# How do you read Sherlock Holmes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032 "2011-01-01T06:53:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/1 "2011-01-01T06:53:53Z")
I’ve owned a complete anthology of Sherlock Holmes for at least 20 years. When I read it, I usually reach for stories in the _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ or The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. These are stories that are familiar to me. If I have more time, I’ll read \*The Hound of the Baskervilles. \* I’ll read \*The Return of Sherlock Holmes \*from time to time. _His Last Bow_ and The Case Book might get some attention on an insomnia night or if I’m off work the next day. A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four only get attention when I want to start off strong but be asleep early. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/2 "2011-01-01T06:59:10Z")
My husband got me the Compete Sherlock Holmes Collection for Christmas. I’ve yet to start it, but I’m very much looking forward to it! ---
**Author:** ![One\_Swell\_FlooP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@One\_Swell\_FlooP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_Swell_FlooP)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/3 "2011-01-01T07:30:35Z")
The first time I ever read Sherlock Holmes, I was kind of young, and I read the whole _Complete_ from start to finish. In later years, I did so again. In between times I may have read _The Hound of the Baskervilles_, and perhaps some other stories and novels on their own, but when I “read Sherlock Holmes” it’s the whole thing at once. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/4 "2011-01-01T13:34:02Z")
First time, I also just read the whole Canon, beginning at the beginning and continuing until I came to the end, when I stopped. Nowadays, since I’ve read each story many times, I do sometimes just go for favorites. For instance, the new BBC show SHERLOCK inspired me to re-read “Study in Scarlet” and “The Dancing Men.” I’ve also got the Baring-Gould _The Annotated Sherlock Holmes_ which I highly recommend, you can usually find it at used book stores. He puts the stories in what he thinks is the correct chronology, and adds wonderful footnotes: some of which explain terms that are no longer familiar to us, and some of which are just there for the fun of it. See: [Did Sherlock Holmes really exist? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2088/did-sherlock-holmes-really-exist) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/5 "2011-01-02T08:16:45Z")
I read them on my Game Boy. The order depends on what I’m in the mood for that day. And, often, it’s the first time I’ve read that particular case. ---
**Author:** ![MovieCriticNextDoor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@MovieCriticNextDoor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieCriticNextDoor)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/6 "2011-01-02T15:34:00Z")
I have a two-volume set of the Holmes stories, which I originally read all the way through. These days, I often just take up one volume or other and find a random story whenever I’m in the mood. I don’t know that annotated collection, though – I’ll have to look and see if I can find that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/7 "2011-01-02T16:10:31Z")
I read the original canon in order when the mood strikes me. I’ll also read a couple of the modern SH novels - I particularly like The Seven Percent Solution. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/8 "2011-01-02T17:37:32Z")
I mostly read the short stories. The novels are fine, but they’re not my favorites. I should read Hound of the Baskervilles again, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-sherlock-holmes/566032/9 "2011-01-02T18:01:46Z")
Remember everybody, no spoilers. By Jove, it _is_ a curly-haired spaniel.