Sherlock Holmes: First Book Review

I’m pretty certain that I’ve mentioned to my readers (if there are any) that I shall start making book reviews alongside movie reviews. Well, here’s my first one. One of the most well-received classic novels made by the late Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, has been examined by my slightly meticulous eyes, in an attempt to confirm the book’s greatness. Will Doyle’s four novels; A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear succeed in satisfying my literary preferences? Let me discuss to you what I think of some of Holmes and Watson’s legendary adventures.

Characters: 10/10
I bow down to Doyle’s brilliant creativity. Every single character is well-designed and are bestowed with realistic characteristics and personalities. Doyle prevented Holmes from becoming a loathsome Gary Stu by his limitations, as written by Watson in A Study in Scarlet, making the character of the famous detective well-balanced; hence, excellent.

1. Knowledge of Literature — Nil.
2. Knowledge of Philosophy — Nil.
3. Knowledge of Astronomy — Nil.
4. Knowledge of Politics — Feeble.
5. Knowledge of Botany — Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of Geology — Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Knowledge of Chemistry — Profound.
8. Knowledge of Anatomy — Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature — Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.

Another brilliant factor to show Holmes’ occasional fallibilities is the creation of Irene Adler, who appeared in “A Scandal in Bohemia.” Although her appearance was short, it was nevertheless effective to keep Holmes’ intellectual constraints observable, while at the same time, gave a deep impression among readers.

Holmesian intellect is carefully developed and meticulously scrutinized as well. Holmes is not like other stereotypical mad scientists knowing and inventing something out of nowhere. How Holmes think to formulate his incredible deductions is explained well in the novels and short stories alike, which rules out the possibility of Holmes’ supernatural characteristics, or the impossibility of his personality existing in society. One favorite scene of mine is when Holmes first met Watson in Baker Street, where Holmes correctly deduces that Watson came from Afghanistan through simple facts that could’ve been done by anyone.

Furthermore, Holmes is known to despise including the supernatural in his investigations. His methods are scientific, yet understandable and doable, which made me dream that I wish I’ll be as good as Holmes is when it comes to deducing. Ingenious.

John Watson is another magnificent character. Doyle did a great job in making Holmes’ trusty sidekick represent the common men of England’s early years. His hardships in Afghanistan as he served the army helped give color to his personality; yet another one of Doyle’s remarkable imagination. His flaws too, are shown yet not overdone, such as his struggle in mastering Holmesian deduction. His emotions as he narrated the story is just amazing. It’s as if you really see his face change into different gestures as he “recited” their adventures. His calm and strong personality matches perfectly with Holmes’ eccentric and intellectual one, making them the best duo I’ll ever know.

Even the antagonists in each story, Jefferson Hope, Jonathan Small, Stapleton and Ted Baldwin, and finally his archenemy, James Moriarty are nicely portrayed. Each were given a thrilling and enjoyable story which effectively gives them a vengeful or menacing aura; in the case of Moriarty, since I’m still reading the rest of Doyle’s works, the author has given him a nice, cold sense of unpredictablility, if you are to read his four novels. Some might say that the pattern of introducing the antagonists’ stories is a bit redundant, but I say, this is just Doyle’s way of eliminating every single doubt of the reader about the enemy; about why and how he became a criminal. Long story short, what I think of Doyle’s characters can be summarized by one word; splendid.

Plot: 10/10
We know that a Sherlock Holmes story will start with a singular mystery. We know that Holmes and Watson will solve it in the end. But how they did it made the stories wonderful. It’s like a new realm waiting to be unleashed in front of a reader’s eyes.

A Study in Scarlet – A good blend of mystery and excitement. This one provided a complete and satisfying background behind the doctor and the detective. The plot is just innovative. He was able to make things complicated, yet retain the simplicity of the solution as Holmes unraveled it in due course. It was just awesome how Sherlock Holmes effortlessly caught Hope on the spot to solve the case. The case itself was puzzling yet entertaining as well. Doyle succeeded in giving me an excellent appetizer to read the rest of those exciting novels of his, and helped me put myself under the impression that this story and the ones to come, will be great.

The Sign of the Four – Yet another one of Doyle’s fine works. This one provided me a thrilling treasure-hunting adventure, as the duo chased Jonathan Small to find the long-hidden treasure of Agra. The death of Bartholomew Sholto creeped me out a bit, which added to the book’s effectiveness. Uniquely presented, this is another novel worth reading.

The Hound of the Baskervilles – The first novel to introduce the duo to the possibilities of supernatural involvement in their case, and I must say, I also thought that there will be phantoms and hellhounds in the story, but this proved to be one of Doyle’s traps to keep you glued to the story. The suspect was unpredictable. Although I had strong hunches, it was only proved correct when Holmes pointed it out himself. This is one good presentation of Holmes and Watson’s adventures to the unknown through a battle of wits.

Valley of Fear – The last novel, and it lived up to my expectations. Marked with surprising, yet realistic plot twists, Doyle’s final novel proved to be a stunning work, accompanied by a delicate arrangement of mysteries, and a dark aura revolving around Jack McMurdo’s story as he posed as a criminal in a den of murderers in an attempt to put an end to the lawbreakers’ atrocities. I won’t spoil you any further. Read it!
Another thing worth pointing out is that all points in the story falls into place as it nears conclusion. Everything is explained well. After a thorough reading, you won’t be asking, “Why/How did it happen?” There aren’t any stray details from the story, thus, spares you from unnecessary reading.

Simply put, 10/10.

Illustrations: 10/10

It’s only fitting that I praise Sidney Paget’s creativity when it comes to illustrating several scenes from the well-known novel. The drawings aren’t flashy; but they’re elegant. Each are well-drawn, and it’s as if the characters are based from real-life people of the past. Let us give props to Paget for his artistic capabilities.

Overall: 10/10
It might seem that I’m just praising the novel, but please do remember that I’ve clearly stated the reasons. Sherlock Holmes is a good read, blended with a generous dose of mystery, science and wit. Doyle, through Holmes’ story, was able to procure not the wand-type magic, but a unique scientific one. The story’s greatness makes me wonder how it would be like if I’m to discuss a singular case with this legendary fictional detective.

P.S: If, in any case, this article has distinct similarities with the others, this is completely unintentional.