What you thought of Sherlock Holmes and The House of Silk

[Pedro-ologist]

Well...what did you think?

Did you enjoy the book?

Did you hate it?

Do you think it is pretty good, but Alex Rider/Power of Five/Diamond Brothers is better?

Have you read the original Sherlock Holmes books? If so, how does 'The House of Silk' compare? Is it better? Or is it an insult to the original books?

Have you not read the Sherlock Holmes books? If so, did this latest release by Anthony Horowitz make you want to? Or does it make you want to run away whenever you hear the phrase "Sherlock Holmes"!




Also, seeing as, at the time of this topics creation, the book has only just been released, I would like to point out that this topic allows spoilers!

"Wait...sorry, I didn't understand what you just said. Could you repeat it please, in big writing so you make it ridiculously obvious?"

Sure...

I said that in this topic...

*SPOILERS ARE PERMITTED*

"Pardon me! Did you really say that?"

Yes, I did. Here is a quote:

I would like to point out that this topic allows spoilers!

"Oh! I see. Spoilers are allowed! But what are spoilers?"

Spoiler: A thing that spoils. In the context of books: A passage of text which reveals plot twists, character revelations and the like.



Okay, okay, you get the picture. It's just that we had problems with this upon the release of Crocodile Tears. Someone got really annoyed and started insulting other members for talking (in detail) about parts of the book, even though it had been said that spoilers were allowed. So I just wanted to make it obvious!

Anyway...what are my opinions on the book? Well, it's simple. I haven't read it yet. It is looking at me from across my desk! I can't get stuck in though, because I have exams to study for  . I probably shouldn't be on here typing this...but whatever! I wanted to put some life into this section of the board...

Also, I think the cover is a bit plain...


Anyways...ENJOY THE TOPIC!!!

[JB]

I just purchased the book, but have yet to read it. I am a huge fan of all things Holmes. I would however take issue with A. H. comments in the recent USA Today article where he said that A C Doyle created the detective story. E A Poe wrote "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and other stories before A Conan Doyle was born. Just saying.

[hydramate]

So I finished The House of Silk yesterday and my overall impression was that I liked it.
I didn't guess the ending at all, although how easily a reader would guess it, I'm not too sure. Either some details weren't present earlier in the book or, more likely, I just forgot them. I'd have to reread to check though.

As for Sherlock Holmes-ness, I was surprisingly pleased. It is a lot longer than any of the originals, which means that more has to happen. However I found AH managed to keep quite close to the original atmosphere of the series and had a style of writing that resembled Conan Doyle's. It still showed through at points but it was never particularly jarring and didn't put me off at all.

As for your comment about the cover, Pedro, I'm not sure whether it is different in other countries but I think the UK cover is rather elegant and simple with the curlicue title and I think it suits the book. Anything particularly bright, pictorial or distracting would have taken something away, I think.

Overall though, despite being a Sherlock Holmes purist, I have to say that this book didn't leave me with a bad feeling in the slightest, far from it.





** SPOILER (sort of) **


I have to admit though that I thought AH would wrap up the painting problem in a different way than the initial 'oh, it was just bad luck' explanation of why they were on the train. I suppose it's true that bad luck happens though.


** END OF SPOILER **

[Jaymacca]

It took me 5 days to read The House of Silk, so un-putdownable it was.  As a Sherlock Holmes fan you are always doubtful that anything in the Sherlock Holmes mould will do the originals justice.  This book did it - and more.  I would go so far as to say it has bettered the originals; not an easy thing for a big fan to say. But the House of Silk gave me everything I enjoy in the Conan-Doyle writings - a foggy London town, intelligence, wit, murders to solve and even a final gripping chase. 

I hope this is only the first in a long series.  AH, put that deerstalker on your head and pipe in your mouth a la Basil Rathbone and walk proud.  You've done it justice.

[edward higgins]

Mr. Horowitz:
Having had trouble getting on your website I wrote to your publisher. However,as a Sherlockian I find you make the same mistake all copiers of Mr. Doyle make.  Mr Doyle wrote for a newspaper in serial form.  So his articles are mainly short stories or  a novelette.  In house of Silk which you showed  the subjective reasoning of Sherlock Homes.. This book had two stories: one of pedophilia,  the second of revenge..  Silk should have had ten short stories each  as well written as Silk.  Congratulation on  showing Watson as the strong Character  and friend he was.
Have seen and am an owner of Foyles War.  Please h ave more to follow.
Yours
Edward Higgins

[TiggsRulz:)]

I just read the book, and have to say I was suitably impressed - the plot was gripping, the writing style good, an there were a few bits of passing humor which I appreciated. The continual twists were good, and the way the story never got boring was also a good point. All in all I think it was a great work, and the Conan Doyle Estate made the correct choice in Anthony Horowitz to continue the series with a final book.


**SPOILER** (Kind of)
It's not really a criticism, but I thought the way it ended was a bit weird - as in it was a good way of wrapping up as a tale, but I personally didn't get the bit about 'maybe he is playing for me, I hope he is', or whatever it said. As I say, it was probably just a personal brain/reader glitch, but I still think the story was a good one, it certainly had me more hooked than the originals which I have read, not to say that the originals weren't good.

[Baltimoreereader]

Yeah, I'm from Baltimore, and we're pretty protective of the man here, but dag, it's so easy to look up his name and check the right spelling. 

This mistake happened in one of the early chapters (I'm on chapter eight now having started the book yesterday).  I also notice that one of the men talks about Somersville, not Somerville, Massachusetts.

Otherwise, it's a great read.  Just had to get that out about Mr. Poe--his life was hard enough without people misspelling his name in the afterlife.   

[bwahaha]

Can I just ask if this book is worth buying??

I haven't bought it yet because it is sooooo expensive in Australia (about $30+) and I'm worried that I won't like it.
Otherwise I could just borrow it from the library, but I prefer buying so I can read it several times, whenever I want!

(and I loved the front cover, btw)

[TiggsRulz:)]

Well it kind of depends what find of book you like - I mean it's nothing like Alex Rider or PO5, but It's great all the same - it all depends whether you like the Sherlock Holmes kind of story...

Maybe you can read a couple of chapters from the library, and if you like it, then you can buy it!!

[Kaurageous_rocks]

yeah as tiggs said
if you like Sherlock Holmes you will probably like it
unless you are a die hard SH fan that hates other people writing sequels 

[Pedro-ologist]

$30 is not that much for a nice hardback...

I have just finished the book, and I have to say, it is fabulous. I have not read any of the original books, but I am sure that any book as good as this gives them justice!

Also, I wonder, if the white bookmark thingo's colour and feel was intentional...

[Rocket]

Why? I got a red ribbony thing.

[TiggsRulz:)]

I didn't get a ribbon at all in mine 

[Pedro-ologist]

Well, mine was like a white piece of silk...Well...fake silk...

I ordered the hardback online from the uk...

Mr. Horowitz:
Having had trouble getting on your website I wrote to your publisher. However,as a Sherlockian I find you make the same mistake all copiers of Mr. Doyle make.  Mr Doyle wrote for a newspaper in serial form.  So his articles are mainly short stories or  a novelette.  In house of Silk which you showed  the subjective reasoning of Sherlock Homes.. This book had two stories: one of pedophilia,  the second of revenge..  Silk should have had ten short stories each  as well written as Silk.  Congratulation on  showing Watson as the strong Character  and friend he was.
Have seen and am an owner of Foyles War.  Please h ave more to follow.
Yours
Edward Higgins

But Anthony Horowitz was not writing it for a newspaper. The only reason Doyle wrote like that was because it was being published in a newspaper, and if it were not being published in that form, it would have been different and more like what Horowitz wrote. I do not think that AH made a mistake. He just wrote the book under different circumstances and for a different audience (one that wanted a longer book...).

[Sunshine Superman]

There's one error or inconsistency in my hardback edition - the Waterstones exclusive edition, which also includes a Conan Doyle original story, The Bruce-Partington Plans.

In his Acknowledgements at the front of  the book, Mr Horowitz states that the first encountered  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works when he was sixteen. But then, at the end of the book in his essay Some Thoughts on Sherlock Holmes, Mr Horowitz states that he first read the Sherlock Holmes stories when he was fourteen.

Sixteen or fourteen?

Or was it really when he was fifteeen?