The Best of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle (Afterword), David Stuart Davies (Afterword), Sidney Paget (Illustrator)

These 15 short stories, chosen by David Stuart Davies, former editor of 'Sherlock' magazine, show the master detective at his most ingenious.

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Short Stories, Crime, Historical Fiction

544 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2009

About the author

Sir 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.

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most famous detective in literature, and an absolute delight to read about. The stories themselves are always fun, trying to solve the mysteries, but just exploring how this man's mind works is so much fun.

I love the short stories because they're easy to read at any time, and they stand alone easily.

This is a great collection because it really does include most of the more popular stories, and it's an easy win if you're looking for a quick reminder of why you love these stories so much.

If you haven't read a single one by now, you really ought to get on it.

[Iulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bisexual panic is real.

Not as good as I remembered, but I'd probably pick it up again in a few years when I'd have forgotten most stuff.

There's more to life than crimes of passion.

[Sansriti]

like slippin into a warm bath

[Julia Łaskawiec · Rating 3 out of 5]

cieszę się że przeczytałam ale nie powiem żeby było to dla mnie niesamowite doświadczenie
niektóre z historii utkwiły mi w pamięci ale poza okazyjnym “o” nie udało mi się wykrzesać z siebie nic więcej, postaci są mocno zdystansowane od czytelnika, książka nie oferuje materiału do przemyśleń a koncept “skubany, skąd on to wiedział?” przejada się po pierwszych trzech historiach

[Ticiane · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's nothing more to be said about Sherlock Holmes (at least not by someone like me), so I'll just say that this edition (from the Macmillan Collector's Library) is lovely and the illustrations are a great addition. The selected stories make a good job of portraing different sides from Sherlock and Watson, and there's a brief explination at the end of the book of why those were the chosen titles.

[Sam Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best.

[Mike Futcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of the 'best' Sherlock Holmes is, by its very existence, a self-evident delight. Anyone who has read Arthur Conan Doyle's creation knows its charm, and it will not surprise you to learn that I bought my copy of The Best of Sherlock Holmes from the museum gift shop at 221b Baker Street itself, on a trip to London last summer. There's just something about these adventures that inspires warmth and adoration from even the most jaded reader; an ease and excitement where even the formula itself becomes rather moreish. They are the very definition of comfort-reading and, as Watson remarks in 'The Man with the Twisted Lip', included in this book, "I could not wish anything better than to be associated with my friend in one of those singular adventures which were the normal condition of his existence" (pg. 126).

The only question with such a collection then becomes whether it has truly provided the 'best' of Sherlock Holmes. This will always be disputed, as David Stuart Davies notes in his Afterword to this Macmillan Collector's Library edition, but there are few quibbles to be had. Davies states that he chose the stories which he believes best example Sherlock Holmes' abilities as a detective (pg. 532), and while this means there's no 'Final Problem' or 'Empty House' (and therefore no Moriarty), the decision is an understandable one.

If the goal were to abridge all of the mythos of Sherlock Holmes, then The Best of Sherlock Holmes would need to do more; it would be impossible to cover all the best parts of the Sherlock Holmes mythos without including the novel A Study in Scarlet, in which Holmes and Watson first meet, nor, The Hound of the Baskervilles and the afore-mentioned 'Final Problem' and 'Empty House'. But when the stated goal is to focus exclusively on the short stories, and selectively on those which show the best displays of crime detection, there's no quarrel to be had with this collection, for it carries it off well. You'll be left wanting more, but then again perhaps that's just the nature of the Sherlock Holmes stories. We always want more: the next line, the next page, the next story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories which show the development of Holmes' character and his methods. The original illustrations are fantastic in and of themselves and the afterword is just right. I was particularly struck by how Holmes followed his own sense of justice (especially when women were the perpetrators) and did not necessarily turn the perpetrators over to the authorities.

[Kaycee Monnens · Rating 5 out of 5]

My timeless favorites.

[Simon Pert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterclass in Detective fiction. Each story showing off Holmes unique talent all reported through the eyes of his friend, Dr Watson.
Thoroughly enjoyed The selection and highly recommended.

[Daniel Moir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection, amazing stories, perfect amount of time to read one chapter/story each day.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant set of stories.

[Kirill Boiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting character he is, Sherlock Holmes. Really liked the book, plan on reading something else soon. I haven’t read much of Conan Doyle’s works so far, unlike those of Agatha Christie. I really like that Holmes proves his points with deduction of the facts and material evidence, in comparison to Poirot’s method of psychological deduction, which is sometimes, I would say, strange and dull.

[Sherinesky Suryanegara · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's sherlock holmes, what's not to like? :)

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used for my class at the University of Minnesota - Deductive Reasoning, The Stories of Sherlock Holmes.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suce a great collection of short stories. I love Sherlock Holmes and recommend it.

[lumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a reviewer said, I deliberately read this slowly so that it wouldn't end.... dude I miss these characters so much already