A Study in Scarlet ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Genre:  Adult Mystery

Publisher: Modern Library

160 pages

ISBN: 9780812968545

A young doctor, a Watson, if I’m not mistaken, is returning from Afghanistan, war weary and a bit ill. He finds himself in London at the end of the 19th century, looking for cheap lodgings and possibly a friend. By word of mouth, he finds himself rooming with the strangest variety of renaissance man. A young guy, as well, Mr. Holmes, I believe it is, who has a collection of habits to make Watson’s head spin. Ever the doctor, Watson sets out to come to the bottom of the bizarre goings-on of Holmesss livelihood and a friendship is born. They embark, almost immediately, on a whirlwind murder investigation involving Scotland yard and perhaps an American Mormon or two.

Even if a reader has never ventured down the shadowy and shenanigan filled road of Dolye’s best known duo, it is, by pure social lore sake, impossible to comnprehend a world before Holmes and Watson. Here, we begin, however, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s very first story of the pair. If you’ve read the Holmes stories out of order, as I have, it’s incredible to read the first few chapters in which the two are just getting to know each other. Throughout Doyle’s later short stories, Watson continues his running commentary of Holmes and his strange habits but his initial impressions are great.

Doyle’s writing is, as always, perfect. My favorite characteristic of Doyle’s novels is Holmes’ florid, albeit scientific prose, coupled with Watson’s more pragmatic thoughts. As for the characters themselves, I think the regular reader would abhor Holmes and his apparent arrogance if he weren’t always so right. Watson begins to, at times, but is always caught off guard when Holmes and his deductive reason get the better of the situation.

A bit of warning about the middle of the book. Keep reading. The book appears to end one story and begin another but they are exactly related in the end, in true crime fashion, so don’t put it down, believing you have come to the end of one story.

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