Posted: March 25, 2022
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
This collection presents a slight uptick in quality when compared to the previous collection plus you also get what was originally meant to be the last Sherlock Holmes tale.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was a good read but "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" left me with the impression that it was a better read. I can't really put my finger on why exactly that is so but this collection seems "beefier". Maybe it's simply that Arthur Conan Doyle is becoming more skilled as he writes more.
In any case this collection was apparently meant to be the last of the Sherlock Holmes tales. The last story in the collection is "The Final Problem", and it was exactly that, the final mystery - a mystery that sees Holmes dying in the line of duty. At least that seemed to be the plan; it turns out that by this time, Holmes, and, I would surmise, Watson, had become too much the beloved characters for readers to accept an end to the tales.
Having already read a number of Sherlock Holmes stories I would just like to note something I always admired about Sherlock Holmes: He has the courage to know what he likes to do and the courage to do it. It is not so with me, I did the practical thing, not what I wanted. The consequence for me is that I have a so-so life. The consequence for Holmes is that he loves his days, he loves what he does, he becomes really good at it, it proves lucrative in the end, he builds a solid reputation, and, I would surmise, he dies in a manner that he does not regret. All because he had the courage to do what he loved.
Silver Blaze
Just like "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" from the previous collection, I watched "Silver Blaze" on film before I read it. This is that tale of the champion race horse who disappears right before a major race. The story takes place in the countryside in a heath, and because of that, it is a change from the Holmes stories told in the closely packed city of London. Here we have wide open country, fresh air, and murder.
The Yellow Face
Yes, there is a mystery at the heart of "The Yellow Face", but this story I find very endearing and poignant, with a really great ending. Here Holmes and Watson is confronted by a wife who gets up in the middle of the night to go to a neighbors house; a place that she doesn't allow her husband to enter. What is going on? Sherlock Holmes applies his formidable mind to the problem - and gets it wrong!
The Stock-Broker's Clerk
For a brief time in "The Stock-Brocker's Clerk" we are put into the shoes of a London salaryman. We are there with him when he loses his position and struggles to get a new one. Once again this is a case of "too good to be true" but "too irresistible to pass up" just like "The Adventure of the Red Headed League" in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". Something is odd about the new job, very odd, odd enough for this young man, Hall Pycroft, to call in Sherlock Holmes to check it out.
The Gloria Scott
For those looking for a bit of backgrounder on Holmes, "The Gloria Scott" has references to his college days. Indeed, the adventure is in the service of an old school chum. Everything is very "above board" until the shocking incident of a man dying because he read a note. And so the mystery, with one clue being the presence of an old, rascally sailor.
The Musgrave Ritual
In spite of its fairly elaborate plot I consider "The Musgrave Ritual" as the weakest story in this collection. The Musgrave Ritual refers to an old family oral tradition that happens to be the direction to a hidden treasure.
The Reigate Puzzle
For me the highlight of the "Reigate Puzzle" was when Holmes set up Watson as a foil and them promptly nearly got himself beaten up. It's a wonderful whodunit with clues all over the place.
The Crooked Man
There is no crime in "The Crooked Man" but there is a mystery. I find the chosen employment of the subject of this mystery to be both amusing and satisfying. All in all, I find it endearing that a man will suffer prison in order to protect is family from shame.
The Resident Patient
In "The Resident Patient" a talented yet penniless doctor is approached by a stranger with a very attractive offer. The stranger offers to set the doctor up in a practice in return for a cut of the business plus the right to be the doctor's "resident patient". All is not right, odd enough for the doctor to call in Sherlock Holmes. The story takes a dark turn, a murder happens, and Holmes and Watson unearth a secret past.
The Greek Interpreter
An interpreter finds himself in a deadly situation; it would have killed him if not for Sherlock Holmes. The story involves a mystery in the suburbs of London, nefarious characters, a damsel in distress. Unfortunately Holmes does not catch the villains, but justice is meted out to them in the end.
The Naval Treaty
In the tradition of "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet", in "The Naval Treaty" we have the theft of an precious item. This one, a document, unlike the aforementioned coronet, is not inherently precious but it contains information that could cause a national calamity. Noteable here is the anguish, the mental torture, experienced by the one who lost the document. I would surmise that most of us know the extreme discomfort of being subjected to constant stress; here the hapless victim had been suffering for weeks. It was with great relief that I read the formidable Sherlock Holmes proceed to aid this man.
The Final Problem
Here it is, the death of Sherlock Holmes. Also featured here is he famous Professor Moriarty. Holmes, at the height of his career, comes up against a crime network headed by the Professor. He's been at it for some time before he brings in Watson. In time for Watson to chronicle this: his friend's last adventure. Holmes does not bow out in defeat though, Professor Moriarty too is finished.