“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is a mysterious short story that
will leave you biting your nails at the end from suspense and thrill. Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle uses his personal life experiences as a doctor and great
knowledge to help his readers understand the mysteries, but without giving them completely.
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is a mysterious short story that
will leave you biting your nails at the end from suspense and thrill. Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle uses his personal life experiences as a doctor and great
knowledge to help his readers understand the mysteries, but without giving them completely.
Doyle’s writing has three main areas of strength that make his writing
unique and exciting to read. First, he uses Watson as the author of the stories
to “dumb down” what Sherlock is thinking and doing. Watson is more relatable to
as an average thinking person, which is opposite of Sherlock who has a mind of
his own that is very difficult to understand. Doyle said him self, “I cultivate
a simple style and avoid long words so far as possible…” Second, his use of
imagery and detail make the reader feel as if they are in the story taking part
in the mysteries. Finally, Doyle creates very memorable characters that have
such unusual personalities that they seem to be more real then fictional
characters. Doyle is a master storyteller that is sure to get you excited about
reading.
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is a strange and unusual mystery
that would seem impossible to solve, but for Sherlock nothing is impossible and
the more unusual the mystery the better. Watson explains, “…he [Sherlock]
refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards
the unusual, and even the more fantastic.” This mystery starts with a visit
from a young woman, Helen Stoner, who comes in for help from Sherlock in
solving a mystery. She explains her problem with a worried tone, “…As I ran
down the passage, my sister’s door was unlocked, and revolved slowly upon its
hinges. I stared at it horror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue
from it. By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear at the
opening, her face blanched with terror…she suddenly shrieked out in a voice
which I shall never forget, ‘Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled
band!’…”
Without giving away the mystery, I will
say that it is the most strange investigation that Sherlock had taken part in.
It involved a “band”, milk, and a vault in a mansion. The rest
is up to you to figure out. This short story is one you will not want to miss
and definitely one you will never forget.
I did not like the short story The Speckled Band becasue it involved a mystrey that needed to be solved. I do not like mystries however, I do like this short story review since it is short and to the point. This review also summarizes what the strengths of Doyle's writing. By reading this short story review I think it is fair to say that I like this short story a little bit more.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with your idea that Doyle's writing "dumbs downs" what Sherlock is saying into Watson's point of view, because that would make Watson seem not so smart. However I do agree that Doyle makes very specific and intricate characters, but not to seem more real then fiction, but rather to make to story more interesting and compelling like you said in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThis story was neither my favorite nor my least favorite. I feel that at times I didn't really understand a few of the ways the mystery was solved and felt as if there were some holes or loose ends. I agree with your description of the writing itself, it supplies great imagery in a very clear and precise way. Sherlocke Homes is truly a unique character, without a character like him the stories would be nothing but bland.
ReplyDeleteYour review is nice, in the sense that it covers certain points that need to be covered in order to get a reader interested. I thought this story was really interesting. I liked the story. I especially liked how Sherlock conceived his conclusion from the most obscure details of the case. By knowing the facts he knew, I would never have come to the conclusion he came to. I am impartial to this genre, but reading this short story convinced me that it is worth reading once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI love this review in so many ways! You did a spectacular job by adding the picture and video visuals; they helped me understand the story more fully and inspired me to read/watch more Sherlock Holmes stories. I can really tell how much you loved this short story just by reading this article. However, in my opinion, this tale was not my favorite because I don't necessarily enjoy reading mystery stories. This is because I can never understand the complex mysteries. Overall, your review helped me and I bet that it definitely helped others.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this blog very much! You adressed that the author's writing style gived a good sense of seting. While reading this story I too felt this way and I felt like I became a part of the mystery. Your picture and video were also a nice touch to the blog!
ReplyDelete