May 22nd is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday, 1859. Deducing that fact has made this day International Sherlock Holmes Day. I very much enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes. I should like to explain the love of three books.
First is “The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes” By Arthur Conan Doyle, 1976. This book has 37 stories and one novel, and is presented like it originally was printed in the Strand Magazine, beginning in 1891. It also has the same illustrations from that time, by the illustrator Sidney Paget. People have been reading the same double column stories for over 130 years. It feels more like I am there.
I have read through this book several times. It is positively the best book to read before going to bed at night. Just read one story-thirteen or fourteen pages long, and you will have calmed down your brain by focusing on only “who did it”, and how did Holmes figure it out. It is elementary, and yet profoundly therapeutic.
The second book is “Tales of Sherlock Holmes” by A. Conan Doyle, published 1906 by A.L. Burt. It is a kind of rare book with its delightful dust jacket.
The third book to investigate today is “The Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1987. This is a wonderful story to read to kids. I like this one because every several pages, there is an illustration that has a glow in the dark feature. It will help as you try to figure out the story. But I will not expose the answer because as Sherlock says, “you see but do not observe.” You must read the story.
If I may quote one last Sherlock Holmes passage,”It is better to learn wisdom late, than to never learn it at all.”
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 