The English collection
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The stories
An unexpected visitor, a puzzling advertisement, a secret behind a respectable door. Through Dr Watson’s eyes, Conan Doyle turns small observations into absorbing mysteries and gives us the pleasure of returning to Baker Street.
A way into the book
From the introduction
A visitor arrives in Baker Street with a problem that will not fit an ordinary explanation. Sherlock Holmes listens, asks an unexpected question, and notices something everyone else has passed over. Beside him is Dr Watson, friend, companion and recorder of the encounter. The twelve stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes make this familiar arrangement surprisingly flexible: a marriage, an advertisement or a missing person can matter as much as a murder. Each adventure stands on its own. You do not need to have read the earlier novels, and there is no hidden reading order to master before beginning.
An excerpt from the original Read Classics introduction. The Android preview contains the complete introduction and A Scandal in Bohemia.
Inside the illustrated edition
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A light in Baker Street
Amber windows glow above a blue London night. Twelve paintings accompany the collection, one for each story.
His rooms were brilliantly lit
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The extraordinary nearby
A quiet square, a shopfront, a second look. Even the pavement invites attention.
a few clumps of faded laurel-bushes
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Before the story begins
A hesitant visitor looks towards a window. Small gestures carry the feeling of an unfamiliar encounter.
her fingers fidgetted with her glove buttons
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The country holds its silence
Reeds, pale water and distant trees. The stillness of the landscape rewards a closer look.
a little reed-girt sheet of water
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A refuge from the storm
Outside, rain sweeps across the glass. Inside, reading and thought continue in the firelight.
the wind cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The city below the city
Worn steps descend towards a small lamp. Discover the deeper shadows of Victorian London.
a flickering oil-lamp above the door
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
An ordinary object, another story
A battered hat waits beside the fire. The familiar becomes curious under a patient gaze.
the windows were thick with the ice crystals
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Beyond the spring branches
Old gables appear through a waking woodland. Beauty and unease share the same pale light.
the gray gables and high roof-tree of a very old mansion
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A lantern after midnight
An empty platform, a waiting carriage. The countryside takes on the atmosphere of a question.
a single sleepy porter with a lantern
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A visitor with a problem
Formal clothes, a guarded expression, a quiet room. Social ceremony meets attentive observation.
swinging in his right hand the cord which held his golden eye-glasses
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The city in winter light
Snow brightens the street while a figure hurries past. A change of weather reveals another London.
shimmering brightly in the wintry sun
The art of the story · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Beneath the copper leaves
Rich foliage shades a weathered house. The last painting invites you to linger beyond the threshold.
A clump of copper beeches immediately in front of the hall door
In development
The Android preview
Introduction + A Scandal in Bohemia · No account needed.
The Android app lets you try the typography and read the preview offline. It is not yet available for public download.
For now, you can read the introduction excerpt above. This website does not yet offer the reading sample or an interactive reader.
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