The Complete Sherlock Holmes

Rating:
Summary: The game is afoot!
Review: The greatest detective in all of literature is between the covers of this excellent edition of the complete stories of Sherlock Holmes. Of all the editions out currently out there, the Doubleday hardcover version is by far the best. With 1122 pages, it's a hefty tome, but packed between the covers, in an edition that won't give you eye-strain to read, are all four full-length novels and fifty-six short stories, plus an excellent introduction by Christopher Morley. This is the version to get.

There has never been anything quite like Sherlock Holmes; he's in a class by himself. We meet him first in his late twenties, just starting a career as the world's only consulting detective, when he's introduced to his invaluable chronicler Dr. Watson. What is Holmes without Watson? He's not nearly as interesting alone; Watson is an absolute necessity. Holmes needs Watson's obtuseness as a foil for his own razor-sharp brilliance. In some of the later volumes, Holmes narrates a couple of his own cases. They fall flatter than a pancake. Let Holmes stick to what he knows; we must have Watson to show him to best effect.

There are so many great stories included in this volume that probably no two people's list of personal favorites will match; my own are "The Red-Headed League" and "The Copper Beeches" from "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"; "The Yellow Face", "The Naval Treaty" and "The Final Problem" from "Memoirs", "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" and "The Second Stain" from "The Return", and "His Last Bow" from the volume of the same title. The incomparable "Hound of the Baskervilles" rates as my favorite long novel. Conan Doyle not only gave us some wonderful tales, but some unforgettable secondary characters as well: the pea-brained detectives Gregson and Lestrade; brother Mycroft, even more brilliant as Sherlock and even more eccentric; and the scruffy gang of street kids known as the Baker Street Irregulars.

Holmes himself is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic characters in all fiction. Why doesn't he have (or seem to want)a life outside of solving crimes? We know he has an off-and-on cocaine problem, not to mention some peculiar habits, such as shooting holes in his parlor walls to spell out VR (Victoria Regina) in bullet pocks (why his landlady didn't throw him out is never explained), and except for the inscrutable Irene Adler, he seems to have a marked aversion towards women. Well, maybe it's just as well that his whole life was detecting and solving crimes, else how could he have been involved in so many delightful adventures?

As Morley says in his introduction to this volume, we should be grateful to those ophthalmic patients who kept missing their appointments with Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, leaving him with enough spare time on his hands to write these stories. In the lanky figure of his consulting detective, Conan Doyle created one of the most popular characters of all modern fiction. There is no more compelling crime-buster, and never has been, and probably never will be, than Sherlock Holmes.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: Thrilled recently to discover the excellent Jeremy Brett filmed episodes of Sherlock Holmes, I then took to reading the original stories and enjoyed virtually every one of them. There are a few plots which nearly duplicate other ones, but the 56 short stories and 4 novels comprise a stunning collection of fiction which evokes the atmosphere of late Victorian era England in a straightforward prose that grabs you instantly and makes you turn page after page and then read story after story. As you get further and further into the world Doyle created, you'll begin to hear the sounds of horse carriages, smell candles and gas lamps, and also, in the manner of Holmes, to begin to truly NOTICE the small details of life which may end up meaning far more than they seem to at first. Sherlock Holmes is one of the most intriguing characters in all of literature. You'll end up wishing you could've met him or, even better, followed him into the bowels of London or into the English countryside as he probes a mystery, running only on adrenalin. I also recommend Doyle's fine book of "Round The Fire" stories.

Rating:
Summary: Doyle's Legacy
Review: Of all the memorable characters in literature, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is justly one of the most famous (rivaled by only a small handful of others). In the Complete Sherlock Holmes, you find this peculiar, proper, analytical, brilliant consulting detective. You also meet his equally famous boswell, Dr. Watson, and unforgettable criminals, plots and deductions. There are four novels and fifty-six short stories. Many of them are masterpieces. A few, especially some of the later works, are dated and disappointing (thus only four stars). But do not be too concerned. After you read this series, you will see why the pipe smoking genius of Baker Street has fans throughout the world. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: All the tales of the greatest detective in literary history
Review: The complete adventures of Sherlock Holmes is an excellent gift for young and old alike. I first read these stories in Junior High School and loved them then. After reading the complete collection a second time, my appreciation of the excellence of these stories has only increased. Like Dickens's great novels such as David Copperfield, a second and even third visit to The Complete Adventures is both warranted and rewarded. Those people who loved the late Jeremy Brett's characterization of Holmes on PBS's "Mystery," are almost certain to find the stories on which this series is based equally entertaining.

From our first encounter with Holmes in Conan Doyle's introductory novel, A Study in Scarlet, and his meeting with Dr. Watson, with whom he shared rooms at the now famous 221B Baker Street, we are fascinated by the uniqueness of Holmes's eccentric character, his incredible intelligence in all things concerning the science of deduction, his total dedication to his craft, and the enormous resources of energy and determination he calls on to solve problems no one else can master.

Holmes is a consulting detective; that is, he is the court of last appeal when the police, government officials, and private citizens can find help no where else. What makes Holmes special is not only his vast knowledge related to crime and the master criminal, like the infamous Professor Moriarty, but his incredible powers of observation and deduction, which he uses in almost every story to amaze Dr. Watson and the various detectives of Scotland Yard who come seeking his help.

Conan Doyle is a fine writer and he wanted to turn his attention to other projects and so decided to kill off Holmes at a last meeting with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls in the Alps in the highly recommended story, The Adventure of the Final Problem. As we might expect, Holmes is not so easily disposed of. The demand for more adventures prompted Conan Doyle to publish a final volume of stories of the greatest detective in literary history.

Rating:
Summary: Gold for Sherlock Holmes Fans
Review: This book, a compilation of every original, published Sherlock Holmes story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is a joy for all fans of classic mysteries. Although many other detective stories are also excellent, there is nothing quite like the original Holmes stories. As we read through the many adventures of Holmes and his ever faithful companion Dr. Watson, we are also led through their colorful, albeit enigmatic, lives including Dr. Watson's two marriages and the time in between them (lodging at 221B Baker Street, naturally). Holmes' life includes his opium addiction, and subsequent recovery, his encounter with Irene Adler and finally, his retirement to the English Channel coast as a beekeeper.

Whether already a fan for years or a new Holmes reader, this collection is perfect. My copy is one of the most treasured volumes in my library.

Rating:
Summary: Great book if I could see it!
Review: Print is too small.No, not just for my 61 year old eyes.This was a Christmas gift for my 11 year old grandson. Half way though the first story he had a headache.

Returned the book and I'm shopping for something "visible"!!

Rating:
Summary: The BEST book I have ever READ!
Review: Hi,
I was reluctant to read this books since year. I have read one story and now I am addicted. Please read this. Holmes stories are the wonder of the world.

Rating:
Summary: The collected Sherlock Holmes long stories
Review: When I was a kid I used to own the 2 Sherlock Holmes collections published by John Murray - the 4 long stories contained in this volume, and the companion volume with many short stories. It was brilliant having them collected together like that and I read them periodically to refresh my sense of excitement when "the game's afoot". I wish some enterprising publisher would do a reprint in this format!

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Summary: Where would we be without Holmes?
Review: First of all, dont pay any attention to the people who say the book is made cheaply because it isnt. I have been reading Holmes on and off for over a year. This book has been all over America and traveled hundreds of miles but it still looks like new. Secondly, The Complete Sherlock Holmes is the best mystery novel available. You will never find a better mystery than those in this book. Holmes is the begining of all mystery liturature, and its best to start at the begining, right?

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Summary: Jon's Review of The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Review: Sherlock Holmes is such a good book. Watson is the narrator. He meets Holmes in a hotel. Holmes uses logic to make theories. Holmes and Watson solve mysteries. And Holmes is always right. And Holmes is always observant and he sees every detail of the scene. All of the scenes are in London; Holmes is a very smart man. I am reading the first collection and all I know is there are tow or more book collections. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the author of this book. You should read this book. It is a very good book. Be observant.