Rating: 
Summary: One of the more complex Holmes stories.....
Review: Having read this book some years ago, I can say that it is one of the more complex Sherlock Holmes stories written. The murder is not what it appears, the motive for it takes many twists and turns and puts Holmes to the very limits as a detective to solve a case that turns out to be far more reaching in it's complexity and in the number of people whose lives are forever changed by it. The ending is somewhat sad but for Holmes himself, it was a case that he found refreshingly chalenging to solve. Read for yourself and see why.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT~
Review: I didn't like to read any books before, but after I have read this book , I become more and more interested in reading. I started to have motivation to read as many books as in my life.
" A Study in Scarlet " ( written by Conan Doyle ) is the first full-length novel appearance of Sherlock Holmes. And I know Sherlock Holmes is very famous detective in fiction. Therefore, I choose this book.I like Holmes's deduction the most. He has great power in observation and understanding in all types of crime. He is full of knowledge that can help him to solve the problem and he likes violin and opera. If his brain contains anything apart from these , he must try to forget them all as quick as possible.I am quite interested in mystery. If you don't know which book is good to read , try to read the story about Sherlock Holmes . You must like it .
Rating:
Summary: What a great book!!!
Review: I had never read a Sherlock Holmes book until this week. I decided to begin with the first. It was amuzing, well written, intruiging, and then suddenly I'm thrown for a loop when it makes the Mormons out to be murdering kidnappers. I was so disturbed by this at first, that it almost ruined the book for me, but then I realize that you have to forgive Doyle because in 1887 information on Mormons was scarce and shady. It was a fairly new organization at that time and the biblical practice of polygamy that was practiced by a few of the members was very hated, as would be expected. But we must remember that Doyle was writing a work of fiction, and historical accuracy is unnecessary for a good story, and this is definitely a good mystery that is well written. I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Watson and Holmes (hopefully without any more slandering of Christians).
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully entertaining
Review: It is 1878 and Doctor John Watson, his health damaged by his experiences with the British Army in Afghanistan during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, is looking for lodgings in the great city of London. It seems fortuitous, when a mutual friend introduces him to another who needs someone to share costs on a suite on Baker Street, but this other man is quite an eccentric. Sherlock Holmes has bent his life and education towards turning himself into the premier detective. Watson can hardly credit Holmes's claims of what a first-class detective can do. But, when a note arrives from a Scotland Yard detective, inviting Holmes to consult on a particularly mysterious murder, Watson soon finds himself carried along by Holmes, watching his new friend's powers unravel a seemingly inscrutable knot. The game is afoot, and Holmes needs to solve a murder, and bring a murderer to justice. This fascinating book was first published in 1887, and was the very first Sherlock Holmes story. In it we get to see the first meeting of Holmes and Watson, and hear Holmes explain his methods in detail. If you are a fan of murder mysteries, then this is definitely a book that you should not miss. The center part of this story revolves around the actions of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Author Arthur Conan Doyle had a tendency to "wing" the details of his story, and his treatment of the Mormons shows a certain carelessness in how he presented them. Therefore, if you are a Mormon, you will most likely find this book offensive. But, that said, this is a wonderfully entertaining story that is sure to please most every mystery fan. And, if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, then you must read this book! It's great.
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to a great character
Review: Meet Sherlock Holmes. Hopelessly eccentric, devastatingly brilliant, and seemingly born of a supernatural ability to accomplish what he sets his mind to, the world's greatest detective has devoted himself to the pursuit of criminals. By matching wits with both the criminals he hunts and the official police inspectors, Holmes has found a pasttime that has a neverending series of puzzles on which he can train his amazing powers of observation and deduction.
We're all familiar with this character, and that's because, a hundred years after Holmes was first unveiled to the public, he continues to gather new readers. An icon who has spawned dozens of stereotypes, Holmes has a universal appeal that still fascinates us, even though the world of crimefighting has transformed itself entirely.
For the modern reader, the writing is stiff and takes some getting used to. Watson's buffoonish amazement at every word Holmes utters is comical, and the pronouncements of the great detective seem arrogant and, at times, obvious or self-serving. But make no mistake. There's some magic in these writings.
This particular edition (I have the 1975 printing) is a very nice introduction to Holmes, beginning as it does with the first two stories which made the character famous. Young readers in particular should enjoy the immersion in Victorian England, and the exposure to this great character's methods. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A great detective makes his first appearance
Review: The book tells the story of how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came to be partners and details their first murder case. Like every other conscious person in the western world, I have always been aware of Holmes' titanic status in our popular culture, but this is actually the first story about him that I've ever read. It's very entertaining to follow as A. Conan Doyle introduces the various facets of the Holmes legend: we meet Gregson and Lestrade, watch Holmes and Watson take up lodgings at 221B Baker Street, and are introduced to Holmes' violin playing, pipe smoking, snuff addiction, and, of course, his incredible powers of deduction, which are a marvel to all that surround him. Watson's musings on Holmes' nature are often quite humorous as he attempts to figure out this eccentric individual. The mystery itself is quite good. Many have remarked on how the story derails with its lengthy digression to the back-story of the murder, which occurred in Utah. This part of the story is sure to offend Mormons, who are here portrayed as a cultish fascist state that will resort to officially sanctioned murder to accomplish its ends. Doyle appears to have been reflecting the prejudice of his time, and this is a very unfortunate and disappointing aspect of the novel. However, if you can look past that, perhaps by imagining that they are some fictional cult, this section of the book is quite effective and suspenseful in its own way. However, the major strength of the story is, of course, Holmes himself. I think that Doyle quickly realized this and focused on Holmes much more closely in later stories.
Rating:
Summary: A great detective makes his first appearance
Review: The book tells the story of how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came to be partners and details their first murder case. Like every other conscious person in the western world, I have always been aware of Holmes' titanic status in our popular culture, but this is actually the first story about him that I've ever read. It's very entertaining to follow as A. Conan Doyle introduces the various facets of the Holmes legend: we meet Gregson and Lestrade, watch Holmes and Watson take up lodgings at 221B Baker Street, and are introduced to Holmes' violin playing, pipe smoking, snuff addiction, and, of course, his incredible powers of deduction, which are a marvel to all that surround him. Watson's musings on Holmes' nature are often quite humorous as he attempts to figure out this eccentric individual. The mystery itself is quite good. Many have remarked on how the story derails with its lengthy digression to the back-story of the murder, which occurred in Utah. This part of the story is sure to offend Mormons, who are here portrayed as a cultish fascist state that will resort to officially sanctioned murder to accomplish its ends. Doyle appears to have been reflecting the prejudice of his time, and this is a very unfortunate and disappointing aspect of the novel. However, if you can look past that, perhaps by imagining that they are some fictional cult, this section of the book is quite effective and suspenseful in its own way. However, the major strength of the story is, of course, Holmes himself. I think that Doyle quickly realized this and focused on Holmes much more closely in later stories.
Rating:
Summary: Intro to Sherlock Holmes
Review: This book is the first of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The book starts with the arrival of Dr. Watson to London following his discharge from military service. He's looking for a place to stay, and an acquaintance suggests he find a room together with Sherlock Holmes, a man who has been hanging around in the medical school laboratories. Watson finds Holmes amiable enough to live with, but an enigma- -just how does he earn his living? Before he knows it, he's helping Holmes with the investigation of a murder.
If you want to read Sherlock Holmes, you need to start here. Considering that the genre was in its infancy when Doyle wrote this volume, the story is remarkably well told. The plot hangs together, there are clues for the inquisitive reader, and plenty of plot twists. This particular recording has its ups and downs. Some of the voices are well done, but others are rather shaky. Clive Merrison as Holmes has a rather irritating laugh, but perhaps that was intentional given Holmes' personality.
Rating:
Summary: unraveling the scarlet thread
Review: This first of the Sherlock Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet introduces Watson and Holmes and narrates the beginning of their ongoing partnership. Holmes' genius and his theory of deductive reasoning, which he presents in an article ambitiously titled "The Book of Life," is proven effective when he solves the case of a murder whose links extend as far as the Mormons in Utah. Detective connoisseurs will enjoy Holmes' humorously arrogant references to the fictional detectives of Poe and Gaboriau, among the first authors in the genre and influential for the Holmes stories. Though Doyle pitches some of the morbidity and philosophical profundity in his inheritance from authors like Poe, the reader who enjoys a good story - detective or not - will be pleased to find surprises, intrigue, and a little art jargon in the unraveling of the scarlet thread that runs through life and underlies the mysteries of the human mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Great first half...
Review: This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel and the perfect place to begin reading his literature. Forget about the movie clichés of Holmes and Watson - here you meet them for the first time. Watson - far from a bumbling fool - is a military doctor just returned from Afghanistan. An old acquaintance reluctantly suggests looking for a room with a school chum of his who is a bit odd. We first meet Sherlock Holmes as a graduate student. He's very brilliant - the only thing is nobody can figure out what he is studying or what he does. The two chums become roommates and the rest is history. Seeing Sherlock Holmes anew, he is reminiscent of a positive version of Hannibal Lecter. Both of them are able to detect anything about a person at a glance - or a whiff. Each have encyclopedic knowledge of medicine, psychology, and everything else you can think of, and both are intellectually vain. Sherlock likes to show off and is downright childish in taking pleasure in how clever he is. The book starts off great - introducing the characters and getting right to the heart of the matter. It continues at a nice place until the half-way mark where Conan Doyle (who had not yet mastered the art of the novel) interrupts the dramatic action for a flashback. That aside, it is still a great read and you can probably get done with it in one sitting. I HIGHLY recommend the Vintage Classics edition with an introduction by Ann Perry and footnotes, the latter proved an invaluable addition.
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