A Study in Scarlet (Wisehouse Classics Edition - with original illustrations by George Hutchinson)

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Hutchinson

A STUDY IN SCARLET is an 1887 detective novel by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Written in 1886, the story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become among the most famous characters in literature. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes, an amateur detective, to his friend and chronicler Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."
The story, and its main characters, attracted little public interest when it first appeared. Only 11 complete copies of the magazine in which the story first appeared, Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887, are known to exist now and they have considerable value. Although Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories featuring Holmes, A STUDY IN SCARLET is one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. A STUDY IN SCARLET was the first work of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an investigative tool.(more on www.wisehouse-classics.com)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
• Release date: May 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9789176371718

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish author best known for his classic detective fiction, although he wrote in many other genres including dramatic work, plays, and poetry. He began writing stories while studying medicine and published his first story in 1887. His Sherlock Holmes character is one of the most popular inventions of English literature, and has inspired films, stage adaptions, and literary adaptations for over 100 years.

Book preview

Part 1

BEING A REPRINT FROM THE REMINISCENCES OF JOHN H. WATSON, M.D., LATE OF THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER 1

MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES

IN THE YEAR 1878 I TOOK MY DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MEDICINE OF THE University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the Army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as assistant surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it, the second Afghan war had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had advanced through the passes, and was already deep in the enemy’s country. I followed, however, with many other officers who were in the same situation as myself, and succeeded in reaching Candahar in safety, where I found my regiment, and at once entered upon my new duties.

The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. I was removed from my brigade and attached to the Berkshires, with whom I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand. There I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I should have fallen into the hands of the murderous Ghazis had it not been for the devotion and courage shown by Murray, my orderly, who threw me across a packhorse, and succeeded in bringing me safely to the British lines.

Worn with pain, and weak from the prolonged hardships which I had undergone, I was removed, with a great train of wounded sufferers, to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the veranda when I was struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to England. I was despatched accordingly, in the troopship Orontes, and landed a month later on Portsmouth jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a paternal government to spend the next nine months in attempting to improve it.

I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading a comfortless, meaningless existence, and spending such money as I had, considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did the state of my finances become, that I soon realized that I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate somewhere in the country, or that I must make a complete alteration in my style of living. Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel, and take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.

On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar, when someone tapped me on the shoulder, and turning round I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Bart’s. The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man. In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine, but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me. In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.

Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson? he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets. You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut.

I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.

Poor devil! he said, commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. What are you up to now?

Looking for lodgings, I answered. Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.

That’s a strange thing, remarked my companion; you are the second man today that has used that expression to me.

And who was the first? I asked.

A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found, and which were too much for his purse.

By Jove! I cried; if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him. I should prefer having a partner to being alone.

Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass. You don’t know Sherlock Holmes yet, he said; perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion.

Why, what is there against him?

Oh, I didn’t say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas— an enthusiast in some branches of science. As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough.

A medical student, I suppose? said I.

No—I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist; but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors.

Did you never ask him what he was going in for? I asked.

No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him.

I should like to meet him, I said. If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?

He is sure to be at the laboratory, returned my companion. He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night. If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon.

Certainly, I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.

As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn, Stamford gave me a few more particulars about the gentleman whom I proposed to take as a fellow-lodger.

You mustn’t blame me if you don’t get on with him, he said; I know nothing more of him than I have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory. You proposed this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible.

If we don’t get on it will be easy to part company, I answered. It seems to me, Stamford, I added, looking hard at my companion, that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow’s temper so formidable, or what is it? Don’t be mealymouthed about it.

It is not easy to express the inexpressible, he answered with a laugh. Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes—it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge.

Very right too.

Yes, but it may be pushed to excess. When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape.

Beating the subjects!

Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes.

And yet you say he is not a medical student?

No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him. As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane and passed through a small side-door, which opened into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down the long corridor with its vista of whitewashed wall and dun-coloured doors. Near the farther end a low arched passage branched away from it and led to the chemical laboratory.

This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. I’ve found it! I’ve found it, he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by haemoglobin, and by nothing else. Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.

Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, said Stamford, introducing us.

How are you? he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.

How on earth did you know that? I asked in astonishment.

Never mind, said he, chuckling to himself. The question now is about haemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?

It is interesting, chemically, no doubt, I answered, "but practically

Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don’t you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains? Come over here now! He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. Let us have some fresh blood, he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger, and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction. As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour, and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.

Ha! ha! he cried, clapping his hands, and looking as delighted as a child with a new toy. What do you think of that?

It seems to be a very delicate test, I remarked.

Beautiful! beautiful! The old guaiacum test was very clumsy and uncertain. So is the microscopic examination for blood corpuscles. The latter is valueless if the stains are a few hours old. Now, this appears to act as well whether the blood is old or new. Had this test been invented, there are hundreds of men now walking the earth who would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes.

Indeed! I murmured.

Criminal cases are continually hinging upon that one point. A man is suspected of a crime, months perhaps after it has been committed. His linen or clothes are examined and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains, or mud stains, or rust stains, or fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question which has puzzled many an expert, and why? Because there was no reliable test. Now we have the Sherlock Holmes’s test, and there will no longer be any difficulty.

His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke, and he put his hand over his heart and bowed as if to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination.

You are to be congratulated, I remarked, considerably surprised at his enthusiasm.

"There was the case of Von Bischoff at Frankfort last year. He would certainly have been

Reviews for A Study in Scarlet (Wisehouse Classics Edition - with original illustrations by George Hutchinson)

[bobbybslax · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Audiobook) Wasn't overly impressed with this, but perhaps that's due to it being among the first of its genre. It had two key features I enjoyed, whoever: 1) Watson's first meeting with Holmes and 2) the surprisingly long whodunnit explanation in Part 2. I often struggle with mystery books given their penchant to focus on a large cast of names, objects, places, and other nouns which I find hard to keep track of and continually visualize in my head. I encounter this issue with some more detail-obsessed fantasy stories, too. So, I became lost throughout a lot of the first half even though it was still mildly enjoyable (in great part due to Stephen Fry's narration). The most consistently amusing part of that half is Watson's developing relationship with Holmes, in which we get to discover the detective's eccentricities along with his new sidekick. I often enjoy buddy (cop) comedies, so that stuff provided a more easy connection than the actual investigation. The book then switches out of Watson's POV for most of the second half, providing an extended backstory for the killer and his motivation. While long and not always riveting, it was a novel approach to the often tedious form of exposition dumps you find in mysteries. By the end of it I had even sympathized with the killer enough to hope to see them victorious. It became the emotional throughline of the book how the Holmes-Watson dynamic used to be, but I wouldn't say either of those elements were particularly deep or resolved. A short, mildly entertaining read.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Holmes is just too full of himself.

[sarielle-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read this series as a child and I'm re-reading it now after so many years. Unfortunately, in my memories it was a better book. I mean, the story is great! Completely unbelievable and unreal but great. However, Sherlock Holmes is much more annoying than I remember. When I was a child such peculiar and cocky creatures probably didn't bother me but now he is a bit too much for my taste.

Anyway, it was a pleasure to read it again (especially after watching the TV shows based on the series in the meantime) and I will keep reading the other books in this series.

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an enjoyable introduction to both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and it will be interesting to see how their characters develop across the series. I particularly enjoyed the large section that took place on the American Plains (not something you expect in a Sherlock Holmes book!) and how the story unravelled that led up to events being investigated in London. This was particularly well done. I look forward to continuing with the series.

[scorched_earth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I have read by the famed creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A Study in Scarlet is Doyle's first book featuring the infamous Sherlock Holmes. Holmes' character has been portrayed in the movies so much that I feel like I already knew the character. Reading the original text by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is, not surprisingly, better than any other theatrical take I have seen. A Study in Scarlet is an easy read that could easily be completed in one day. The edition that I own contains illustrations by the famous caricaturist, Gris Grimly. I am not a fan of graphic novels or even illustrations in books because it distract my own imagination of how things should appear. On the other hand, the illustrations are very impressive so if you are into that kind of thing, I would recommend this edition. Holmes' first adventure in detection in A Study in Scarlet reveals to the world the detectives impeccable deductive powers. Holmes meets his sidekick Dr. Watson in Doyle's freshman detective novel, where the two rent an apartment on Baker Street. It is a widely known fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle single handedly revolutionized the science of Forensics and crime scene investigation. There is an in-depth documentary about how Sherlock Holmes' methods were used in Doyle's fiction novels before they were ever used in real life. Knowing this fact makes reading these books much more interesting and entertaining to read. I plan on chronologically reading all the books written by Doyle that feature Sherlock Holmes.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book about Sherlock Holmes, and begins with his initial meeting and growing friendship with Dr Watson, who narrates the story. It's set in the latter part of the 19th century, and is in two parts. The first shows Holmes' analytical mind and attention to detail as he explains to Watson how he solves a rather unpleasant crime. Part One ends with the perpetrator being arrested.Part Two goes back in time, introducing a man and a young girl travelling rough in the United States after the rest of their group perished. They've given up on finding water, when they're discovered by a band heading to Utah. I don't know how accurate the portrayal of Mormon life and culture in the 19th century is, but it makes an excellent story, albeit quite spine-chilling at times. Ethics and morals are not pointed out, but it gradually becomes clear that there are often two sides to any story, and that the initial clear-cut crime could have quite clear motivations. Recommended to teens or adults who like historical crime fiction. I read it on my Kindle but it's widely available in other forms, mostly inexpensively or (from Project Gutenberg) free.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mostly good or above and on task Bradley, Stabenow, Child, Tod and Winspear a cut above.

[bohemima · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I last read this slim novel by Doyle about ten years ago. This must be my fourth or fifth reading, and yet it immediately gripped me again, as Sherlock Holmes always will. This is where we meet Holmes, seeing him always through Watson’s eyes. The first section is fascinating, fast-moving, and utterly charming. The mystery—a murder—provides a chance for Holmes to shine and Watson to marvel, even when irritated by Holmes’ superiority. If somehow you’ve missed a look at the London of fogs, gas lamps, and horse-drawn cabs, please give yourself a chance to meet (and love) characters and stories that have stood both the test of time, and some very dicey adaptations. This is the real thing, and so much fun.

[stephlaymon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was very much enjoying this book when all of a sudden I realized I was entirely lost.The writing style, characters, narration and the facts leading up to the mystery were all remarkably good, but in the end I was left completely confused and I found myself questioning if I somehow missed something. After that ridiculous backstory of the murderer, I still have to ask... Who the hell is it? What just happened?I will certainly read more of Holmes as there is much to come back for. I may have to re-read this one to see where I fell off from the story.

[jhullie-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed my first foray into the world of Sherlock Holmes. The sudden change of pace, characters and location threw me for a moment but I soon got back into the swing of it. I will definitely read more of these tales.

[lgandt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this one a great deal, gave all the important info I had been missing for so many years

[therebelprince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've long felt bad about never having read any of the nine books that make up the Sherlock Holmes canon, so finally I've rectified that... and what an odd little work it is.

The first half of the book is what's important, historically, but it's the least interesting. Conan Doyle doesn't write natural dialogue, and a result the discussions between Watson and Holmes come across more like a treatise on how detective work - in the real world and in novels - is evolving and progressing. While this is all very very interesting, particularly to someone like myself who has read a lot of Christie and Poe etc, it feels like an essay that has been structured in story form, rather than the other way around.

On top of this, I concede that I have a bias against this "one really smart quirky man always outdoes everyone" formula. Holmes started it, but it's returned in the last ten years or so to television, and personally I think it just weakens the narrative when every other character functions only as a sounding board for our god of a leading man. Sherlock is cunningly described by Watson as a seemingly paradoxical man who in fact has rational reasons for all of his education and activities, although even the great detective can't seem to fix his (bipolar?) moods. As their friendship is still embryonic at this stage, Watson can give us no insight into Holmes' life, and Holmes offers none, so he remains a cipher. But I'm treating this as a pilot episode, so that's okay. More immediately fascinating are the elements of contemporary life: street beggars working for Holmes, the necessary advantages and disadvantages that came from being a police officer in the era - thrilling stuff.

The second half is a mixed bag also. Conan Doyle is an admirable prose writer, and his description of the events twenty years prior to the murders is captivating and gripping. On the other hand, it is filled with amazingly anti-Mormon sentiment. I'm no religious sympathiser myself, but I couldn't take it seriously when the narrator assured us that all Mormons kill or destroy anyone who attempts to leave their faith.

An odd little novel, and I've already started the second one, since I'm very eager to see if Conan Doyle can somehow retain his marvelous leading character, whilst furthering his skills in the other required areas.

(Two and a half stars)

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Still great.

[ray_-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh my, did I love this book!

Ever since I was little, I always loved anything Sherlock Holmes related; I watched cartoons, movies...etc. But weirdly enough I never got around to actually read the books.

I finally picked this one up and Damn son!

The plot was so interesting and fun to go through, it kept me on my toes and I just NEEDED to know who the killer was.
Then I reached the second part and I was confused for like 7 pages or so and then BAM everything fell into place.
Well, color me surprised!

One more thing;
I absolutely Love Sherlock Holmes, with his odd behaviors and awesomely weird way of thinking!
His companionship with Dr. Watson is just so precious I can't even!

[muumuumousie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a great introduction to the characters! Sherlock has a strong mind, but I was just as impressed by his equally strong personality. In this book, Sherlock is a young man in his 20s, carving out a position for himself as the world’s only consulting detective. This ability to support himself by being self-employed in a never-before-seen job, to build up enough of a reputation to continue receiving clients, to carve out a niche where one had never existed—all of this seems amazing to me. I was prepared for the idea of Sherlock being a great detective, of course, but to dedicate himself to this sort of career would take not just intellect, but courage and self-confidence, attributes that Holmes has in spades. I also like that Sherlock isn’t perfect. Sometimes he misses things, and his personality isn’t always the kindest. I like that his flaws are present but not excused. And I really love Watson: a doctor, a war vet, a quiet man who is happy to be included in the adventure.The story itself is a little awkward in places; Doyle’s craft certainly gets better as the series goes on. The lengthy flashback sequence seems a little out of place, although the tension continues to build. I liked the way that Doyle took his time with the story; he builds Holmes’ and Watson’s relationship slowly, and he really gives the readers time to enjoy the characters and their quirks. The early parts of the book are warm, humorous, and charming. These are some well-developed characters, right from the start, and this sets the tone for every Holmes book that follows. I also thought it was nice that Doyle gave a shout-out to Poe, who pioneered the genre, but it’s a bit unfair (and slightly ironic) that Sherlock Holmes felt the need to complain about him: “Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends’ thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour’s silence is really very showy and superficial.” Showy? Superficial? Has Sherlock looked in a mirror lately? :P Not to mention the fact that he’ll pull the same stunt on Watson in a later story. All in all, this book is delightful.

[danielstj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This Arthur Conan Doyle novel didn't do it for me. It had a lot going for it but, around the halfway mark, veered off course considerably and (I felt) never regained the same momentum that it started with. The story itself is interesting until this point, but then it falls into platitudes and asides that, I found, were not as interesting in the details rather than in the entire picture. Nonetheless, we are introduced to Watson and Holmes and their investigation of the case and Holmes comes off strong in the first part. 2 stars.

[great_east_road · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

See my review of this book, and many more, at Tales from the Great East Road.

After serving his country in the Afghanistan war, Dr John Watson returns to his beloved London looking for a home. Permanently injured during his service and with little money, John soon realises he’ll need a roommate. By chance, a friend introduces him to the world’s only Consulting Detective, Sherlock Holmes – a man of great intellect and almost terrifyingly accurate observations. Thus begins their many adventures together, starting with the body of a man found in Lauriston Gardens, and the word Rache spelt in blood across the wall. With the police stumped, only Sherlock can solve the puzzle.

Sherlock Holmes is undoubtably the most well known fictional detective in the world, famed for his amazing ability to decipher clues that no-one else can. We are repeatedly told of his genius, through the adoring eyes of Dr John Watson, and the joy of this entire series is the many mysteries and trying to figure out just how Holmes was able to solve them. It is stated by Holmes several times that he is not in fact a genius, but merely able to observe tiny details that other people nearly always miss. The big reveal in A Study in Scarlet shows that it was actually a fairly simple case had the police seen all the details – as Holmes himself says “I’m not going to tell you much more of the case, Doctor. You know a conjurer gets no credit when once he has explained his trick, and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all”. Since the novel is written from Watson’s point of view, we are unable to notice what Holmes sees, as Watson is not an observant man – or at least, not as observant as Sherlock Holmes. The reader of this series comes to idealise Holmes as capable of solving anything because we see him through Watson’s eyes as an impressive genius beyond all doubt.

In terms of characters, both Watson and Holmes felt a little flat, especially Watson, which is odd considering he is the narrator of this novel. Watson spends most of his time marvelling at Holmes’ amazing abilities, and Holmes showing off said abilities. It seems that Conan Doyle wanted the reader to feel the same love for Holmes as Watson does, and what better way than to have the whole story narrated by a admiring (though not mindless) fan? This appears to be one of those issues with knowing the characters more through adaptations that through the source material itself. The relationship, which plays a huge part in practically all the films/TV shows, felt under developed as we were told, rather than shown, that they had become friends. This relationship is almost certainly expanded during the course of the entire series, but in terms of A Study in Scarlet, it seems to be sacrificed in favour of the mystery.

There were a few other surprises, namely that the story changes in both scenery and characters in the second half, to explain the mystery, and that the author’s political views aren’t exactly subtle1. On the whole, A Study in Scarlet is an enjoyable book, but I can’t help but feel that people’s love of Sherlock Holmes comes both from the entire series and the many different interpretations we have available.

3.5 stars.

1 Conan Doyle seemed to really hates Mormons. I wonder why?

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Study in Scarlet was the first Sherlock Holmes story published. Given its age (1886) it reads surprisingly well with crisp non-florid prose, almost like a novel written in 2017 by someone pretending to be from the 1800s. This is the first Sherlock Holmes I've read. It gives a sense that, while you may be confused, someone else understands the world and answers can be had. That is comforting, like a parent reassuring an anxious child. This is echoed in the name "Sure" as in assurance or confidence; "Lock" as in holding the key to the mystery; and "Holmes" which sounds like "Home", a reassuring feeling. The clues to the mystery are somewhat beside the point, contrived and making sense only after the explanation. Regardless, I really enjoyed it and look forward to dipping into more in a sequential fashion as they were published. Giving 5 stars as the origin story of Sherlock Holmes.For modern readers the Mormon sub-plot is weird and maybe a little offensive. However in the 1880s, they were indeed a novel, strange and exotic people who engaged in massacres and "harems". In the story they come to London, to the homes of the readers. It's a classic "invasion novel" popular at the time, similar to Dracula which saw Eastern Europeans as the invaders. The invasion of London by secretive sub-cultures is a common theme Holmes stories.

[haloedrain · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I would have liked it better if most of part 2 didn't feel so completely separate from the rest (and maybe were more accurate and less bigoted), but the detectiving part was alright. Holmes is a bit insufferable, but interesting too.

[asxz-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first ever Holmes. Wonderfully there is much of the modern understanding of Sherlock Holmes clearly laid out on the page. He is perhaps even more self aware than TV and movie adaptations allow describing his mood swings and eccentricities to Dr. Watson even before they move in together.

There is a remarkable section in the middle where the narrative goes all Fenimore Cooper and we are transported from London to the snowy peaks of Utah. Quite unexpected. This was more fun even than I had expected. Fortunately I have already purchased further volumes.

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first book I read in 2012 was The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. I remarked back then that I was a bit disappointed in my first-ever reading of a story featuring the detective we all know so well. I also wondered if going back and starting at the beginning might make a difference, and indeed it did.A Study in Scarlet is the first Holmes novel, and it beautifully sets the stage for everything that (we know now) is to come. Here we witness the first meeting between Holmes and his faithful assistant, Doctor Watson. We witness Holmes' scientific experiments, his amazing breadth of knowledge in some areas and equally amazing ignorance in others that he does not perceive useful. In this first novel, Sherlock is called upon to help the police solve a seemingly impossible crime: a man's body has been found in an abandoned house, with no apparent cause of death and no clues. Wait, did I say no clues? Ha! Not with Sherlock on the case. He quickly figures out virtually the whole scenario that first night, but establishing standard protocol Conan Doyle withholds the key information from Dr. Watson who withholds it from us.I was startled by an interlude in the mystery, which switches to third person (most of the Sherlock stories are told in the first person as a memoir by Watson) to provide some key background information about the murdered man and his killer. It was completely unexpected to me, which I guess proves that there are still surprises to be found even in an overly familiar canon.There was one other factor that made A Study in Scarlet more enjoyable to me. The novel-length story really gave room for Sherlock's wizardry and subsequent reveal to seem more natural. In the short stories of The Memoirs, I felt the solution to the puzzle was almost tacked on as an afterthought. There was too much telling and not enough showing, I think. Thankfully, Scarlet does not suffer that fate, and it's an excellent beginning to my planned chronological read of all the Holmes stories.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read several of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but not the novel that started it all – until now. It was interesting to find out how Holmes and Watson met, and to have Watson confide his first impression of Holmes to the reader. Although Watson was initially skeptical of Holmes's claims about his own deductive abilities, his opinion changes as events unfold that confirm Holmes's deductions. The western segment of the novel was a surprise. Readers who like both classic mysteries and westerns are in for a treat!

[klmesoftly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd heard great things about this book, and had high expectations after so enjoying the BBC Sherlock take - I wasn't disappointed. It's easy to appreciate why Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are such iconic, well-loved characters.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Years ago I was on a Sherlock Holmes kick and I think I might have read this, but it's been so long I just wasn’t sure. The cases all sort of jumble together in my head, so it was time to read it again. This is the very first Sherlock Holmes adventure. Watson, a doctor who served in India and Afghanistan, is in need of a roommate. A mutual friend introduces him to Holmes and soon they are renting a flat on Baker Street and the fun begins. Sherlock is called in to consult on a murder and takes Watson with him. Soon the clues are piling up and Sherlock’s keen eye is catching things that every other detective seems to miss. The book is written from Watson’s point-of-view and I love the descriptions he gives of Sherlock. He's surprised by how much he knows, but also by how little he knows on certain subjects (like literature and astronomy). Sherlock explains that he can't clutter up his mind with hundreds of details; instead he must fill it only with that which he believes will be useful to him. I also thought it was interesting that even early-on Watson that Sherlock might be addicted to a narcotic (in later books we learn he smokes opium). Watson also notes that Sherlock's method of deduction reminds him of Edgar Allen Poe's fictional detective, Dupin. To which Sherlock, in his classic condescending style, says he thinks Dupin was a very inferior fellow. The book takes a really strange turn in the second half. The first half follows Sherlock and Watson as they try to solve the mystery. At the end of part one Sherlock catches the killer, but then part two starts and we are in Utah years earlier. The story introduces brand new characters, including crazy Mormons who kidnap women settlers and force them into marriage. It’s an odd way to plot the story. It all makes sense in the end, but it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. I would say this isn’t my favorite of the Sherlock books. That’s mainly because of the huge section in Part 2 that he is completely absent from. I still really enjoyed it, but that part just threw me for a loop. I loved reading this after seeing the BBC version of Sherlock, which begins with the episode "A Study in Pink." The showed stayed remarkably close to the original story (minus the Mormons), mainly changing the time period and a few case details. If you haven’t already watched that series you should! 

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I quite enjoyed this book (my first foray into the Sherlock Holmes universe as created by Mr. Doyle.) My only real objection was the completely inaccurate portrayal of the mormons in pioneer Utah. They made excellent villains in this novel but it's a bit much. I enjoyed seeing Holmes and Watson meet.

[jasonlf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant from beginning to end, even the notorious extended flashback to the adventure story set in the American West. The first Sherlock Holmes book introduces Watson, depicts his first meeting with Holmes, and sets them off on a classic puzzle mystery.

[jaguar897 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Since I was young I can always remember Sherlock Holmes portrayed as a portly older man, smoking on his pipe solving mysteries. Then I saw the 2010 Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downy, Jr. (yummmmmmy) and surprisingly enough Holmes was portrayed as an OCD bad ass mystery solver. Huh?! Naturally, I had to read the book now to figure out where they got this Holmes from.
Turns out the movie was not far off the mark and I’ve been lied to by those old PBS shows. Holmes was a moody freakaziod retaining and using a mass amount of information to solve mysteries. He was a bit of a bad boy who could fight and even smoked cocaine. Who knew?! I’m so glad I picked this up with the encouragement of some of my GR friends, because I thought it was going to be boring but it ended up being exciting.
I loved the mystery itself and the story behind it, but the story did slow down once the explanation of the mystery occurred. The book just took a completely different turn than what I was expecting and I almost felt like I was reading two separate books. It did come together in the end, but the explanation could have been shortened without losing the overall gist of the plot. From what I’ve been told the Holmes story gets much better with each story, so I look forward to reading more.

[dulac3_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

_A Study in Scarlet_ is an interesting book for several reasons. Here we have the first written adventure of Sherlock Holmes and get both the first introduction to the famous sleuth and his comrade Dr. Watson, as well as details of their first meeting. We are treated to a somewhat humorous précis of Watson’s first impressions of his strange room-mate (detailed in several other reviews) and even manage to see a fledgling Holmes occasionally wrong, or at least not 100% accurate, in some of his initial surmises at the mystery they become embroiled in. We also see the somewhat ambivalent and competitive relationship Holmes has with Scotland Yard and his disdain for the official investigators and their inferior methods of detection.

The mystery itself involves the double homicide of two Americans and an embarrassment of mysterious clues at the place of the first murder. Of course both Scotland Yard detectives assigned to the case manage to make the wrong assumptions and go off in different directions, though Holmes has to grudgingly admit that they “are coming along” and even wonders at one point if they have managed to beat him to the punch when one of his own assumptions seems to have gone awry.

The story is actually in two parts, the first of which covers the initial mystery and the very engrossing portrait of Holmes and his many quirks. Holmes ultimately proves able to solve the mystery by the end of this section in a fashion perhaps more mysterious than the murders themselves. From here we go to a flashback of events separated in both time and space by great distance in order to be given the background of the two murders in London and many readers seem to have a big problem with this. I actually found this section, while certainly a bit jarring at first, to be a well-written and entertaining story in itself. Its chief failings seem to be that a) it is not a story involving Sherlock Holmes, and b) the historicity of some of its facts can be considered somewhat questionable as it turns the early Mormons and their leaders into some kind of nefarious secret society rivalling even the Illuminati or Rosicrucians. I didn’t find either of these elements to be too great of an obstacle personally. I knew that we would return to Holmes & Watson in due course to be provided with our explanations and revelations and if I wasn’t being given a straight history lesson on the true founding of Salt Lake City, then I was certainly given an entertaining tale that was probably more interesting than the facts themselves would have been. The only part of this tale I really found questionable was that a man like Jefferson Hope would simply wait a month for Lucy to die of a broken heart after she’d been abducted and didn’t try to rescue her, even if it proved impossible and meant his death.

The culmination of both stories as they meet in the rooms of Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street in London was satisfying and I highly recommend this story. Another 4, or 4.5 star book from Doyle.

[jessiqa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first novel featuring Sherlock Holmes. As an introduction, it's perfect. Almost. The book comes in two parts. The first part is Holmes meeting Watson and working their first case together. The second part follows the story of the murderer, detailing his background and motive. At the end of that section the two stories join and he relates his tale to Holmes, Watson, and the police.The first part is obviously the best, since it features Holmes. After all, he is the reason I read the book, so it was a little disappointing to have him absent from nearly half of it. On the other hand, this is the first Holmes book, so Conan Doyle had very little way of anticipating the draw his detective would have on the audience.I already know the character so well, most recently from BBC's Sherlock (which, by the way, does a tremendous job at following this story in the episode titled "A Study In Pink.") and I couldn't help but smile at everything that I recognized and all the little details that I knew would figure in later, like testing poison on Watson's dog. I highly recommend this to any Holmes fan. the book is fast and fresh. It may be over 100 years old, but it doesn't feel like it. Go for it!

[eclecticdodo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've never read any Sherlock Holmes before, so I thought I ought to start at the beginning. Most of the story is told by Watson, recording events after the fact in the form of a rather formal diary. A section is more of a traditional story, recounting events that took place in America which provide the motive for the crime. I didn't enjoy this writing style nearly so much as the first. I found the facts a little thin on the ground, and Holmes supposed deductions far too obscure to form a really engaging mystery. Overall a good book, but not great.