The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories (2 Vol. Set) [Hardcover]

Sherlockians and more casual Holmes fans alike will delight in this comprehensive edition of the 56 original short adventures featuring the world's first private consulting detective. Modeling his efforts on William S. Baring-Gould's 1968 Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Klinger (The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library) packs as many extras into these two volumes as a special director's cut DVD: detailed essays on subjects as diverse as the Boer War and the history of rugby, illuminating citations to early drafts of Doyle's original manuscripts,and full discussions of the numerous theories developed over more than a century concerning ambiguities, contradictions and unresolved issues in the stories. Those new to such scholarship will be fascinated by the sophisticated multidisciplined approach, much of it based on close readings and historical research similar to Bible study. The synthesis of the commentaries will engage veteran Sherlockians, who will be able to compare hypotheses concerning, for example, the true identity of the king of Bohemia or Holmes's actual whereabouts during the Great Hiatus. First-time readers might want to skip Klinger's brief intros to each tale, as they presume familiarity with the plot and often hint strongly at the solutions. Many will prefer this to the Oxford University Press uniform edition of a decade ago.
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"These beautifully produced volumes, as big as gold-tooled church bibles, packed with cross-references and indexes, suggest Homes and Watson are not only immortal but the subject of a fanatical and crazy religion." Roger Lewis, The Sunday Express, 30 Jan 2005

Leslie S. Klinger has reassembled Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 short stories in the order in which they appeared in the original book editions. A cause for international celebration as this is the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. Readers will find a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's biographies of Holmes, Watson and Conan Doyle; historians will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalising new theories; and art lovers will be beguiled by the illustrations. The book is introduced by John le Carre.

Leslie S. Klinger, one of the foremost Holmes authorities, is the author of numerous books, including The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library.