I’ve always loved a good mystery book, but for some reason I never got that much into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. I recall reading “The Speckled Band” in high school and not being that impressed; something about the story just felt stuffy and…well, British. And after reading ten of the stories in quick succession last month, I still feel pretty much the same.
I’m not sure why I’m disappointed. Watson and Holmes are fantastic characters, the mysteries are genuinely mysterious, and there’s a good amount of action. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” was even a bit frightening, with scary things going bump in the night.
So, a quick question for you guys. For which of the following reasons do you think I was underwhelmed by Doyle’s stories?
- They’re short stories, which have never been my favorites. I should try reading one of the novels, like A Study in Scarlet.
- They really are dry and stuffy.
- I’m a troglodyte who wouldn’t know a good story if it bit me on the ass.
Discuss.
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I’ve never tried these books for the same reason you didn’t like them. I think that means I should stick to it and not try them. 😉
I really want to like the stories. And I do, but not as much as I wanted. Maybe I’ll try one of the novels someday.
I’m glad I’m not alone in my lack of enthusiasm. 🙂
I find it hard to like Sherlock Holmes because he’s a drug addict, so I find myself just shutting him out, like, “Oh, you’re walking dead already. Doesn’t matter if you’re clever. You’re already done for with that stupid habit of yours.” Awful, but true. It’s not the most emphasized things in the books, but it is there, the fact that he shoots up.
The fact that he’s a user was kind of jarring, but I think you have to consider the time period in which the stories were written. At that time, things like cocaine and laudanum were used much more freely; people simply didn’t recognize that those things were addictive/harmful.
And I know we’re talking about a fictional character here, so this really is all sort of moot, but…well, dismissing all the good Holmes does because he’s a drug addict is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. No one is perfect, you have to take the good with the bad. Holmes’ drug addiction doesn’t make him a bad person, and doesn’t lessen the fact that he (in the stories) solves crimes and helps people.
So they are fantastic characters, the stories are mysterious and there is a good amount of action and you are missing something. Not my style to call anyone a trog, but gee whiz……
Right, Teri? It’s nuts! Now that I’ve had time to digest the stories for a few weeks, I realized that I do like them…but I’m not itching to read them again, you know? I honestly think it’s because they’re short stories. I liked The Hound of the Baskervilles, as I mentioned in my post, so I’m going to try getting my hands on some of the novels. Maybe then my nascent obsession for all things Sherlock will blossom. Thanks for stopping by!