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djdhan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
1bookybunny's review against another edition
3.0
this collection felt more like a mixed bag in comparison to the other two. on the one hand, acd interestingly plays with the tropes and formulas of the holmes stories to create some of the most unique, entertaining, and surprising mysteries in his canon so far. however, the other half of the mysteries in this collection are a little lazier in comparison, w/ solutions that feel rushed and anticlimactic. it’s noticeable about halfway through this collection, the second half definitely feels weaker.
favorite stories:
- the adventure of the empty house
- the adventure of the norwood builder
- the adventure of the dancing men
- the adventure of charles augustus milverton
- the adventure of the six napoleons
- the adventure of the golden pince-nez
favorite stories:
- the adventure of the empty house
- the adventure of the norwood builder
- the adventure of the dancing men
- the adventure of charles augustus milverton
- the adventure of the six napoleons
- the adventure of the golden pince-nez
melanieboyer's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. Enjoyable, easy read, but not compelling or very exciting.
smaximiek's review against another edition
1.0
Ok, I will admit this. I am reading the Sherlock Holmes books because they are.....bad.
They really are.
There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.
As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a decent mystery in a short story. Most of his short stories are really more in the realm of bodice-rippers then mysteries. Instead of taking the time to craft a mystery (which involves a plot), he instead strove to hide important developments and details from the reader -- putting them in the realm "information that only Holmes knows" - thus making it seem like Holmes is a genius for putting everything together. In reality, he is the only character that often had access to all the information - but to "solve" the story based on not even sharing it with the reader is just bad storytelling.
Occasionally - yes he was the only person willing to go get all the pertinent information. And in these cases, it is made very clearly that it is because the other characters - often Lestrade - is too lazy and wants to take the easy way out. Ah, the way the police detective is portrayed! Do I detect some classicism there, Sir Doyle? Even Watson - Watson is given his own brand of classicism - where Lestrade is clearly uneducated and of the masses, and thus prone to laziness, Watson is too hampered by his own education and thus, fails to overlook vital evidence because he cannot see beyond his own medical training! Apparently, Doyle had little liking for some of his own colleagues....
I don't think I can stomach anymore of these short stories. I will give one of the novels a try and see if they stand up any better - I read one or two when I was a little kid and liked them then. Somehow, though, I don't Holmes himself gets any better with age....
They really are.
There is really nothing likable about Sherlock Holmes as a character - he is an arrogant twit who treats the people around him terribly and on a good day, thinks of only mild insults to throw at them. On most days, he is just downright demeaning and treats them as if they are small children there for his amusement, or to be his servants.
As a writer, Doyle couldn't actually spin together a decent mystery in a short story. Most of his short stories are really more in the realm of bodice-rippers then mysteries. Instead of taking the time to craft a mystery (which involves a plot), he instead strove to hide important developments and details from the reader -- putting them in the realm "information that only Holmes knows" - thus making it seem like Holmes is a genius for putting everything together. In reality, he is the only character that often had access to all the information - but to "solve" the story based on not even sharing it with the reader is just bad storytelling.
Occasionally - yes he was the only person willing to go get all the pertinent information. And in these cases, it is made very clearly that it is because the other characters - often Lestrade - is too lazy and wants to take the easy way out. Ah, the way the police detective is portrayed! Do I detect some classicism there, Sir Doyle? Even Watson - Watson is given his own brand of classicism - where Lestrade is clearly uneducated and of the masses, and thus prone to laziness, Watson is too hampered by his own education and thus, fails to overlook vital evidence because he cannot see beyond his own medical training! Apparently, Doyle had little liking for some of his own colleagues....
I don't think I can stomach anymore of these short stories. I will give one of the novels a try and see if they stand up any better - I read one or two when I was a little kid and liked them then. Somehow, though, I don't Holmes himself gets any better with age....
amy29dowler's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
veralangens's review against another edition
5.0
once again delightful! the sherlock holmes stories are the perfect classic <3
choupitali's review against another edition
5.0
Un nouveau recueil de nouvelles qui reprend là où s’était arrêté The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, s’ouvrant donc sur la résurrection du célèbre détective.
Malgré le nombre d’aventures précédentes, Arthur Conan Doyle parvient tout de même à se renouveler pour nous offrir des récits captivants, chaque histoire approfondissant également le caractère ainsi que la relation des deux protagonistes.
Chose amusante, après avoir régulièrement évoqué l’idée que Sherlock Holmes aurait fait un criminel exceptionnel, une des nouvelles de ce recueil joue enfin avec cette possibilité. Il est aussi bon de noter que le titre de la dernière affaire avait déjà été mentionné auparavant, ce qui crée un sentiment de continuité.
En résumé, un excellent recueil qui ravira les aficionados.
Malgré le nombre d’aventures précédentes, Arthur Conan Doyle parvient tout de même à se renouveler pour nous offrir des récits captivants, chaque histoire approfondissant également le caractère ainsi que la relation des deux protagonistes.
Chose amusante, après avoir régulièrement évoqué l’idée que Sherlock Holmes aurait fait un criminel exceptionnel, une des nouvelles de ce recueil joue enfin avec cette possibilité. Il est aussi bon de noter que le titre de la dernière affaire avait déjà été mentionné auparavant, ce qui crée un sentiment de continuité.
En résumé, un excellent recueil qui ravira les aficionados.