Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Study in Scarlet

I've been meaning to read Sherlock Holmes for a long time. I've read The Hound of the Baskervilles but when I saw the movie it reminded me that these classics have been on my "to do" list for a while.

A Study in Scarlet is the introduction of the character. While I don't usually enjoy first person perspetive I do like Watson's voice. Doyle is able to keep the story moving at a brisk pace, as well as dropping little hints to come to the same conclusions as Holmes.

The second part of the book made little sense when I first started it. They'd just captured the murderer and Holmes was about to reveal how he got the man to appear in 221b Baker Street when suddenly the narrative switches to third person and in America. However, this was Doyle building motive for the murder. I suppose it was better than having the suspect reveal all but I found it jarring.

In the end, only Holmes could have deduced the crime. Not only because of his skill, but also because Doyle chooses not to reveal a telling clue. And that seems a little unfair.

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