Reviews

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

heavenhelpme's review against another edition

4.0

I looooove Sherlock Holmes, his personality is amazing

bespectacledone's review against another edition

4.0

A Study in Scarlet is not the best Sherlock Holmes book, nor is it my favorite, but it does bear the distinction of being the first Sherlock Holmes book ever and the first Sherlock Holmes book I read. Unlike most books I read, I viscerally associate it with the first time I read it: I borrowed it from my Fifth Grade teacher's library while I was going through a mystery phase, and it sparked a life-long love of all things Sherlock Holmes. On re-reading, the mystery itself is still the best part of the book, and I loved how the novel introduced the audience to Sherlock. However, the one thing that has always bothered me has been the interjection of the multi-chapter flashback. It took me out of the story the first time I read it, and while I appreciated it much more this time around, I still think it's not entirely necessary. Thankfully, this style was not continued in later novels.

All in all, still an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it to any mystery fans.

mabushii's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

bellisk's review against another edition

3.0

An enjoyable introduction to the characters of Watson and Holmes, with the expected displays of Holmes's deductive powers and an excursion to the then-newly-settled Mormon territories in Utah. I found it rather tough to be simply shown the identity of the murderer, without any possibility of guessing this myself beforehand, although as another reviewer has pointed out,

By later standards of detective fiction, 'A Study in Scarlet' violates a cardinal rule: there is no way for intelligent readers to work out the solution for the mystery by themselves. ... However, at the time when it was written, this rule did not yet exist, and detective fiction in general was taking its very first steps (to which this book greatly contributed).

I found the Mormon part of the book very interesting for a historical glimpse of how the religion was seen at the time of writing, in a similar way to the description of the KKK in the short story 'The Five Orange Pips', which I didn't otherwise find satisfying.

The interaction between Holmes and Watson, and Holmes's initial, very cold persona, are both very enjoyable to read about here and I was happy to see the appearance of the Baker Street Irregulars, one of my favourite parts of the Holmes universe. This is not a modern thriller but a very pleasant period piece.

leospi's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.0

v01156's review against another edition

funny mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

melissaroos's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.25

saharafrost's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-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

4.25

leahsharp's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

trev_q16's review against another edition

4.0

What's not to love about the start of Sherlock Holmes. I do however, wish that Dr. Watson had more depth to him, but I do understand it is hard to do this with a short story. I am excited to read the rest of them