The Greatest Literature of All Time - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

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"A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it."
("The Five Orange Pips")

The great sleuth in his prime

When we're talking about Arthur Conan Doyle's great contribution to literature, we really mean the entire oeuvre of Sherlock Holmes stories, plus several Holmes novels. But if you're looking for an introduction to the famous works, The Adventures is a pretty good choice, as it includes some of Doyle's most intriguing mysteries.

At this point Holmes has appeared in two novels previously: A Study in Scarlet, in which Dr. Watson first meets Holmes and which features the detective for less than half the story, and The Sign of Four which develops his persona and surroundings further. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes contains 12 short stories with the fully developed detective facing some of his best mysteries.

Chances are, however, you won't easily find this particular volume but will more likely get a collection of Sherlockiana that includes several from The Adventures along with some from other volumes. Which isn't bad, because there are great Holmes entries in every volume. Better yet, pick up a complete works (they're cheap enough now) and delve into it at will.

Two of my favourite Holmes' tales lead off The Adventures. "A Scandal in Bohemia" brings him up against the woman who to Holmes will always be "the woman". You may already be familiar with this story as it seems to be one that is often singled out for television treatment (or butchery). "The Red-Headed League" is a real puzzler with one of Conan Doyle's solutions that seem obvious after they are revealed.

The other stories here are also of high quality, ingenious as mysteries and run through with the odd relationship between the arrogant, reclusive Holmes and the affable Watson, the purported chronicler of these cases.

— Eric

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