The Sign of The Four ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 stories starring the fictional detective. The story is set in 1888. The Sign of the Four has a complex plot involving service in East India Company, India, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a stolen treasure, and a secret pact among four convicts ("the Four" of the title) and two corrupt prison guards. It presents the detective's drug habit and humanizes him in a way that had not been done in the preceding novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887). It also introduces Doctor Watson's future wife, Mary Morstan.

Book Review:

Like I said in my review of A Study in Scarlet, I really enjoy the premise of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I am fascinated by the characters and have wanted to read the original stories for a while now. I'm glad that I read the first and I feel that this followed A Study in Scarlet nicely. 

There was a lot more character development than in the first story or so I felt. I do believe that it depicted Holmes's drug addiction in a unique way that I felt really symbolized the character well. Sherlock does not see himself as being addicted, like we see others as addicted. He sees it as a mechanism to keep his mind engaged when there is no mystery for him to follow or case for him to solve. He seems to stop using, from what I understand, when he is working a case because every part of his mind is being used for deduction and observation in order to solve the case. However, when he is using, he takes on the typical side effects of an addict. He doesn't have a different type of self control or anything like that. Its interesting to see how his mind works and how he justifies his actions. It's also interesting to see the worry from his companion, Doctor Watson. Watson worries about what the drugs do to Holmes and he worries about what could happen to Holmes while using. I feel that Watson has the same type of feelings that other people who care about addicts experience. 

Beyond Holmes's drug use, we have the case itself. The case is nothing spectacular. It has the same tone and feel to the case in A Study in Scarlet. However, I do believe that that tone is what makes the Sherlock Holmes stories so special. It was interesting and I certianly did not predict the result. I did predict many results while reading but none of them ended up being correct. I think that that is what makes reading the stories so fun. I can not wait to continue with the other stories. 

A Study in Scarlet ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

'There's a 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.' From the moment Dr John Watson takes lodgings in Baker Street with the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, he becomes intimately acquainted with the bloody violence and frightening ingenuity of the criminal mind. In A Study in Scarlet , Holmes and Watson's first mystery, the pair are summoned to a south London house where they find a dead man whose contorted face is a twisted mask of horror. The body is unmarked by violence but on the wall a mysterious word has been written in blood. The police are baffled by the crime and its circumstances. But when Sherlock Holmes applies his brilliantly logical mind to the problem he uncovers a tragic tale of love and deadly revenge . . .

Book Review:

I've always had an interest in Sherlock Holmes and even more so after watching the show by BBC and then reading A Study in Charlotte, which I reviewed here. I finally decided that it was time to pick up the original Sherlock Holmes stories, so when I found a bindup e-book version for a good price on Amazon, I snagged it. I have the four main stories in this bindup, the first obviously being A Study in Scarlet. 

I read the story, which isn't very long anyway, in about two days. I immediately fell in love with Conan Doyle's writing style. For having written these stories so long ago, the story didn't have the same dullness to it that I find in many other books written at the same time. I loved the characters right off of the bat, especially Sherlock. He is just so unapologetically strange. I hope that John has a bit more character development because I could see that his time overseas left neverending effects on him but I would like that to be developed more. As well as more conversations and interactions between him and Sherlock in general, not just John listening to Sherlock's explanations. 

Overall, the story was amazing and I can't wait to jump into another, but I am going to put other books in between each Sherlock book so that I can prolong the enjoyment.  

Pages: 116                                                                                                                                 Rate: 4/5

Favorite Quote:

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.” 

A Study in Charlotte ~ Brittany Cavallaro

The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever page-turner will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Book Review:

I started this book without any real expectations. I love the BBC adaptation "Sherlock Holmes," but I have never read the original series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although I had no real expectation, I was nervous that the dynamic between Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson wouldn't be the same as it is between the actors in the BBC television show. I was pleasantly surprised to have Charlotte be just as perturbed, easily aggravated, blatant, and intelligent as the original Holmes. Jamie wasn't as similar to the Watson that I have come to love, but his character still had that undeniable devotion and loyalty to Charlotte like the original Watson had for his Holmes. 

I found the setting to be rather interesting as both of the characters were far removed from their connections, but especially Charlotte, who even though she seems so independent could have gotten things done much more efficiently if she had her colleagues from Scotland Yard. I felt that this separation and the fact that familial relationships weren't able to completely participate in the dynamic between Charlotte and Jamie was valuable to their appeal. I loved that the story did not focus on a romantic relationship and that the brains of the operation was female. 

Now, although this book was great and I am excited to continue with the trilogy, it was hard to get into at first. It really took me a while to find my groove with the story. Maybe it is the writing. Maybe it was my preconceived notions of Holmes and Watson. I don't really know, but I do know that as soon as I was hooked, I could not put it down. 

Pages: 341                                                                                                                                 Rate: 3/5

Favorite Quote:

“I began wondering if there was some kind of Watsonian guide for the care and keeping of Holmeses.”