#12 A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Study in Scarlet tells the story of Doctor Watson and Sherlock Holmes. After returning from Afghanistan, Watson finds himself in need of a 
place to stay in London. He soon meets the mysterious Sherlock Holmes and the two men start to rent a place on Baker Street. Watson can't help but be intrigued by Holmes, who works as a consulting detective. When a murder occurs, the police call in Holmes to assist, giving Watson a chance to fully experience the brilliance of his new roommate.
Like many, I was bit by the Sherlock Holmes bug after seeing the most recent film with Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law (which, for those who are interested, was an exciting action film with a somewhat mediocre mystery). So, when I had a long car trip in front of me, I decided to expand my Sherlock Holmes experience by listening to A Study in Scarlet. Apparently, I chose well, as it's also the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. Upon reading, A Study in Scarlet, I was immediately struck with how many parallels I could draw from Holmes and Watson to current figures in popular culture. The detective who can see beyond the ordinary has been reincarnated many times in literature (my personal favorite being Hercule Poirot) but also in television with shows like Bones, and Psych. In the book, Watson plays an everyman type character, often expressing the questions that the reader may have for the unapproachable Holmes, another character I see still exists in current mysteries (the one that first comes to my mind is Booth from Bones). Holmes is also deeply interested in evidence, an element that reminded me a lot of the popular forensic television shows on these days.
As far as the story goes, I found the mystery to be very satisfactory. I immediately took a shining to the both Watson and Holmes, both who are much more complex than I remember from my first experience with them at thirteen. I had a great time following the two along. About halfway through the novel, the reader takes a step back from London and we get to hear the story behind the mystery. This section is less satisfying than the rest of the book. The shift from London to America is rather abrupt. As I was listening to the audiobook, I found myself constantly distracted by the narrators poor American accents. I also found the portrayal of the Mormons to be rather skewed, as every named Mormon character is portrayed in a very negative light. Fortunately, the book does gain it's focus back at the end, as the reader is brought back to London, Watson, and Holmes. Despite finding this section of the narrative lacking in comparison to the rest of the novel, I have to admit that I was impressed at how everything was skillfully tied together. As a result, I found A Study in Scarlet to be an enjoyable read and I do plan on picking up more Sherlock Holmes mysteries in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: the print version is 96 pages, making this more of a novella
Source: paperbackswap
Challenge: This book is part of the new genre challenge
Similar Books: The early Hercule Poirot mysteries, especially The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
Other books I've read by this author: Four Stories (an audiobook collection), and the short story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
xposted tobookish and temporaryworlds
place to stay in London. He soon meets the mysterious Sherlock Holmes and the two men start to rent a place on Baker Street. Watson can't help but be intrigued by Holmes, who works as a consulting detective. When a murder occurs, the police call in Holmes to assist, giving Watson a chance to fully experience the brilliance of his new roommate.
Like many, I was bit by the Sherlock Holmes bug after seeing the most recent film with Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law (which, for those who are interested, was an exciting action film with a somewhat mediocre mystery). So, when I had a long car trip in front of me, I decided to expand my Sherlock Holmes experience by listening to A Study in Scarlet. Apparently, I chose well, as it's also the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. Upon reading, A Study in Scarlet, I was immediately struck with how many parallels I could draw from Holmes and Watson to current figures in popular culture. The detective who can see beyond the ordinary has been reincarnated many times in literature (my personal favorite being Hercule Poirot) but also in television with shows like Bones, and Psych. In the book, Watson plays an everyman type character, often expressing the questions that the reader may have for the unapproachable Holmes, another character I see still exists in current mysteries (the one that first comes to my mind is Booth from Bones). Holmes is also deeply interested in evidence, an element that reminded me a lot of the popular forensic television shows on these days.
As far as the story goes, I found the mystery to be very satisfactory. I immediately took a shining to the both Watson and Holmes, both who are much more complex than I remember from my first experience with them at thirteen. I had a great time following the two along. About halfway through the novel, the reader takes a step back from London and we get to hear the story behind the mystery. This section is less satisfying than the rest of the book. The shift from London to America is rather abrupt. As I was listening to the audiobook, I found myself constantly distracted by the narrators poor American accents. I also found the portrayal of the Mormons to be rather skewed, as every named Mormon character is portrayed in a very negative light. Fortunately, the book does gain it's focus back at the end, as the reader is brought back to London, Watson, and Holmes. Despite finding this section of the narrative lacking in comparison to the rest of the novel, I have to admit that I was impressed at how everything was skillfully tied together. As a result, I found A Study in Scarlet to be an enjoyable read and I do plan on picking up more Sherlock Holmes mysteries in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: the print version is 96 pages, making this more of a novella
Source: paperbackswap
Challenge: This book is part of the new genre challenge
Similar Books: The early Hercule Poirot mysteries, especially The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
Other books I've read by this author: Four Stories (an audiobook collection), and the short story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
xposted tobookish and temporaryworlds