Reviews

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

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gallerymoth's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It’s my first time reading/listening to a Sherlock Holmes and I really enjoyed it. It was a great introduction to the characters of Sherlock and Watson, and how their circumstances brought them together in an unlikely friendship. I really like the no nonsense character of Sherlock and of course his powers of deduction, which are so obvious to him. I found that the backstory in part 2 was a bit jolting and slowed the pace, but it’s clever that the author got us hooked in familiar circumstances before sending us to the wilderness. I couldn’t help thinking about when this was written and published - 1887. Knowledge of the lives and culture of Mormons in Salt Lake City I imagine would be a lot less accessible back then and thus a very interesting part of the story. That said, this is definitely a timeless story and the writing style could have just as easily been written today, but giving us a real-world insight into 19th century life in London. The talk and use of street children and killing a dog to prove a point would be a lot less palatable today!

ardamber's review against another edition

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2.0

I wasn't able to finish this completely. The first part is very interesting, but then it meanders off on a story set in Utah. Sadly, it makes some very disparaging comments about Mormons, who end up being the villains of the story.

thefatedequinox's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

isisiis's review against another edition

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4.0

fun to read, i liked the story but it was a bit weird lmfao. i mostly liked how sherlock analizes stuff, its cool to read and imagine how the author came up with everything

its so quickpaced i read it in two sittings and i think it took me like an hour to read the whole book

dalreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

paulakrista's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious

4.5

humatariq's review against another edition

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4.0

I first read [b:A Study in Scarlet|102868|A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348362236s/102868.jpg|1997473] when I was in school. This is technically the first book in the series but I got to it after quite a long time. This book was a bit less interesting than the rest, I think because of the shifting perspectives. But then again maybe I was too young at that time and first impressions die hard. I mean, I have re-read it at least 4 times since then...that means I like it.