With any compilation of stories, there will be ones you like more and
ones you like less. The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventure of the
Cardboard Box and The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane stand out as really good
stories, but others were less interesting or highlighted the time the books
were written in negatively. This is particularly the case with racist
descriptions of black men, suggesting their inferior intelligence and portraying
them as thugs. It speaks to the early 20th century when these stories
were being written, but it’s not okay to just pass over the fact and pretend
that it doesn’t matter.
Having said that, the friendship between Holmes and Watson was lovely
to read about and made me tempted to push up my rating. Holmes is often seen as
cold and calculating but in these stories, you could also see how much he valued
Watson and his opinions. It is a shame in a way that there aren’t more stories,
but with the countless adaptations there’s plenty still to dive into if the
temptation arises.
