Comments on: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle http://www.classicbookclub.co.uk/2010/02/14/a-study-in-scarlet-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/ The online community for book lovers Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:48:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: CW http://www.classicbookclub.co.uk/2010/02/14/a-study-in-scarlet-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/#comment-8762 CW Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:18:53 +0000 http://www.classicbookclub.co.uk/2010/02/14/a-study-in-scarlet-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/#comment-8762 As a lifelong fan of the Holmes stories (I think I read them for the first time 20 or more years ago and have since read them all multiple times) I think the highlight of this book is the insight into how Holmes and Watson meet and how their relationship develops in the early days. I agree with you that, in pure story terms, it's on the far periphery of the believable and would hurry to reassure you that it's definitely one of the least accessible of the Holmes canon. This is sadly true, to a lesser extent, of 3 of the 4 novel-length stories (the exception being The Hound of the Baskervilles). I'd advise dipping a toe into the waters of the short stories upon your next visit to the Holmesian baths. As a lifelong fan of the Holmes stories (I think I read them for the first time 20 or more years ago and have since read them all multiple times) I think the highlight of this book is the insight into how Holmes and Watson meet and how their relationship develops in the early days.

I agree with you that, in pure story terms, it’s on the far periphery of the believable and would hurry to reassure you that it’s definitely one of the least accessible of the Holmes canon. This is sadly true, to a lesser extent, of 3 of the 4 novel-length stories (the exception being The Hound of the Baskervilles). I’d advise dipping a toe into the waters of the short stories upon your next visit to the Holmesian baths.

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