Book - Sherlock Holmes - A study in Scarlet

Book – Sherlock Holmes 1 
A study in Scarlet, 

Author: Arthur Connan Doyle

Score: 8/10 

Year: 1887 (original story). 

Publisher: Wordsworth editions

ISBN 978-1-84022-411-5

Pages 106

Language: English 

The only attempt I ever had at reading Doyle's Sherlock Holmes were a couple pages of one of the stories, translated to French. I quickly decided I'd rather wait for the original English which I now finally started today (13/01/2018).


In one sitting, I read the first half of the first story - a case in Scarlet, which is divided into 2 parts of 7 chapters each. Doyle introduces Doctor Watson, upon his return to England, wounded and fatigued. During luncheon, Watson mentions to one of his acquaintances that he needs to share a room, and is thus presented to Sherlock Holmes. 

Hereafter, we already know that Watson and Holmes become a tandem ; the good doctor follows the detective in his investigation. Dialogues, actions and deductions follow fluently in Doyle's unique style - one that I recognize from a series of non-Holmes short stories I previously read an had enjoyed. 

Watson presents his memories of events, and his various exchanges with Holmes, his guests, both clients and Scotland yard detectives, and is perpetually amazed at Holmes reasoning, his deduction, as well as his shortcomings in personality and in knowledge. 

A study in Scarlet has international aspects to it and also sets the magnifying glass as a detective's tool for the first time, ever, in any literature. 

I found the second part, delving in the background story and reasons of the crime to be both original and a bit jarring at first ; But, upon further reading and discovering familiar names and early allusions, had started to guess part of the plot's conclusion - but only a part.

There are a few elements which I found less pleasant to read, though they are well written. 

Thus ends Sherlock Holmes' first short story. It wasn't adapted in the Granada 1984 tv series with Jeremy Brett. 

I'll give the second story in a separate review. 

This book for both of these stories is part of the boxset I was offered on xmas 2017.