It's Elementary...But i'm still not sure.

docdelorean88 · November 03, 2009, 05:26:51 AM

Does anyone know what order is the best to read the fantastic Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle? Also, did you guys know that an unoffilcial sequel allowed Dr. Watson to discover that Sherlock is Jack the ripper? Interesting to say the least. Anyhow, much thanks to whomever can help me answer this.

catwhowalksbyhimself · November 03, 2009, 10:54:00 AM

I would read them in publication order, which is, for the most part, chronological order as well.

Gremlin · November 03, 2009, 01:53:37 PM

Agreed. For any series, when in doubt, publication is the best way to go.

yell0w_lantern · November 03, 2009, 02:42:11 PM

Sherlock as Jack the Ripper? Weirdsville, man.

You can buy the complete collection in one volume, you know.

thalaw2 · November 04, 2009, 02:29:52 AM

I have two volumes of the complete collection....but I have yet to read either. I don't know if the Jack the Ripper stuff is in them...now i wanna check as soon as work is over.

catwhowalksbyhimself · November 04, 2009, 02:57:54 AM

That Jack the Ripper thing is not an any of the original stories. I know, I've read them all.

docdelorean88 · November 04, 2009, 10:23:16 PM

I am reading the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as of present. I just wanted to see if i liked it... I DO! This is a fantastic character. Has anyone seen/played/heard of the Sherlock Holmes videogames? The latest was Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the ripper(PC/360). I watched the trailer and it looked pretty well made!

daglob · November 05, 2009, 07:26:08 PM

There have been several Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack The Ripper, none of them canon. There are literally HUNDREDS of pastiches that have Holmes going up agains everyone from Fu Manchu to Cthulhu ("Ten years Beyond Baker Street" by Cay Van Ash and "Shadows Over Baker Street", an anthology).

...then there is "The Adventure of the Misplaced Hound"...

The order that most of the stories are usually printed in is very nearly chronological, with the two main exceptions that I remember 'The Valley of Fear" which was published after "The Final Problem" (but HAS to occur before it) and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" which is an "old" Holmes adventure that Watson decided to release something like 10 years after Holmes started his "hiatus". There are also a few "flashback" stories.

Whne you finish Holmes, you might try the Solar Pons series by August Derleth, and then there is the Nero Wolfe series. Wolfe just MIGHT be the son of Sherlock Holmes. And there are also all those pastiches...

Tawodi Osdi · November 05, 2009, 08:35:09 PM

I remember watching all of those old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies as I kid, but I don't ever recall reading a Sherlock Holmes story. I might have to add Sherlock Holmes to my own reading list.

And for other non-canonical stories, there have been several movies both bad and good utilizing the old detective. I even recall Batman teaming up with Mr Holmes on one occasion.

Xenolith · November 05, 2009, 10:00:56 PM

yeah, just read them in order of publication. I've read them all too. I really like the '80s TV show version which does a great job of capturing the spirit of the stories. I have a large print, annotated version that I recieved for Christmas one year. Its really neat because it explains some of the the things that may be unfamiliar to modern readers.

Tawodi Osdi · November 05, 2009, 10:53:13 PM

I'm an English major, and naturally, I love old literature, but I definitely need the annotation. I have no idea why those old writers never learned proper English.

Previsionary · November 05, 2009, 10:56:24 PM

Quote from: Tawodi Osdi on November 05, 2009, 10:53:13 PM
I'm an English major, and naturally, I love old literature, but I definitely need the annotation. I have no idea why those old writers never learned proper English.

Don't be silly, silly. Modern folks don't even know proper English.

Uncle Yuan · November 06, 2009, 01:04:45 AM

Oh, where is ow_tiobe_sb when we need him?

catwhowalksbyhimself · November 06, 2009, 06:37:22 AM

Yes, those old writers DID know proper English, it's you who don't know how to read proper English. You are hardly alone in that, so don't take that as an insult.

I grew up reading old books, so I have no trouble in that regard.

Xenolith · November 06, 2009, 01:45:36 PM

The annotations are about places, things, and cultural references, not translations of 19th Century English to American English. Just to be clear.

Tawodi Osdi · November 06, 2009, 04:40:18 PM

Actually, I was just being sarcastic. I mainly need the annotations to figure out the more archaic word choices.

News:

It's Elementary...But i'm still not sure.