The Cunning Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is not a book you hear a lot of freshman are reading right now. Even I wouldn't usually read this kind of book but the reason I am reading this book is first of all, I like mystery and Sherlock Holmes is all about mystery. Second of all, I have recently finished all the seasons that are out right now of the television show Sherlock on the channel BBC. That show is one of the best TV shows ever in my opinion. I wanted to learn more about Sherlock Holmes because all I knew about him was everything I learned in the TV show; which is not always accurate. So I went straight to the source of the television show which was the book. So I am now on page 348 of 1712. The book is made of a collection of short stories about Sherlock's adventures. The story I am currently on is The Five Orange Pips.

A funny thing about the character Sherlock, is he can take things in from a scene and know almost everything about it. You would think there is absolutely no possible way he can know that, but then he explains it. Then your thinking, "Anybody can do that!" But this mostly happens in the TV show because I can see what is going on. But this makes Doyle that much better as an author because not only does he just say Sherlock does this and figures this stuff out, but he also explains this and makes it seem real which means not only is Arthur Conan Doyle as smart as Sherlock, but he is smarter. But a good example of this is in The Boscombe Valley Mystery, in the book, when Sherlock was describing the murderer based on things found at the crime scene:
"'[The murderer] Is a tall man, left-handed, limps with the right leg, wears thick-soled shooting boots and a gray cloak, smokes Indian cigars, uses a cigar-holder, and carries a blunt penknife in his pocket.'"

So you're probably wondering just how he knew that much about the murderer like he was looking at a picture of him. He does explain what he just said but I am just going to show you a little snippet:

"'And the cigar-holder?'

'I could see that the end had not been in his mouth. Therefore he used a holder. The tip had been cut off, not bitten off, but the cut was not a clean one, so I deduced a blunt penknife.'"

After I read stuff like that I am just thinking, "How did Doyle think of that?" In the TV show I can see what is going on which makes it easier. But someone had to write this and think this up! It is not that easy to just think up a thing like that which makes Doyle that much better as an author because not only does he just say Sherlock does this and figures this stuff out, but he also explains this and makes it seem real which means not only is Doyle as smart as Sherlock, but smarter.

So I would also suggest watching the television season Sherlock, because it is not just a mystery show, it is a comedy!