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Reviews tagging 'Death'
The Sign Of The Four: (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Classics Collection) by Arthur Conan Doyle
21 reviews
theresacharlotte's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Islamophobia, and Alcohol
blackferrum's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Lama banget nggak baca buku-buku Sir Arthur lagi, jadi agak-agak lupa gimana metode sama pattern tulisannya.
Hmm, soal kecerdasan Sherlock udah nggak perlu dibahas lah ya, cuman kebiasaan buruknya agak bikin kaget karena di sini sebagai pembuka buku banget gitu. Kayak, apa ini efek samping dari kecerdasannya? Ya tapi who knows, aku pun kurang paham sama detail beliau.
Kasusnya sendiri nggak terlalu panjang seperti buku2 lain. Soal perebutan harta karun dan salah satu orang terbunuh di sini. Metode penyelidikannya oke sih, terus karena ini latarnya tahun 1800-an, jadi semuanya serba klasik. Penyelidikannya sendiri juga menantang. Apalagi pas ngikutin jejak si pelaku dan ternyata salah itu, wah. Plus aksi kejar-kejaran di sungai.
Mungkin karena lupa jadi agak kaget karena metode penyampaian latar belakang si pelaku dan yang mendasari dia berbuat kejahatan tuh ditaruh di satu bab khusus (bab paling akhir). Jadi sepanjang baca (yang keburu-buru banget btw) nggak terlalu merasuk juga. Tipe misteri slow-burn, cuman biasanya di awal slow ini dibalik, di akhirnya slow karena menjelaskan lagi ini dan itu si pelaku.
Terus yang agak bikin syok romansa yang nyempil, sih. Enggak banyak, beneran cuma secuil, tapi tuh karena insta love jadinya nggak nyadar udah jauh gitu perasaan dua karakternya. Kek, haduh, bisa-bisanya yak wkwkwk dan mungkin karena Sherlock nggak begitu suka keterlibatan secara emosional semacam itu, jadinya nggak jadi fokus. Yakin deh, kalo ini pov Sherlock, bukan dr. Watson, pasti nggak bakal banyak porsi sih, atau porsinya malah dipersempit xD
Hmm, soal kecerdasan Sherlock udah nggak perlu dibahas lah ya, cuman kebiasaan buruknya agak bikin kaget karena di sini sebagai pembuka buku banget gitu. Kayak, apa ini efek samping dari kecerdasannya? Ya tapi who knows, aku pun kurang paham sama detail beliau.
Kasusnya sendiri nggak terlalu panjang seperti buku2 lain. Soal perebutan harta karun dan salah satu orang terbunuh di sini. Metode penyelidikannya oke sih, terus karena ini latarnya tahun 1800-an, jadi semuanya serba klasik. Penyelidikannya sendiri juga menantang. Apalagi pas ngikutin jejak si pelaku dan ternyata salah itu, wah. Plus aksi kejar-kejaran di sungai.
Mungkin karena lupa jadi agak kaget karena metode penyampaian latar belakang si pelaku dan yang mendasari dia berbuat kejahatan tuh ditaruh di satu bab khusus (bab paling akhir). Jadi sepanjang baca (yang keburu-buru banget btw) nggak terlalu merasuk juga. Tipe misteri slow-burn, cuman biasanya di awal slow ini dibalik, di akhirnya slow karena menjelaskan lagi ini dan itu si pelaku.
Terus yang agak bikin syok romansa yang nyempil, sih. Enggak banyak, beneran cuma secuil, tapi tuh karena insta love jadinya nggak nyadar udah jauh gitu perasaan dua karakternya. Kek, haduh, bisa-bisanya yak wkwkwk dan mungkin karena Sherlock nggak begitu suka keterlibatan secara emosional semacam itu, jadinya nggak jadi fokus. Yakin deh, kalo ini pov Sherlock, bukan dr. Watson, pasti nggak bakal banyak porsi sih, atau porsinya malah dipersempit xD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Drug use
octagon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Misogyny
stories's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This tale has not aged well, but is certainly twisty. I do enjoy the vivid characters that Conan Doyle sketches.
Not to mention the impact that Love At First Sight has on narrator reliability.
Not to mention the impact that Love At First Sight has on narrator reliability.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War
nathanjhunt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
My 9th book finished in 2022.
This book hasn't aged well. This is my very first dive into a Sherlock Holmes novel, and I must admit, I wasn't expecting so much racism from it.
It's a snapshot into the British colonial minds and attitudes of the late 1800s. Imperialism was reaching its peak, and that forms the backbone of the plot. The whole basis of the treasure was that it was stolen in the first place. I can't sympathise with any of the characters because they're hunting for colonial gains. It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.
The casualness of drug use at the beginning of the novel was baffling! They call this era 'The Great Binge' for a reason! If anything, this is an interesting case study into middle-class society of the time.
Casting the plot aside, I did enjoy seeing how Holmes' mind works, and having it from Watson's POV worked very well. There was a lot of monologue and explaining along the way. Every character seems to speak in the same manner and the same words. I feel like Conan Doyle was very comfortable writing as a middle-class man, but had no idea how to write characters from poorer and different backgrounds, and it's full of stereotypes. The cast, I suppose, is diverse, but it's written badly.
I left feeling unsatisfied by the story - why demonise one character, but act like the other was right with what they did? It just doesn't make any sense. And ultimately, Holmes did hardly anything in this novel, if was the characters around him mostly.
I enjoyed it somewhat, and am curious to read other Sherlock Holmes novels, but perhaps this wasn't the best one to start on.
This book hasn't aged well. This is my very first dive into a Sherlock Holmes novel, and I must admit, I wasn't expecting so much racism from it.
It's a snapshot into the British colonial minds and attitudes of the late 1800s. Imperialism was reaching its peak, and that forms the backbone of the plot. The whole basis of the treasure was that it was stolen in the first place. I can't sympathise with any of the characters because they're hunting for colonial gains. It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.
The casualness of drug use at the beginning of the novel was baffling! They call this era 'The Great Binge' for a reason! If anything, this is an interesting case study into middle-class society of the time.
Casting the plot aside, I did enjoy seeing how Holmes' mind works, and having it from Watson's POV worked very well. There was a lot of monologue and explaining along the way. Every character seems to speak in the same manner and the same words. I feel like Conan Doyle was very comfortable writing as a middle-class man, but had no idea how to write characters from poorer and different backgrounds, and it's full of stereotypes. The cast, I suppose, is diverse, but it's written badly.
I left feeling unsatisfied by the story - why demonise one character, but act like the other was right with what they did? It just doesn't make any sense. And ultimately, Holmes did hardly anything in this novel, if was the characters around him mostly.
I enjoyed it somewhat, and am curious to read other Sherlock Holmes novels, but perhaps this wasn't the best one to start on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Cannibalism and Alcohol
em_davies7019's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Violence and Religious bigotry
Minor: Cannibalism
caitlin_doggos's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
gabspina's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Misogyny
ezraaa's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Racism
chalkletters's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Once before I’ve attempted to read all the Sherlock Holmes stories in order — though I don’t think I got to the end. It was just before I started logging all my books on goodreads.com and I suspect I tried to do them all in a row, with nothing else in between, and just got tired of them.
The Sign of Four was never one of my favourites, standing out mostly for introducing Mary Morstan. The structure is strikingly similar to A Study in Scarlet, both trundling along as Sherlock investigates the case until they find their prime suspect and inflict on him a long and slightly rambling interview to uncover the origins of the crime.
Interestingly, as happened when I read A Study in Scarlet, my empathy for characters outside of Sherlock and Dr Watson seems to have increased. In this case, I couldn’t help feeling that Mary’s claim on the treasure was pretty tenuous. There were reasons beyond Dr Watson’s marital ambitions to hope that she might not get her hands on it. The depiction of Tonga is also unfortunate at best, as I’m sure more educated people than me have adequately expounded.
Nothing about The Sign of Four struck me as particularly clever, so I’d go so far as to say it’s only required reading for the most die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans. It did include the scene where Sherlock performs his science of deduction on Dr Watson’s pocket watch, though, which prompted me to visit and enjoy the scene in Sherlock which it inspires.
(As much as I love this scene, I can’t give the book extra points because of it!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Drug use, Racism, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder