A Study in Scarlet ~Arthur Conan Doyle
–originally published, 1887
–Modern Library Paperback, 2003
–121 pages
–4.5/5 stars
“There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.”
I have taken it upon myself to begin my Christmas shopping early this year, whenever Borders or Barnes and Noble coupons find their way to my email inbox. While book shopping for others goes a long, long way towards satisfying my much tempered book buying urges, occasionally I have to treat myself, don’t I? In such a condition I discovered myself yesterday at Barnes and Noble. While wandering the mystery aisles my glance alighted on this slim volume proclaiming itself to be the very first published exploit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s singular consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. Realizing I had never read this particular volume, and having looked at my small Modern Library Classics paperback collection just days prior thinking that said collection was in want of expansion, my hesitation was but that of a moment before I added it to the handful of books that will sit under this year’s Christmas tree for a certain special lady in my life. And since I was soon to meet a good friend for lunch in that same vicinity, what was a passionate book lover to do to while away the intervening minutes but to open the book and begin.
I have long considered myself a fan of Sherlock Holmes despite having read precious few of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s penned adventures. Imagine my delighted surprise when I realized that A Study in Scarlet was the Holmes adventure that partially inspired Neil Gaiman’s award-winning short story homage to Lovecraft and Doyle, A Study in Emerald, which I had just listened to earlier in the week. Fate seemed to be pressing me to read on, as finishing the week with Doyle’s story became the perfect bookend of a week that began with Gaiman’s. And, let me be perfectly frank, I was fairly easy to persuade—the story was excellent!
I spent part of yesterday evening, and a few glorious hours this very chilly autumn morning in bed under the covers, hanging on the words of Dr. John Watson as he recounted his fateful meeting with the man Holmes and the crime that was to be the first of many that the two tenants of 221 B Baker Street would experience together. Here the reader is witness to the meeting of these two great fictional characters. Not long after settling in their now famous residence, Dr. Watson finds Sherlock Holmes opining that there is no more crime in the world. Fortune soon put the lie to Holmes’ omniscience in the form of a murdered man found dead in an empty flat with traces of blood everywhere, the interesting fact being that the dead man showed no signs of being wounded in any mortal way. In his now classic fashion, the world’s only consulting detective soon has all the facts at hand and only needs time to pass to put proof to his deductive abilities.
I enjoyed A Study in Scarlet for so many reasons above and beyond the fact that it was a first class page turner. I have come to realize that much of my “knowledge” of Sherlock Holmes and his biographer and friend, Dr. Watson, has been assimilated through films and television shows and a popular culture idea of the famous detective. What I discovered was strikingly similar to the experience I had in reading the first James Bond novel a few years ago: there is so much more to this character than what I thought I knew. In this relatively short novel I discovered a Holmes that is indeed brilliant, and sometimes taken by dark moods, but one who is also quite human, given to moments of kindness and occasional concerns that he might be on the wrong track. I was also pleasantly surprised that midway through the story the scene changes to one much earlier, in the wilds of an unsettled Utah, where the reader is told an equally engaging story of the events that led to the murder in question and the person at whose feet the crime is eventually laid.
As I have been doing with the aforementioned creation of Ian Fleming, I have no doubt that this very pleasurable experience has ignited in me a passion to work my way through the rest of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes canon. How fortunate that I have large volume of Sherlock Holmes stories not ten feet away from me this very moment. If, like me, you have not had the satisfaction of seeing where it all began, I recommend a brief diversion into A Study in Scarlet.
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This book is a selection for the R.I.P. V Challenge
I had a similar experience about a year ago. I had gotten a Kindle not too long before, and had discovered that Amazon had for sale a collection of every Sherlock Holmes story for a paltry sum of only a few dollars, so I immediately bought it.
Like you, almost all of my Holmes-ian knowledge has been gleaned from popular media, but mostly from the spectacular Holmes radio drama that is played at 1 pm (Central) on XM’s Book Radio, and can be found at harrynile.com. Truly, this radio drama is my favorite dramatisation of the detective I have ever seen/heard.
I was really quite shocked by “Study,” not only by the quality of the story but by the parts of Holmes that everyone seems rather eager to simply discard when translating him into other mediums. It’s really surprising, but it seems that Robert Downey Jr.’s interpretation of the character seems to be among the most accurate in displaying these dark moods that he was so taken to whenever there was not a crime to be solved.
I do need to get back to reading them; I had made a similar pledge, but unfortunately halfway through the second story my Kindle died on me, and I had never gotten around to getting a hardcopy of the series. Maybe it’s time I did so.
Sean: Well I’m sorry to hear that your Kindle had such a quick life and death cycle. Thanks for the link to the radio plays, I will definitely be checking them out, especially now that it is October and my desire to listen to, read, and watch all things mysterious and horrific is at its height. And even though I know that the RDJ interpretation of Holmes takes some liberties, I found myself wanting to rent it to watch again as I read this story.
I absolutely love Sherlock Holmes! I spent one summer nearly 20 years ago reading all the short stories and novels (except for Baskervilles, which I just read recently). I remember really liking A Study in Scarlet. The cover of the version you bought sure is creepy! I agree with Sean about the Robert Downey, Jr. depiction of Holmes. I think most people who only know the character through television or other movies or even some vague idea of what he’s like thought the Robert Downey, Jr. film was a reinterpretation or inaccurate version, when in fact it is much more like the Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s pages. My sister gave me the Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, all four novels and all the short stories, for Christmas one year. Not too expensive a collection and delightful to own if you can get your hands on it.
Dana: I’ve long lusted after this edition (click here) of the Holmes tales, despite the fact that it is probably easier to read them in smaller collections. I actually was going to pick up Hound of the Baskervilles yesterday, which I also haven’t read, but then saw A Study in Scarlet and decided to start there. I need to do a quick search to see what order the rest of the stories should be read in as I’d like to get to some more this month.
That collection looks very nice! I bet the annotations are great. I have the mass market paperback collection.
Dana: I’m hoping someday I’ll come across a pristine copy of them at Half Price Books. Possibly a pipe dream, but oh well.
I have a one volume book of the 4 novels and all the “adventures”… and it begins with A Study in Scarlet… problem is it’s 1,139 pgs , heavy as heck and… very small print! so I haven’t tackled it, though I have had it for some time.. also just got the Return of Sherlock Holmes in a beautiful hardback with the gilded pages in a thrift store in mint condition for …1.00. and I do have a separate softback copy of Hound of the Baskervilles which I read while still in NJ ..it’s my favorite Rathbone movie too…
Deslily: That same “problem” is why I haven’t rushed out to spend money on that two volume collection I linked to in one of the previous comments–it looks like it would be a less than comfortable book to read because of its size. Great find on the Return of Sherlock Holmes! I love gilded pages.
Having just read The Hound of The Baskervilles (listened to, rather), I am satiated for Holmes at the moment, but I haven’t read this one either, and will do so at some point. you know they are available for free on The Gutenberg Project, yes?
Daphne: No, I wasn’t aware of that, thanks. My problem is that I want book in hand when I read. I’m an ol’ fuddy-duddy that way. 🙂 I’m looking forward to reading Hound of the Baskervilles. On my uncle’s mostly sci fi shelf, from which a lot of my pre-teen reading inspiration came, he had a copy of this book and in the back of my mind it has been a book I have wanted to read ever since then but never got around to.
I should read this, but I haven’t got around to any Doyle yet. One of these days, though!
Unbelieveable. All of these supposed book readers, mystery fans, fans of Sherlock Holmes, and haven’t read the novels and stories. I am, indeed, in shock.
I read all of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes works in the early 1960s, while in high school. I have re-read them all several times. This is the edition I have and consider it very good: http://www.amazon.com/complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Arthur-Conan/dp/088029261X . I have looked at the annotated volumes you linked to Carl, but personally consider all the extra information a distraction rather then a bonus; I want the meat, not the parsley trimming, if you will.
No, sorry, the Downey portrayal is not true to the canon, the only portrayal that is would be that of Jeremy Brett, who did nearly the entire series for Granada Television in the UK and that were subsequently broadcast in the U.S. on PBS. All are available on DVD. The Basil Rathbone films, while fun, are caricatures of the stories. Watson was not the buffoon as played by Nigel Bruce.
None of the media interpretations can replace the stories themselves. Buy them, get them from the library, borrow them from a friend, whatever, but read them.
Richard: Yes, we are all charlatans!!! 😉 Actually, I guess I’m the only charlatan as looking back at the comments it looks like most of those commenting have actually read Holmes before. Ah well, if that is the only charge that can be laid against me I’m doing alright.
You got me thinking…Are there any other literary characters that have gotten so much other exposure over the years that folks could truly be fans without having read the books? Over the years there have been a bunch of Sherlock Holmes films, television series, radio dramas, stage adaptations, homages, sketches, parodies, etc.
I don’t think anyone is arguing that RDJ’s portrayal is a complete adaptation, but they certainly got parts of the canon right. I ended up watching it again last night and was surprised to see the plucking of the violin strings when thinking and the moodiness between cases–both things that are established and mentioned on several occasions in A Study in Scarlet. I like it when film and television adaptations get some of the little details correct.
I was thinking about the Watson portrayal after reading this book and was wondering why they made him such a stooge at times to Holmes, rather than the intelligent, helpful person he was. Again, having only this book to base it on, I liked the fact that the RDJ film goes out of its way to establish how vital each man is to the other. I have the same problem with the James Bond films (other than the last two) in comparison to the books. Admittedly, I’ve only read half of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels, but in none of them has he been the gadget wielding, scene-chewing character he is portrayed as in all but the Daniel Craig films. And I feel the same way about Dracula. I don’t watch any of the Dracula film adaptations. The book is amazing and the movies never come close to the interpretation.
Kailana: I hear you. I think we can all say that about a bunch of authors!!!
Really cool cover on that book! I like it!
It’s also mentioned in one of the books that Holmes was a master of a far-east form of fighting as well as being an accomplished pugilist.
I’ve got multiples of the collected volumes; the one i had got water damaged and somehow i ended up with 3 more! I agree with Deslily, they’re large, weighty and the type is small and closely spaced. They make great doorstops tho! I’ve actually been considering hollowing out the waterdamaged one and making a hidden box out of it. That’s a lot of cutting with an exacto-knife and gluing tho. ^_^
That cover is beautiful, even more so with your thread addition.
I own all of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, but I’ve not read any yet. They’re the kind of stuff I think I’d like to read aloud to my wife and enjoy them together. I think (whenever we get to them) we’ll probably read in published order, starting with this very story, but I’m not certain. Do you know if there are any continuity issues if I don’t read in order?
Logankstewart: Thanks, I thought it was fun idea. And I too loved the cover. This one would be a good read aloud novel, as it is quite short and a great introduction to the series…since it is the introduction, ha! Richard could probably answer better regarding continuity issues, but I’d definitely start with this one.
sgist: Fun idea with your water damaged book. If you decide to do so, make sure to take pics!
LOVE the cover on that edition!!! I can see why you snapped it up.
I am guilty for having not read any Holmes before. I own a two book mass market edition that lists it as a complete collection. I haven’t read any of it though I’m ashamed to say. Your review has gotten me jazzed to dive into it though especially with your comparison to Ian Fleming and the Bond stories. I’m only on my third Bond novel but I love the written character now so much more than the film versions. To think how many Bond movies where made that were so off base.
I think I’m in the miniority though of most of your blog readers in that I have never watched any previous versions of Holmes movies of tv shows except for the recent RDJ verison which I really liked expecially for Jude Law as well. I was never interested in the character growing up as I was really into fantasy reading.
I was wondering what I was going to read after a Land of Laughs and now I know. 🙂
Jeff: Cool, I look forward to your thoughts on Land of Laughs and hope you enjoy this one. I think you’ll like it. You need to re-read A Study in Emerald afterwards. I remember watching some Holmes adaptations growing up and listening to some of the old radio shows on cassette as an adult. They were fun. Not sure why it took me so long to get to the books. Then again, I was that way with Tolkien, Fleming, Howard, Leiber, Heinlein, Asimov…just to name a few. 🙂
Ah, the Holmes stories are FANTASTIC! I went through my library’s collection of Holmes about two years ago, and loved them all. As a counterpoint, if you’re interested, try checking out E.W. Hornung’s RAFFLES THE GENTLEMAN THIEF. Raffles is an intentional riff on Holmes, who Holmes would be if he used his genius for committing crimes, not for solving them. Hornung was Conan Doyle’s brother-in-law, to boot, which makes Raffles even more enjoyable (in my mind).
kbryna: Glad to hear it since I have so many more to read. Thanks for the suggestion, I had not heard of the book or author.
The cover of this book attracts me. It makes me curious about the story that is contained within the pages.
You said you have a Modern Library collection, I am taking from the statement that you like this publisher. Why?
Whenever I search out books, and have a variety of published books of the title to choose from, I am never certain which one to go with. Currently, I am confident with B&N Classics or Penguin because the tactile experience of the book as well as the font size, and style seem to be important to my reading experience. While looking up B&N, I noticed that it first originated in Wheaton, Illinois as a book-printing business, and the first store was in New York. I always find those little tid-bits interesting.
Back to the book itself – 121 pages, and the fact that I tend to like Sherlock Holmes (only know him via tv shows), and that you consider this a page turner makes me think that this book may be one for me right now. Especailly since I am craving a small book to read while I am in the midst of reading my tomes that I tend to gravitate towards.
Ibeeg: I do tend to like certain publishers, mostly because of their books’ aesthetics than anything else. The black and bronze design combined with the (mostly) fabulous artistic cover images attract me. I like seeing the bronze spines slightly glowing from my bookshelf. I also really like the size and feel of these trade paperbacks. And, as stupid as this sounds, their paper and ink usually smell really good to me. These books, as well as the Everyman’s library hardbacks are books I really like to collect. I like to collect the Overlook Press versions of P.G. Wodehouse books.
Almost always my attraction to a publisher is because the book attracts me in an artistic fashion. You mention font, and I really like the font size and choices of the Modern Library classics as well.
Because I like these classics for artistic reasons, I tend to have more than one copy of certain books. I have Penguin books that I like and also have Modern Library versions of the same books.
This is a pretty quick read, so if you are looking for something quick then I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like Holmes. It was fun to see where it all started.
I am going to have to check out a modern library book. Book aesthetics are important to me. There have been times that I purchase a book published by one company over another simply based on how the pages feel to me.
I am looking for a quick read, have a few on my list now. I have a feeling I know which one I will read first, so that means this one will probably be second even though this one has less pages. 🙂
Fate indeed! I love when weird things like you stumbling across this book after writing about Gaiman’s short story collection partially inspired by A Study in Scarlet. Fantastic!
It’s been a long time since I read any books or stories featuring Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. I think I need to remedy that. I have also read many more mystery, suspense & detective stories since I last read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tales and I suspect I’ll have a greater appreciation for him and his detective work (esp. as there is much in this genre that pales in coparison).
I can’t end this without commenting on how wonderful a quote you began this post with…”colourless skein of life”… my favorite part of the quote, it’s so rich, says so much…amazing!
Thank you for this reminder which I badly needed!
~ Amy
Amy: You are quite welcome. I do really love it when coincidences like that work out. This being pretty much my first experience with Conan Doyle I must say that I was impressed by his voice and look forward to reading more.
Ibeeg: Another thing I like about the Modern Library editions is that they have annotations that you can look up in the back if interested, but they are done in a way that doesn’t distract if you decide not to check out the notes. I also generally like the introductions, though I learned long ago not to read them as the writers aren’t afraid to ruin the story for you with their commentary.
This sounds really good, and I like that cover. Wonderfully creepy.
I’ve read Sherlock Holmes all in the wrong order and completely haphazardly. After reading your post I’m planning to start from the beginning on the Kindle.