For my next literary adventure I took a dip into the world of short stories. This made quite a nice change from longer novels that demand you keep reading, particularly with my habit of reading short chunks in my lunch break. That's not to say I now have a preference for the shorter format, just that variety is a good thing.
Continuing my journey through the world of Sherlock Holmes, the first two novels are followed by a collection of short stories. While each story has its own plot, references are frequently made to past cases that have been 'documented' by Dr Watson. Although the references are small, it is enough to feel some small reward for loyally reading everything in order.
One thing I did struggle with was the timeline. The first story, A Scandal in Bohemia, is set shortly after The Sign of the Four, however the pattern does not continue. While some stories play out in order others are from an earlier time, even from between when the two novels are set. The year is usually given at the start of the story but, particularly with references to earlier documented cases that were actually later, I still found it a little hard to keep track of.
As would probably be expected of a collection of short stories, my reaction to the individual plots was mixed. In some cases, particularly The Adventure of Copper Beeches, I managed to work out the major plot point very early on, which isn't something I particularly enjoy in a mystery book. However with others I found the story interesting and the mystery intriguing. The only problem is that as I read each story in a row it's hard to remember the individual plots!
And now I think I will return to novels for a while. Not for too long though, as my obsession with Sherlock Holmes is getting stronger, and I'm sure the next collection of short stories will start to call my name.
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