A Study in Scarlet: Read It and Know It Edition

Front Cover
Higher Read LLC, Nov 17, 2013 - Fiction - 250 pages

Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most well-known detective in literary history. His stories are fascinating and timeless. A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes book. 

Higher Read's Read It. Know It. edition of The Study of Scarlet provides you with an understanding of all of the layers of this book. The original text included in this edition allows you to read the book as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it, and our content helps you understand the novel more thoroughly. Character and narrative summaries provide you with an at-a-glance reminder of what the original book holds, while our "Read It and Know It" sections explore literary themes in the book. Sherlock Holmes, after all, is in favor of gathering all the information you can. 

So whether you want to read the whole book, just want a reminder of the story, or are interested in exploring the important themes in The Study of Scarlet, Higher Read's Read It. Know It. edition provides an all-in-one book that's right for you.

 

Contents

Read It andKnow
A Continuation ofthe Reminiscences of John Watson M D
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2013)

The most famous fictional detective in the world is Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. However, Doyle was, at best, ambivalent about his immensely successful literary creation and, at worst, resentful that his more "serious" fiction was relatively ignored. Born in Edinburgh, Doyle studied medicine from 1876 to 1881 and received his M.D. in 1885. He worked as a military physician in South Africa during the Boer War and was knighted in 1902 for his exceptional service. Doyle was drawn to writing at an early age. Although he attempted to enter private practice in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1882, he soon turned to writing in his spare time; it eventually became his profession. As a Liberal Unionist, Doyle ran, unsuccessfully, for Parliament in 1903. During his later years, Doyle became an avowed spiritualist. Doyle sold his first story, "The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley," to Chambers' Journal in 1879. When Doyle published the novel, A Study in Scarlet in 1887, Sherlock Holmes was introduced to an avid public. Doyle is reputed to have used one of his medical professors, Dr. Joseph Bell, as a model for Holmes's character. Eventually, Doyle wrote three additional Holmes novels and five collections of Holmes short stories. A brilliant, though somewhat eccentric, detective, Holmes employs scientific methods of observation and deduction to solve the mysteries that he investigates. Although an "amateur" private detective, he is frequently called upon by Scotland Yard for assistance. Holmes's assistant, the faithful Dr. Watson, provides a striking contrast to Holmes's brilliant intellect and, in Doyle's day at least, serves as a character with whom the reader can readily identify. Having tired of Holmes's popularity, Doyle even tried to kill the great detective in "The Final Problem" but was forced by an outraged public to resurrect him in 1903. Although Holmes remained Doyle's most popular literary creation, Doyle wrote prolifically in other genres, including historical adventure, science fiction, and supernatural fiction. Despite Doyle's sometimes careless writing, he was a superb storyteller. His great skill as a popular author lay in his technique of involving readers in his highly entertaining adventures.

Bibliographic information