scarylions's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
mariannes's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ohhgoddd07's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
5.0
gitanita's review
4.0
First I have to say: FINALLY!!!! I have been reading this book for more than a year now and it's only Volume 1. I read it slowly for the past year but before Christmas made it my personal challenge to read the 400 odd pages left. I am so proud of myself because it was no easy task.
Sherlock is a fascinating character but his conduct can at times be trying for nerves. Poor Watson! Most of the stories were very interesting from the criminal and investigation aspect but were also very well written and by that I mean full of subtle (read: British) humor and sarcasm (my favorite).
I have a few compalaints though: Watson's writing can at times be overly sensationalist, which is what Sherlock said to him once. Also, whatever happend to Mary Watson between Holmes's supposed death along with Moriarty and his return three years later? All of a sudden Watson is living again in 221B Baker Street. I guess Sir Arthur Conan Doyle forgot about that part when he brought Sherlock back to life.
Sherlock is a fascinating character but his conduct can at times be trying for nerves. Poor Watson! Most of the stories were very interesting from the criminal and investigation aspect but were also very well written and by that I mean full of subtle (read: British) humor and sarcasm (my favorite).
I have a few compalaints though: Watson's writing can at times be overly sensationalist, which is what Sherlock said to him once. Also, whatever happend to Mary Watson between Holmes's supposed death along with Moriarty and his return three years later? All of a sudden Watson is living again in 221B Baker Street. I guess Sir Arthur Conan Doyle forgot about that part when he brought Sherlock back to life.
juliaraimondi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
vchiasson's review
5.0
I was such a nerd reading this, that I marked off passages that I chuckled at or loved. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - although he may have hated Sherlock Holmes - has created such a wonderful character.
My favourite passage:
" 'I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society'.
'No, I am descending.'
'I beg pardon.'
'My last client of the sort was a king.' "
So sassy.
My favourite passage:
" 'I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society'.
'No, I am descending.'
'I beg pardon.'
'My last client of the sort was a king.' "
So sassy.
jonbrammer's review
4.0
Watson on Holmes:
"His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being on earth in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.
'You appear to be astonished,' he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. 'Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it.'
'To forget it!'
'You see,' he explained, 'I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. 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 difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.'
'But the Solar System!' I protested.
'What the deuce is it to me?' he interrupted impatiently; 'you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.'"
"His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being on earth in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.
'You appear to be astonished,' he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. 'Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it.'
'To forget it!'
'You see,' he explained, 'I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. 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 difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.'
'But the Solar System!' I protested.
'What the deuce is it to me?' he interrupted impatiently; 'you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.'"
caecilia's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0