The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
(A Sherlock Holmes collection, Book 2)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Public Domain Books
Fiction, Anthology/Mystery
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: In this second collection, Doctor Watson relates more stories of his escapades with the singular detective Sherlock Holmes, ranging from a glimpse at his earliest cases to his fateful meeting with the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty.
REVIEW: Once more, while exposure to previous renditions no doubt colored my reading, I could still enjoy these tales for their original characters and the variety of crimes and criminals. It lost half a star because a couple stories felt over-talky, with one being entirely related via flashback. I also felt there ought to have been a little more build-up to a nemesis like Moriarty... especially one who proves so pivotal in Holmes' life and canon. (The fact that Doyle, likely for financial reasons, bowed to public demand and resurrected his seminal detective for more stories also takes some of the bite of "The Final Problem.") Still, I enjoyed it overall.
(My reaction to "The Final Problem," I suspect, is strongly tainted by the many movies and other interpretations that build up Moriarty as a long-running antagonist... most notably the recent BBC Sherlock, whose second series finale blows Doyle's conclusion out of the water.)
Nice post!
ReplyDeleteThe Final Problem is one of the most important stories in the canon for obvious reasons...Interesting thought about one's reaction to a canonical story due to adaptations that were inspired by the same story in the first place :)