Product Description

In The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes we read the last twelve stories Conan Doyle was to write about Holmes and Watson. They reflect the disillusioned world of the 1920s in which they were written, and he can be seen to take advantage of new, more open conventions in fiction. Suicide as a murder weapon and homosexual incest are some of the psychological tragedies whose consequences are unravelled by the mind of Holmes before the eyes of Watson. That said, the collection also includes some of the best turns of wit in the series, and indeed in the whole of English literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101861 in Books
• Published on: 1993-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
Although the latter Holmes stories have received much criticism, I personally feel that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was brilliant to the very end. For the most part, the plots in these stories are as ingenious as any of the ones in the earlier stories. The only thing about these stories that is somewhat disappointing is that they do not add very much to Holmes' character. The emphasis is more on the mystery instead of on the intrigue of Holmes' character as most of the earlier stories were. While some may find it annoying that Doyle left so much mystery about Holmes, I feel strongly that this is the very reason that Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular characters in fiction. The only other way that Doyle could have done it would have been to give Holmes the typical dark or tragic past with some personal tragedy to explain his character and justify all his faults. In which case, Holmes would be a very typical character. The dark, tragic past might not have been typical in the late 19th century but it most certainly is so today. And brilliant writing is not about just creating something that's new and original at the moment. It's about creating something that can remain new and original. Some may disagree, but I most definitely feel that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a brilliant writer.

A classically entertaining book
This collection, the final in the Sherlock Holmes series, is often thought of as being inferior to the others in the series. This is not so. It's true that the mysteries themselves are not quite as diabolically clever as the best of Holmes, but by any other standard they are outstanding. In addition, the stories are marked by a more realistic and darker psychological portrayal of the villains. Doyle's writing is as good in these stories as anywhere else. These stories contain some of the wittiest repartee by Holmes and Watson, with Holmes at his most sarcastic. As an added bonus, the collection contains the only two stories narrated by Holmes himself (and he turns out to be a very good writer!) This book is a must for mystery fans and general readers alike. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because these stories are "classics," they are going to be stodgy reading, or that you have to be a Holmes fan to enjoy them. "The Case Book" is still one of the most entertaining books ever written. Perfect for airplane or beach!

WARNING!!: DO NOT READ THE EARLIEST REVIEW OF THIS BOOK POSTED BELOW (DATED 1/22/98) UNTIL YOU READ THE BOOK. THE CONTRIBUTOR THOUGHTLESSLY GIVES AWAY THE ENDINGS OF MANY STORIES AND WILL SPOIL YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THEM.

The final adventures of the worlds premier consulting detective
First published in 1927, "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" contains 12 short stories written by Sir Athur Conan Doyle over a six year period from 1921 onwards. The stories are regarded by many critics to be the weakest to feature Sherlock Holmes. Several reasons can be attributed to why they are not as successful. By this stage Conan Doyle had been writing adventures for the character for 40 years. Secondly the author was also much more interested at this period of his life in spiritualism and came to regard Holmes as a distraction. In an attempt to make the stories more interesting Conan Doyle actually has Holmes rather than Watson as the narrator in two stories. Watson does not actually feature at all, although he is mentioned.
Of the stories, The Sussex Vampire and The Veiled Lodger are particularly weak, and The Mazarin Stone is often cited as the worst short story. In contrast The Adventure of the Three Garridebs is a classic Holmes mystery, even if it very similar to the early adventure The Red Headed League. The order of the stories varies in different editions. Sometimes
The Adventure of The Retired Colourman comes last, and sometimes it is The Adventure of Shoscombe Oldplace. The latter was the last adventure written. But The Retired Colourman contains the final line in reference to the adventure, "Some day the true story may be told" which seems a very appropiate way to say goodbye to the worlds greatest detective.