A Study In Scarlet

Great book! I couldn't put it down! Nice story for a beginner.

*SPOILER*
Great story overall, though it could be improved. First, Jonathan Small is unknown until the mystery is solved. But the story was written before this rule was applied. Second, Sherlock Holmes does not solve the entire mystery. He doesnt explain the situation. Instead, Jonathan Small takes this role. But, since this was one of the first mystery novel ever written, this is exceptable. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle does an exceptional job with his imagination. Excellent descriptive characters and plot.

This is the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. It explains how Holmes and Watson came to meet and share lodgings. However, it is the one Holmes story that is altered significantly when presented in movie, TV, or play format.

Like several of the Sherlock Holmes novels, the first part involves Holmes solving a sensational mystery followed by a second part that provides the background/motivation to the original crime.

In 1887, when this novel was written, there was a "crusade" against Mormons that was in full swing. The background story involves Mormons, forced plural marriages, "Danites" (a popularized sort of Mormon enforcer of the times), and Brigham Young. Unless you are a diehard anti-Mormon, the background story is ludicrous, hence the significant alterations when the story is presented in movie, TV, or play format.

Nevertheless, the novel is entertaining and gives you an excellent insight into the Origins of Sherlock Holmes

As with other readers, I got a little lost in the second part, but keep going, it all fits the overall story in the end :-) A really good introduction to Holmes and Watson.

Thanks to all people who took their time to give valuable insights.Like others i was also confused about the second part but assured by the others i continued reading and i really enjoyed it.Thanks

As for the extended coda set in the US, it's important to realize that Conan Doyle's first passion as a writer was Historical Fiction, and he initially saw the Holmes stories as a way to expand his readership of that kind of writing.

He follows a similar pattern in Valley of Fear, and to a lesser extent in The Sign of Four.

The first time I read these novels, I remember feeling a similar sense of dislocation, but Doyle is such a strong writer that he had me hooked within pages.

A highly enjoyable first novel.Though I do think that The Sign of Four is a vast improvement.

No doubt the book is nice but in the 2nd part I got confused if some other story had been started. I couldn't find any Holmes or Watson there. After reading I realised it was connected to the case. But such a big past of criminal wasn't needed there.
Overall good story with details of how Holmes met Watson.

First Novel of Sherlock and it was for me too. It introduces the greatest man ever formed though in the author's imagination but still it takes so much to think about the extra-ordinary character and then finding stories as void for his character to live with. Holmes' Books are really SPECTACULAR! You Read One, and then You want More of him! It just has kind of attraction that will attract you again and again if you tend to cooperate(in some terms) with Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

And not only the character of Sherlock Holmes but Dr.J.Watson is also a good one. And When both of them are together it makes a fabulous and splendor stories to read on. They're like Good And Evil, without good evil doesn't exist, though BOTH of them are on the good side from the Crime POV!

Witty and fun. Intelligent in a CSI sort of way. I'd read Doyle in highschool and wanted to return after seeing the moovie. I'm so glad I did.