A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Completed January 1, 2010

Reason for Reading: Carry on in the Series

Convalescing in London after a disastrous experience of war in Afghanistan, Dr John Watson finds himself sharing rooms with his enigmatic new acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes. But their quiet bachelor life at 221B Baker Street is soon interrupted by the grisly discovery of a dead man in a grimy ill-omened' house in south-east London, his face contorted by an expression of horror and hatred such as Watson has never seen before. On the wall, the word rache German for revenge' is written in blood, yet there are no wounds on the victim or signs of a struggle. Watson's head is in a whirl, but the formidable Holmes relishes this challenge to his deductive powers, and so begins their famous investigative partnership.

This is the first adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This is the story where they meet and it all begins. It is worth reading just to see how Dr. Watson deals with Holmes and his eccentric nature. It was entertaining. Holmes is himself from the very beginning, but Watson moves in with him anyway. This is their first case together and it is an interesting one. The novel is not very long, but it is a good introduction to the characters and stories that you will come to expect from the series overall.

Holmes is an interesting character, though. You never know quite what to expect from him, but at the same time he is predictable. I really like how Doyle wrote his character. You could almost call him annoying, but at the same time he is endearing. He is the type of character that is so smart he doesn't quite know how to deal in the real world, but at the same time he helps many people out and makes them quite fond of his abilities. Plus, Watson needs to learn what Holmes is capable of because when he moves in he doesn't even know what he does for a living.

Overall, another good book in the Sherlock Holmes series.

The Series:

1. A Study in Scarlet

2. The Sign of Four

3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

4. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

5. The Hound of Baskervilles

6. The Valley of Fear

7. The Return of Sherlock Holmes

8. His Last Bow

9. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

This book counts for the TwentyEleven Reading Challenge.