Sherlock Holmes's observation to Dr Watson at the start of A Case of Identity is certainly borne out by the twelve short stories in this collection, characterised by the originality and inventiveness that has made Conan Doyle a household name. The familiar sanctuary of 221B Baker Street is regularly invaded by a procession of puzzled clients with bizarre problems to solve. Holmes's cases include a young engineer who arrives with one of his thumbs cut off at the root; a governess who has been offered a tempting salary ...
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Sherlock Holmes's observation to Dr Watson at the start of A Case of Identity is certainly borne out by the twelve short stories in this collection, characterised by the originality and inventiveness that has made Conan Doyle a household name. The familiar sanctuary of 221B Baker Street is regularly invaded by a procession of puzzled clients with bizarre problems to solve. Holmes's cases include a young engineer who arrives with one of his thumbs cut off at the root; a governess who has been offered a tempting salary provided she dresses in the exact manner specified by her employers; and a visit from a frightened young woman whose sister has inexplicably died from fear and nervous shock. These and other seemingly intractable puzzles are solved by Sherlock Holmes's inimitable blend of intellectual analysis and inspired deduction. Like the faithful Watson, in these stories the reader can enjoy their position at the centre of events, and admire the master of detection at work.
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Seller's Description:
Good. All pages and cover are intact. Possible slightly loose binding, minor highlighting and marginalia, cocked spine or torn dust jacket. Maybe an ex-library copy and not include the accompanying CDs, access codes or other supplemental materials.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Noticeably used book. Text is legible but may be soiled and have binding defects. Heavy wear to covers and pages contain marginal notes, underlining, and or highlighting. Possible ex library copy, with all the markings/stickers of that library. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be included.
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Seller's Description:
Good. There is a small tear on the right edge of the front cover, else the exterior is lightly worn. The text is faintly age-toned but unmarked. 237 p. Mass-market paperback
Although the stories are short they are nevertheless excellent reading.
Enjoyable .
sarab
Feb 18, 2010
Learning About English Culture with Sherlock H.
I am 80% done with the book but it is for adult reading and would not reccommend this book for a minor. It glamorizes drug use.
Love the book, I am learning about English culture this is my first Sherlock Holmes book.
rob10
Dec 31, 2009
adventures
Bought the Oxford Press edition of this book to read the references indicated during the stories - also easier to handle than my unabridged sherlock holmes.
DrewGirl
May 2, 2007
short and logical
This book is composed of twelve short Sherlock Holmes 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 (my personal favorite), The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, The Engineer's Thumb, The Noble Bachelor, The Beryl Coronet and The Copper Beeches. Although I've long been a fan of Laurie King's Mary Russell novels, which are semi-pastiches of the Holmes series, my only experience of the original Sherlock Holmes has been limited to my dim recollection of reading The Red-Headed League in high school and of watching a few of the BBC television episodes with my dad! Several years ago, I tried reading one of Conan Doyle's novel-length works but was rapidly turned off by the slow development of the plot and did not finish it. Reading this book, though, was a much better experience and I'm so glad I chose it. I think that the author's skill and the Holmes "genre" itself are much better seen and enjoyed in short stories. None of the stories are thrilling or heart-pounding; that is not what made Sherlock Holmes mysteries so great. Instead, they each follow a rather simple pattern: Holmes and Watson are introduced to a short, bewildering mystery that is quickly and, to Watson's never ending surprise, easily solved by Holmes, who then calmly gives a detailed analysis of the case and his logical steps to solving it! This set-up must be what made Sherlock Holmes such a refreshing character and what made the books so popular!
