Which edition of Conan Doyle's stories is best?

[Canzonett]

I wonder if the most honourable members of the VBC could advice me which edition of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories to buy for my private library, since I only possess a small choice of stories in German translation and a very tettered old Penguin paperback of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". As far as classical texts are concerned, I usually buy solid, scholarly sound editions which I might be able to quote even in an essay without being reprimanded by my professors ... Which edition would you recommend?

[LaideeMarjorie]

I wonder if the most honourable members of the VBC could advice me which edition of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories to buy for my private library, since I only possess a small choice of stories in German translation and a very tettered old Penguin paperback of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". As far as classical texts are concerned, I usually buy solid, scholarly sound editions which I might be able to quote even in an essay without being reprimanded by my professors ... Which edition would you recommend?

Canzonett,

If you can afford it (!), I would get Les Klinger's "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes" because it has so much extra and interesting information added to it. There is a 2 volume set and then a separate 3rd volume. I don't own it yet (although I read parts of it in the bookstore), but I keep looking for reasonably priced used copy.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-Complete/dp/0393059162/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236604387&sr=1-3


--Marjorie

[Canzonett]

Thank you, LaideeMarjorie! Klinger's annotated edition looks good, indeed. Whether I might be able to afford it or not is another pair of shoes, but there's always a next birthday to look forward to ...

[LaideeMarjorie]

Thank you, LaideeMarjorie! Klinger's annotated edition looks good, indeed. Whether I might be able to afford it or not is another pair of shoes, but there's always a next birthday to look forward to ...


Oh, and I forgot to say that it is definitely not a book for carrying around! Too big! It's an at home kind of thing.

And my budget is tight as well. But I do hope to own it some day. That and all of the Jeremy Brett/Sherlock Holmes Granada series.

--Marjorie

[Pat Floyd]

Oh, and I forgot to say that it is definitely not a book for carrying around! Too big! It's an at home kind of thing.

A dear friend who has become disabled gave me his like-new two volume set because he could no longer manage it. Since I've talked about VBC, he thought I needed it. I would give anything if he still could use it, but it's a great gift. My favorite position for reading it is reclining on my side in bed like the Romans at dinner.

[Canzonett]

My favorite position for reading it is reclining on my side in bed like the Romans at dinner.

That's my second favourite position. Either that or lie on my back with solid cushions in my back and to my sides. Which is exactly the position I will get myself into right now to read some pages before falling asleep ...

[LindaU]

The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by WS Baring-Gould is the classic isn't it? I originally read them all in paperback first. Much easier to haul around.

[Jennifer]

Okay, I knew this would happen. I need to revive this thread because I am overwhelmed by all the Holmes stuff out there. How did you all start? What do you recommend?
Jennifer

[jtb1951]

I read them all back in the 60's in the paperback collection versions; I currently have and enjoy Klinger's annotated version and dragged the first volume of the set (along w/ his annotated Dracula) to BoucherCon for Les to sign. I will get the other volumes autographed down the line (maybe I'll take a volume out to San Francisco!)

John.

[Strawberry Curls]

A few years ago I found a very nice edition of "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" 2002, at a second-hand book store. I picked it up for a song and it has all the novels and stories. It is great for a quick reference. I have Clinger's Annotated (a Christmas present), and I read the stories there for more detail when I need to, but my first time through I read from this second hand copy.

[Jennifer]

Thanks Alice,
I'll look that one up in our library system. I am in the middle of "Study in Scarlet" and I am getting very uncomfortable with the level of suspense...I really shouldn't be a mystery reader, should I?
Jennifer

[Strawberry Curls]

Thanks Alice,
I'll look that one up in our library system. I am in the middle of "Study in Scarlet" and I am getting very uncomfortable with the level of suspense...I really shouldn't be a mystery reader, should I?
JenniferI found STUD a bit tedious, but pushing through it did give a nice intro to Holmes and Watson. The later stories pleased me more, but that is my impression and may not be what another might feel.

I have listened to Edward Hardwick reading Canon. He hasn't recorded all the stories, but what he has is on iTunes and is available at a reasonable cost.

[Jennifer]

Done with "Study in Scarlet." I think the worst thing really was the change midway from sort of a history of how the partnership began but the whole look at the West through a British set of eyes, the Mormons, the trek through the mountains, that was oddly thrilling. These old stories have a morality of their own that we do not possess anymore. That Jefferson Hope should have spent all those years in pursuit and then die right after the deed is done, not have to face the gallows, and everyone is very relieved that he won't, it reminded me of how many Lord Peter's villains did the honorable thing by taking poison in the library...
Jennifer

[Elizabeth Chase]

Back to the original query: My recommendation is the Bantam mass market paperback editions, complete in two volumes. I don't know the current price, but it should be reasonable.

[Jennifer]

Thanks Elizabeth. I jumped in and got hold of something called "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes." It's huge. I don't know how easy it's going to be to read. I think the mass market size book is probably easier for me to handle. I'll look for them. As a fan, have you read and reread the stories over the years? I am wondering if I might turn out to be a one-time consumer which would be unusual for me.
Jennifer

[Elizabeth Chase]

Thanks Elizabeth. I jumped in and got hold of something called "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes." It's huge. I don't know how easy it's going to be to read. I think the mass market size book is probably easier for me to handle. I'll look for them. As a fan, have you read and reread the stories over the years? I am wondering if I might turn out to be a one-time consumer which would be unusual for me.
Jennifer

For studying the Canon there's nothing like either one of the annotated editions (the new Klinger or the classic Baring-Gould), but for casual reading I'd recommend the paperbacks. Especially if you're like me and read where ever you go.

Years ago I belonged to the Internet HOUNDS-L so during that time I did re-read the stories (we studied a different story each month), but I haven't read them recently. One of these days I'll get around to re-reading SCAN for the monthly discussion.

[Jennifer]

One of these days I'll get around to re-reading SCAN for the monthly discussion.

I know that not everyone is a listener but I very much enjoyed the story being read aloud. It played up the drama and the reader was great. I listened in my car which was a nice useage of time. I don't know why I can absorb things that way. Other people tell me it's impossible for them to retain anything important by listening in such a casual way.

Jennifer

[Elizabeth Chase]

I know that not everyone is a listener but I very much enjoyed the story being read aloud. It played up the drama and the reader was great. I listened in my car which was a nice useage of time. I don't know why I can absorb things that way. Other people tell me it's impossible for them to retain anything important by listening in such a casual way.

Jennifer

I have the Edward Hardwicke audio tapes. They're very enjoyable; it's much like Dr. Watson personally telling me the stories. Unfortunately, he didn't do the entire canon.

Back in the day when I was a good girl I'd listen to audio tapes as I exercised. One of these days . . .

[Jennifer]

There are so many good readers! I'd not seen the Hardwick versions. I am getting another one this morning. I need to find out who did the entire canon and get hold of it. I listen at my job which is fairly repetitive. And I listen while I cook and walk my dog. I am not coordinated enough to listen while I exercise! (I use an old-fashioned personal cd player!)
Jennifer

[Davina]

I think I may have to put the Klinger on my wishlist :)

Currently, I have the Bantam paperback collection, so I can pick them up and take them along, wherever I want to go.

I'm also currently enjoying the Granada productions courtesy of Netflix and xbox since they are on their watch it now queue.

[tangential1]

I'm also currently enjoying the Granada productions courtesy of Netflix and xbox since they are on their watch it now queue.

Excellent! I heart Netflix and their Instant Watch option. I haven't actually ever seen any of the old Holmes movies, so I'll have to add them to my queue.

Oh, and Welcome Davina! Since I failed at joining the welcome party on your intro post :rolleyes:

[Davina]

Excellent! I heart Netflix and their Instant Watch option. I haven't actually ever seen any of the old Holmes movies, so I'll have to add them to my queue.

Oh, and Welcome Davina! Since I failed at joining the welcome party on your intro post :rolleyes:

I know you'll enjoy them. I love Netflix streaming too. Definitely saved me from dying of boredom when I was recuperating from surgery.

Thank you for the Welcome :)

[Jennifer]

I've been watching Jeremy Brett's SH and he's good, very very good. And I am seeing firsthand what a student Ms. King is of Mr. Holmes. Never having paid him much mind before my Russell-Holmes reading, I was a tabula rasa in so many ways. Now I am seeing how she picked up on his mannerisms, his likes and dislikes, his approach to solving crimes. My only real question is how could a man like Holmes go so many years w/o being involved in detection, you know between the time he "retired" and the time he met Russell. Or was he working as an adjunct or something? I seem to remember him calling it "retirement.." This period between active duty and meeting Russell is starting to intrigue me...

Jennifer

[Strawberry Curls]

Jennifer, Holmes retired in 1903 and I suppose the first few years would have been taken up with his bees, his writing and his settling into country life, but then there was the Lions Mane case and possibly others in and around Sussex. He may have been retired, but he would have been drawn into a few things.

When Russell meets Holmes in April 1915 he was about 8 months past the Von Bork case. A German spy ring working in America and the UK needed to be ferreted out and that took over two years of Holmes being in deep cover as an Irishman living in America. One has to speculate that Mycroft fed Holmes enough little problems to keep him from drugging himself to death out of boredom.

[Jennifer]

Jennifer, Holmes retired in 1903 and I suppose the first few years would have been taken up with his bees, his writing and his settling into country life, but then there was the Lions Mane case and possibly others in and around Sussex. He may have been retired, but he would have been drawn into a few things.

When Russell meets Holmes in April 1915 he was about 8 months past the Von Bork case. A German spy ring working in America and the UK needed to be ferreted out and that took over two years of Holmes being in deep cover as an Irishman living in America. One has to speculate that Mycroft fed Holmes enough little problems to keep him from drugging himself to death out of boredom.

Please pardon my ignorance but how do you know all these details? Have I missed something or just not gotten to it? I thought ACD left off at a certain point. Are these events ACD's invention? Thanks for not sneering at such a complete ignoramus....
Jennifer

[Strawberry Curls]

Jennifer, we all have to learn about this stuff in our own way, and in the depth that interests us. I remember asking another group questions about canon as I hadn't read it yet and wanted to know about the emerald stick pin mentioned in GAME. I was told rather rudely to read Canon before asking stupid questions. Well, I happen to feel questions aren't stupid, they are just one of many ways of obtaining information. I later was told to read "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" and there I found the information about the stick pin.

You probably haven't gotten to the stories set after Holmes' retirement, Jennifer. "The Lions Mane" is one, written in the first person and not one of the best, IMHO. "His Last Bow" chronicles the Von Bork case, where Holmes wears a goatee and because of that, in BEEK, Russell notes the faint light patch on his chin (all those months later) is still visible because there hadn't been sufficient sun to erase it. "His Last Bow" ends just at the outbreak of WWI, so Summer of 1914. Holmes meets Russell in April 1915.

As to how I know these things, I read, I remember, I check dates, and so on and so on, much as I know so much detail about Kanon. It interests me so I grab at the details and I research with Canon and Kanon at hand.

[Jennifer]

I guess I was wallowing in the Canon w/o knowing what I was doing. I knew that LRK's battle cry has always been "After 1915 he's ours!" but I had heard about retirement and thought there was an interregnum. I'll wiki this subject and maybe fill in more details. I was so busy just enjoying the basics. I have read the story with the stickpin but I might profit from reading it again. Most of them, I have only read once. But I have this playaway now for a few weeks and have been listening to "The Hounds" and some other stories. It has helped to listen to Hounds more than once. The clues are there, but planted subtly...
Jennifer

[Strawberry Curls]

Jennifer, are your audio versions unabridged, abridged, or adaptations? It makes a huge difference in the details. I've listened to many adaptations, including the complete canon done as radio plays with Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. They are great, but liberties are taken with Canon and in some cases the radio play is better than the original, but in all slight changes are made, as they were with the Granada Series. When I talk about detail from Canon, I try very hard not to mix the various versions and only speak from actual Canon.

[Elizabeth Chase]

ACD also did things with the Holmes stories that he couldn't do in real life. It's my understanding that when he was knighted for his work during the Boer War, he really didn't want the honor. However, one doesn't have a choice in the matter so it was Sherlock Holmes who turned down knighthood!

I'd never read the canon before Mary Russell (1999) but belonging to the internet Hounds-L was a big help as they discuss one story each month (over and over and over).

Baring-Gould's annotated canon is very helpful because the stories are in the order that they happened rather than the publication date. ACD didn't write the short stories as a serial; the dates of the cases are all over the place.

Although The Last Bow was Holmes's last case (published in 1917), in 1927 ACD published the last collection of short stories, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, which included The Illustrated Client, The Blanched Soldier, and ten more stories.

[Jennifer]

Jennifer, are your audio versions unabridged, abridged, or adaptations? It makes a huge difference in the details. I've listened to many adaptations, including the complete canon done as radio plays with Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. They are great, but liberties are taken with Canon and in some cases the radio play is better than the original, but in all slight changes are made, as they were with the Granada Series. When I talk about detail from Canon, I try very hard not to mix the various versions and only speak from actual Canon.

Oh no, I am listening to the originals. I did get hold of some radio plays at first and realized that wouldn't do for Canon. Then I was very careful to find unabridged versions. The trouble is, there is no rhyme or reason to any set I've found. I had a playaway that promised 23 stories. Sadly, it only has 5. Playaways are notoriously bad for this sort of thing. Anyhoo, off I go again..
Jennifer

[Davina]

I've been watching Jeremy Brett's SH and he's good, very very good. And I am seeing firsthand what a student Ms. King is of Mr. Holmes. Never having paid him much mind before my Russell-Holmes reading, I was a tabula rasa in so many ways. Now I am seeing how she picked up on his mannerisms, his likes and dislikes, his approach to solving crimes. My only real question is how could a man like Holmes go so many years w/o being involved in detection, you know between the time he "retired" and the time he met Russell. Or was he working as an adjunct or something? I seem to remember him calling it "retirement.." This period between active duty and meeting Russell is starting to intrigue me...

Jennifer

In my mind he's the best, its no wonder he was my first celebrity crush :)

I don't think that he did retire entirely. I don't think a man like Holmes could ever retire completely :)