Arthur Conan DOYLE : The adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the series of short stories that made the fortunes of the Strand magazine, in which they were first published, and won immense popularity for Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The detective is at the height of his powers and the volume is full of famous cases, including 'The Red-Headed League', 'The Blue Carbuncle' and 'The Speckled Band'. Although Holmes gained a reputation for infallibility, Conan Doyle showed his own realism and feminism by having the great detective defeated by Irene Adler - The Woman - in the very first story, 'A Scandal in Bohemia'. 

 

 

This is a collection of the following short stories :

- A scandal in Bohemia

- The red-headed league

- A case of identity

- The Boscombe Valley mystery

- The five orange pips

- The man with the twisted lip

- The adventure of the blue carbuncle

- The adventures of the speckled band

- The adventure of the engineer's thumb

- The adventure of the noble bachelor

- The adventure of the beryl coronet

- The adventure of the copper beeches

 

Some stories are more memorable than others, as in most short stories collections, but I'm always engaged by the energy, the dynamics between Holmes and Watson, the quirks and whimsies of characters and/or circumstances. My favourite adventures are The red-headed league when it comes to fun and invention (even Sherlock and Watson can't remain serious), but also the speckled band when it comes to danger and mystery. I also love A scandal in Bohemia or The adventure of the copper beeches when it comes to gender. I also appreciate that Sherlock Holmes doesn't give a care about rank and fortune, helping anyone who comes asking for it just for the sake of solving problems, not always criminal by the way. I love Doyle's writing style, his stories pack a punch with a careful economy of words. Quite efficient !

Even if you already know these stories, as I did, they are a wonderful enjoyment.