A review by mariekejee
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
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
3.5
This is not the first detective short story collection I have read: previously, I have listened to one of Agatha Christie's called The Underdog and Other Stories, which I did not enjoy. In general, short story detectives are not long enough to create tension, and by the time you (hopefully) memorised the characters names, it is almost time for the reveal. However, I enjoyed this short story collection much more than the previous, mainly due to the fact that I felt I could participate in the mystery more than in the previous collection. In short story form, the mysteries remind me a bit of a brain teaser - most of the stories contained few characters, making it easy to make up your own suspect list and theories.
Despite being more able to follow the mystery, I still find myself not particularly a fan of detectives in short format. I like having the option of participating in the sluething, but being invested in the characters is definitely a big part of what makes a good mystery for me. As such, while I generally enjoyed the book, I wasn't too sad to see it ending.
There are definitely stronger stories amongst the bunch; there's a reason that A Scandal in Bohemia is so well known, and it is one of the few stories that I really did think suited its shorter format. The Adventure of the Speckled Band and The Red-Headed League were such wild stories that they kept me amused throughout. Most of them were a fun read, although some are forgettable, or have such an unsurprising reveal that the story was a bit dull altogether (for example, the story where the woman is left at the altar).
All in all, it was a fun book to take with me on transit, the stories usually lasting me just long enough for a one-way trip. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this collection, even though I will probably stick to the novels from now on.
Despite being more able to follow the mystery, I still find myself not particularly a fan of detectives in short format. I like having the option of participating in the sluething, but being invested in the characters is definitely a big part of what makes a good mystery for me. As such, while I generally enjoyed the book, I wasn't too sad to see it ending.
There are definitely stronger stories amongst the bunch; there's a reason that A Scandal in Bohemia is so well known, and it is one of the few stories that I really did think suited its shorter format. The Adventure of the Speckled Band and The Red-Headed League were such wild stories that they kept me amused throughout. Most of them were a fun read, although some are forgettable, or have such an unsurprising reveal that the story was a bit dull altogether (for example, the story where the woman is left at the altar
Spoiler
by, what turns out to be her stepfather, such that she does not marry another manAll in all, it was a fun book to take with me on transit, the stories usually lasting me just long enough for a one-way trip. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this collection, even though I will probably stick to the novels from now on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Racism