
'detection Is, Or Ought To Be, An Exact Science' For More Than A Century The Holmes Stories Have Held A Strange, Almost Inexplicable Grip On The Popular Imagination. They Are Intimately Associated With Late Victorian And Edwardian Society, Yet Curiously Timeless In Their Appeal. The Characters Of Sherlock Holmes And Dr Watson, Together With Their Housekeeper Mrs Hudson And Their Address At 221b Baker Street Are As Familiar Today As When They Made Their First Appearance In The Late 1880s. The Stories Have Been Endlessly Interpreted, Adapted, And Modernized, But Still It Is To Arthur Conan Doyle's Originals That We Return. This New Selection Of Some Of The Best Of Them Is Designed To Give Readers A Full Sense Of Their World: The Brooding Fog Of London, Ruined Heirs In Creaking Mansions, And Hidden Crimes In The Farthest-flung Corners Of The British Empire. The Stories Take Holmes's Career From Its Early Days To Its Close, And Include The Book-length Sign Of The Four. Barry Mccrea's Introduction Investigates The Currents That Lie Beneath Their Surface. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
The brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. John Watson navigate the complex criminal underbelly of Victorian London to solve seemingly impossible cases. Operating from their residence at 221B Baker Street, Holmes utilizes his rigorous deductive reasoning to untangle mysteries that baffle Scotland Yard. He faces a variety of antagonists, ranging from desperate individuals to calculating criminal masterminds, while Watson serves as the chronicler of these exploits. The narrative framework typically employs Watson as the first-person narrator, providing a grounded perspective on Holmes's often eccentric and detached analytical process.
Readers and critics frequently highlight the enduring appeal of the Holmes stories due to the precise balance between intellectual puzzle-solving and atmospheric world-building. Discussion often centers on the dynamic partnership between the logical Holmes and the more empathetic Watson, which provides a necessary human anchor to the clinical nature of the investigations. Critics note that the pacing remains brisk, effectively utilizing the short story format to deliver concise, high-stakes mysteries. Many readers appreciate how these narratives capture the specific anxieties of the late Victorian era while maintaining a structure that feels accessible to modern audiences. The collection is widely regarded as a foundational entry point for those interested in the evolution of the detective genre.
Page Count:
416
Publication Date:
2014-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
019165213X
ISBN-13:
9780191652134
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