The First Clue: My Rediscovery of Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet
5 stars
Reading A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle felt like stepping back to the very origin of one of literature’s most iconic partnerships. Published in 1887, this novel introduces both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, setting the tone for all their future adventures with a mix of sharp observation, intellectual flair, and Victorian eccentricity.
The novel is structured in two distinct parts. The first follows Dr. Watson as he meets Holmes and becomes entangled in a bizarre murder case involving a corpse found in an abandoned house with the word Rache (“revenge” in German) scrawled in blood on the wall. Holmes’ method — rational, meticulous, and dazzlingly fast — immediately sets him apart, and Watson, like the reader, watches with a mix of awe and confusion.
What surprised me on rereading was the second part: a lengthy flashback set in the American West, explaining the motivations behind the …
Reading A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle felt like stepping back to the very origin of one of literature’s most iconic partnerships. Published in 1887, this novel introduces both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, setting the tone for all their future adventures with a mix of sharp observation, intellectual flair, and Victorian eccentricity.
The novel is structured in two distinct parts. The first follows Dr. Watson as he meets Holmes and becomes entangled in a bizarre murder case involving a corpse found in an abandoned house with the word Rache (“revenge” in German) scrawled in blood on the wall. Holmes’ method — rational, meticulous, and dazzlingly fast — immediately sets him apart, and Watson, like the reader, watches with a mix of awe and confusion.
What surprised me on rereading was the second part: a lengthy flashback set in the American West, explaining the motivations behind the crime through a tale of love, loss, and revenge within a Mormon community. This narrative shift feels bold, almost experimental, compared to later, tighter Holmes stories.
At its heart, A Study in Scarlet is about observation — of people, of motives, of connections hidden beneath the obvious. It establishes Holmes as a detective of reason in a world clouded by passions.
For me, this first case remains charmingly uneven but full of the seeds that would make Sherlock Holmes unforgettable: precision, arrogance, and an uncanny gift for making sense of chaos.