It's right there on the tip of my tongue. Is it that they write best selling novels about sparkly vampires? No, there was something that looked like a big pink elephant Well, from what I can tell, the only Mormons who practice polygamy now are fringe groups that are more or less shunned by their peers. And while I'm not on board with any religion, I doubt that this one is much weirder than most, at this point anyway. Plus, at least most Mormons seem to be pretty educated and well-off. It's not like Salt Lake City is one huge trailer park filled with toothless hillbillies. Or so I thought!
Now that I've read this, I'm going to have to rethink my plan to move west! Who knew these guys were so devious!? Kidnapping, forced marriage, murder, and secret bird calls!? Was this really a five star book? But it's my favorite character's first book, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Buddy read with my Non-Crunchy Friends! View all comments. Nov 22, C. I read an adult book and a classic and I survived!! The writing is potato. That's all I can say. Maybe I'm not "appreciating the arts" Where are the scenes??!
Where is the development?!?!? And I was just sitting there thinking, "Wut. Which was an equally dry and boring story. I'm obviously not a classic appreciator. But it was so random and abrupt. But it's Sherlock Holmes! So I definitely enjoyed that aspect! He's conceited, as Doctor Watson impassively informs us. But Sherlock had a lot of manners and if he said something to rude or abrupt, he'd take like 4 minutes and then apologise and explain his perspective.
It was all This happened and then this happened and then they had lunch and then they found a murderer. No life or passion in the story at all. I did kind of expect more from Sherlock Maybe I've been spoiled by the modernised shows? But all the marvellous things Sherlock did at the crime scenes was basically just "modern" detective work. So stunning for the era, yes, but not for now. And when they all puff up into the room, strutting that they've solved a mystery, Sherlock is all, "Oh excellent job , good man, I say, I say, you are a clever chap This was only 4 hours on audio and I whipped through it in a day.
It was a free audio off Libravox so, um, the narrator was an American woman. Not the best narrator, but what can one do but take the free stuff? View all 23 comments. The Game is on! John Watson, are introduced to the audience in their first case together. It wasn't an instantenous success, but gladly it was appreciated soon enough to the point that when the author, Sir Arhur Conan Doyle, wanted to "kill" the character, not only their loyal fans wrote letters against the decision something unheard at those times for not saying that even people in Lon The Game is on!
It wasn't an instantenous success, but gladly it was appreciated soon enough to the point that when the author, Sir Arhur Conan Doyle, wanted to "kill" the character, not only their loyal fans wrote letters against the decision something unheard at those times for not saying that even people in London were seeing wearing mourning black bands showing respect to the "death" of the character, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle finally "resurrect" the character writing even more adventures.
But everything began here John Watson got injured in war, and when he got back to London, he isn't able to afford a decent apartment on his scarse pension, so he is introduced to a peculiar man who is a "consultant detective", the first and only in the world, that not only private detectives consulted him but even the very Scotland Yard was resigned that Holmes' help was needed, for not saying crucial to solve impossible crimes. While this case, maybe wasn't that astounding, it is quite astonishing at the speed that Holmes is able to solve it, thanks to his uncanning deduction skills.
I think that the middle section where the culprit explained his background and the reasons to commit the murders, could be exposed in a less extended way, but still, it was the first story, so I am able to forgive this kinda of a deviation of the main storyline. In this first novel, you met along with Holmes and Watson, also the Detective Inspector Lestrade, and the Baker Street Irregulars which are vital for the search for people and clues to Holmes.
A literary legend was born here. View all 14 comments. This nifty novel really a novella the first Sherlock Holmes book written in , is rather strange since it is set both in the culture, of brimming Victorian London, , and the dry , very hot desolate deserts of the savage wastelands of Utah, , nothing here Or even part of the United States, since technically still Mexican territory , neglected by them and ruled by the Ute Indians The almost forgotten war between the U. Changed the status , the news surprised the Mormons who had fled persecution , seeking freedom, for their weird belief in polygamy which men loved but caused momentous trouble , in the American Midwest.
Angry crowds killed many Mormons, including their founder , Joseph Smith, and escape was now impossible they thought The plot begins when the new Mormon prophet Brigham Young, soon to have 55 wives, leading the first 2,ooo Mormons to the promise land, an exodus of 1, miles Watson pardon the history lesson but it is quite important for understanding this great book. The actual narrative starts with young Dr. John Watson returning from the horrendous second British- Afghan war Wounded, nearly fatally, then let go from the army , trying to recover his health and spirits , save money too, he rents a room at b Baker street Obviously exceptionally brilliant but keeps to himself.
NOT a medical man, yet knows much about medicine Then Scotland Yard contacts Holmes , asking for help with a murder investigation The very different stories , unite masterfully at last , in faraway England Americans in London start being killed for no apparent reason This will give readers a nice taste View all 4 comments. First group-read for the intact official Non-Crunchy-Sans Pants- for no reason that I can figure out NON pants wearing GRs classic reading group. To be perfectly honest- I remembered the title Whether it is my memory John Watson -physician, and Sherlock Holmes- detective consultant, to each other- both men in need of a room-mate.
Thus starting a friendship and working relationship that will most definitely be a formidable pairing. They travel to an empty house in a London- and there they observe a crime scene that includes: Need I say more? Written in , the story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson, who would become two of the most famous characters in popular fiction. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, a consulting detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigati A Study in Scarlet Sherlock Holmes, 1 , Arthur Conan Doyle A Study in Scarlet is an detective novel by British author Arthur Conan Doyle.
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The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, a consulting detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": So, what happened was.. I was not surprised and neither did I curse the publishers. As I was ill-prepared for reading, this resulted in me being not disappointed like I was supposed to be.
I couldn't loathe it because it was equally good. Jefferson Hope, the murderer of But I did, so atleast I got some expression right. You see, I was not aware of such shortcomings and issues so I enjoyed it a bit more than I should have. And I mean no Okay, what the hell am I going to write for this review without writing spoilers, because everything turns out to be a spoiler. Maybe, I should include this line, for this is best: No, I should not, since almost every reviewer has used this line.
So I am not going to write it in my review too and lengthen it unnecessarily, I will skip this. This is going to be damn hard, I can't find a single thing to write about. And what should I write about Sherlock Holmes? I should also write something like that. Like, Sherlock Holmes is douchebag. But almost every review says same thing. No, I must write something! Maybe, I should review others' reviews and in this process the book will also be reviewed. This sounds like good idea, but may be offensive. So I should mention in my review at last that: I mean no harm disrespect, I just happen to love Sherlock Holmes.
View all 29 comments. Mysteries are my go to palette cleanser in between denser reads. I have a few go to series, but as my current contemporary series may be winding down, I am always on the lookout for mysteries both old and new. Even though the phrase "elementary, my dear Watson," has become part of the vernacular, I have never read a single Sherlock Holmes story. Looking to alleviate that, I decided to encounter Holmes and Watson when they first met in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first novella, A Study in Scarlet, c Mysteries are my go to palette cleanser in between denser reads.
Complete with color engravings by Gus Grimsly, I immersed myself in a period piece written at the dawn of the golden age of mysteries and settled in for a fun ride. John Watson was returning to London from his service in the British army after being stationed in Afghanistan. Looking for someone to split rent with, a mutual friend suggested a scientist and amateur detective who he thought Watson might be compatible with.
Meeting at a university science lab, Watson first encountered Sherlock Holmes as he investigated the properties of blood in water. Holmes deemed Watson someone who he could live comfortably with and the partnership at B Baker Street began. As the two men kept different hours while Holmes dabbled in both his detective work and science experiments, Watson and Holmes had little contact in the early days of their living arrangement.
Watson had little idea that Holmes was even a sleuth, that is until the day a letter arrived asking for Holmes' assistance on a case, which Holmes insisted that Watson accompany him for. The most famous of detective duos had embarked on their first case. As in many modern detective stories featuring private investigators, Sherlock Holmes solved the mystery before the police detectives even began to suspect whodunit.
Also similar to the modern cases I have read, the police receive all of the credit for solving the mystery even though it is Holmes who comes through in record time. In this case, Holmes' record as a scientist is linked to two murdered bodies with the word Rache written in blood on the wall above their corpses. The police immediately believe that the suspect attempted to write Rachel only to run out of blood, throwing them off the trail.
Holmes points out, much to Watson's bewilderment as well, that rache signifies revenge in German. What is the revenge that the murderer is seeking? Only Sherlock Holmes is capable of finding this out. Doyle's novella takes readers to the old west as he tells a backstory in the second half of this novella. In historical fiction focusing on the formation of the Mormon community in what is now Salt Lake City, Utah, Doyle paints his picture of religion, love, and later revenge.
This story is augmented by Grimsley's engravings and black-and-white illustrations, which show the period of both s Utah and s London. I was captivated by the graphics as I had never encountered Holmes or Watson before and was curious as to how they were depicted on paper. The mystery itself is compelling as Doyle's tale moves across thirty years and two continents in a case that finally reaches its apex in London.
Holmes scientific background and deduction skills come into play, and it was refreshing to read a mystery that takes place at a time when detectives had to do all of the sleuthing themselves without the aid of gadgets. Leaving the police baffled, it is obvious throughout that Sherlock Holmes is meant to be one eccentric yet intelligent sleuth. As this is the first of many Holmes and Watson stories, Doyle is first introducing his cast of characters and does not give readers the full spectrum of the Holmes and Watson partnership. Yet, this novella was compelling enough that I have a feeling that this will not be the last time that I visit B Baker Street.
Hopefully, in the next story I read, I will even be fortunate to hear Holmes utter the famous words, "elementary, my dear Watson. View all 13 comments. The steady and reliable narrator, Dr. Watson takes measure of Holmes: Although the illustration below belies it, the producers of the TV show pretty much took the first time Holmes and Watson encounter a dead body and lovingly re-produced it almost to the letter.
For a little over a hundred pages, this took a lot longer to plow through than I would have initially thought. Recommended for those who have an interest in knowing where the legend began and for Sherlock completists.
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This was a buddy read with a bunch of non-crunchy folks who like to read whilst pants free. View all 24 comments. Nov 20, J.
The scenes, especially in part 1 are ones we've seen interpreted in shows like BBC's Sherlock, but it's definitely enjoyable to read about as well as watch how it all started. In my mind, this book is most compelling for bringing Holmes and Watson together and for making Watson the chronicler and foil of Holmes' amazing deductions. Doyle makes Holmes every bit as interesting as the cases he solves probably a reason for his continued success. Holmes isn't motivated by some moral duty to find the bad guy.
For him, crimes are puzzles for his intellect, a way to combat boredom. This is something we've seen in earlier detectives like Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin. While the first part here has the traditional London backdrop, the second part is a flashback which transports us to a frontier Utah. These seemingly disparate sections work well together and make for a compelling story. This was a reread. I have read this book many times.
It still holds up well. Sherlock Holmes is here, intact, unchanged, canon. Both Lestrade and Watson are a foil to Sherlock's genius. I liked reliving the case and its unraveling. It was a nicety to concentrate on the serious side but also the humor. Books like this always hold up. The prose is so modern sounding. Books that came after ASiS, are sometimes so outdated. Sherlock's various incarnations - I wouldn't say pale in c This was a reread. Sherlock's various incarnations - I wouldn't say pale in comparison - but they make me yearn for reading Doyle's masterpiece.
Gregson and Lestrade had watched the maneuvers of their amateur companion with considerable curiosity and some contempt. They evidently failed to appreciate the fact, which I had begun to realize, that Sherlock Holmes's smallest actions were all directed towards some definite and practical end. This is the first Sherlock Holmes story, a novel which introduces the now legendary detecting team of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.
Watson is looking for a roommate and is introduced to Holmes with some Gregson and Lestrade had watched the maneuvers of their amateur companion with considerable curiosity and some contempt. Watson is looking for a roommate and is introduced to Holmes with some warnings. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects.
To do him justice, I think he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge. This isn't my first, second, or even third time reading this book. Parts of it are etched on my brain, never to be erased. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it.
But the passage stays with me, and is often discussed amongst my friends and family. This is probably the most memorable passage in the book for me, at least. Holmes is rather self-sufficient and self-contained, but in no way is he a cold, callous, rude or even distant man. I dislike when he's portrayed as emotionless or cruel, because even in this first story he's obviously not an anti-social creature.
When he meets Watson he is a bit anxious that his violin playing will disturb him. Later, to make up for all his meandering here and there on the violin, without shape or form - he plays beautiful and famous pieces for Watson in order to please him. And he thrives on Watson's wide-eyed awe of him and his innate trust in Sherlock's abilities. My companion flushed up with pleasure at my words, and the earnest way in which I uttered them.
I had already observed that he was as sensitive to flattery on the score of his art as any girl could be of her beauty. This adoration of Watson somewhat makes up for Holmes the bitterness and rancor he feels on not getting the credit he is due for solving the police's more difficult cases. The book is really divided up into two parts, and the first part is the more enjoyable part. In the first part, Watson and Holmes meet, slowly get acquainted and suss each other out.
Then eventually Holmes's profession is revealed, and the fun starts when a man is found murdered in an empty house. The police are stumped and come to Holmes for help. And Holmes wants Watson along for the ride. The second part is more uncomfortable due to the extreme battering of Mormons and Mormon religion. Mormons are portrayed as evil rapists and slavers. If you are upset by this portrayal, this book might be very painful for you to read.
Not to say that the first part is free and clear. For instance, when Watson sees the body of the murdered man, he remarks: Judging a person - a person who was murdered, terrified and alone! However, this was a common literary trope back then and unfortunately still is today.
Ugliness, disability, and deformities are often shown as "signs" and "proof" of a person's deviance and malevolence. This book focuses on a revenge plot, and there are some great quotes about vengeance in here. Tl;dr - A classic, and for a good reason. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing the world's most famous detective solve his first case with Dr. Watson by his side? And unlike many classics, this is easy to read and fast paced. Besides a few slang terms no longer in effect, and one or two times I was reaching for my dictionary, this reading presented no problems at all.
Doyle possesses a straightforward and exciting writing style - he doesn't spend hours describing the scenery or make his characters talk in an affected way. The story is gripping and will have you turning pages quickly. As Watson would say, There was no need for him to ask me to wait up for him, for I felt that sleep was impossible until I heard the result of his adventure. You will also find sleep elusive as you chase murderers alongside the fierce Sherlock and the intrepid Watson!
Available in Spanish as Estudio en Escarlata. View all 22 comments. Halfway the locale turns exotic--Holmes already knows who the culprit is--and, fittingly, the motive is but half the story! What a feeling of pervasive excitement the mid 19th century had with these cerebral, albeit universal, yarns of suspense. My dear reader of review, I see you have just returned from Afghanistan, in a black cab, driven by an Italian driver, on your way here you stopped for breakfast at a McDonald's where you were served by a pregnant red-headed lady.
I am sure you are wondering how I know all this. Well, my dear fellow I have also immediately deduced your gender I have my methods. Now, to the matter of writing this A Study in Scarlet review, that, my friend, is a three pipes problem. Don't go away just ye Ah! Don't go away just yet! I've finished with that crap now, I am aware that reviewing is a serious undertaking which should not be subjected to this kind of tomfoolery and silly references. The game is afoot! So the first section of the novel introduces our beloved narrator, Dr. John Watson; just back from Afghanistan, looking for an affordable accommodation.
Homes does a lot of his patented scrutinizing, crawling, sniffing, tasting thing, to the astonishment of everybody, but none more so than Watson who is an instant fanboy. Not long after, just when Holmes is about to collar the guilty party, the book goes to Part 2 and something happened which would have flummoxed even Holmes himself if he wasn't confined inside the narrative. I almost gave up on the book then, but gritted my teeth and finished it anyway.
I remember being bored by this Part 2 though, it made me feel like a Holmesless man! Rereading the book now I have to say that Part 2 is actually a very good standalone-ish story; full of dark villainy, bloody vengeance, and evil Mormons what? Anyway, it is lots of fun if you can forgive the lack of Sherlock, it does help a lot, knowing that in advance.
So, fair warning, you read this book and you do without Sherlock for quite a while. In any case, Conan Doyle was a first class storyteller, and this Part 2 is not at all dull. If you want a novel without a meaty non-Sherlock sandwich filling, you may want to pick up The Hound of the Baskervilles , but really just read A Study in Scarlet and enjoy it as it is.
Free Librivox audiobook , read extremely well by David Clarke. I shouldn't be surprised really, but I insist. Still, stupid bloody plan! I've watched movies and TV shows, heard stories and read adaptions, but to this day I never read the original work. But while their personalities are quite similiar, their stories still differ a lot, which was to be expected. Suddenly I was in the middle of America, reading a story about Mormons, Secret Societies and the Great Plains - a subplot that had, to my disappointment, no Holmes included.
The murder mystery was interrupted by a large background story that I had no interest in whatsoever. This novel was a classic example of a good story that took an undesired turn and therefore changed my formerly positive opinion of it. I still intend to pick up the sequels, this one was nevertheless promising. Find more of my books on Instagram View all 7 comments. Dec 28, K. Not related to the book yet This is the book that completes my Goodreads Reading Challenge!
My first target was because that was the the annual target of the author Nicholas Sparks as he said in one of his interviews. But I achieved it in September so I changed it to But I achieved on the last week of October and I thought I could still read 25 more. So, here I am, proud that I was able to read books!!! Last year, I only read b Not related to the book yet This is the book that completes my Goodreads Reading Challenge!
Last year, I only read books and I did not top Nicholas Sparks. Now, I am able to and I still keep my office job.
Chapters 1-7 of A Study in Scarlet, Or, Well, hello there, gentlemen!
So, how is it to read books in days? It is very rewarding. Reading brought me to a lot of unfamiliar places, time and situations. Reading is very enriching at least in mind, not yet in terms of financial rewards. I no longer worry about so many menial and mundane things that I used to worry about.
Also, when presented with a situation, be it in the office or at home, I now have a bigger perspective and no longer focus on my personal bias and prejudices. I used to have a lot of those before I became a voracious reader. How was I able to read a lot? Two techniques that I developed this year: I bring at least two books everywhere I go.
I read before going to sleep. I read before getting out of bed.
A STUDY IN SCARLET: Annotated by Arthur Conan Doyle
I read almost the whole Saturdays and Sundays. We have maids in the Philippines. I read while waiting for the car ban we call this color coding at the gym. I read while on queue at the ATM machine. I read the bible or any related religious book while waiting for the priest to show up during the Holy Mass; and 2 I read books simultaneously. The idea is that if the book becomes boring or the story becomes dragging, switch to an enjoyable one.
Normally, the start of the book is very engaging and the end is very interesting but the middle could be a bore. If this happens, start a new one. If it is good, then I'll be able to finish it in few days and then I go back to the previous book. Because my energy is high, the boring part will be manageable translations: Are there books whose entirety I did not read? I think I did not understand everything but I tried reading each and every word in all of the books. They say that there are indeed books that are intended to be taken as puzzle.
Think of Ulysses by James Joyce. He put so many puzzles or riddles in the story that he expected to be interpreted in many different ways by generations to come. I think this is the beauty of reading and one reason why I enjoy works of great literary masters: So what will be my objective for ? I will read more classics. I have to finish Sir Conan Doyle's canon. To finally finish and try to get the gist of the whole of Ulysses, my "waterloo" book. I am still to read Mark Twain. My long delayed appreciation of Henry James' works. I have to re-discover Charles Dickens.
I will read another Virginia Woolf. I need to complete the works of Haruki Murakami since I have the copies already. I will also need to increase my quota for Filipino works particularly novels written in Tagalog. I should be able to support Filipino authors by buying and reading their works. Top 10 Favorite Reads in Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy; 2. Pere Goriot by Honore de Balzac; 3. Embers by Sandor Marai; 4. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai; 5.
Wuthering Heights by Emilie Bronte; 6. The Wars by Timothy Findley and These are the books that I'd like to recommend to you if you have not read them. Much is made of his wandering war wound shoulder or leg? Fandom, however, is quite accommodating, happily explaining away the war wound with many theories most involve him crouched down for some reason and having the bullet pass through his shoulder and leg in one fell swoop, others insist that the bullet must have gotten into his bloodstream and traveled from shoulder to leg; NA, So far, no explanations have been supplied as to how Watson can lose a few days during his narrative, though, happily, he occasionally manages to corroborate his start date — or rather Lestrade does Baring-Gould seems hyper-occupied with attention to the timekeeping or, more accurately, the lack thereof, throughout.
Black, however, has quite a nifty theory, namely that Watson was actually killed at Maiwand and his orderly, Murray, assumed his identity instead of carrying him to safety, as Watson tells us , explaining his absentmindedness regarding facts here and there NA, Carol Woods even posits that what Watson actually owned was a ferret and when Holmes pointed this out to him, he was too embarrassed to mention the animal again I just wonder why ACD even bothered to mention it — was he intending to do intricate plots involving the dog?
It makes no sense! Did I just describe your ideal man? Also, it is mentioned that Holmes gives a merry laugh at one point. I cannot express how much I love that Holmes has a merry laugh. In fact, Sherlockians Charles E. McCleary decides that it is a deliberate deceit on the part of Holmes who is merely playing a joke on Watson NA, There is discussion about his violin because Watson describes him as playing sonorous chords with the thing flung across his lap not an easy feat, basically.
Which, as a note on page 37 points out, would work if it really were a fiddle as Watson calls it with the flattened bridge, but surely not even Holmes would do that to his Stradivarius! Watson gives us enough information to hook us and to keep us coming back for more adventures! Long post is long. See you next Tuesday for part 2 chapters or , depending on how your book is numbered of A Study in Scarlet.
I am very amused by these comments, and that people will spend their lifetimes analyzing stories in this way gives me some small hope for humankind in the same way that Civil War reenactors warm my heart. I kind of like Watson, though I keep having to shake off the image of the bumbling old-timer from the black-and-white movies. I like his claim that he is extremely lazy, and that he has a set of vices he will claim at a later date. I look forward to your part 2!
I enjoyed your notes from the Annotated versions. I will try to start reading it to Mom soon, or letting her read it for herself. She may require me to read her the entire Utah part. Even BG says somewhere I think in one of the many essays littered amongst the stories — his annotated is so disorganized! This book club is awesome! I just read your post and was confused, but intrigued. Yeah, I think I was a little overenthusiastic about the lovely Sherlock Holmes and it sort of descended into mindless fangirling! You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Twitter account.
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