Book Review: The Sign of Four
Nov. 16th, 2009 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerSherlock Holmes!
The Sign of Four is IIRC the second Sherlock Holmes novel published; I wanted to read the first, A Study in Scarlet, first, but the library only had copies with endnotes, and I hate and despise novels with editorially imposed endnotes. (Terry Pratchett’s footnotes are something else. They’re meant to be there.)
First, Holmes takes cocaine. I have nothing witty to say about this, I just thought you should know.
It’s fluffy fun; if I can find any other un-endnoted Sherlock Holmes stories in the library I may pick them up for bedtime reading. Other than that I don’t have much to say. Conan Doyle’s treatment of characters of color is appalling, as one might expect from a book written in the 1880s; his treatment of women is better but still marked with the stigmata of his times.
On the other hand, the plot is cracking, Holmes’ voice is delightful, and Watson’s narration is just the right mixture of fascinated and exasperated. (I can’t imagine there’s anyone in the world who doesn’t sometimes want to throttle Holmes.) So take from it what you will.
***
Also, this new icon of mine comes from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
semyaza, who has a journal full of great icons based on book illustrations, illuminated manuscripts, old maps, political cartoons from the 18th century...it's pretty fantastic.
The Sign of Four is IIRC the second Sherlock Holmes novel published; I wanted to read the first, A Study in Scarlet, first, but the library only had copies with endnotes, and I hate and despise novels with editorially imposed endnotes. (Terry Pratchett’s footnotes are something else. They’re meant to be there.)
First, Holmes takes cocaine. I have nothing witty to say about this, I just thought you should know.
It’s fluffy fun; if I can find any other un-endnoted Sherlock Holmes stories in the library I may pick them up for bedtime reading. Other than that I don’t have much to say. Conan Doyle’s treatment of characters of color is appalling, as one might expect from a book written in the 1880s; his treatment of women is better but still marked with the stigmata of his times.
On the other hand, the plot is cracking, Holmes’ voice is delightful, and Watson’s narration is just the right mixture of fascinated and exasperated. (I can’t imagine there’s anyone in the world who doesn’t sometimes want to throttle Holmes.) So take from it what you will.
***
Also, this new icon of mine comes from
semyaza, who has a journal full of great icons based on book illustrations, illuminated manuscripts, old maps, political cartoons from the 18th century...it's pretty fantastic.
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no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 01:26 pm (UTC)I'm really enjoying following along as you read classics.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 08:20 pm (UTC)I'm reading As You Like It Next!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 08:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 08:33 pm (UTC)I'm reading Shakespeare because my next door neighbor is a Shakespeare geek and offered to lend me As You Like It, and then I mentioned it to some of my friends and they exploded with enthusiasm and "YOU HAVE TO READ OTHELLO/RICHARD III/THE MERCHANT OF VENICE etc. etc..."
And who am I to disagree? So I may be reading Shakespeare for the next month.