Arthur Conan Doyle is/was famed for his Sherlock Holmes stories. Everyone knows this detective and his assistant, Dr Watson. I had never really read any of the stories - or not that I remember, in any case. Seeing several of those stories republished by Penguin Classics, I decided to go for this compilation, even if there are others.

The only Conan Doyle book I read previously, was 'The White Company', which I liked very much, not in the least because the writing style, as you can read here.

I'm not going to go into details, because there's a certain pattern in the way the stories go and how Holmes (with logic and reason) solves them, of course also thanks to his trusty assistant, Watson. This compilation contains 13 stories, taken from several earlier publications and "series". 13, but there are still several tens of such stories out there.

Here too, the language used is not contemporary, but it is very exquisite and stylish, I must say. So, once more, hats off for Doyle's writing skills. As is typical, not all stories are superb, but all of them are excellent material for in-between two books or if you do want read, but nothing heavy. Entertainment value, you could say, is high. In addition, you do get a picture of (a certain part of) life back then, in the late 19th century.

The whole is concluded with a text by Michael Saler, titled 'Clap If You Believe in Sherlock Holmes'. This deals with Arthur Conan Doyle's career and specifically the Sherlock Holmes period. Mr Saler describes how Doyle's beliefs were in stark contrast with Holmes's logic and reasoning. He also explains how the characters Holmes and Watson were, back in the day, believed to be real persons of flesh and blood - even writing letters to Holmes's attention -, while others obviously knew they were fictional. The impact on readers' lives was apparently big, especially when Doyle decided he had written enough Holmes stories. And so it goes on, the comparison between Doyle and Holmes, how they acted, what they believed, etc.

Long story short: Recommended, entertaining stories, no doubt about that. If only for the language of that time. Do read the stories in bits and pieces, not several at a time, as this could harm the reading pleasure, I find. Personal opinion here, of course. ( )

This collection of short stories, taken from a number of Arthur Conan Doyle's works, gives the reader a taste of the quintessential Sherlock 'You know my methods' Holmes. Most of the stories were unknown to me, certainly in book form, and the enjoyment was enriched by the unexpected discovery that each story contained a couple of vintage illustrations.

However, I find that I can take Holmes and Watson stories only in small doses as the plot is usually rather far-fetched, and Holmes pulls so many fantastic theories from his hat on examining an object that the reader is left bar behind and becomes a mere spectator in the proceedings rather than an active participant, as is the case with Agatha Christie's works, for example.

Still, they're diverting enough to pass the time before bed. ( )