A Study In Scarlet (1887) By Arthur Conan Doyle

"They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains...It's a very bad definition, but it does apply to detective work."

Although I am, of course, extremely familiar with literature's most famous detective, I have never actually ventured to read any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. It seemed only right to start at the beginning, with this, his first case, originally published in 1887. I was aware of the rough structure of the story, but I was keen to see what Doyle's version entailed.

"I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose...the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic."

Part one of the case took the form of a classic murder mystery, which introduced its readers to the one-and-only Sherlock Holmes and his esteemed colleague Dr. Watson in typically interesting style. The mystery itself was fairly brief, but I enjoyed the descriptions and gesticulations that accompanied it.

"What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done."

The second part took an interesting divergence from the main narrative, which, at first, confused me a little, but, once I got into it, I found it rather riveting. Once everything came together, I thought it was all rather enjoyable. Doyle's diction is very easy to consume, which made for pretty quick reading.

"Where there is no imagination, there is no horror."

Overall, I thought that this was a classic mystery and a classic introduction to one of literature's most famous detectives. The story may have been vaguely familiar already, but a lot of it was still very new to me, so it still all felt relatively fresh. I was very glad to find this first story so readable, and I look forward to reading more of the intriguing adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

"It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty, and yet you are quite sure of the fact."