A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle

This has got to be one of my biggest ticks on my classics to be read list so far this year. Arthur Conan Doyle is a household name even more so since the recent release of a new screen adaptation Sherlock Holmes (2009) starring Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law, a film that reminded me that I hadn’t read any Holmes! Doyle originally studied medicine at Edinburgh University and went on to practice as a doctor in Southsea but of course he is best known for his writing, although undoubtedly Doyle’s medical knowledge helped to forge his most famous character Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet is the first of four novels and four short story collections that follow the antics of the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet was first published in 1887 and again in 1981. This new snazzy edition was released by Red Classics in 2007, I found the new cover really stood out to me whilst I was browsing in the library, the other seven instalments of Holmes have had a similar revamp as well.

Dr John Watson has returned home to London to recuperate physically and mentally after his army posting in Afghanistan. London is an expensive place to live however so Watson is introduced to a polite but eccentric fellow Sherlock Holmes who is looking to share rooms in Baker Street. Watson knows little about Holmes except that he spends an awful lot of time at the university laboratory but what does Holmes do for a living? Watson doesn’t have  to wonder for long as two police detectives come to visit Holmes in quick succession after which Watson accompanies Holmes to an ill-omened house in South London. Inside the house a body has been found of a man who face is shockingly contorted in a rictus of horror, there are no marks of violence on the body yet there is blood around the body and a single word is written on the wall in blood. The murder has left the police baffled but Holmes’ brilliant analytical skills soon uncover a trail of murder, revenge and lost love…

“A detective’s duty is to unravel the scarlet thread of murder…”

The fact that I finished this book in one sitting goes a long way to showing how much I enjoyed it. I now know for myself that Doyle is a master of mystery and it is well deserved that Holmes is known as one of the greatest mystery characters ever written. Holmes is intelligent, confident, proud, eccentric and always annoyingly right but it all works so well together. To compliment Holmes perfectly is Watson, good old reliable Watson who is sensible, practical and honest. I found that even though Holmes brings the entertainment of the story it is Watson that I felt attached to because Holmes is just so mind-boggling clever you feel yourself in league with Watson in trying to figure out how he knows everything?! As for the style of writing of course some of the language used is rather archaic however what with Holmes being so eccentric I felt the archaic language complimented the character perfectly. The nice surprise I found was how deep into the history of the murder the story actually went, the back story of the victim and murderer actually spanned years. As you know I love details in my books I find it really brings the story alive if an author has thought of all possible background knowledge you might need to know, Doyle definitely does this.

So no need me saying I recommend this lets move straight onto who would I recommend this. If you love a good mystery Victorian or other you should read this. However if you wish to get into the genre then this is a great example to try which is a great length. Who has read this? What did  you think?

Advertisement