El jorobado

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes #8

by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Genres: Mystery, Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Audiobook

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1893

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

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the outset the case present to Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Crooked Man seems a straightforward one, with Nancy Barclay killing her husband in a locked room following a heated argument. The police though, seem disinterested in the missing key or the strange animal footprints inside the room, factors which Holmes sees as vital.

The story therefore develops from a supposedly impossible crime into a narrative of why events have unfolded as they did. Part of the narrative deals, eventually, with the Indian Mutiny, a topic already touched upon by Conan Doyle in The Sign of Four.

The fact that there is no crime in The Adventure of the Crooked Man doesn’t detract from the story, for the case shows how Holmes observes whilst the police force simply sees.

The Adventure of the Crooked Man was also the fifth story adapted by Granada TV for British television; and the episode would be broadcast on the 22nd May 1984, with Jeremy Brett, of course, starring as Sherlock Holmes. The Granada TV adaptation, as with most of their stories, stayed true to the original Conan Doyle story line.

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 2 out of 5]

En realidad no tengo mucho que decir de este caso. La verdad es que me pareció bastante aburrido...

[Jason Koivu · Rating 2 out of 5]

A man ends up dead and it looks like his wife did it. But it's never as simple as that, is it? No.

The Adventure of the Crooked Man is just Sherlock telling Watson about a quick case. No action, hardly any even within the story Sherlock tells.

The mystery is explained, unveiled without ceremony. It's more about posing a quick guessing game. It's like, "Here are a scant few clues. What do you think it is?....No. Nope. Okay, let me tell you."

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one looks to be the poorest story from this collection. It also helps me in taking two conclusions:
- introductions to these stories are much more interesting than the content itself
- it happens that I'm reading George Simenon's novels featuring Maigret at the same time. Any comparison between the two authors flatters the Scotsman. And quite a lot...

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. The mystery of this book is quite sad, but it was definitely interesting, although more of a hunt than a mystery. The characters weren’t very nice, but Holmes + Watson were a fantastic duo. Their conversation was epic, and then the final words are so dryly humorous!

Content: Violence, betrayal, language.

A Favourite Quote: “What business is it of yours, then?”
“It’s every man’s business to see justice done.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “It’s a dog,” said I.
“Did you ever hear of a dog running up a curtain? I found distinct traces that this creature had done so.”
“A monkey, then?”
“But it is not the print of a monkey.” …
“Then what was the beast?”
“Ah, if I could give it a name it might go a long way towards solving the case.”

[Hessam Ghaeminejad · Rating 3 out of 5]

با این که در لیست برترین های نویسنده این داستان در رتبه 15 هم قرار داره ولی هیچ حس و هیجان شرلوک هلمزی به آدم دست نمیده

[Jaksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit that many of the Holmes stories fail to really captivate me, and perhaps it's because, being a 'modern' reader, and having read dozens of contemporary mysteries, thrillers, etc., some of the themes and tropes of the Holmes canon seem old, or dated.

I wish it were not so. I try to read in the 'spirit' of the times, but sometimes fail to do so. Stories set in the 1890's, for example, often seem so staid. Perhaps if I were seated by a real fireplace, logs blazing, and not watching a Youtube Yule log burning on my giant TV while Christmas carols are playing, things would be better. Whatever...

A story of misidentification, of a woman's secret from years earlier, a lover betrayed, and all based on the Biblical story of David and Bathsheba. (Don't we all know this one? If you went to Sunday school every week like I did until age 16 or so, you'd get it right away.) Narrated by Watson, but told by Holmes, the story is rated quite highly by Holmes' fandom. (I read an annotated version along with a book which condenses and analyzes the individual tales.)

In a nutshell: an older man is found dead by his younger wife after she returns from an evening outing with a friend. She cries 'David' and faints. The room is locked from the inside and everyone flounders around for a while, totally flummoxed. To say more would be to reveal who the 'crooked man' is and how Holmes cleverly figures out the solution, the whole story, etc.

Once she said 'David!' - and not her husband's name - I kind of got it. Or maybe I'd read it before and forgot.

Three stars.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 Words: Perfect length for a cuppa.

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. Less of a mystery than our following of Sherlock Holmes as he analyzes a case and moves inexorably towards an explanation. It's short on the big flourish at the end. But a worthwhile read. Holmes reminds me of a person I met once. A self-centred genius with little in the way of social skills. He shows up unannounced at the home of the recently married Dr. Watson. Just shy of midnight. He then does a few of his analytic tricks to impress his host, "You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your bachelor days, then!" To friends, these must have become tiring. Finally getting to the point, he explains he needs Watson to join him on a trip to Aldershot to investigate a strange and perplexing case. James Barclay, a private who rose to command the Royal Munsters regiment, had been found dead in his sitting room after his staff had heard a furious argument coming from the room. With his wife Nancy. The door was locked and the key missing. And then Henry Woods shows up. The man of the book's title. Apparently homeless. Can Holmes prevent Nancy from being charged with murder? And who is this unknown third person? (Jul2022/Mar2025)

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story about a man who very much loves his wife but suddenly turns up dead with her being the main suspect. Facts are uncovered by our dear Holmes later on that point to curious incidents, one of which includes a crooked man who might have been at the seen along with an unusual animal. Misunderstandings clear up as the story progresses and once again we see not everything is what it seems. Enjoyed it, but not my favorite of this collection.

[Dhia Nouioui · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really want to like the Sherlock Holmes books, but I just don't. I thought listening to them would help, but it doesn't so I give up.

[Yousra · Rating 3 out of 5]

كان واحشني فعلا :) وطبعا كتبه دي حاجة كدة زي الشوكولاتة والفشار بالنسبالي :) تسالي واستمتاع
^_^

شيء مدهش إن بريطانيا كانت محتلة الهند والهند بالنسبالها مستعمرة داخلة ضمن المملكة لكن بيعتبروا الهنود أعداء ! دي مغامرة عن الحب والخيانة وجزاء الخيانة وأكيد فيها شيء عن الهند والمعارك فيها ومعلومات جديدة قديمة ويمكن ماحدش هايدور عليها

كانت لطيفة ومسلية وممتعة زي ما تصورت :) ويمكن السنة دي أخلص قراية باقي أعداد السلسلة اللي عندي بقالها فترة
:)

[Julaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5☆

[Rao Javed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undoubtedly a very peculiar case, perhaps one of the best of Sherlock cases, but I feel that the ending went of a wee bit vague.
-Over and Out
Rao Umar

[Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting case but not much has happened, ultimately it resolves itself.

[Theat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by all means a very sad tale, at least to me, but I could easily see something like that happening

[ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

the fact that holmes never actually said “elementary, my dear watson” entertains me every day

[Rob Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holmes calls on Watson late one evening to tell him about a case that he has been working on, and also to invite him to be a witness to the final stage of the investigation. Colonel James Barclay, of The Royal Mallows based at Aldershot Camp, is dead, apparently by violence, and his wife, Nancy, is the prime suspect. The Colonel's brother officers are quite perplexed at the Colonel's fate, as most of them have always believed that he and Nancy were a happy couple. They have observed over the years, however, that the Colonel seemed more attached to his wife than she to him. They have also noticed that the Colonel sometimes had bouts of deep depression and moodiness for no apparent reason.

As a married officer, the Colonel lived with his wife in a villa outside the camp at Aldershot, and one evening Nancy went out in the evening with her next-door neighbor, Miss Morrison, on an errand connected with her church, and came back not long afterwards. She went into the seldom-used morning room and asked the maid to fetch her some tea, which was unusual for Nancy. Hearing that his wife had returned, the Colonel joined her in the morning room. The coachman saw him enter, and that was the last time that he was seen alive.

The morning room's blinds were up, and the glass door leading out onto the lawn was open. When the maid brought the tea, she heard an argument in progress between Nancy and her husband, and she heard Nancy say the name "David". She fetched the other maid and the coachman, who came and listened. Nancy was very angry and shouting about what a coward her husband was; his words were softer and less distinct. Suddenly, the Colonel cried out, there was a crash, and Nancy screamed.

Realizing that something awful had just happened, the coachman tried to force the locked door, but could not He remembered the outside glass door, and went outside to get into the room through that. Upon entering, he found that Nancy had fainted, and the Colonel was lying dead in a pool of his own blood. The coachman summoned the police and medical help, and also found, to his surprise, that the key was not in the locked door on the inside. Later, a thorough search failed to turn it up. A peculiar club-like weapon was also found in the morning room. Although the staff has seen the Colonel's weapon collection, they do not recognize this weapon.

Holmes believes that the case is not what it initially appears to be. Although the staff are quite sure that they only heard the Colonel's and his wife's voices, Holmes is convinced that a third person came into the room at the time of the Colonel's death and, rather oddly, made off with the key. This Holmes deduces from footmarks found in the road, on the lawn, and in the morning room. Odder still, the mystery man seems to have brought an animal with him. Judging from the footmarks it made, it is long with short stumpy legs, like a weasel or a stoat, but bigger than either of those animals. It left claw marks on the curtain, too, leading Holmes to deduce that it was a carnivore, for there was a bird cage near the curtain.

Holmes is sure that Miss Morrison holds the key to the mystery, and he is right. She claims to know nothing of the reason for the argument between her neighbors, but when Holmes tells her that Nancy could easily face a murder charge, she feels that she can betray her promise to her and tells all. On their short outing, the two women met a bent, deformed old man carrying a wooden box. He looked up at Nancy and recognized her, and she him. Nancy asked Miss Morrison to walk on ahead as there was apparently a private matter to discuss with this man. She came back very angry, and made her friend swear not to say anything about the incident, claiming the man was a former acquaintance who had fallen on hard times.

This breaks the case wide open for Holmes. He knows that there cannot be many men of this description in the area, and soon identifies him as Henry Wood, and goes with Watson to visit him the next day in his room. Wood explains all. He had been a corporal in the same regiment as Colonel Barclay, who was still a sergeant at that time, at the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, then known as the 'Mutiny'. Also at this time, he and Barclay were both vying for Nancy's hand. Henry was not deformed, and much better looking in those days. The regiment was confined to its cantonment by the turmoil in India, and water had run out, among other problems. A volunteer was asked for, to go out and summon help, and Henry volunteered to do so. Sergeant James Barclay—later the Colonel—instructed Henry on the safest route to take. But as Henry traveled along the route, he was attacked and taken prisoner, being knocked unconscious in the process. When he came to, he gathered from what he knew of the local language, spoken by his captors, that Sergeant Barclay had betrayed him to the enemy, driven by one motive—to get rid of Henry so he could have Nancy for himself. Henry was tortured repeatedly, which is how he became deformed, spent years as a slave or wandering, made money as a conjurer, and when he was getting old, he longed to come back to England. He sought out soldiers because he was familiar with the milieu.

Then, quite by chance, he met Nancy that evening, who was shocked to learn he was alive. Unknown to her, however, he followed her home and witnessed the argument, for the blinds were up and the glass door open. He climbed over the low wall and entered the room. An apoplectic fit caused by the sight of him killed the Colonel instantly, and Nancy fainted. Hienry's first thought then was to open the inside door and summon help, and he took the key from the now-unconscious Nancy to do so. Realizing that the situation looked very bad for him and that he himself could be charged with murder, he chose instead to flee, stopping long enough to retrieve Teddy, his mongoose that he used in his conjuring acts, which had escaped from the wooden box. However, he did drop his stick, the strange weapon that was later found, and he inadvertently carried the key off with him.

An inquest has already exonerated Nancy, having found the cause of the Colonel's death—apoplexy (Wood claimed the Colonel was dead before he received his apparently lethal head wound from hitting the fireplace fender, and the experts had apparently come to the same conclusion).

As for "David", this was apparently a reproach in which Nancy likened her husband to the biblical king, who had Bathsheba's husband Uriah transferred to a zone with heavy fighting so that he would be killed, leaving David free to marry Uriah's wife.

Holmes has just about correctly solved the entire case before he ever visits Watson. Spoiler alert ahead: He isn’t really investigating a murder after all, and as such, the case doesn’t have anywhere to go.. I suppose Sherlock does make the correct deduction about the events involved, but it’s principally Holmes and then Henry Wood who tell the story through exposition. An intriguing enough, but it doesn’t rank up near the top in memorable Sherlock Holmes stories for me.

[Roberto Mattos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing plot and "elementary" deduction featuring Sherlock Holmes! Holmes calls on Watson late one evening to tell him about a case that he has been working on, and also to invite him to be a witness to the final stage of the investigation. Colonel James Barclay, of The Royal Mallows based at Aldershot Camp, is dead, apparently by violence, and his wife Nancy is the prime suspect.
The Colonel’s brother officers are quite perplexed at the Colonel’s fate. Most of them have always believed that he and Nancy were a happy couple. They have observed over the years, however, that the Colonel seemed rather more attached to his wife than she to him. It also hasn’t escaped their notice that the Colonel sometimes had bouts of deep depression and moodiness for no apparent reason.
As a married officer, the Colonel and his wife lived in a villa outside the camp at Aldershot, and one evening, Nancy went out in the evening with her next-door neighbour Miss Morrison on an errand connected with her church, coming back not long afterwards. She went into the seldom-used morning room and asked the maid to fetch her some tea, which was unusual for Nancy. Hearing that his wife had returned, the Colonel joined her in the morning room. The coachman saw him enter, and that was the last time that he was seen alive.
The morning room’s blinds were up, and the glass door leading out onto the lawn was open. When the maid brought the tea, she heard an argument in progress between Nancy and her husband. She heard Nancy say the name “David”. She fetched the other maid and the coachman who came and listened. Nancy was very angry and shouting about what a coward her husband was. His words were softer and less distinct. Suddenly, the Colonel cried out, there was a crash, and Nancy screamed.
Realizing that something awful had just happened, the coachman tried to force the locked door, but could not. He remembered the outside glass door, and went outside to get into the room through that. He found that Nancy had fainted, and the Colonel was lying dead in a pool of his own blood. The coachman summoned the police and medical help. He also found, to his surprise, that the key was not in the locked door on the inside, either. Later, a thorough search failed to turn it up.
A peculiar clublike weapon was also found in the morning room. Although the staff has seen the Colonel’s weapon collection, they do not recognize this weapon.
Holmes believes that the case is not what it at first appears to be. Although the staff are quite sure that they only heard the Colonel’s and his wife’s voices, Holmes is convinced that a third person came into the room at the time of the Colonel’s death, and rather oddly, made off with the key. This Holmes deduces from footmarks found in the road, on the lawn, and in the morning room. Odder still, the mystery man seems to have brought an animal with him. Judging from the footmarks, it is long like a weasel or a stoat, with short stumpy legs, but bigger than either of those animals. It left claw marks on the curtain, too, leading Holmes to deduce that it was a carnivore, for there was a bird cage near the curtain.
Holmes is sure that Miss Morrison holds the key to the mystery, and he is right. She claimed to know nothing of the reason for the argument between her neighbours, but once told by Holmes that Nancy could easily face a murder charge, she feels that she can betray her promise to her and tells all.
On their short outing, the two women met a bent, deformed old man carrying a wooden box. He looked up at Nancy and recognized her, and she him. They were acquaintances from about thirty years earlier. Nancy asked Miss Morrison to walk on ahead as there was apparently a private matter to discuss with this man. She came back very angry, and made her friend swear not to say anything about the incident.
This breaks the case wide open for Holmes. He knows that there cannot be many men of this description in the area. Holmes soon identifies him as Henry Wood, and goes with Watson to visit him the next day in his room in the very same street where the two women met him. Wood explains all. He had been a corporal in the same regiment as the Colonel, who was still a sergeant at that time, at the time of the Indian Mutiny. He and Barclay were both vying for Nancy’s hand. Henry was not deformed, and much better looking in those days. The regiment was confined to its cantonment by the turmoil in India, and water had run out, among other problems. A volunteer was asked for, to go out and summon help, and it was Henry. Sergeant James Barclay — later the Colonel — instructed Henry on the safest route. It took him straight into an ambush, and he gathered from what little he knew of the local language that Barclay had betrayed him to the enemy by planning the whole business, simply to remove him from contention for Nancy's affection. He was tortured repeatedly, which is how he became deformed, spent years as a slave, or wandering, learnt how to be a conjurer, and when he was getting old, he longed to come back to England. He sought out soldiers because he was familiar with the milieu; likewise Doyle's account hints that another reason that Wood came back is that he has not long to live: his yellow eyes hint at Jaundice or Hepatitis B virus and his need for a fire in the summertime also hint at malaria.
Then, quite by chance, he met Nancy that evening. Unknown to her, however, he followed her home and witnessed the argument, for the blinds were up and the glass door open. He climbed over the low wall and entered the room. An apoplectic fit caused by the sight of him killed the Colonel instantly, and Mrs. Barclay fainted. His guilty secret was at last laid bare. His first thought then was to open the inside door and summon help, and he took the key from the now-unconscious Mrs. Barclay to do so, but realizing that the situation looked very bad for him, he chose instead to flee, stopping long enough to retrieve his mongoose, used in his conjuring acts, which had escaped from the wooden box. However, he did drop his stick, the odd weapon that was later found, and he inadvertently carried off the key with him.
An inquest has already exonerated Nancy, having found the cause of the Colonel’s death — apoplexy (Wood claimed the Colonel was dead before he hit his head, and the professionals have apparently come to the same conclusion).
As for “David”, this was apparently a reproach in which Nancy likens her husband to the Biblical king, who has Bathsheba's husband Uriah transferred to a zone with heavy fighting so that he will be killed, leaving David free to marry Uriah's wife. The King was severely reprimanded for this sin by the prophet Nathan and suffered a Divine retribution, though unlike with the colonel it involved the death of David's baby son and not of himself.
I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys mystery, mainly those featuring Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A locked door mystery...sort of. Barclay and his wife, Nancy, were heard arguing in the morning room. When Nancy screamed, the servants tried to enter but the door was locked. Upon entering the room from the outside door, they found that Nancy had fainted, that Barclay was dead and neither had the key to the locked door. It is assumed that Nancy will be charged with murder and Holmes is called in to investigate. He studies the grounds and finds that a man entered and exited the room by the outside door and that he had some strange animal with him. They track the man down and he is a crippled conjurer, recently come to town. He knew Barclay and Nancy when they were all in India. He and Barclay were in the same regimen and both were interested in Nancy but Nancy's father thought that Barclay would make better marriage material. After a raid on the camp, the man is sent on an escape mission by Barclay, only to be captured and tortured. It is obvious that Barclay double crossed him to get Nancy to himself. When the man ran into Nancy unexpectedly, he told her the story and she confronted Barclay. The man followed her home, heard the argument and decided to confront Barclay himself but when he entered the room Barclay was shocked to death. He took the key in his haste to leave the house. The inquest reveals that Barclay was dead before his head was bashed, as a result of falling to the floor, so Nancy will not be charged and Holmes promises to keep the man's secret. Not bad but the result was a little disappointing. Barclay sounded like a man who should have been murdered.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Excellent!” I cried.
“Elementary,” said he.

The boys have a sleepover.

Holmes smokes all of Watson’s pipe tobacco.

This story is slow and not as exciting as I’d expect. There is a death. Holmes spends the night at Doctor Watson’s home regaling him of the details of said death and the next day, they get the account of what happened from a possible suspect. They immediately believe everything that is said only to find out, via someone else, that the man died of apoplexy. There really isn’t much of a mystery to solve here. I did, however, find a few goodies that Mark Gatiss and co. pulled from this story for their BBC production.

[Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you YouTube! The version I listened to was so good, I realize now that all of the shock-horror media of the last few decades are mere shadows trying to imitate the true creepy story. This is the kind that is enjoyable to follow, and then leaves ripples of realization after. This is my first Audiobook; I can't wait to read (or listen to) more of the original Sherlock Holmes stories now. I wonder is there a special genre, something like 'soft horror' for this sort of tale?

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and amazing mystery story of a murder taking place inside a locked room with no key on this inside of the lock. Fans will also note that this is the story in which Sherlock Holmes comes the closest to saying, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was okay, but I didn't find it that interesting.

[Vin Vineeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally a story with roots in India which isn't incredibly racist and annoyingly british. Take notes sign of four!

[Riley G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another super fun Holmes story! I liked the last few lines, they were fun. Interesting allusion to David and Bathsheba—and it especially made me smile, as that very story was, at my church, the subject of this past Sunday morning’s sermon.

I also enjoyed this bit:
“‘Elementary,’ said he, ‘It is one of those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to his neighbor, because the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction. The same may be said, my dear fellow, for the effect of some of these little sketches of yours, which is entirely meretricious, depending as it does upon your retaining in your own hands some factors in the problem which are never imparted to the reader. Now, at present I am in the position of these same readers, for I hold in this hand several threads of one of the strangest cases which ever perplexed a man’s brain, and yet I lack the one or two which are needful to complete my theory. But I’ll have them, Watson, I’ll have them!’”

I find I am learning lots of new words and things in reading the Sherlock Holmes stories, and I love it.

[Somali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the umpteenth time ACD builds a story in the context of Sepoy mutiny. More than the mystery, I feel this is some kind of alternate citizen history of this time. We as young Indians learn about one side of the story. It surprises me, upon finding the other side of the story. Annoys me, angers me, disturbs me when the author dresses the Britishers as victims, and builds a story of Britishers being both the hunter and the prey, showing mutineers as brainless props, it is disturbing and needs more intense lens of understanding.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un cuento muy corto, fácil de leer, en donde Holmes con su deducción resuelve un misterio más. Me gusta mucho este personaje.

[Nö Ğå · Rating 3 out of 5]

خفيفه ولذيذه
النهايه موت بالسكتة الدماغيه

[نرمين الشامي · Rating 4 out of 5]

يحتوي الكتاب على ثلاث قصص قصيرة وهي (مغامرة الرجل الأحدب- ذو الغرة الفضية- البقعة الثانية)
وهي قصص ممتعة للغاية