"A Study in Scarlet"

If you had been living in the city of London in the year 1887, you might have enjoyed reading a new story published in Beeton's Christmas Annual for that year. Written by a young medical man named Arthur Conan Doyle, it was a fairly short novel called "A Study in Scarlet." It introduced a number of significant and long-lasting characters to the British public, including another young medical man, an army veteran named John Watson, and another young man who became his roommate, one Sherlock Holmes. "A Study in Scarlet," the first recorded case solved by Sherlock Holmes, is the subject of this week's book review on the "Classic Mysteries" podcast, and you can listen to the full review by clicking here.

The mystery here is straightforward enough: there is a murder, followed by a second one. The police, as represented by Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson, cannot solve the mystery, so they turn to Holmes for help. By using logic and making rational deductions, Holmes solves the case. There is a long flashback which provides the backstory of the victims and the killer, followed by a wrapup taken from Dr. Watson's notes.

What was important here was not so much the mystery itself but the characters. Wikipedia tells us that the novel did not immediately catch the public's imagination - but after a second novel, "The Sign of Four," and the short stories of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," the character became so popular that when Doyle tried to kill off his creation some years later, public outrage forced him to bring Holmes back to life.

It is hard to think of another character whose very existence was so profoundly influential on the development of the detective story. For the reader who loves traditional mysteries, "A Study in Scarlet" is an essential book, as it tells of the meeting between Holmes and Watson, provides examples of the workings of Holmes's mind as he repeatedly astounds Watson by his insight, and elevates logic, order and reasoning to pre-eminent tools to be used in solving crimes. Oh, and you see that little man with the magnifying glass in the Classic Mysteries logo above? According to Wikipedia again, "A Study in Scarlet" was the first book to feature the use of a magnifying glass as an investigative tool in detective fiction.

"A Study in Scarlet" remains readily available, both in print and electronically, more than 127 years after its first appearance. E-book readers will find there are very inexpensive - even free - versions available in a variety of formats.

Comments

[Bev@My Reader's Block]

Love Sherlock Holmes! I still remember when the green faux leather collection of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, plus The Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four showed up under the Christmas Tree...over 30 years ago. I've been hooked on Holmes in various forms--movies, pastiches, and going back to the originals ever since. Glad to see Holmes as an entry for the Vintage Challenge.

[Bev@My Reader's Block]

Oh...and just to let you know, the link works just fine!

[Les Blatt]

Thanks, Bev. I am enjoying the books and the challenge, and - again - I encourage my visitors to jump over to Bev's site and join the fun.

[Bev@My Reader's Block]

Thank you for all your plugs for my blog/challenge, Les. Much appreciated!