Sherlock Holmes the definitive collection By: Sir Arthur Conon Doyle

Time spent reading: 75 Hrs.

Why I Picked this book:

‘Elementary, My dear Watson’ I am compelled to say. Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in Films and TV. There is a Guniess Book of record noted to this achievement. There is very little chance you have missed a Sherlock Holmes spirit even if you were living under a rock. Growing up in an era before 24 hour television, my first encounter with the detective in spirit form was through the adventures of ‘Bomkesh Bakshi’ a similar detective who worked along with the local Police to solve queer cases which were a bit out of the their reach or understanding. True to the original. ”Rajit Kapur’ who plated the main character was physically very similar to the original portrayal of Sir Arthur, also true to the original, all the stories in the Indian series were picturized in an older time setting to keep the romance in the stories alive.

I have always been curious with this character and the series helped me solve all my curiosities.

Shrelock Holmes Created by Sir Arthur, is credited with the World Record of being the most portrayed character in the literary world.

Short Summary

The definitive collection staying true to its title is indeed definitive and detailed. It covers the entire Sherlock Holmes universe as portrayed by ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’ (hence forth to be referred to as ACD). It is very difficult to summarise such a vast volume of work covering 4 full novels and 56 short stories. Though I will try to do my best. The primary characters as everyone is very familiar with are Sherlock Homes (Private detective) a term which was first introduced to the audience through these books and short stories , Dr. Watson (An injured military doctor) He was associated with the rifle division in India and had to return with his leg and health in tatters, The clumsy yet enthusiastic Scotland Yard police constables and of course the supervillain to our super hero, the brilliant and deadly Professor Moriarty.

The writing is true testament to the belief that if you can train your sense to pick up visual cues and voice modulation in a person or deduce from just your observations you can get a leg up on any one. The same has been proven true later in time, long after the stories have long been published, most of modern spy work or security is so much bases on picking up these visual cues and anticipating what the persons next move is going to be. The language used throughout the series is very simple to understand and follow, one might have to refer to the dictionary to find meaning of words that have been out common use. All the story lines are easy to follow, you will rarely find yourself turning the pages back and forth to trace your steps on any particular case. The plot thickes as a reader you feel that there is no way out of a situation or that the protagonists have finally met their match and then Sherlock homes make his move in a swift agile and logical sense he soon break down the case right in front of your eyes and you feel a bit ashamed having missed a vital clue or not paying attention to a particular point that would have blown the case right open.

The characters other than Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson walk in and out of the stories and such is the writing that when then are not in play you never think of them but when they do come back you feel as if the never left. The one thing these set of novels are not is monotonous.

My Review

I have always believed in the conviction of speech or writing, if as a writer one does not believe in the subject matter that he is writing he will never be able to convience the reader to be totally involved in the story.  From the first line I read in the first novel ‘A study in scarlet’ I was hooked. I could read the conviction that ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’ had in the characters that he was forming on paper. I could also believe his conviction that a mystery story need not be violent or very complicated to keep a hold of the reader. The first story of Sherlock Holmes appeared in 1887 ie a good 127 years ago, yet they do not sound dated. The pace of any mystery story according to me is the most important, you do not want the reader to rush through a particular scene, yet you do not want him lingering there for too long. Throughout the story you see and feel the interrelationship between the characters growing and maturing as they fight together and take on one challenge bigger than the previous one. What makes the writing exceptional is that the solutions to any problem had to be logic and deduction something that you and I can do quite easily. I in fact have used some of Sherlocks methods in my profession of advertising, anything solution that remains after deduction of every other possibility no matter how absurd has to the answer.

This particular series in complied by Stephen Fry, who himself is a Sherlocian from a very young age and part of the Sherlock Holmes historical society. He has written articles, given lectures and infact has also played part in one of Sherlock Holmes movies and his elder brother. Mr. Fry through notes provides the reader with unique inside, anecdotes and provides us with context about the time they were written and what else was popular during that time etc. He gives us amazing inputs on how the nation was appalled by the death of Sherlock Holmes and under immense pressure from the public and his publisher, Sir Arthur was forced to bring the popular character back to life. He also touches upon the fact that Sir Arthur was huge believer in the super natural, magic and magician, infact Sir Arthur had a fight with his famous friend the Great Houdini because the later refuse to accept that he uses supernatural mean to perform his tricks.

My Take

Every creator dreams of creating a work that transcends generations and stays alive and relevant long after the creator has turned into dust. This collective work of Sir Arthur meets these criteria as there are still a lot of people getting inspired by his basic formula. The latest example being the hit series Dr. House. The Indians of my generation got familiar with his work through the series Bomkesh Bakshi, which was also picturised in the backdrop of an era gone by. By not over complicating the primary characters with too detailed or complicated backstories, Sir Arthur was able to keep them simple and relatable. This simplicity and reliability are what makes Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson so enduring and beloved. They are characters that readers can see themselves in, or aspire to be like, without being bogged down by overly complex histories. This approach allowed readers to focus more on the brilliant mysteries and the logical deductions rather than getting lost in the personal dramas of the characters. Sir Arthur’s genius lies in this delicate balance, making his works timeless and universally appealing.