel, Watson struggles to catch Holmes because he's always eaten and left the house before Watson gets up. In a later novel, he mentions how Holmes is a late riser unless he's on a case.
#2 - Why does all the movies and TV shows portray Holmes as so mean? He's not mean in the novels. He's a little arrogant and sarcastic, but he's not MEAN. He has said mean things about people, but usually when talking to Watson, not to these people's faces. I don't get how we decided that.
#3 - I hate how Doyle made Watson out to be so stupid. I get that no one could be Holmes. He has to be the smartest in the room. But Watson is a doctor. He does have a brain. He could do some regular logic. But he answers even the simplest with "I don't know". Surely it wouldn't have hurt the story to have him do some reasoning.
However, I do love the mysteries and Sir Conan Doyle does a great job at making it seem like a bunch of threads loosely tied together and then revealing that it is in fact a beautiful tapestry.
#1 - I did indeed discover the inconsistencies that Doyle is famous for. In the the first novel where we meet everyone, Watson talks about getting shot in the shoulder. By the second novel, it's changed to the leg. Also in the first novel, Watson struggles to catch Holmes because he's always eaten and left the house before Watson gets up. In a later novel, he mentions how Holmes is a late riser unless he's on a case.
#2 - Why does all the movies and TV shows portray Holmes as so mean? He's not mean in the novels. He's a little arrogant and sarcastic, but he's not MEAN. He has said mean things about people, but usually when talking to Watson, not to these people's faces. I don't get how we decided that.
#3 - I hate how Doyle made Watson out to be so stupid. I get that no one could be Holmes. He has to be the smartest in the room. But Watson is a doctor. He does have a brain. He could do some regular logic. But he answers even the simplest with "I don't know". Surely it wouldn't have hurt the story to have him do some reasoning.
However, I do love the mysteries and Sir Conan Doyle does a great job at making it seem like a bunch of threads loosely tied together and then revealing that it is in fact a beautiful tapestry.
June 19, 2017
Antes de empezar, sería de gran utilidad aclarar que este libro es una compilación de las novelas que tienen como protagonista a Sherlock Holmes, por lo que estaré volviendo cada tanto.
Esta vez, seguí con El signo de los cuatro, segundo relato de la serie del célebre detective, al que le doy cinco estrellas tanto por la estructuración de un relato que va tomando forma conforme pasan las páginas, sorprende a cada al lector y tiene un ritmo narrativo muy fluido, al punto de ser casi una novela para leer de una sola sentada; con la convención de que al final nos espera el relato del criminal para dilucidar esos aspectos que no quedan claros del caso.
Asimismo, me agradó mucho el hecho de que Watson tuviera una mayor centralidad en esta parte y que hubiese lugar para el romance... ¿quién lo pensaría de Conan Doyle?
En fin, seguro retomaré con El sabueso de los Baskerville. Por lo pronto, seguiré luchando contra el bloqueo.
Esta vez, seguí con El signo de los cuatro, segundo relato de la serie del célebre detective, al que le doy cinco estrellas tanto por la estructuración de un relato que va tomando forma conforme pasan las páginas, sorprende a cada al lector y tiene un ritmo narrativo muy fluido, al punto de ser casi una novela para leer de una sola sentada; con la convención de que al final nos espera el relato del criminal para dilucidar esos aspectos que no quedan claros del caso.
Asimismo, me agradó mucho el hecho de que Watson tuviera una mayor centralidad en esta parte y que hubiese lugar para el romance... ¿quién lo pensaría de Conan Doyle?
En fin, seguro retomaré con El sabueso de los Baskerville. Por lo pronto, seguiré luchando contra el bloqueo.
May 23, 2020
Al final, he empezado a ver esta serie de 1984, sobre "las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes", que se me hacen demasiado literarias, muy apegado a sus relatos. Aún me quedan las películas sobre estas novelas, y aún más relatos, del tercer libro.
March 24, 2017
No lo he disfrutado como me hubiera gustado por falta de tiempo, pero la sensación ha sido muy buena. La que más me ha gustado: 'El perro de los Baskerville'.
November 3, 2020
Wonderful edition!
January 21, 2022
A classic of crime fiction. Read it before you read anything else of this genre.
February 20, 2024
"First published 1656" 😂😂😂
Just wanted to shelve it in my favs, have read all the books in the last years already.
Just wanted to shelve it in my favs, have read all the books in the last years already.
August 29, 2025
4.5 stars. Nice edition of the Holmes novels. Good sized print, good quality paper, easy to hold. As to the novels themselves, they are the Canon. In order of my preference: HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE VALLEY OF FEAR, THE SIGN OF FOUR, and far and away dead last, A STUDY IN SCARLET. The first published was SCARLET, but the mystery is over in the first part, and the second part unceremoniously dumps the reader in a western full of anti-Mormon nonsense. It is actually the "story" of the villain from the first part, but so abruptly are you dumped into it, that it is hard to settle into to it. I like THE SIGN OF FOUR: it's a straight-forward locked room mystery with good action and some serious class and empire commentary, as well as honor among thieves. Jonathan Small is a peculiar but memorable villain, but his long-winded confession does drag. Yes, Dr Watson does get the girl, after a good deal of Victorian angst. THE HOUND is suspense and mystery blended, and Watson plies the reader no always with straight prose, sometimes letters and diaries, too, not to mention the legend of the house itself. The means of narration are nicely mixed up. THE VALLEY OF FEAR has, on its surface, a similar structure to SCARLET, but the two stories (yes, the two parts are two stories, starring the same character, who has quite a history of masquerade) are so much better handed. Only twenty-six years between SCARLET and VALLEY. The reader doesn't miss a beat in the handoff between parts, and it makes a nice segue to both "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House". Conan Doyle knew how to write action and adventure, and he is still very readable today.
October 13, 2020
Sherlock holmes A Genius Detective. If not for him, I would not have continued reading the mystery, as it seems to me, no uncommon in anyway. It's all the same: vengeance? Betrayal? Greed? And yeah, I've seen much of it; In a modern setting, it wouldn't have stood the chance of drama at all, even for an ordinary detective. What interested me is the way holmes gets his hands around the mystery; his unusual methods: Observation and deduction. No hifi tools, just brain. Whoo! Intriguing and exciting.
"Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show how an observant might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way...... The writer claimed by a momentary expression, a twitch of a muscle or a glance of an eye, to fathom a man's inmost thoughts. Deceit, according to him, was an impossibility in the case of one trained to observation and analysis."
Infact, it would not be more right to say I shared the conjectures of watson as first thoughts. "What an ineffable twaddle!"
"From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an atlantic or a niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." Indeed, draw out a possibility! But, that is one possibility among thousand possibilites we could draw and how do we exactly expect to arrive to the truth? Well, that is what sherlock offered in this book. His deduction seemed so perfectly perfect with very logical reasons, such that it seemed exciting and odd at moments.
Like let me quote one of my favourite parts from the book, when watson teases holmes with a watch to find it's history: "Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father. He was a man of untidy habits, --very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather." Mind-blown. How did he find it?
"I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects such as coins or keys, in the same pocket.Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man.
"It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the numbers of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference- that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference- that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the thousands of scratches all around the hole-marks where the key has slipped. What sober man's key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard's watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?"
I should say, sherlock holmes is the most celebrated detective in the whole history, that he went to make guinness world record for most portrayals in flims and TV. It is a common conception that his character was inspired from edgar allan poe's August Dupin. Also, in the book, "You remind me of Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin," remarked watson. As conann doyle himself wrote once, "Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?" But, sherlock holmes' remark on the same case, "Now, in my opinion, dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt; but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine." I guess conan's portrayal of holmes with utmost professionalism is where he found his breakthrough. Indeed, he was the first detective in fiction to incorporate magnifying glass as investigation tool and his stress upon very small details of the mystery could not go unnoticed.
I liked valley of fear best among the four novels; Setting was dark and the mystery seemed to be narrated in a detailed intrguing manner, observing in every possible theories with more sound logics, than other plots, in my opinion. Hound of baskervilles was equally good, since I personally had a liking for watson and felt as he was given more a role in this story/investigation than other and the mystery itself, man, I should say so good. Overall, All four novels were good and a pleasure to read indeed.
Highly recommended.
"Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show how an observant might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way...... The writer claimed by a momentary expression, a twitch of a muscle or a glance of an eye, to fathom a man's inmost thoughts. Deceit, according to him, was an impossibility in the case of one trained to observation and analysis."
Infact, it would not be more right to say I shared the conjectures of watson as first thoughts. "What an ineffable twaddle!"
"From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an atlantic or a niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." Indeed, draw out a possibility! But, that is one possibility among thousand possibilites we could draw and how do we exactly expect to arrive to the truth? Well, that is what sherlock offered in this book. His deduction seemed so perfectly perfect with very logical reasons, such that it seemed exciting and odd at moments.
Like let me quote one of my favourite parts from the book, when watson teases holmes with a watch to find it's history: "Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father. He was a man of untidy habits, --very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather." Mind-blown. How did he find it?
"I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places, but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects such as coins or keys, in the same pocket.Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man.
"It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the numbers of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference- that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference- that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the thousands of scratches all around the hole-marks where the key has slipped. What sober man's key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard's watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?"
I should say, sherlock holmes is the most celebrated detective in the whole history, that he went to make guinness world record for most portrayals in flims and TV. It is a common conception that his character was inspired from edgar allan poe's August Dupin. Also, in the book, "You remind me of Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin," remarked watson. As conann doyle himself wrote once, "Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?" But, sherlock holmes' remark on the same case, "Now, in my opinion, dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt; but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine." I guess conan's portrayal of holmes with utmost professionalism is where he found his breakthrough. Indeed, he was the first detective in fiction to incorporate magnifying glass as investigation tool and his stress upon very small details of the mystery could not go unnoticed.
I liked valley of fear best among the four novels; Setting was dark and the mystery seemed to be narrated in a detailed intrguing manner, observing in every possible theories with more sound logics, than other plots, in my opinion. Hound of baskervilles was equally good, since I personally had a liking for watson and felt as he was given more a role in this story/investigation than other and the mystery itself, man, I should say so good. Overall, All four novels were good and a pleasure to read indeed.
Highly recommended.
July 14, 2025
forever one of my favourites and enjoyed every second of it!!
May 14, 2021
Sherlock Holmes is a timeless fictional private detective character created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The book ‘THE COMPLETE NOVELS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES’ by Fingerprint Publishing, is the collection of the four classic novels of Sherlock Holmes – 1)A Study In Scarlet 2) The Sign of Four 3)The Hound of Baskervilles 4) The Valley of Fear.
The Book is in beautiful gold foil hardbound and is surprisingly comfortable.
The language style is moderate and is narrated in the first-person view by Dr Watson.
The First novel introduces Dr Watson & Sherlock Holmes to us. Dr John Watson is a medical doctor, formerly in the British Army. After he was wounded during the second Afghan War, he returned to England in impaired health. He and Holmes meet in London; they shared rooms at 221B Baker Street. The medical practice Watson establishes does not prevent him from accompanying Holmes on his crime-fighting cases, which he later records and publishes.
In the second novel, the crime mystery is more complex and entertaining.
But my most favourite novel among these is the 3rd one, that is – The Hound of Baskervilles. In The Hound of the Baskervilles Conan Doyle uncharacteristically emphasized the eerie setting and mysterious atmosphere rather than the hero’s deductive ingenuity.
The fourth and last novel of Sherlock Holmes was A Valley of Fear which was quite good.
Major Themes:
• Friendship played a large role in the theme for it developed during the course of the story. Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are not only crime-solving partners but they are also best friends. The Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson duo is the most famous duo in literature. Although there are several differences between them such as Sherlock depicted as eccentric while Watson is depicted as calm, they become close as if they are brothers.
• Revenge is a common theme in murder mystery novels
• Deductive/adductive reasoning is one of the few successful methods Holmes uses in order to solve crimes. According to A Study in Scarlet, adductive reasoning is described as a type of method where logical inference is used instead of guessing. This method is described by Holmes as reasoning backwards instead of forwards.
What Sherlock Holmes teaches us that the power of observation creates knowledge that leads to more power. Every Holmes story is a recurring motif of the knowledge that can be gained about a person or situation by doing nothing more than actually looking rather than merely seeing.
My Favorite Quotes:
• “To a great mind, nothing is little,' remarked Holmes, sententiously.”
• One's ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature,'
• “Where there is no imagination, there is no horror.”
• “No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.”
• “It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery.”
• “The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning.”
• “A change of work is the best rest.”
• “Even the best of us are thrown off some- times.”
• “I've had ups in my life, and I've had downs, but I've learned not to cry over spilt milk.”
• “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.”
• “presume nothing”
• “Evil indeed is the man who has not one woman to mourn him.”
• “The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”
• “Dark nights are unpleasant,"
"Yes, for strangers to travel,"
"The clouds are heavy."
"Yes, a storm is approaching.”
A TIMELESS CLASSIC!!!
The book ‘THE COMPLETE NOVELS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES’ by Fingerprint Publishing, is the collection of the four classic novels of Sherlock Holmes – 1)A Study In Scarlet 2) The Sign of Four 3)The Hound of Baskervilles 4) The Valley of Fear.
The Book is in beautiful gold foil hardbound and is surprisingly comfortable.
The language style is moderate and is narrated in the first-person view by Dr Watson.
The First novel introduces Dr Watson & Sherlock Holmes to us. Dr John Watson is a medical doctor, formerly in the British Army. After he was wounded during the second Afghan War, he returned to England in impaired health. He and Holmes meet in London; they shared rooms at 221B Baker Street. The medical practice Watson establishes does not prevent him from accompanying Holmes on his crime-fighting cases, which he later records and publishes.
In the second novel, the crime mystery is more complex and entertaining.
But my most favourite novel among these is the 3rd one, that is – The Hound of Baskervilles. In The Hound of the Baskervilles Conan Doyle uncharacteristically emphasized the eerie setting and mysterious atmosphere rather than the hero’s deductive ingenuity.
The fourth and last novel of Sherlock Holmes was A Valley of Fear which was quite good.
Major Themes:
• Friendship played a large role in the theme for it developed during the course of the story. Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are not only crime-solving partners but they are also best friends. The Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson duo is the most famous duo in literature. Although there are several differences between them such as Sherlock depicted as eccentric while Watson is depicted as calm, they become close as if they are brothers.
• Revenge is a common theme in murder mystery novels
• Deductive/adductive reasoning is one of the few successful methods Holmes uses in order to solve crimes. According to A Study in Scarlet, adductive reasoning is described as a type of method where logical inference is used instead of guessing. This method is described by Holmes as reasoning backwards instead of forwards.
What Sherlock Holmes teaches us that the power of observation creates knowledge that leads to more power. Every Holmes story is a recurring motif of the knowledge that can be gained about a person or situation by doing nothing more than actually looking rather than merely seeing.
My Favorite Quotes:
• “To a great mind, nothing is little,' remarked Holmes, sententiously.”
• One's ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature,'
• “Where there is no imagination, there is no horror.”
• “No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.”
• “It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery.”
• “The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning.”
• “A change of work is the best rest.”
• “Even the best of us are thrown off some- times.”
• “I've had ups in my life, and I've had downs, but I've learned not to cry over spilt milk.”
• “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.”
• “presume nothing”
• “Evil indeed is the man who has not one woman to mourn him.”
• “The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”
• “Dark nights are unpleasant,"
"Yes, for strangers to travel,"
"The clouds are heavy."
"Yes, a storm is approaching.”
A TIMELESS CLASSIC!!!
November 19, 2016
Inhalt
Diese schöne Ausgabe aus dem Anaconda Verlag beinhaltet die Romane über Sherlock Holmes: "Eine Studie in Scharlachrot", "Das Zeichen der Vier", "Der Hund der Baskervilles" und "Das Tal des Grauens". Holmes beeindruckt in jedem der Romane mit seinem berühmt-berüchtigt meisterhaften Geschick der Kombinationsgabe und löst damit jeden noch so schwierigen Mordfall.
Meinung
Ich bekam aus zweierlei Gründen Interesse an die Sherlock-Holmes-Romane von Arthur Conan Doyle: Zum einen interessieren mich grundsätzlich Klassiker und ich lese sie durchaus gerne mal zwischendurch. Zum anderen hatte ich die Serie mit Benedict Cumberbatch gesehen und war schlichtweg neugierig auf die Romanvorlage. Zusätzlich bin ich der Meinung, ein wirklich gutes Buch lässt die Seiten nur so "vorbeifliegen" und reißt den Leser mit. So viel sei vorweg gesagt.
Dann muss ich zugeben, dass ich normalerweise keine Krimis lese. Thriller sind schon selten, aber Kriminalfälle haben mich eigentlich noch nie so gereizt. Daher muss ich jetzt auch sagen, dass es auch in Zukunft wohl so bleiben wird: Krimis sind nichts für mich. Sherlock Holmes war eine Buchfigur, die zwar durchaus spannend und interessant ist, aber leider wird sie eingebettet in den typischen erzählerischen und meiner Ansicht nach monotonen Stil des Buches. Ich hatte das Gefühl, ich käme gar nicht voran an vielen Stellen. Daher bin ich jetzt auch relativ froh, dass ich es geschafft habe, das Buch tatsächlich von vorne bis hinten durchzulesen! ;D Ich meine, die Fälle sind natürlich interessant. Aber der trockene Stil ist einfach nichts für mich. Von daher denke ich, die Romane sind für alle Krimi-Fans zwar toll, aber ich werde sie vermutlich nicht allzu bald wieder lesen und vergebe daher "nur" 2 Sterne im Sinne von "It was okay". :)
Diese schöne Ausgabe aus dem Anaconda Verlag beinhaltet die Romane über Sherlock Holmes: "Eine Studie in Scharlachrot", "Das Zeichen der Vier", "Der Hund der Baskervilles" und "Das Tal des Grauens". Holmes beeindruckt in jedem der Romane mit seinem berühmt-berüchtigt meisterhaften Geschick der Kombinationsgabe und löst damit jeden noch so schwierigen Mordfall.
Meinung
Ich bekam aus zweierlei Gründen Interesse an die Sherlock-Holmes-Romane von Arthur Conan Doyle: Zum einen interessieren mich grundsätzlich Klassiker und ich lese sie durchaus gerne mal zwischendurch. Zum anderen hatte ich die Serie mit Benedict Cumberbatch gesehen und war schlichtweg neugierig auf die Romanvorlage. Zusätzlich bin ich der Meinung, ein wirklich gutes Buch lässt die Seiten nur so "vorbeifliegen" und reißt den Leser mit. So viel sei vorweg gesagt.
Dann muss ich zugeben, dass ich normalerweise keine Krimis lese. Thriller sind schon selten, aber Kriminalfälle haben mich eigentlich noch nie so gereizt. Daher muss ich jetzt auch sagen, dass es auch in Zukunft wohl so bleiben wird: Krimis sind nichts für mich. Sherlock Holmes war eine Buchfigur, die zwar durchaus spannend und interessant ist, aber leider wird sie eingebettet in den typischen erzählerischen und meiner Ansicht nach monotonen Stil des Buches. Ich hatte das Gefühl, ich käme gar nicht voran an vielen Stellen. Daher bin ich jetzt auch relativ froh, dass ich es geschafft habe, das Buch tatsächlich von vorne bis hinten durchzulesen! ;D Ich meine, die Fälle sind natürlich interessant. Aber der trockene Stil ist einfach nichts für mich. Von daher denke ich, die Romane sind für alle Krimi-Fans zwar toll, aber ich werde sie vermutlich nicht allzu bald wieder lesen und vergebe daher "nur" 2 Sterne im Sinne von "It was okay". :)
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