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Sherlock Holmes #3-4
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Vol. I: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Includes: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Leslie S. Klinger's brilliant new annotations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Holmes short stories
Readers will find all the short stories from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, with a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's insightful biographies of Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle; history lovers will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalizing new theories; art lovers will thrill to the 450-plus illustrations, which make this the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes illuminates the timeless genius of Arthur Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation of readers.
Leslie S. Klinger's brilliant new annotations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Holmes short stories
Readers will find all the short stories from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, with a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's insightful biographies of Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle; history lovers will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalizing new theories; art lovers will thrill to the 450-plus illustrations, which make this the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes illuminates the timeless genius of Arthur Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation of readers.
776 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2001
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
11.8k books23.3k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 23, 2018
Öncelikle belirtmem gerek ki, bu benim ilk Sherlock Holmes okuma maceram. Hatta daha önce Holmes hakkında tek bilgim “dünyaca ünlü bir polisiye” olduğuydu. O kadar. Herhangi bir uyarlamasını vs de ne izledim ne okudum. Polisiyeye olan ilgi alakamı anlatabilmişimdir sanırım bu giriş bölümümle.
Gelelim bu açıklamalı kitaba ve kitabın polisiyeye bakışımı nasıl değiştirdiğine.
Sherlock Holmes külliyatını içerecek olan üç kitaplık serinin ilk cildi bu. İçinde 1891-1893 yılları arasında Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tarafından yazılmış Strand Magazine'de yayımlanmış Sherlock öyküleri var.
Kitabın editörü Leslie S. Klinger, dünyanın önde gelen Victoria dönemi ve Sherlock Holmes uzmanlarındanmış. Bence kitabı benzerlerinden ayıran da bu zaten. Ayrıntılı bir şekilde hem Victoria Dönemi’ne, hem de Sherlock dünyasına ait bilgilere sayfanın yanında “notlar” için ayrılmış bölümde ulaşabiliyorsunuz. Normalde açıklamalar ya da notlar bölümü sayfanın ya da kitabın sonunda olur ve okuması güç bir savaş alanına çevirir kitabı, bu kitabı okurken bu sorunu hiç yaşamadım. Kitabın yarısı neredeyse not ve aksine tüm notları özenle, merakla takip ettiriyor okuyucuya.
Bir şaşırtıcı şey de benim için şu oldu ki, Sherlock’un repliklerinde sürekli edebiyat eserlerine gönderme vardı. Bunların bazılarını kendim yakalayabilmişken çoğunu da yine açıklamalar kısmından edinmek büyük bir kazanım oldu.
Sherlock ile benim gibi yeni tanışanlar için Klinger'ın her öykünün girişine koyduğu açıklama çok değerliyken, zaten hali hazırda Sherlock hayranıysanız da Victoria Dönemi İngilteresi ilgili tüm detaylar ve daha da güzeli Sherlock üzerine üretilen birçok teoriyi de kapsayan notlar sayesinde keyifli bir Sherlock okuması yapabilirsiniz.
10/10
Tavsiye ediyorum.
May 12, 2020
My dear Watson, I am a little perplexed by this listing. Is it not true that we have the complete works here i.e. both Volume I and Volume II packed into a sturdy slip case that those fine people at W.W. Norton published in 2005.
Total pages: a staggering 1878.
Here Watson, are all the short stories you wrote of my adventures in crime solving (and no doubt a few you made up) for everyone to enjoy again and again. Five big collections of your fine work and if I may so, my ingenious deductions for all to study, all collected in these massive volumes.
They contain all my cases as published in the original book form: The Adventures ++++++ The Memoirs ++++++ The Return ++++++ His Last Bow ++++++ The Case-Book .............. all 56 of your imaginary concoctions!
And I must say, all those lovely illustrations (some 700 I counted without once resorting to the needle). And those simply amazing annotations that Mr. Klinger has added ...... well, what more can I add but be in awe of a man very much in my image of a brilliant investigator.
This double volume is so huge Watson, we could use it as a doorstop to keep that meddlesome Mrs. Hudson at bay. Come to think of it, why didn't I have this lofty article at my disposal when confronted by that beastly Moriarty!
(with apologies to Arthur Conan Doyle - may your spirit rest in peace and thank you for your wonderful creations).
Total pages: a staggering 1878.
Here Watson, are all the short stories you wrote of my adventures in crime solving (and no doubt a few you made up) for everyone to enjoy again and again. Five big collections of your fine work and if I may so, my ingenious deductions for all to study, all collected in these massive volumes.
They contain all my cases as published in the original book form: The Adventures ++++++ The Memoirs ++++++ The Return ++++++ His Last Bow ++++++ The Case-Book .............. all 56 of your imaginary concoctions!
And I must say, all those lovely illustrations (some 700 I counted without once resorting to the needle). And those simply amazing annotations that Mr. Klinger has added ...... well, what more can I add but be in awe of a man very much in my image of a brilliant investigator.
This double volume is so huge Watson, we could use it as a doorstop to keep that meddlesome Mrs. Hudson at bay. Come to think of it, why didn't I have this lofty article at my disposal when confronted by that beastly Moriarty!
(with apologies to Arthur Conan Doyle - may your spirit rest in peace and thank you for your wonderful creations).
August 11, 2016
Since I have a stack of very BIG books, which mostly are comprised of short stories, I tend to work on them behind the scenes every so often while I read longer works. This is the latest in my BIG book stack to come to my attention.
I am greatly enjoying working my way slowly through the stories while taking in the copious notation. I will say that I don't care about the notes which speak as if Holmes and Watson are actual living people. Not my sort of mind game. But the other notes are very good. And I really enjoy the illustrations and photographs from the time the stories were written, many of which were included when they were first published in magazines.
Most of all, I am enjoying reading the Sherlock Holmes stories after so much time away from them. You now how it is. You think you have a story (or book) practically memorized so you ignore it for a long time. Then when you pick it up again, hey presto! Your memory has faded (or was never as good as you thought ... ahem ... that's a subject for another time). At any rate, these are proving great fun.
I am greatly enjoying working my way slowly through the stories while taking in the copious notation. I will say that I don't care about the notes which speak as if Holmes and Watson are actual living people. Not my sort of mind game. But the other notes are very good. And I really enjoy the illustrations and photographs from the time the stories were written, many of which were included when they were first published in magazines.
Most of all, I am enjoying reading the Sherlock Holmes stories after so much time away from them. You now how it is. You think you have a story (or book) practically memorized so you ignore it for a long time. Then when you pick it up again, hey presto! Your memory has faded (or was never as good as you thought ... ahem ... that's a subject for another time). At any rate, these are proving great fun.
April 3, 2015
A must-own for any true Sherlockian! Loved the illustrations and historical tidbits. A different approach from the Baring-Gould annotations, but great overall.
August 5, 2020
Annotated edition containing “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” stories that ran in The Strand magazine between July 1891 and June 1892: “Scandal in Bohemia “ (July 1891), “The Red Headed League” (August 1891), “A Case of Identity” (September 1891), “The Boscombe Valley Mystery” (October 1891), “The Five Orange Pips” (November 1891), “The Man With The Twisted Lip” (December 1891), “The Blue Carbuncle” (January 1892), “The Speckled Band” (February 1892) (reportedly Sir Arthur’s favorite), “The Engineer’s Thumb” (March 1892), “The Noble Bachelor” (April 1892), “The Beryl Coronet” (May 1892), “The Copper Beeches” (June 1892) and “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,” stories published in The Strand Magazine between December 1892 and 1893: “Silver Blaze” (December 1892) (“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes), “The Cardboard Box,” (January 1893), “The Yellow Face,” (February 1893), “The Stockbroker’s Clerk,” (March 1893), “The ‘Gloria Scott’” (April 1893), “The Musgrave Ritual” (May 1893), “The Reigate Squires” (June 1893), “The Crooked Man” (July 1893), “The Resident Patient” (August 1893), “The Greek Interpreter” (September 1893), “The Naval Treaty” (October and November 1893) and “The Final Problem” (December 1893). The stories were first published as collections in October 1892 and December 1893, respectively.
I (painstakingly) wrote out publication dates because I was so impressed by this two and a half year burst of creativity. The Holmes (and Watson) characters continue in, of course, “Sherlock” and “Elementary” but also “Bones” (an astonishing and unholy mash-up of Holmes/Watson, CSI and slow burning romance), and, so I’m told, “House,” “Star Trek,” et al, ad infinitum.
Many of my fellow Goodreads reviewers had problems with the notes in this (these) edition(s). I don’t think that Mr. Klinger anywhere admits that Sir Arthur wrote these stories, not Dr. Watson. Myself, I enjoy the whole Great Game game, the footnotes that say Watson added a bit of dialogue for dramatic effect or that something may have been added to Watson’s original manuscript by Conan Doyle. I didn’t read them all, by any means, but understand how people use the game to further their enjoyment of the stories. I did get a little tired of the ones that point out discrepancies and unlikelyhoods. Useful, to some extent, but often like an older child telling a younger one that Santa doesn’t exist. Seems kind of odd, especially, what, like these Great Game guys should talk, right?
One of my favorites was one positing the idea that Holmes’ brother Mycroft (“At times, Watson, he is the British government”) was the original head of the British Secret Service and the title “M” is used by MI6 as a tribute to him. I like this because, while reading these I have come to view Bond as a sort of rebuke to Sherlock Holmes. It is as if after World War II, the culture decided it needed Fleming’s blunt instrument instead of Doyle/Watson’s urbane thinking machine. What a contrast, the sadly accurate, erratic ramblings of the faux aristocratic upper class alcoholic dilettante, and the Promethium explosion from the good middle class doctor(s).
I also read Vol ll which includes the stories included in the collections “The Return of Sherlock Holmes,” “His Last Bow,” and “The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.”
Mr. Klinger points out, and no reader is likely to miss, the difference in Holmes’ racial attitude displayed in “The Yellow Face” (1893-tolerant and sympathetic to an African America child) and that he expresses in “The Adventure of The Three Gables” (1920-responses to an admittedly threatening black man in disappointingly racist terms). I think there was a retrogression of racial attitudes in the United States as African Americans left the South seeking integration in the North. “Birth of A Nation” (1915) is a cultural signpost of this. It is surprising, and disappointing, to find a similar retrogression expressed in an English, as opposed to an American, context.
I (painstakingly) wrote out publication dates because I was so impressed by this two and a half year burst of creativity. The Holmes (and Watson) characters continue in, of course, “Sherlock” and “Elementary” but also “Bones” (an astonishing and unholy mash-up of Holmes/Watson, CSI and slow burning romance), and, so I’m told, “House,” “Star Trek,” et al, ad infinitum.
Many of my fellow Goodreads reviewers had problems with the notes in this (these) edition(s). I don’t think that Mr. Klinger anywhere admits that Sir Arthur wrote these stories, not Dr. Watson. Myself, I enjoy the whole Great Game game, the footnotes that say Watson added a bit of dialogue for dramatic effect or that something may have been added to Watson’s original manuscript by Conan Doyle. I didn’t read them all, by any means, but understand how people use the game to further their enjoyment of the stories. I did get a little tired of the ones that point out discrepancies and unlikelyhoods. Useful, to some extent, but often like an older child telling a younger one that Santa doesn’t exist. Seems kind of odd, especially, what, like these Great Game guys should talk, right?
One of my favorites was one positing the idea that Holmes’ brother Mycroft (“At times, Watson, he is the British government”) was the original head of the British Secret Service and the title “M” is used by MI6 as a tribute to him. I like this because, while reading these I have come to view Bond as a sort of rebuke to Sherlock Holmes. It is as if after World War II, the culture decided it needed Fleming’s blunt instrument instead of Doyle/Watson’s urbane thinking machine. What a contrast, the sadly accurate, erratic ramblings of the faux aristocratic upper class alcoholic dilettante, and the Promethium explosion from the good middle class doctor(s).
I also read Vol ll which includes the stories included in the collections “The Return of Sherlock Holmes,” “His Last Bow,” and “The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.”
Mr. Klinger points out, and no reader is likely to miss, the difference in Holmes’ racial attitude displayed in “The Yellow Face” (1893-tolerant and sympathetic to an African America child) and that he expresses in “The Adventure of The Three Gables” (1920-responses to an admittedly threatening black man in disappointingly racist terms). I think there was a retrogression of racial attitudes in the United States as African Americans left the South seeking integration in the North. “Birth of A Nation” (1915) is a cultural signpost of this. It is surprising, and disappointing, to find a similar retrogression expressed in an English, as opposed to an American, context.
Shelved as 'partial-reads'
May 26, 2020These annotated editions have some really great, interesting information in them, BUT... I cannot recommend them for a first time reading through the Sherlock Holmes stories. If you're already a die hard fan, looking for additional information, or you are (unlike me) able to ignore all those little numbers indicating notes in the text, you'll probably enjoy these. But if it's your first read of Holmes, I'd suggest starting with an un-annotated edition.
November 25, 2012
I admit I bought The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes because I'm a bit of collector (okay, a lot of a collector) and this is simply a beautiful object to have. This review (of sorts) refers only to the first volume of a multi-volume set. Before purchasing this set I had only read one or two Sherlock Holmes stories. As a lover of mysteries I decided I must read more and finding the stories assembled in such a beautiful package couldn't resist. The set does have its drawbacks. It is humungous, too big for me to carry around. Consequently it took about a year to get through the volume I, as I could only read it at home and usually in between reading in between other more portable books.
This is definitely for collectors and hardcore Holmes fans only. Every story is extensively annotated. I gave up reading the annotations unless there was something I really wanted to know more about.
This is definitely for collectors and hardcore Holmes fans only. Every story is extensively annotated. I gave up reading the annotations unless there was something I really wanted to know more about.
November 27, 2021
Ég hef lesið Sherlock á íslensku og ákvað að prufa að lesa á ensku. Ég hugsaði með sjálfum mér að það væri áhugavert að lesa útgáfu með skýringum og athugasemdum. Ekki góð hugmynd. Endalaust röfl um kenningar hinna og þessara aðdáenda. Flest algjörlega tilgangslaust. Á versta punktinum rasískt (á meðan Conan Doyle sjálfur var ótrúlega víðsýnn á síns tíma mælikvarða. Leiðinlegir nördar að leika fræðimenn.
March 26, 2023
I've read these stories, before. I've read them many times over the past 44 years, but I've never read them as I have with Leslier Klinger's brilliant annotated notes. As I perused some of them, I've picked up on points listed by Klinger that I never really knew existed. He also brilliantly describes the points of contention among dedicated Sherlockians throughout history. Truly brilliant. I intend to pick up on the next volume soon.
March 8, 2010
I've always wanted to read Sherlock Holmes. This was not the version for me. I finshed the first story and returned it to the library. It is for the fanatic - every pages has lots and lots of notes framing every other reference, it seems. It weight about 10 pounds. I will try again sometime with a "normal" version.
December 30, 2015
It's the first time for six-ish years since I've read through Conan Doyle's Canon. This annotated edition provided an enjoyable revisit, complete w/ original illustrations (both Paget's and others) and interesting notes about all sorts of Victorian minutiae from dress, habits, drugs, and train schedules to conflicting interpretations of the different stories.
October 15, 2018
Plenty of research projects can be slogs, but the first volume of annotated Sherlock Holmes stories (containing biographical sketches and then the complete annotated contents of the "Adventures" and "Memoirs") is brilliant and a gripping read. The stories themselves are as good as anyone remembers, of course, but the annotations bring it to another level. Some are historical context, some are tidbits and trivia, and more than a few are tongue-in-cheek, sometimes almost sarcastic, literary hypotheses on Sherlock, Watson and the other characters. Given the "great game" conceit of pretending the stories are nonfiction instead of fiction, there's something almost Nabokovian in simultaneously reading the stories and seeing mock "historical criticism" of them- just as fictional as the stories themselves.
May 16, 2020
Reading through the Holmes short stories (especially from the first two collections, which are the strongest of the bunch) is very much like a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket and a lovely plate of scones in a comfy chair... A total comfort read. I took this one pretty slowly because I did not want to miss a single one of Klinger's copious notes. I always think it's so fun when a researcher plays the Game (the Baring-Gould bio is one of my faves), and Klinger does not disappoint. I loved this read.
(Quarantine book #30; checked off "read a book with an eccentric MC")
(Quarantine book #30; checked off "read a book with an eccentric MC")
August 31, 2017
I read "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1: The Short Stories" for research, as a writer. There are eight stories in this volume. The book is large, not easy to handle, but worth the effort if you are interested in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and some of his work. The book contains many sidebars - in descriptions, pictures and annotations.
There are two more volumes in this series.
If you like Sherlock Holmes mysteries, crime writing, or want to know more about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
There are two more volumes in this series.
If you like Sherlock Holmes mysteries, crime writing, or want to know more about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
December 26, 2020
Fun stories. The annotations are nice especially for words and expressions from the time period that I don't know. The only thing is some annotations act like the stories are real and "fact check" which makes no sense to me but maybe the die hard fans appreciate.
April 21, 2021
Of course it's wonderful....
....It's Sherlock Holmes. This volume contains the stories from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes plus numerous annotations and illustrations.
....It's Sherlock Holmes. This volume contains the stories from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes plus numerous annotations and illustrations.
December 23, 2022
İnanılmaz detaylı bilgiler içeren harika bir Sherlock Holmes külliyatının ilk cildi...
Çizimler ayrı güzel, dipnotlar ayrı güzel. Sherlock Holmes hikayelerinin keyfini bu detaylar daha da arttırıyor.
Kütüphanede yer alması gerekenlerden....
Çizimler ayrı güzel, dipnotlar ayrı güzel. Sherlock Holmes hikayelerinin keyfini bu detaylar daha da arttırıyor.
Kütüphanede yer alması gerekenlerden....
February 25, 2019
'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes': This fine collection of stories is supplemented by some of the most extensive editorial notes and some excellent essays.
June 15, 2021
This thing is a treasure.
September 24, 2021
Bigger than I thought in hardcover, but well worth it: all of the stories from The Adventures and The Memoirs, plus exhaustive annotations and other additional material.
September 2, 2024
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
September 14, 2024
The story about the Ku Klux Klan was surprising. The Final Problem was disappointing, Sherlock just runs off to Switzerland and dies. The historical language notes were interesting, the "Holmes scholar" notes less so.
March 18, 2017
Açıklamalarının ayrıntılı ve zaman zaman uçuk kaçık olmasına rağmen zevkli olmasını geçtim, bu külliyat ile ilgili en büyük mutluluk kaynağım, sağda solda onlarca çevirisini görüp de nerede başlıyor nerede bitiyor bu hikâye silsilesi bilmediğimden ve sıraya sokmaya da üşendiğimden bir türlü Sherlock Holmes okuyamama engelimi kaldırması. Türkçeye çevirenlere de ayrıca teşekkürler, derli toplu bir Türkçe Sherlock Holmes külliyatı bulunmasını sağladıkları için.
December 18, 2023
Sherlock Holmes'un neden defalarca ekranlara uyarlandığını ve bu karakterin neden bu kadar ünlü olduğunu hikayeleri okuyunca anlamak mümkün. Hikayeler okuyucuyu bağlıyor ve merakını kamçılıyor. Hikayelerin yanlarındaki dipnotlar oldukça bilgilendirici (bazen spoiler özellikleri de var maalesef, dikkatli okumalı).
June 20, 2013
I have always wanted to read Sherlock Holmes. There are enough current references to the stories both direct (Robert Downey movies, BBC series, TV's Elementary) and indirect (TV's Psych and Monk) that I really wanted to get a good understanding and taste for the original. Long ago I tried to start at the beginning with a Study in Scarlet, but I just couldn't get through that one. So recently I decided to try again with the short stories and picked this title mainly because it was available at my local library and I thought the annotations might be useful.
First off, the stories are lovely. The volume contains two collections of stories originally published as installments in a periodical called The Strand and were later compiled into The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Watson's narration and character is such a warm light illuminating Holmes' shrewd calculations and personality. Since Watson was taken into Holmes' confidence as both colleague and friend, you feel like you are also in that coveted position and it is extremely engaging. There are, of course, a few details one might be tempted to poke at, but on the whole, the set absolutely deserves all of the attention and immortalization it has received.
Now to the notes. Unfortunately, they were rather disappointing. Some of them were as useful as I had hoped. Others were overly informative, giving the notable attractions of a town mentioned in passing, for example, or explaining the history of opium. A large number, though, were speculative and somewhat ridiculous. Perhaps this is generally known, but I did not realize that Sherlockian criticism operated on the assumption that Watson and Holmes were real people and it seeks to derive as much information about these individuals and events as if the stories were factual accounts. Perhaps it wouldn't be so annoying if Doyle had been as meticulous about the details of his writing as his followers are about dissecting it. But since there are plenty of discrepancies between one story and the next (eg - dates don't line up), avid enthusiasts are forced to concoct outlandish tales to explain it all. There were notes documenting ideas discussing topics such as the different colors of Holmes' dressing gowns to how many wives Watson really had. And every single female character has had someone propose a romantic connection between her and Sherlock. I quickly began ignoring most of the notes, which made the reading considerably faster and much less disjointed.
I do not feel the need to continue reading through the other volumes of this set, but I may perhaps pick up the other collection of stories entitled the Return of Sherlock Holmes and simply read the original as is.
First off, the stories are lovely. The volume contains two collections of stories originally published as installments in a periodical called The Strand and were later compiled into The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Watson's narration and character is such a warm light illuminating Holmes' shrewd calculations and personality. Since Watson was taken into Holmes' confidence as both colleague and friend, you feel like you are also in that coveted position and it is extremely engaging. There are, of course, a few details one might be tempted to poke at, but on the whole, the set absolutely deserves all of the attention and immortalization it has received.
Now to the notes. Unfortunately, they were rather disappointing. Some of them were as useful as I had hoped. Others were overly informative, giving the notable attractions of a town mentioned in passing, for example, or explaining the history of opium. A large number, though, were speculative and somewhat ridiculous. Perhaps this is generally known, but I did not realize that Sherlockian criticism operated on the assumption that Watson and Holmes were real people and it seeks to derive as much information about these individuals and events as if the stories were factual accounts. Perhaps it wouldn't be so annoying if Doyle had been as meticulous about the details of his writing as his followers are about dissecting it. But since there are plenty of discrepancies between one story and the next (eg - dates don't line up), avid enthusiasts are forced to concoct outlandish tales to explain it all. There were notes documenting ideas discussing topics such as the different colors of Holmes' dressing gowns to how many wives Watson really had. And every single female character has had someone propose a romantic connection between her and Sherlock. I quickly began ignoring most of the notes, which made the reading considerably faster and much less disjointed.
I do not feel the need to continue reading through the other volumes of this set, but I may perhaps pick up the other collection of stories entitled the Return of Sherlock Holmes and simply read the original as is.
May 7, 2015
Everybody knows him -- the pipe-smoking detective on Baker Street (with or without the movie-added deerstalker), who is able to deduce all sorts of things just by glancing at a person.
And if you want to get to know him, a good place to start is "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes." These two collections of short stories mingle human psychology with sometimes-bizarre mysteries -- and although the annotation is pretty dense, it is helpful.
The title character is a famous English detective who undertakes bizarre cases that the police cannot handle -- missing fiances, missing heiresses, Christmas turkeys with jewels, incriminating letters, speckled bands, missing racehorses, a Greek translator, sudden suicides, missing spouses, "dream jobs" with strange requirements, and a clash with the diabolical Professor Moriarty.
Sherlock Holmes mysteries come in two types:
1. The case is completely baffling, and Holmes is needed to unravel the knot of obscure clues.
2. The case seems straightforward, but Holmes is needed to connect seemingly unrelated clues to the crime in order to find the REAL perpetrator.
There are plenty of both kinds in this book, with a couple dozen cases that require Holmes' unique detecting skills -- it can be something as simple as locating a letter, or something as complex as foiling a robbery or criminal ring. Doyle's stately, dignified prose is heightened by moments of excitement or horror (" It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek"), and he wove in a lot of human psychology into Holmes' cases.
Holmes himself... is Holmes. Doyle didn't like his detective much, but Sherlock's knife-edged intellect and fascination with puzzles are strangely hypnotic -- even if you wouldn't like to be roomies with the guy, it would be amazing just to sit and watch him work. Watson is the perfect counterpoint for Holmes: he's not a genius but is definitely intelligent, warm-hearted and capable.
And how good is the annotation for this book? Well, the annotations are well-researched, detailed and full of fascinating historical/social/literary insights into Doyle and how he crafted these stories. In fact, they're too dense at times, leaving you wishing for a little more brevity in the annotation.
Even if you already have these short stories, "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" is a must-have for fans of the Great Detective, because of all the extras packed into its pages.
And if you want to get to know him, a good place to start is "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes." These two collections of short stories mingle human psychology with sometimes-bizarre mysteries -- and although the annotation is pretty dense, it is helpful.
The title character is a famous English detective who undertakes bizarre cases that the police cannot handle -- missing fiances, missing heiresses, Christmas turkeys with jewels, incriminating letters, speckled bands, missing racehorses, a Greek translator, sudden suicides, missing spouses, "dream jobs" with strange requirements, and a clash with the diabolical Professor Moriarty.
Sherlock Holmes mysteries come in two types:
1. The case is completely baffling, and Holmes is needed to unravel the knot of obscure clues.
2. The case seems straightforward, but Holmes is needed to connect seemingly unrelated clues to the crime in order to find the REAL perpetrator.
There are plenty of both kinds in this book, with a couple dozen cases that require Holmes' unique detecting skills -- it can be something as simple as locating a letter, or something as complex as foiling a robbery or criminal ring. Doyle's stately, dignified prose is heightened by moments of excitement or horror (" It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek"), and he wove in a lot of human psychology into Holmes' cases.
Holmes himself... is Holmes. Doyle didn't like his detective much, but Sherlock's knife-edged intellect and fascination with puzzles are strangely hypnotic -- even if you wouldn't like to be roomies with the guy, it would be amazing just to sit and watch him work. Watson is the perfect counterpoint for Holmes: he's not a genius but is definitely intelligent, warm-hearted and capable.
And how good is the annotation for this book? Well, the annotations are well-researched, detailed and full of fascinating historical/social/literary insights into Doyle and how he crafted these stories. In fact, they're too dense at times, leaving you wishing for a little more brevity in the annotation.
Even if you already have these short stories, "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" is a must-have for fans of the Great Detective, because of all the extras packed into its pages.
February 28, 2017
This Annotated Edition from Norton is exquisite!
July 20, 2014
July 14 - finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This is a review of just the Adventures, and I'll add in the Memoirs and the New Annotated as a whole later on.
The Adventures: A really fascinating study of Sherlock Holmes. As I've said in my review of Study of Scarlet, it really helps to read this and appreciate it, not try to follow along with the mystery. I liked all of the odd cases that Sherlock has taken on and the different views of him and Watson as the cases go on. Holmes is definitely a very peculiar man, even if you take away his amazing deductive skills and I think that these short stories highlight those peculiarities.
The Memoirs: This book went quicker both times I have read The Adventures and the Memoirs together, but I think it's in part that there's not much too them. Sherlock is still brilliant and Watson is awesome and the two of them together are love, but the tales go by quickly. I think it's in part because Sherlock is less studied by Watson and more just written about. Still, there are several interesting stories in here that I enjoyed.
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: I really loved reading the annotated edition. The comments range from explanations of Victorian Britain to comparisons between the full range of Sherlock stories, to the many theories that people have come up with over the years. The editor writes this book as if Holmes and Watson were actual people and Doyle merely published the stories on behalf of Watson. There were several comments to this belief and it highly amused me. The various theories put forth by a slew of scholars over the years had me talking back to the book at different points.
There were also a multitude of illustrations throughout. All of the illustrations from Paget as well some from the different newspapers that published the stories in America. There were also pictures of places in Victorian London and several other period showings.
The Annotated was well worth the read, especially if you have read Sherlock Holmes before.
If you're interested, I've read The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes before without the annotation and you can read my past review here.
The Adventures: A really fascinating study of Sherlock Holmes. As I've said in my review of Study of Scarlet, it really helps to read this and appreciate it, not try to follow along with the mystery. I liked all of the odd cases that Sherlock has taken on and the different views of him and Watson as the cases go on. Holmes is definitely a very peculiar man, even if you take away his amazing deductive skills and I think that these short stories highlight those peculiarities.
The Memoirs: This book went quicker both times I have read The Adventures and the Memoirs together, but I think it's in part that there's not much too them. Sherlock is still brilliant and Watson is awesome and the two of them together are love, but the tales go by quickly. I think it's in part because Sherlock is less studied by Watson and more just written about. Still, there are several interesting stories in here that I enjoyed.
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: I really loved reading the annotated edition. The comments range from explanations of Victorian Britain to comparisons between the full range of Sherlock stories, to the many theories that people have come up with over the years. The editor writes this book as if Holmes and Watson were actual people and Doyle merely published the stories on behalf of Watson. There were several comments to this belief and it highly amused me. The various theories put forth by a slew of scholars over the years had me talking back to the book at different points.
There were also a multitude of illustrations throughout. All of the illustrations from Paget as well some from the different newspapers that published the stories in America. There were also pictures of places in Victorian London and several other period showings.
The Annotated was well worth the read, especially if you have read Sherlock Holmes before.
If you're interested, I've read The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes before without the annotation and you can read my past review here.
May 27, 2015
The main thing that bothered me was that these volumes are based on the conceit that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are REAL people, and there are explanations and theories about everything from why stories told by Watson were published under Conan Doyle's name to where Holmes REALLY went during his "hiatus" (the period of time between his supposed death at Reichenbach Falls to his return.)
Also, I skipped many of the annotations, as they went very in depth about places (buildings, streets, counties) mentioned in the stories, and it didn't need or desire to read more than a sentence or two (if any) about, for example, where Whitehall St. is located. I was expecting more of the notes to be about archaic references, or, for example, the very interesring one of why Holmes is always depicted in popular lore as wearing a deerstalker hat (answer: the man who illustrated the stories for The Strand magazine, in which the stories first appeared, depicted him as doing so many more times than are actually mentioned in the Canon. (Number of times Holmes is mentioned as wearing a deerstalker: TWO; and it is not even referred to as a "deerstalker.") I wanted more information such as that.
Of course, I feel purchasing the volumes was worth it for the stories alone and SOME of the extra information.
Also, I skipped many of the annotations, as they went very in depth about places (buildings, streets, counties) mentioned in the stories, and it didn't need or desire to read more than a sentence or two (if any) about, for example, where Whitehall St. is located. I was expecting more of the notes to be about archaic references, or, for example, the very interesring one of why Holmes is always depicted in popular lore as wearing a deerstalker hat (answer: the man who illustrated the stories for The Strand magazine, in which the stories first appeared, depicted him as doing so many more times than are actually mentioned in the Canon. (Number of times Holmes is mentioned as wearing a deerstalker: TWO; and it is not even referred to as a "deerstalker.") I wanted more information such as that.
Of course, I feel purchasing the volumes was worth it for the stories alone and SOME of the extra information.
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