complete stories “Complete”, really complete Sherlock Holmes edition?

[Oudis]

Hello everybody,

 

I’m new here – I’ve joined the forum specifically to ask a question, if that sounds a bit… rude I’m sorry – but please help me. Just like all of you I am a big fan of the 221b detective; I’ve read all of Conan Doyle stories (although I don’t own a “complete” Sherlock Holmes) and enjoyed very much the ’80s British series with Mr. Jeremy Brett. I even like the more recent Holmes with Johnny Lee Miller (at first I hated it, but his performance is brilliant, so I ended up loving his take on the character)

 

I’m looking for a “complete” edition of all the Sherlock Holmes stories, short novels, and maybe lesser known pieces of prose Conan Doyle wrote about him. I’ve checked a couple of… well, very popular online bookstores and found mostly selections, anthologies, compilations, etc. On one of them I found a “previously loved” (LOL!) two-volume edition; its condition was a big put off. On the other I found editions that I find visually appealing and at an affordable price:

 

·        The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Barnes & Noble Collectible Classics: Omnibus Edition) Hardcover – 1096 pages

·        Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection: An Official Sherlock Holmes Museum Product Hardcover – 1096 pages – Publisher Mountain Leopard Press

 

Could anybody confirm (or not) that they are the “complete” stories? If not, could anybody recommend which edition I should look for and buy, offer an alternative? I would appreciate any advice/input/feedback from you. Hope to join one of your discussions one of these days; thank you in advance,

 

Oudis

[Carol the Dabbler]

On 8/23/2024 at 11:23 AM, Oudis said:

I’ve joined the forum specifically to ask a question, if that sounds a bit… rude I’m sorry – but please help me.

Hey, Oudis, we each came here for reasons of our own, so no apology is necessary.  Welcome to Sherlock Forum!  

On 8/23/2024 at 11:23 AM, Oudis said:

I’m looking for a “complete” edition of all the Sherlock Holmes stories, short novels, and maybe lesser known pieces of prose Conan Doyle wrote about him.

Since you're looking for strictly ACD-written material, I've moved your thread from the "General Sherlock Holmes Discussion" sub-forum to "The Casebooks," where it fits a bit better and is more likely to catch the eye of our big ACD fans/experts, who know way more about such things than I do.

I do know that there are several collections, some annotated, some not -- and if you're looking for stories to read, I would personally advise you to avoid the annotated ones, because the footnotes tend to take up about half the page, interrupting the story.  Most collections are in multiple volumes. which I DO recommend, because the books in the one-or-two-volume collections tend to be too bulky and/or heavy to hold in your hand, assuming you like to hold a book while you read it.

If you've already got the four novels (Study in Scarlet, Sign of the Four, Hound of the Baskervilles, and Valley of Fear) plus the usual fifty-six short stores, then you might want to check out The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, collected by Peter Haining, containing "a number of other items that Conan Doyle wrote about his world-famous detective," "including stories, plays, and poems."  The (very brief) foreword is by Jeremy Brett.  The copy I have was published in the US by Barnes and Noble almost thirty years ago (and the book was also printed by another press ten years later), but the book is still available from Amazon US in both hardback and paperback, and from Amazon UK in a couple of other editions (including Kindle, Amazon's e-book format).  It may be available in other countries as well.  I don't know of any matched-set collection that includes this book, but you could of course add it to your own personal Holmes bookshelf.

One of the reviewers on Amazon UK, Kurt Messick, says that the book "overlaps somewhat Jack Tracy's 'Sherlock Holmes: The Published Apocrypha'," so there's another book you might want to look for.  The same reviewer typifies the contents of Haining's book as

- Commentaries by Conan Doyle about Holmes
- Two parodies of Holmes by Conan Doyle himself
- Some complete short stories, albeit with interesting stories about them
- Two plays, one possibly done with William Gillette
- Atypical pieces, a proto-Holmesian tale, and a poem

... and also says that "Conan Doyle wrote far more than he ever published -- even this collection (and Tracy's) do not include all of the previously unpublished Holmes material, as some is being intentionally withheld by the Conan Doyle estate until a future time (which Tracy mentions, but Haining does not)."

 

[Oudis]

Hello Carol the Dabbler!

Lovely reply – thanks a lot!

I’ll keep Peter Haining’s “The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” & Jack Tracy's “Sherlock Holmes: The Published Apocrypha” in mind of course; I’ll look for them today.

Since you’ve openly mentioned Amazon (I didn’t know if one could mention a specific bookseller), I found this information there, precisely:

Reviewed by another buyer:  

“Amazon sells two similar one-volume hardback editions of The Complete Sherlock Holmes:

1) Knickerbocker Classics 2019 and

2) Barnes and Noble Classics Omnibus 2015

Both of them are very good buys if you don't mind the rather small type” (The italics are mine). “Both editions are sewn, not glued, with sturdy covers, and both include all four novels and all 56 short stories. The Barnes and Noble edition has gold color edging.”

 

My choice until I read your post had been the “Complete Sherlock Holmes (Knickerbocker) Hardcover 1200 pages”. According to the website, it is comprised of 4 full-length novels and 56 short stories and “contains every known Sherlock Holmes tale ever written.” On the website you can also read “This deluxe edition boasts the entire Holmes catalogue; complete and unabridged; it features a comprehensive introduction providing the reader with enlightening information on the author’s life and works.”

And now an important thing: it’s also the cheapest hardback/hardcover.

But while I was browsing and searching I also saw a one-volume edition that is supposed to contain “lesser known stories” or something like that; but I didn’t add it to my watch list or bookmarks, and I can’t find it anymore. I’ll look for it, and the Peter Haining’s edition too.

Yes… I like to hold a book while I read it. I’m old school. And I don’t mind bulky/heavy editions. Two months ago I bought a wonderful, unabridged “Life of Samuel Johnson” by James Boswell; hardback – the way books used to be. Yeah… it’s bigger and heavier than a brick, but it’s wonderful to look at it, read it, own it. Last weekend I received “A Journal of the Plague Year” by Defoe; a nice, glued, cheap paperback (the cheapest!); small type, I can hardly read the book. Do you understand what I mean?

Anyways Carol the Dabbler, I hope this information (plus yours) helps other possible buyers. Thanks again for your input and for your kindness, thanks for the time & effort it must have taken to write such a complete reply to my first question here.

Oudis.

Post Scriptum: You’re right, annotated versions sometimes make reading a book difficult, or less enjoyable (footnotes, prologues, addenda, blah blah…) However, in some instances, they’re just what one needs. I had been looking for a good translation of the “Histories” by Herodotus for a long time… until I found a heavily annotated edition. It seems to be the book I want. But it is a translation, a translation of a book written in a language that isn’t spoken anymore, about events in a culture that doesn’t exist anymore (the foundation of many different cultures in Europe and the New WorldS, granted, but the culture itself is gone); that’s why an annotated version might be a good idea.

Cheers…!

[Carol the Dabbler]

You're quite welcome, Oudis!

3 hours ago, Oudis said:

I didn’t know if one could mention a specific bookseller

Well, we don't like people coming here to hawk their own wares unless they're clearly Sherlock Holmes related, and are reasonably priced (all of which is a judgement call, of course).  But linking to information regarding what someone else is selling is OK, since it's often the best way to convey information on what's available.

3 hours ago, Oudis said:

According to the website, it is comprised of 4 full-length novels and 56 short stories and “contains every known Sherlock Holmes tale ever written.”

Of course we now know that's self-contradictory -- assuming that the Hainey and Tracy collections are legit.  And if the estate is actually holding some stuff back as Tracy says, then nothing currently available is complete.

3 hours ago, Oudis said:

I don’t mind bulky/heavy editions. Two months ago I bought a wonderful, unabridged “Life of Samuel Johnson” by James Boswell; hardback – the way books used to be. Yeah… it’s bigger and heavier than a brick, but it’s wonderful to look at it, read it, own it. Last weekend I received “A Journal of the Plague Year” by Defoe; a nice, glued, cheap paperback (the cheapest!); small type, I can hardly read the book. Do you understand what I mean?

Yes, I understand those tactile sensations, and the longevity factor as well.  I much prefer either hardbound books or trade paperbacks.  (For those not familiar with the latter term, they have the same insides as hardbacks -- page size, paper quality, print quality, the way the pages are fastened together -- but with a fairly sturdy paper cover.  They tend to be nearly as durable as hardbacks but the price is often considerably lower.)  If a book is available only as a cheap little mass-market paperback, I may buy it, but I'll stay on the lookout for a better-quality edition.

3 hours ago, Oudis said:

You’re right, annotated versions sometimes make reading a book difficult, or less enjoyable (footnotes, prologues, addenda, blah blah…) However, in some instances, they’re just what one needs.

In some instances, yes.  But I've sometimes been disappointed with annotated editions even when I was looking for annotations.  The Holmes stories were written long enough ago that daily life has changed, and the English language along with it.  As you say, "the culture itself is gone; that’s why an annotated version might be a good idea."  So I was hoping that the annotated Holmes I inherited from my father would explain some puzzling terminology -- but no.  It's focussed almost entirely on interpretation of the stories (e.g., what year they took place).

We may well still hear from some of our Holmes experts regarding all of the above, so please stay tuned!

 

[Oudis]

Hello again Carol,

Thanks for replying once more. Let me begin this post by saying that you wrote like an academic, a scholar, a researcher. Me, I’m just… a reader. So, Peter Haining’s edition contains "a number of other items that Conan Doyle wrote about his world-famous detective"? I… have no idea who Peter Haining is, or was. And Jack Tracy wrote (or edited, or prefaced) a “Sherlock Holmes: The Published Apocrypha", right? Jack Tracy? Is Doyle’s estate actually holding some stuff back? (Wow). I guess you guys (everybody here) could teach me a thing or two. Hopefully I will learn something reading this forum. And by the way Carol, your tip about hardbound books and trade paperbacks is priceless… Yes, I will certainly stay tuned.

Yes, I have read the four novels (“Study in Scarlet”, “Sign of the Four”, “Hound of the Baskervilles”, & “Valley of Fear”) and the “usual” fifty-six short stories. But… believe it or not, I’ve never owned a copy of any book of the Holmes “saga”… I’ve always borrowed what I’ve read from public libraries or friends. So no, I don’t have the four novels and the usual fifty-six short stores. Having read them, I have no Sherlock Holmes at all. It’s high time I started my own collection, don’t you think? And a “complete” edition is what came to mind.

The problem is that shillings have not been so plentiful with me as they once were, and I would also like to buy a “Complete Dashiell Hammett – Sam Spade hardback”, a “Complete Raymond Chandler – Philip Marlowe hardback”, and a “Complete Ross Macdonald – Lew Archer hardback”. I have to choose carefully.

What I’m trying to say is that I think that I simply need the mainstream Sherlock Holmes – maybe I shouldn’t have talked about a “complete” Holmes edition, but… I didn’t know what else to call it; my bad. Yep, the four novels and the usual fifty-six short stories will be more than enough. Indeed there will be time for a hundred visions and revisions before buying a book for scholars or hardcore fans, with footnotes, commentaries, plays, poems and parodies… (By the way: I’ve searched Haining & Tracy’s editions; they are too expensive for me right now)

So, Carol, what do you think? Would beginning my own Sherlock Holmes library with the “Complete Sherlock Holmes – Knickerbocker – Hardcover – 1200 pages” be a logical thing to do? Would it make sense? Or would you start somewhere else, maybe – would you purchase another book?

By the way, I copy and paste what another buyer wrote on Amazon: 

·        “The Barnes and Noble edition has gold color edging.”

·        “The Knickerbocker edition is U$ 10 cheaper with slightly larger type and a much larger gap between the lines – which makes it easier to read”

(I’ve used bold letters because the previous info might be useful for some other reader.

And this very nice fellow – Frank – went above and beyond the call of duty and made this chart, which was what made think that the “Knickerbocker” edition is what I need:

 

So, thanks again Carol,

Oudis

Another PS: Carol, you’ve mentioned your father – that was… nice, really nice (talking about something personal I mean); thanks, I appreciate it and will try to do the same. I’ll tell you about Holmes and my daughter.

It’s true, Conan Doyle wrote many things; more than he published, more than I know about. I remember I bought a thick Conan Doyle book for my daughter when she was thirteen years old. After a couple of weeks, I asked her about it; she was… evasive. After a month, it was evident that something had gone wrong. I grabbed the book and… tried to read it. War stories, if I remember well (it’s been more almost two decades); they were… insufferably boring, at least to me – LOL! Doyle served in the British Navy – or am I wrong? I’ll go to Wikipedia; it’s the least I can/must do. Maybe his career in the navy was the source of those stories. [Note: I’ve just read Wikipedia, and Doyle’s "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" novel about the Mary Celeste seems to be something worth checking] At that time I also bought a “complete” Holmes hardback for my daughter – and we both loved it, but that was long ago, the book is gone, and we can’t remember its publishing company or anything. Anyways, “talk” to you later, I hope.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Hi, Oudis -- will get back to you on this thread fairly soon, but meanwhile have sent you a Private Message.  Click on the envelope icon (which should currently have a small number superimposed on it, meaning how many PMs you have not yet opened) at the top-right of any forum page to see a drop-down list of all your current PMs, then click on the one you want to read.

 

[Oudis]

Hi Carol, thanks for replying…!

Yep, I’ve just seen my Personal Messages… I didn’t know about them – at all. I’ll open them later. In the meantime: I tried to copy and paste Frank’s (that Amazon buyer) comparison of sizes, prices, etc. of those two “Complete Sherlock Holmes” editions – but couldn’t! How do I attach a chart/diagram/photo etc.?

Al always,

Oudis

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks for asking, Oudis -- it's been a while since this matter was discussed, and things may have changed in the interim.  There's an existing thread [here] that covers this matter, but your best bet in this situation is probably to hot-link directly to the Amazon page.

"Hot-link" means that the image will look like it's in your post on this forum, but it's actually still on the original site, with the forum providing a "window" to look at it.  Note that It's traditionally considered impolite to hot-link to a small and/or non-commercial site, but when you're basically helping to advertise a large commercial site, it's generally fine.

So you would simply right-click on the image you're wanting to use, select "Copy Image Link" (or your browser's equivalent) from the drop-down menu, then go to the spot in your post where you want the image to appear and "paste" (Ctrl/V).  This will generally result in a thumbnail version of the image, which will temporarily enlarge to full size whenever someone clicks on it.

If you have any further questions or that doesn't work for you, please post your difficulties here.

 

[Oudis]

[Oudis]

Well, there it is. I don’t know how I did it – trial and error, that was it! – but there you have the table that shows two of the many hardback editions of the “Complete Sherlock Holmes”, and their different types, sizes, etc. I hope this is useful for some people – it was for me, it helped me choose. Thanks a lot, I hope to hear from you guys.

Oudis.