- Dialogue from Sherlock, BBC, Season 1, Episode 1: 'A Study in Pink'
John Watson to Sherlock Holmes: "Who are you?"
Sherlock Holmes: "I'm a consulting detective."
John Watson: "What does that mean?"
Sherlock: "It means when the police are out of their depth - which is always - they consult me." (😁)
As the time is approaching where I will inevitably be in the mindset where I want to read things other than Sherlock Holmes, for the moment, I'm definitely on a Sherlock kick. I'm currently reading Modern Library Classics The Adventures and Memoirs, as well as the Sherlock Holmes-Mary Russell spinoff series by Laurie R. King, and don't have any intention of slowing down on the great detective and master of wit anytime soon! (And, please forgive this picture lol, it's the only one I've taken of the book, and it was during a Panera breakfast time ages ago...been a while since I've had it, now that I think about it 😊).
Thus Far . . .
This is a very fine collection, and the stories of Sherlock Holmes have been so very cherished throughout the 20th and 21st centuries for good reason, I now realize. They will continue to be as such. I like to read these short stories on my short breaks in between classes at uni, as well as just before I go to bed. I've put the entertainment and excitement of 5 cases in this novel behind me so far, and am now on page 122 and am reading The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip - and the thing I'm left wishing at the conclusion of each case, is only that these stories were longer than 25-30 pages! I'm nowhere near complaining, though, because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an absolute master at brevity, and the cases are fleshed out enough and are quick-witted and incredibly detailed (I just like reading a lot). We are able to see the human side of Sherlock, along with the impact of the help of his comrade and former army doctor John Watson, as well as the mysteries and grisly work they do in their travels.
How I'm Reading These Cases . . .
Needless to say, I'm a linear reader, and I don't like to jump around in novels I'm reading, regardless of whether or not they're short stories. In the case of the Sherlock Holmes Adventures, these cases are developmental, and indicate progress in the friendship and camaraderie between Sherlock and Watson, and skipping around stories would probably be rather a disservice to the reader, in my humble opinion. The prolific sarcasm and deductive reasoning never gets stale, and is only part of why Doyle's works are known as overt classics recognized under the genius breed.
These are stories that I along with many other classics readers treasure greatly, and I've read one of these cases in the past as a kid, however I wish I was introduced to more of them sooner - nonetheless, they resonate at any age, and the way these characters think begins to rub off on the reader as time goes on, whether the reader may realize it or not. I'm so glad to have these stories in my possession now, as I began watching the BBC show around the same time I started reading the Sherlock-Mary Russell series, but long before I ever got back into reading the wonderful originals.
I'll update you as my journeys from reading these mysteries begin to accrue! Have a wonderful Sunday!
I'll update you as my journeys from reading these mysteries begin to accrue! Have a wonderful Sunday!
I bought the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes stories for around $30 last year on Amazon and I don't regret it! I completely agree with you, I love the witty banter the two characters have and I can almost never guess what the ending will be. The red head story might have been my favorite! :)
ReplyDeleteBeauty From Katie
Hey Katie! :)
DeleteYes, the stories are so incredibly inspiring, aww yeah, the red headed league one was one of my favorites as well. Haha they caught them just as they were plotting their thievery of those French napoleons, and it was madness towards the end there. :D The story I'm reading now...CRIMINY, I'll tell ya, Mr. Holmes is able to decipher an unknown man's life, habits, personality, and sheesh, even aspects of the man's MARRIAGE from studying a HAT that he wore....a measly HAT. Ok I just checked and it's called the Adventures of the Blue Carbuncle. The thing about Doyle is that his writing style is just so that the deductions are not far fetched when the reader is lost in the moment of the story, nor when they're explaining the story to someone else, and the clues and abrupt deductions, in my opinion, aren't ever explained oddly to where they sound distorted, cacophonous, and nonsensical - they're just true, solid, and nothing short of melodic in how they're so perfectly presented, in my opinion.
You got the collection for such a good deal! That's awesome! Have you checked out the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes spinoff series, by chance? It's *almost* as witty (dare I say even sassy, since it is a female character in the loop with this one! XD) as Doyle's, and with this Doyle classic, I'm just reading a library book of these short stories and it's inevitable...I'll have to return it before getting to finish the whole book. Guess to Amazon I go, so I can always have it by my side! :)
Thanks for commenting, Katie and hope you have an awesome weekend!