Holmes and Watson come alive in short stories. Someone (who, I wish I'd recall) once said that if you only read Agatha Christie's short stories, and Conan Doyle's novels, you'd think both were terrible writers. It certainly seems true in Conan Doyle's case (from the two I've read thus far).

Either way, of the twelve stories in this collection, all of them are quite enjoyable. They showcase a slightly more even relationship between the two heroes, as well as featurnig a varied array of guest characters, and mysteries which Conan Doyle easily shifts from political intrigue, to international conspiracy, to simple mistaken identity. In fact, the only story that I don't think really works anymore is "The Five Orange Pips" - and this is only because it has dated to the point where the killer's identity was something new and curious in the 1800s, but is now quite commonly known by most Westerners, meaning that most readers will probably catch on from about page three.

After this, I have renewed vigour to move on to the 4th of Holmes' 9-book canon. We'll see! ( )

This is the third book featuring master detective Sherlock Holmes. Unlike the first two, which were stand-alone novellas, this collects twelve short stories. Among them are such memorable tales as “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” and “A Scandal in Bohemia,” which leads off the collection. It also contains some lesser achievements. Even Holmes remarks in the final story about Watson’s tendency to write up the more trivial cases. However, he concedes that these sometimes present the most curious puzzles. Nothing delights him more than what he calls a three-pipe problem.
Throughout, Holmes displays his attention to detail, often mystifying Watson, who sees but does not observe. Many cases feature beautiful young females of pure character in mortal danger. This chivalrous view of womanhood somehow includes the seeming exception, Irene Adler. Other hallmarks of a Holmes yarn recur, such as the love of disguise; not only does Holmes adopt one in several stories, but he expresses his admiration of someone else’s use of one. There are instances of maiming; the engineer’s thumb is a particularly gruesome instance. Oddly, Doyle doesn’t seem to have settled on the identity of their housekeeper; Mrs. Hudson appears in only one story.
I continue to be struck by the frequent plot device of a crime (set in an exotic locale) before the local crime recounted in the story itself. This backstory often makes Holmes indifferent to whether the culprit has to face justice.
Holmesians sometimes ponder the incompatibility of Holmes, whose powers of rational deduction match those of his detection, as a creation of Doyle, who in later years championed spiritualism. But Holmes remarks: “Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. . . . There is nothing so unnatural as the commonplace.”
I enjoy becoming reacquainted with these tales sixty years after first devouring them. ( )

Contains
A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Red-Headed League (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Case of Identity (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Boscombe Valley Mystery (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Five Orange Pips (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Speckled Band [short fiction] by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet (short story) by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches [short story] by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Man with the Twisted Lip [short story] by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published on 14 October 1892. It contains the earliest short stories featuring the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, which had been published in twelve monthly issues of The Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892. The stories are collected in the same sequence, which is not supported by any fictional chronology. The only characters common to all twelve are Holmes and Dr. Watson and all are related in first-person narrative from Watson's point of view.

In general the stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes identify, and try to correct, social injustices. Holmes is portrayed as offering a new, fairer sense of justice. The stories were well received, and boosted the subscriptions figures of The Strand Magazine, prompting Doyle to be able to demand more money for his next set of stories. The first story, "A Scandal in Bohemia", includes the character of Irene Adler (perhaps, next to Holmes and Watson, Doyle's most fascinating character), who, despite being featured only within this one story by Doyle, is a prominent character in modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations, generally as a love interest for Holmes. Doyle included four of the twelve stories from this collection in his twelve favorite Sherlock Holmes stories, picking "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" as his overall favorite. ( )

This is the first Sherlock Holmes I've ever read, though like many, I've seen various adaptations. I started with this book of short stories mostly because it was the one I owned. I've never been a huge fan of short stories, though, and while I wish now that I'd started by checking A Study in Scarlet out from the library, I'm still glad I've started reading Holmes in any form. The issue with reading this book of shorter mysteries, though, is that a lot of the clients start to blend together, as many of them talk and act similarly when they bring Holmes their case. I did spread the stories out, reading 3 at a time, then reading other books before coming back for more, and I think that helped some.

My view of Holmes and Watson, and even some of the other characters, started with an understanding based on some of the adaptations I've seen, and while Holmes was indeed standoffish and generally assumed he was the smartest one in the room, I didn't think he was quite as cold as I've seen him portrayed. A few of the cases were really interesting, while there were a couple that I thought had a much less intriguing solution. The introduction of Irene Adler wasn't at all what I expected, but I wonder if she'll be back in a future story. Overall, I enjoyed reading these vignettes, and have a feeling I'll appreciate even more the longer stories when I get to them. ( )