The Quotable Sherlock Holmes [Paperback]

John H. Watson (Author), Gerard Van der Leun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

Arguably the world's greatest consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes' deductive reasoning was an object lesson in meticulous observation shot with cunning wit. Now, everyone from the most dedicated Baker Street Irregular to the casual admirer can benefit from the only comprehensive compendium of Sherlockian wisdom and sage advice ever assembled -- the original and definitive volume of over 600 memorable quotes from the Master of 221b Baker Street -- the one and only Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Penzler Pick, December 2000: His roommate and amanuensis, John H. Watson, once described Sherlock Holmes as "the best and wisest man whom I have ever known." With the possible exception of Marv Epstein and Stanley Ellin, two dear old friends now deceased, I have to go along with that assessment. I discovered Holmes when I was pretty young, and nothing was more influential in my choosing this life of crime. The 56 stories and four novels that comprise the true canon are filled with more wisdom and quotable lines than any other single book aside from the Bible and the works of William Shakespeare.

Gerard Van der Leun has extracted scores of wonderful lines from the text, and they are a joy to sample. On jealousy, for example, Holmes says, "They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties." On lost love: "A man always finds it hard to realize that he may have finally lost a woman's love, no matter how badly he may have treated her." Watson was a ladies' man, but Holmes, though unfailingly polite and protective of women, had his moments of misogyny: "Women are never to be entirely trusted--not the best of them." And: "I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money...."

As wonderful as this little volume is, it would be only fair to those who have gone before to note that there have been, over the years, many books devoted wholly or partially to Holmesian quotations, most notably Bruce R. Beamon's Sherlockian Quotations (1977); The Thoughts of Sherlock Holmes by S.H. Moss and R.L. Kuis (1976), My Life with Sherlock Holmes: Conversations in Baker Street by J.R. Hamilton (1944), and The Whole Art of Detection by Sherlock Holmes (compiled by John Bennett Shaw), 1968. Does the world need another compendium of Sherlockian quotations? Sure it does. How many editions of the Bible are there, and how many different versions of Shakespeare's plays? After all, Holmes is the best and the wisest man you will ever know. --Otto Penzler

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446677272
• ISBN-13: 978-0446677271
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,394,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book of quotations about and by the Great Detective!, November 6, 2000

By 

meiringen "meiringen" (the Midwest) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Quotable Sherlock Holmes (Paperback)

A modern look at quotations from the Sherlockian Canon, done in an amusing and interesting way. Each group of quotes on a subject is then put under headings such as: "HIS CHOSEN AEROBIC ROUTINE," "JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS," and "PLEASE CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS."

The original Sidney Paget drawings are throughout the book, and the cover looks suitably Victorian/Edwardian. It's a small volume, but it contains, as the back page says: "THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HOLMES."

Keep it close by, as a reference tool, or just a book to thumb through. It's worth it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely!, January 26, 2012

By 

ComtessedeBussy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quotable Sherlock Holmes (Paperback)

I like to be a really arrogant know-it-all and pretend to be Sherlock Holmes. My long-suffering friends know this (one of whom has even agreed to be my Watson, on the basis that she puts up with my arrogance, insanity, and over-analysis of everything) and hence chose to provide me with this indispensable book. After all, I need witty, pithy quotes to use after I've finished complaining that "my mind rebels at stagnation." This book serves that purpose wonderfully. It is a compilation of Holmes' funny, witty, provocative, intelligent and perceptive statements from the entire Canon. Of course, the book is in no way a replacement for the stories themselves; it is, however, a wonderful reference (it's divided into chapters, each dealing with a particular aspect of Holmes' existence) as well as a pleasurable read.

It ends, particularly fittingly, with a very famous quote (aren't they all?): the game is afoot.

The game is certainly afoot. For this is a book that plays The Game - it pretends that Holmes and Watson really existed (oops. Did I just imply the two aren't real? Of course they're real!) The introduction, written by the grandson of John Watson, claims the book to be a lost, and now found and published, manuscript. It's written with wit and humor (and a few stabs at modern academia) and is an entirely fitting complement to Holmes' wit.