The Sign of the Four

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle GoogleBooks, 283 pages genre: mystery, detective Okay, not my favorite Sherlock Holmes story . . . but it's good to try new stories. Holmes is an arrogant drug user. Watson is his typical self-effacing, bumbling sidekick. The mystery is odd and the solution is disappointing. The eighth grade book club discussion should be interesting, if any of the kids read it. I had to translate three phrases (one French and two German) and look up a bunch of words I didn't know!

 

(Above posted 4/4/11. Below added 2022.04.23)

 

Libby audiobook  5 hours

read by David Timson

Published: 1888 (this version in 2005)

Interesting that I can find the title as both "The Sign of Four" and "The Sign of the Four." Little details like that extra "the" stick in my brain . . . but I don't care so deeply that I'm going to spend time and energy figuring it out!

One thing that I like about this story is Watson meeting and falling in love with Mary. (Happened fast!) I also wonder about the jewels . . . I had planned on skipping the Hound of the Baskervilles since I've read the print version, seen the movie, etc., but I think I'll just keep on with my Holmes roll.