| |
| Complete Sherlock Holmes (Wordsworth Library Collection) |
|
|
Complete Sherlock Holmes (Wordsworth Library Collection)
Wordsworth Editions Ltd
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Ready to Order |
27 New and Used from: £ 4.90
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £6.43
| |
|
| Product Details |
ISBN/ASIN: 1840220767
Release Date:
Sales Rank: 851
Average Rating: 
Media: Hardcover
Audience Rating:
Product Group: Book
|
| Product Description |
| Features stories of Sherlock Holmes. |
| Customer Reviews: Average Rating: 5.0/5 | | fantastic read of the best fictional detective: Rating: 5/5 |
I have read the Sherlock Holmes stories once before - many, many moons ago when I was a teenager. They really do stand the test of time, and I was pleased to see this collection for sale here at Amazon, at such an incredible price.
The stories are endearing. You cannot help but admire the creation of Holmes, faults and all. Interestingly Conan Doyle did not rate these stories as being amongst his best. I wonder what he would be thinking now, having seen the many adaptations and screenings of the detective and his sidekick.
With regards the book - this is HUGE. It is hard back bound, and has red edging to the pages. Wonderfully presented, and will grace any bookshelf and draw the eye. With regards usability, that is something that may be more difficult to ascertain at this stage. The font is smaller than the font in similar publications from Wordsworth Library, but - if it had been larger it would have resulted in even more pages. That would have pushed the book over into being unuseable. I have already flicked to the final third of the book to see how flexible it is. The pages will not open fully as in a paperback, but it is just readable. I think this may need handling with care, else over time damage could be caused to the binding/spine. However, if you know in advance it has over 1,400 pages you are forewarned it will not have the flexibility of a smaller publication or paperback equivalent.
I was surprised at how well drawn the illustrations were. There are other books from this series in my collection, which have drawn criticism for the illustrations within. To be honest, I didn't agree with them, as it is the story we are buying - the illustrations are a nice extra. In this volume, they are well done.
Definitely recommended, but be careful of use over time. And make sure you buy a decent smooth/flat bookmark for it. I cannot even think about turning a page over on this beauty.
Under £6.50??? The value is amazing. | | Affectionate Police: Rating: 5/5 |
Yes, I know he is a self-taught freelance investigator of scientific deductions but how can we not love this wonderfully independent detector? The Police themselves are often denigrated. Yet we English do love him so.
The Wordsworth Library Collection works really well. I was bitten by the first story A Study in Scarlet which introduces the reader to Holmes and his first encounter with Dr Watson. The story has that magical quality of taking the reader into other worlds. The world of the American West, of Mormon culture and bloody deeds. The next story The Sign of Four introduces the female interest for the upright Englishman Dr Watson. The rebel never gets the girl. I was particularly interested in the differences between this Sign of Four and the recently repeated ITV production of the same. If there is another reason for reading Holmes it does make for an extra layer of fascination; reading a story then watching the same story on dvd. The differences are profound.
When I had finished reading those first two stories, I turned the page and was shown the title of the next. The Hound of the Baskervilles. I defy anyone to not want to know more. | | An amazing compendium: Rating: 5/5 |
| An amazing compendium comprising of all writings of Arthur Conan Doyle with respect to his famous hero Sherlock Holmes. As there is no point to comment on the content of a classic in itself, I would like to stress the quality of this edition in terms of typography, iconography and binding which makes it an excellent and very low cost must have book for any home library. | | Ordinary: Rating: 3/5 |
I have to admit being a little disappointed with Sherlock Holmes. I was expecting a cracking good classic but got not much more than very ordinary writing and stories. In fact some of the stories were quite weak. The characters (Sherlock and Watson)remain distant and far away through out, you never get to really know them. They remain cardboard cutouts through out. Some of Sherlock's conclusions are preposterous. In reality there could be a number of possibilities for a piece of evidence whereas Sherlock 'knows' the implications of each piece of evidence almost immediately. He graciously shares with us mere mortals his conclusions at the end of each case. His reading of foot prints, carriage wheel markings and so on seem to be just way out there.
Perhaps I was expecting too much, the book has five stars after sixty six reviews after all. The book is really for a younger audience (Mid teens perhaps)in my opinion. I am giving the book three stars because a young audience might enjoy the stories. They are quick paced, harmless entertainment and easy to read. But don't expect to be thrilled, it is ordinary and mostly very shallow stuff. | | I love a bit of Sherlie: Rating: 5/5 |
| These books have got to be some of the best I have ever read; though that is not saying much because I have only recently got into the habit of reading but none the less this series is highly enjoyable and a surprisingly easy read. Before hand I imagined that the plots would be incredibly complicated making it hard to follow but I am happy to say that the tales are written clearly and the narrative voice of Dr Watson enables you to develop your ideas along with his character and also offers relief from the immense intelligence of Mr Sherlock Holmes. However, it is Sherlock Holmes, himself, who makes these stories so great because he is simply inspiring due to his vast knowledge and intuitive, analytic way for looking upon the cases. Overall, I would recommend this book to practically everyone because I feel it has a huge audience. The only criticism that I could make was that the front picture wasn't stuck on straight which probably wouldn't annoy most people but being the picky person that I am I had to re-stick it on straight. But this didn't cause a large hinderance so five stars it is. | |
