The Sign Of The Four (1890) By Arthur Conan Doyle

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"

The second of Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective mysteries is probably the one I'm least familiar with. I really didn't know much about it beyond its name and chief peotagonists. I had recently read and enjoyed Sherlock Holmes' debut in 'A Study In Scarlet', and so had hopes of a similar level of enjoyment with this follow-up mystery novella.

"I cannot live without brain-work. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-colored houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material?"

I enjoyed how this story grew the two main characters more; it gave more flair and personality to Holmes, and more purpose for Watson. This allowed their interactions to feel more organic, in a sense, which in turn made it more readable. I wasn't so enamoured by the police presence in this mystery, but that hardly plays a large part, in fairness.

"The chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness."

Unfortunately, the novella has some very dated language and descriptions, particularly in regards to Indian representation. It's safe to say that, by today's standards, it's quite racist. This did make a lot of the second half of the story in particular very uncomfortable to get through, at points. It's easy to forget that this story is now over 130 years old.

"The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning."

The mystery itself was a little less interesting and a little more convoluted than in the previous Holmes and Watson adventure, but it was not without its own dramatics and intrigue. Similarly to 'A Study In Scarlet', it is composed of two parts; the mystery and the story behind it. I didn't mind this choice, though I preferred the execution of it in the prior book.

"No: I am not tired. I have a curious constitution. I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely."

Overall, whilst I enjoyed parts of this adventure to a fair degree, particularly in the first part of the story, I do think that it has aged poorly, and is, generally speaking, inferior to its predecessor. It doesn't surprise me that this is one of the lesser celebrated Sherlock Holmes mysteries - it just doesn't quite have the same flair of those more famous investigations.

"You know my methods. Apply them."