Review: A Study in Scarlet
KEYWORDS: Sherlock Holmes
In the TV series Case Closed, “Conan” became Jimmy Kudo’s alias because he was inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s renowned detective series Sherlock Holmes. As a fan of the series (I only watched the first 100 out of 1000 episodes…ok whatever) and a passionate reader of many contemporary detective novels. I thought it was about time to check out the most classic, paramount series in the detective realm – the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle. The full Sherlock Holmes series is composed of 4 main novels and a bundle of short stories.
A Study in Scarlet is the first of the 4 main novels. In short, the story circles around 2 murders that happen in London, and (not unexpectedly) Detective Holmes takes the burden of solving the case.
From the way the story was plotted, I feel like A Study in Scarlet appears to be slightly inferior compared to the other books I’ve read. I was expecting a little bit more plot twist. However, I do find the themes explored in the novel to be more significant and meaningful.
A Study in Scarlet teaches readers the importance of careful observations. The whole train of thoughts and fascinating deductions performed by Holmes are actually done through his attentive inspection of the murder scene, his later actions only further confirm his inferences based off of his observations. It teaches readers how every detail matters, every detail tells a story.
Another theme I found interesting in A Study in Scarlet was how the idea of injustice was threaded throughout the novel. It wasn’t even the injustice faced by the criminal or the victim here (obviously in every murder case some are dealing with fairness), but the injustice faced by Sherlock Holmes. Throughout the story, Holmes guides his fellow police partners to solve the case (Which isn’t too successful even after leaving numerous hints, Holmes still goes out to arrest the murderer himself), however, those officers despise and exclude him only because Holmes is a private detective. They are also generally reluctant to give Holmes any credit in front of the public because they feel like the rise of Holmes' reputation will stigmatize theirs. But ironically, every time they find themselves stagnant on the case, they still come to Holmes seeking help. The story does not portray these police officers as completely glamorous representatives of integrity, instead, it suggests that officers are also humans, and they can also have their own hypocritical thoughts.
In all, if you are a person interested in delving into some classic detective novels, A Study in Scarlet would be an excellent starting point for you. Also, although it was published in the 19th century, it is a much lighter read than the Scarlet Letter :D
Note: The method the murderer takes was also one of the most simple, and craziest ways I’ve ever seen…the murderer brings 2 identical pills to the victim, one normal one with an alkaloid (a poison), and has Providence choose their fate…I was like WHOAAAAAA what if you died…
Thank you for reading :D
Ruijing
Hi Ruijing, this seems like a really interesting book because I also enjoy detective books. I haven't read any of the Sherlock Holmes books, but I have heard they are good. I'll definitely have to add this to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteHi Ruijing! I LOVE older mystery novels, especially Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. I've personally never read this though, and seems very interesting. I love your ending note too. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Ruijing! I really love mystery novels and this book seems really really interesting! I'll be sure to read it some day (or years.. T^T) Great blog!!
ReplyDeleteHey Ruijing, as soon as I saw Case Closed in your introduction I got so excited because I also love that show (I too have not finished the 1113 episodes...)
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean by feeling a bit let down by a lacking plot twist. Detective novels are always a little tough for me to read because the setup can often be kind of boring, but you keep reading and waiting for the hammer to fall, wanting to find out how everything comes together in the end.
Your thoughts on injustice towards Sherlock Holmes also reminded me of Shinichi Kudo in Case Closed. A very different situation, but a lot of people underestimate and treat him differently because he looks like a kid, which ties back to officers not listening to Holmes. This was a post to read- thanks for sharing!
Hey Ruijing, Sherlock Holmes is probably the most iconic detective book series to date, and I've always wanted to read one of his books. I don't read detective books very often, but I prefer older detective books like Agatha Christie. This is pretty much the perfect recommendation. Thank you for the in-depth review, because it gave me a really good idea of what his books are like. I'll definitely add this book to my reading list!
ReplyDeleteHello Ruijing! I remember when my dad read this book to me a long time ago. While this review did not exactly bring me back to the moment or the story, it is still an interesting blog on the book. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHello Ruijing, I saw that you mentioned Case closed. I remember back in 5th grade I use to read a lot of case closed, I absolutely loved the series but I never got to read past the 30th book :( My favorite volume was 26. Great blog!
ReplyDelete