The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

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Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The literary world is incomplete without mention of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary fictional character Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes ruled the minds of audiences in a manner no other literary character has been able to do and his adventures continues to awe, frighten and excite us till this very day.

The author wrote several novels featuring Holmes but it was his short stories that turned into a raving success among the readers. Of the five collections that was published, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" published in 1892 was the first and the most popular. It contains all except one of the five all-time most popular short stories in the Sherlock Holmes catalogue (A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-headed League, The Blue Carbuncle, and The Speckled Band), as well as some other gems like The Five Orange Pips.

These stories are considered to be among the finest ever written in the genre of mystery and detective literature and for those who wish to taste the work of Arthur Conan Doyle for the first time, it would be a great idea to start with these stories first.

Highlights

A Scandal in Bohemia

This is the very first story featured in the collection and one of the best. The story involves Holmes rare failure at finding the culprit. He is hired by the kingdom of Bohemia to regain a scandalous photograph of the future king of the kingdom from the beautiful Irene Adler. After going through a plethora of disguises and detective work, Holmes is outwitted by the lady in an intriguing fashion.

The Red-headed League

Generally regarded as all-time second best Sherlock Holmes story, this bizarre tale features a pawnbroker who is paid money to join the mysterious red-headed league, as part of an ingenious scheme to rob a bank.

Full list of the short stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

A Scandal in BohemiaThe Red-Headed LeagueA Case of IdentityThe Boscombe Valley MysteryThe Five Orange PipsThe Man with the Twisted LipThe Adventure of the Blue CarbuncleThe Adventure of the Speckled BandThe Adventure of the Engineer's ThumbThe Adventure of the Noble BachelorThe Adventure of the Beryl CoronetThe Adventure of the Copper Beeches

Why do i like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes so much? Well the exquisite detail of the characters make them real rather than made up, the sometimes unbelievable (in a good way) stories and predicaments within the plots are utterly amazing.

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Christmas Short Stories: Reading Holiday Favorites Together

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Ready to start a fun new tradition using great Christmas short stories?

Most families have a Christmas tradition or two that they look forward to sharing together year after year. Traditions draw us closer together and allow us to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season; they're also something special to share with future generations. If you don't have a Christmas tradition, try reading Christmas short stories together this year! It's free, meaningful and gives a slight pause to each day of the hustle and bustle that comes with the holiday season.

Begin on December 1st and read a story each night until Christmas. You may want to plan ahead by having each family member pick out several of their favorite holiday stories to have on hand. You can borrow some from your local library, download them to your iPod (many can be downloaded free), or listen to audio stories. If you are stuck and don't have enough favorites for each day, explore some new stories. We've created a list below to help get you started.

Make story time special by turning off the TV, computers, and iPods after dinner each night (unless of course, you've downloaded your Christmas short stories to your iPod). Light some candles, or gather the family around the lit Christmas tree. Make some apple cider or hot chocolate and have a small treat like a Christmas sugar cookie or shortbread to go with your hot drink. Then settle in to read, or listen to, your Christmas short stories.

You'll be surprised at how much your family will look forward to this quiet time with each other and you may even have some wonderful conversations during or after reading these timeless Christmas short stories together. Story time is also a great way to wind everyone down before bed, both young and old.

Make this Christmas special and begin a tradition that your family will look forward to each year. Your kids will remember this tradition and may even pass it on to their kids someday!

Here are some stories to get you started. You can find many of these free online.
The Gift, by R. Louis CarrollThe Story of BabouskaT'was the Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. MooreThe Christmas Story, the Bible - Matthew Chapters 1&2The Gift of the Magi, by O. HenryThe Little Match Seller, by Hans Christian AndersonThe Selfish Giant, by Oscar WildeThe Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, by L. Frank BaumA Kidnapped Santa Claus, by L. Frank BaumThe Cobbler and His Guest, by Anne McCollum BoylesThe Story of the Candy Cane

We hope that you enjoy reading them and continue the tradition for years to come.

Kristina Harding shares more Christmas short stories and more short story fun on her site at Short-Story-Time.com.