This was fine, and by that I mean satisfactory (not superior). I don't recall reading this particular Sherlock Holmes story previously. It was good enough but definitely not the best I've read. I would possibly read it again if I had nothing else to hand but I still don't think it's a keeper (so will be passing it along) ( )

After being disappointed with "A Study in Scarlet", I decided to tackle a second Holmes novel in the hopes that things would improve. Sadly, they didn't. I'm not beaten yet - I'll be attempting "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" as my next train-to-work novel - but so far, this doesn't do anything for me.

There are some good elements here: Holmes of course is an enjoyable response to the crime fiction that existed at the time. His methods of deduction, while sometimes ponderous, are always clever. Unfortunately, there's very little else to be said for this book.

Watson continues to be an uninteresting narrator; the supporting characters are mostly forgettable, with the exception (oddly) of the police characters, who so far I have found pleasant; and Holmes himself, as many other reviewers seem to note, is at his least likeable here. Obviously, we're supposed to be somewhat confounded by his aloof personality, but his treatment of other members of the human race is extremely off-putting. Like the 2000s versions - Dr. House, etc. - it's supposedly tempered by his desire to help the innocent and fearful, but really the fact that he only seems to have a heart for small children just leads me to assume he is a sociopath.

And then there is the mystery itself: here, Conan Doyle reveals himself as mostly a pulp writer, it seems. Like "A Study in Scarlet", this mystery is decidedly outlandish: cannibalistic midgets, wooden legs, etc, etc. Yes it's escapism and I accept that, but the problem is these mysteries are almost tailor-made for Sherlock Holmes. No human being could possibly be expected to guess from a simple murder that it involved so many elaborate contrivances and foreign devils. It seems strange to say it, but if Holmes could instead investigate a (complex) drawing-room mystery or the like, I might be drawn into the work more, as this would require him to piece together clues within my human scope of comprehension. I'm not asking for an easy mystery, just one that has more of a human element.

Anyway, I'll be interested to continue reading the Holmes books (although I may slow down, as I do have the rest of my life), and perhaps find out why he has become such a mythical figure! ( )

I'm slowly making my way through the Sherlock Holmes stories for the first time. This was not my favorite. The mystery wasn't nearly as interesting as others have been; in fact, it was a bit bizarre. It's the book where Watson meets the woman he ends up marrying, but that relationship didn't grow in any particularly interesting way either. Overall, the story just felt slow and not very memorable. ( )

Seconda indagine per Sherlock Holmes, che questa volta si trova alle prese con tesoro scomparso. Al suo fianco ci sarà di nuovo il dottor Watson, che, però, a questo giro sarà piuttosto distratto dalla graziosa Mary Morstan, la donna che ha richiesto l'aiuto di Holmes.

Ne Il segno dei quattro vediamo il rapporto tra Holmes e Watson farsi più stretto, più vicino a quello di due amici che a quello tra coinquilini. Mi piace molto il modo in cui l'autore descrive la loro amicizia: non ha niente di artefatto, nonostante Holmes non sia esattamente la persona più facile con la quale avere un qualunque rapporto. Immaginate di stare con un tizio che vi dà dello stupido un giorno sì e l'altro pure...

Eppure Watson non solo lo sopporta, ma riesce a instaurare con lui un rapporto d'amicizia profondo e indissolubile. La scena durante la quale cercano di rintracciare l'assassino con un cane, sebbene finisca in un buco nell'acqua, è emblematica per descrivere l'amicizia tra i due: con una sola risata, scoppiata contemporaneamente in Holmes e Watson dopo un'occhiata, Arthur Conan Doyle ci mostra quanto già sia sviluppata l'amicizia tra i due.

Ma Il segno dei quattro è anche il romanzo nel quale veniamo a conoscenza dell'uso di cocaina e morfina da parte di Sherlock Holmes. Il lettore moderno ne rimane alquanto perplesso, anche perché Watson – un dottore! – sembra poco impressionato dalla pratica.

In effetti, è necessario contestualizzare, dato che nell'epoca vittoriana morfina e cocaina erano legali e si potevano tranquillamente in acquistare in farmacia. C'è anche da dire che la soluzione era decisamente meno forte di quella presente nella moderna cocaina: diventarne dipendenti cronici era meno probabile, sebbene a lungo andare non fosse comunque un toccasana per il cervello (ma tutto questo si è scoperto dopo... nell'Ottocento davano pure oppio ai bambini per calmarli... con risultati spesso definitivi). ( )

Excellent! ( )