El signo de los cuatro

Por Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Traducción y prólogo de Rodolfo Martínez.

Sherlock Holmes alarga la mano para agarrar el frasco de cocaína mientras su leal compañero, el doctor Watson, lo mira con reprobación. Así arranca El signo de los cuatro, la segunda novela escrita por Arthur Conan Doyle protagonizada por su personaje más famoso.

A lo largo de sus páginas nos enfrentamos a un misterio que sólo Sherlock Holmes puede desentrañar y que está a punto de derrotarle, un misterio que obligará al detective y a su fiel compañero recorrer todo Londres (sus calles y plazas, sus puentes y embarcaderos, las mansiones de clase alta y los barrios bajos) mientras siguen las huellas del tesoro de Agra. La caza culminará en una persecución frenética por el Támesis en la que el premio puede ser tanto el tesoro como la muerte.

El signo de los cuatro es una de las obras capitales de la novela popular del siglo XIX, imprescindible no sólo para comprender el nacimiento y desarrollo de la literatura de misterio, sino para desentrañar las claves de uno de los principales iconos de la cultura popular.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Sportula
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 26 sept 2013
• ISBN: 9788415988120

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish author best known for his classic detective fiction, although he wrote in many other genres including dramatic work, plays, and poetry. He began writing stories while studying medicine and published his first story in 1887. His Sherlock Holmes character is one of the most popular inventions of English literature, and has inspired films, stage adaptions, and literary adaptations for over 100 years.

Vista previa del libro

¿Por qué Sherlock Holmes? ¿Y por qué precisamente El signo de los cuatro? Los que me conocen saben bien cuál es la respuesta a la primera pregunta. No en vano el personaje de Arthur Conan Doyle lleva obsesionándome desde antes de la adolescencia y no es casual que haya escrito cuatro novelas en las que el detective de Baker Street es uno de los principales personajes.

En cuanto a la segunda pregunta…

Una vez que tomé la decisión de iniciar una línea de clásicos dentro de Sportula, la presencia de Sherlock Holmes estaba asegurada, como he dicho. Que fuera, incluso, su perfil afilado el que hiciera de punta de lanza era más obvio aún. Pero, ¿por qué empezar con la segunda de sus novelas, por qué no con la primera, Estudio en Escarlata, o con la más famosa y más conseguida, El perro de los Baskerville, o incluso con una recopilación de sus mejores historias cortas?

La razón, como en tantos otros casos, hay que buscarla en el pasado. No muy lejos, en términos generales, aunque sí bastante en un orden más personal. Hay que retroceder unos treinta y nueve años, al momento en que, siendo niño, descubro el personaje de Sherlock Holmes a través de la serie que la BBC realizó por aquella época con Peter Cushing encarnando al detective de Baker Street. La serie se inició en 1965 (lo cual, si somos supersticiosos, podría tener su interés, ya que es el año de mi nacimiento) y Televisión Española la emitió en 1974, cuando yo tenía nueve años.

Quedé fascinado por ella y el personaje de Sherlock Holmes no tardó en convertirse en uno de los iconos de mi infancia. Hasta no hace mucho, mis recuerdos de esa serie eran vagos y se limitaban a escenas aisladas aquí y allá, como Holmes dando la vuelta a una piedra y escudriñándola con la lupa (creo que en El misterio de Shoscombe Old Place) o Watson en un jardín en mitad de la noche oyendo la respiración de un sabueso infernal y tratando de no dejarse ganar por el terror (en, por supuesto, El perro de los Baskerville) o, finalmente, una frenética persecución por el río Támesis en la que Holmes descarga su revólver contra un horrible pigmeo. Esa última imagen pertenece a la adaptación de El signo de los cuatro y, de algún modo, aquella persecución fluvial en medio de la noche se convirtió en una de las imágenes más poderosas de mi pasado y ese episodio ha sido siempre, sin duda, mi favorito de toda la serie.

He tenido oportunidad de volver a ver algunos episodios de la serie hace pocos años y comprobar hasta qué punto ese mentiroso llamado «memoria» había estado jugando conmigo. Sin duda, mi imaginación infantil fue responsable en buena medida del impacto que me causó esa escena, pues la serie no se distinguía precisamente por su elevado presupuesto. Pese a todo, aunque ahora le vea las costuras y sea consciente de la pobreza de medios, la secuencia sigue funcionándome, gracias, sobre todo, a una excelente interpretación y a una puesta en escena inteligente. De hecho, considero que la serie de Peter Cushing es un clásico imprescindible de la televisión británica y, en mi panteón personal, está a pocos peldaños por debajo de Yo, Claudio, la adaptación de las dos novelas de Robert Graves sobre el paradójico emperador romano.

Pero, volviendo a Sherlock Holmes, ¿qué pasa con el original literario, se preguntarán los lectores?

No tardé mucho en pasar de la imagen a la palabra. Al fin y al cabo, ya por entonces era un lector voraz, así que buscar la obra de Conan Doyle y empezar a devorar las aventuras de su detective fue cuestión de poco tiempo. Tardé en leer El signo de los cuatro, sin embargo. De hecho, si la memoria no me falla, fue El valle del terror la primera novela holmesiana que leí y pasé luego los libros que recogían sus relatos: no puedo asegurarlo con total seguridad, pero creo que el primero que leí fue Su última reverencia, en el que se incluía en relato del mismo título que, se supone, es la última intervención pública del detective, justo en vísperas de la Primera Guerra Mundial. Así que se podría decir que empecé a leer por el final y luego fui retrocediendo… aunque en realidad lo que hice fue moverme a salto de mata, sin orden ni concierto y sin tener ni idea de ello.

En todo caso, cuando por fin empecé con la historia del tesoro de Agra, no tardé en reconocerla como el material que había servido de base para aquel episodio que tanto me había gustado.

¿Y qué tiene de especial esta novela? Estudio en escarlata tiene el mérito de ser la presentación en sociedad de Holmes y El perro de los Baskerville es, sin duda la mejor y más compleja de las novelas del detective. El valle del terror, por otro lado, cuenta con el atractivo de ser una historia tardía, publicada por entregas entre 1914 y 1915 y que, además, está inspirada (al menos su segunda parte) en la historia real de los Molly Maguires. Así pues, no parece haber nada especialmente relevante en El signo de los cuatro y podríamos llegar a la conclusión de que es la pura nostalgia, de que son motivos meramente personales y emocionales los que me han llevado a elegirla.

Sin que eso sea falso, creo que hay otras razones que son más que suficientes para considerar esta novela importante por sí misma, como pretendo analizar en las páginas siguientes. Espero que me acompañes en tal análisis, amable lector.

La más holmesiana de todas

Tanto Estudio en escarlata como El valle de terror hacen trampa, en cierto modo. En ambos casos se trata del ensamblaje de dos novelas cortas que cuentan historias muy distintas y cuya relación es relativamente tenue. En el caso de Estudio en Escarlata tenemos, por un lado, la investigación del misterio y por el otro, un relato de ambientación mormona que tiene mucho de western y que se desarrolla varios años antes. El hilo conductor es que el asesino de la primera parte está vengándose de algo que ocurrió en la segunda pero, en realidad, podrían ser perfectamente dos historias separadas. Lo mismo ocurre con El valle del terror, donde a la resolución del misterio sigue un flashback que ocupa la segunda mitad del libro y que es un relato independiente aunque, de nuevo, hay una pequeña relación, ya que lo que el personaje central hace en esta segunda mitad es el motivo por el que su vida estará amenazada en la primera. No son malas novelas y esa especie de fix-up que componen no carece de interés, pero son artefactos extraños y da la impresión, especialmente en la primera de ellas, de que Conan Doyle no confiaba demasiado en sus capacidades para llevar adelante una historia larga y por eso usa este subterfugio de ensamblar dos más cortas.

En cuanto a El perro de los Baskerville, es la novela más ambiciosa de su autor, desde luego, la más lograda y la más compleja. Pero… pero lo cierto es que Sherlock Holmes está ausente durante buena parte de sus páginas y son la tragedia familiar de los Baskerville y las pesquisas del doctor Watson los que llevan el peso de la historia. Eso no la hace peor novela; como he dicho, me parece la mejor, y el subterfugio de hacer desaparecer a Holmes de escena ayuda mucho a que lo sea, curiosamente. Pero resulta un poco frustrante para el admirador del detective pasar páginas y páginas y no ver al objeto de su admiración por parte alguna.

Por el contrario, nadie puede negar que el protagonista absoluto de El signo de los cuatro es Sherlock Holmes, que se convierte desde la primera página en la prima dona de la historia sin competencia posible. Y no mediante el truco barato de hacer que los demás personajes carezcan de interés, pues todos tienen sus momentos de brillo y está adecuadamente caracterizados, aunque sea con pinceladas rápidas y casi impresionistas: Watson con sus dudas y sus sentimientos, Athelney Jones con su arrogancia, Mary Morstan con su modales tranquilos y su dignidad ante la adversidad, Thaddeus Sholto con sus tics de hipocondriaco y, por supuesto, Jonathan Small, que es la sombra que nunca se ve en toda la novela y se revela en las últimas páginas como un personaje complejo y difícilmente clasificable. En ese plantel de buenos personajes, Holmes destaca casi sin esforzarse con, como dijo una vez Raymond Chandler: «una personalidad llamativa y media docena de líneas de diálogo magníficas.»

A mi entender, es en El signo de los cuatro donde mejor se destilan las claves del detective de Baker Street, en una historia construida para que brille sin competencia desde la primera página, donde lo vemos tomar su dosis diaria de cocaína diluida al siete por ciento, y que, en cierto modo, termina de sentar las bases definitivas de lo que será a partir de entonces la novela policiaca británica. Todo en la trama gira alrededor del misterio que se investiga y de las pesquisas que realiza el detective y el autor consigue mantener un ritmo casi perfecto a lo largo de toda la novela, construyéndola con la longitud justa, sin que le sobre o le falte una página y sin necesidad de contarnos una historia ajena para que el relato alcance la longitud adecuada. Se nos narra lo ocurrido antes de que empiece el caso y se nos cuenta por qué los asesinos hicieron lo que hicieron, es cierto, pero la historia de Jonathan Small, aunque extensa, no es más que un capítulo más de la novela, el último, no una nueva novela.

Todo en esta historia es puro Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle utilizó a lo largo de los años a su detective para contar muchas otras cosas y, en ocasiones, Holmes y Watson no pasan de ser simples testigos de una historia que no es la suya (pensemos en «La inquilina del velo», por ejemplo) o una excusa para contar una historia de terror de tintes góticos (El perro de los Baskerville), pero aquí son ellos dos, el detective y el doctor, el centro de la historia, por más que estén investigando un misterio ajeno. Nunca Holmes ha sido el foco central de la narración como lo es en El signo de los cuatro y nunca Watson nos ha dado tantos detalles de su vida privada y de sus sentimientos como en esta novela.

Un misterio modélico

Las características principales ya habían sido establecidas en Estudio en escarlata, es cierto: un crimen del que el detective no es testigo, la exploración cuidadosa del lugar de los hechos, las pequeñas conclusiones compartidas con Watson que van aclarando el misterio, la policía dando palos de ciego y, por último, la trampa que el detective le tiende al criminal y donde el primero obtiene el triunfo, seguido de la exposición y aclaración de lo ocurrido.

En ese aspecto, nada nuevo aporta El signo de los cuatro. De hecho, buena parte de esos elementos ya habían sido establecidos años antes por Edgar Allan Poe en «Los crímenes de la calle Morgue».

Lo que la distingue de su predecesora es, para empezar, el ritmo de la narración, perfectamente dosificado y que va haciéndose más rápido poco a poco. Es, casi, como si fuera un tren que va saliendo de la estación muy despacio para ir ganando velocidad a medida que alcanza terreno despejado e desplazarse a partir de entonces con la máquina toda potencia. No es un mal símil ya que el tren, concretamente el tren a vapor, es uno de los principales símbolos de la época a la que Holmes pertenece.

La novela empieza de forma pausada, con una charla entre nuestros dos protagonistas (charla que define a ambos a la perfección y es que Conan Doyle es un maestro a la hora de definir personajes mediante el diálogo) y va tomando velocidad lentamente con la llegada de la cliente, el viaje medio a ciegas por Londres, la conversación con Thaddeus Sholto, la llegada en medio de la noche a la mansión, el asesinato de Bartholomew Sholto, el registro de las habitaciones, las pesquisas de Holmes y Watson por las calles de Londres… y el fracaso en las mismas. El ritmo se interrumpe ahí de pronto, como si la novela se hubiera quedado sin respiración (o como si el tren temiera descarrilar, por seguir con el símil). En realidad, es al lector al que le falta el aliento, llevado por el misterio trepidante (y cada vez más fascinante) y esa ruptura del ritmo es totalmente necesaria para que podamos acomodarnos mejor en el asiento y tomar fuerzas para el asalto final.

Y qué asalto.

Porque lo que tiene lugar a continuación es una vertiginosa persecución por el Támesis que nada tiene que envidiar a la más frenética persecución de coches en el cine actual y con la que la historia alcanza su clímax narrativo (y menudo clímax: el dardo que casi le da a Watson, Holmes disparando el revólver en medio de la noche, las dos lanchas a toda potencia por el río, los gritos, la agitación) para, finalmente, llegar a la necesaria coda que donde se atan los cabos sueltos y Jonathan Small cuenta su historia.

Holmes está, en todo momento, soberbio. Ve lo que nadie más ve, no hay detalle que se le escape y va siempre muy por delante de todos los demás personajes. Incluso cuando fracasa (cuando, por así decir, pierde el rastro y no parece poder encontrarlo de nuevo) no se rinde, no se deja ganar por la derrota y sigue adelante. Además, ese tropezón es la excusa perfecta para que salgan a escena los Irregulares de Baker Street, con el sucio

Comentarios para El signo de los cuatro

[robinrowlesauthor · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

The Sign of Four means murder! Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson accompany a beautiful young woman to a sinister assignation. Mary Morstan receives a mystery letter telling her she is a wronged woman. In order to seek justice she's to meet her unknown benefactor, bringing with her two companions. But surprise, surprise, there are others stalking in the fog of London! A one-legged ruffian has revenge on his mind - and his companions, who place no value on human life!
This story has non-stop action and it's certainly believable (bearing in mind when it was written)- It has a really surprising ending - jewel-thieves at its best. With greed another factor, there is plenty of adventure and mystery to get you turning-over the page. There's also a destination of love for Dr Watson with Mary Morstan!
Yes, at times it's certainly curious and intriguing.. along with its whodunit theme.
A well written story with lots of very good description and detail. Some really great characters.

[theeclecticbookworm · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I listened to this book for a few days on my way to/from work, which was easy to do. I hadn't heard of this story before and I'm not really surprised. It was okay, and i liked it, but I don't think I'd bother to listen to it again, or to read it.

[asxz-2 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Opens with Sherlock self-administering class-A drugs intravenously... because he's bored. How very Trainspotting. Another romp through the streets of London or rather down the Thames in this instance. A locked-room mystery instantly solved and love at first sight for Dr. Watson. Charming and fun.

[ruthich · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Not quite the classic of Study in Scarlet or Valley of Fear, an adventure that roams to an Indian hard labour camp, where some of the inmates get involved with jewels and crooked British Officers.

[andrew1theqm · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

3.5 Stars. Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one.

[adilinaria · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This one had a lot of the dated language and imagery I'd expect from a Victorian novel unfortunately, so be aware of that going in. Colonialism was strong here. Besides that it had something that I think a lot of the short stories lack, and I really found that fun. The 'high speed boat chase' was absolutely hilarious to me, though I enjoyed it. After reading Lindsey Faye's Sherlock shorts now I'm seeing the constant romanticized descriptions of women and it's just so over the top and ridiculous. I did like seeing Watson and Mary's relationship though, that was very cute. Sadly the mystery in this one was not very mysterious, I was a bit bummed on how simple it worked out to be. Ah well!

[bauernfeind · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A good old comfortable read

[dulac3_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

_The Sign of the Four_ isn't a bad mystery, but I didn't quite like it as much as _A Study in Scarlet_ or most of the stories in _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_. I'm starting to think, however, that these stories aren't always of interest because of the mystery itself (though sometimes they certainly are), but more because of the revelations they disclose about the character of Sherlock Holmes himself. Did you know that he had fought a prize fighter and won? I didn't before, but now I do. We also get to see first hand what happens to Holmes when he has no work of sufficient interest to tax his incredible mind and he slumps into malaise and cocaine use to take the edge off.

This is also an important story for the genial Dr. Watson as he meets and falls in love with his future wife, Mary Morston. Good thing it turns out she was a client of Holmes' in these early days of their acquaintance since it helps to explain why she lets her husband go gallivanting around London with him all the time with nary a complaint. She owes him.

The central mystery revolves around a lost treasure and a missing soldier (Mary's father) who disappeared mysteriously years before. A man murdered in a locked room proves to pose a problem for the police, but not for Holmes of course. Along the way Watson discovers love and Holmes once again helps the police solve a mystery for which he receives no credit. As I said, not a bad story, but not one of my favourites thus far.

[melydia_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This second novel of Holmes's adventures is a tale of stolen treasure, betrayal, and of course murder. Holmes is his usual self, driving the police absolutely mad with just how right he is all the time. One of the things that most captivates me about Sherlock Holmes's detective work is that it all takes place before the advent of fingerprinting. There are so many inferences he would never need to make today if he could show who touched what. Anyway, back to the story. The plot was pleasantly complex. Watson's romance was adorable. My favorite part, though, was when the pair found themselves on the wrong trail and suddenly burst into laughter. While I certainly enjoy witnessing Holmes's amazing (and often unlikely) feats of deduction and inference, its his friendship with Watson that truly makes the stories come alive.

[justabookreader · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I used to read a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories. Of course, this was years ago and I think I must have overdid it because I avoided Conan Doyle for years. Like the plague. Then I came across a few short stories when purging the shelves and thought it would be nice to take a look again, and it turns out, I still like me a bit of Sherlock and his handy sidekick, Doctor Watson. Feeling confident, I downloaded The Sign of Four from The Gutenberg Project and decided I would get re-acquainted with the duo. Not so much joy ensued.Here’s the general overview: a man has gone missing, a treasure has been misplaced, and Sherlock is asked to stick his nose in and sort out the conflicting mess. It’s wildly more complicated than that but I’ll be honest, I couldn’t get into this one and barely trudged to the end. The mystery was bland to me and this is supposed to be one his most revered Sherlockian works. People supposedly love this one and to a high degree I might add. I may not have had much interest in the actual mystery but what I did find interesting in this story was the drug use. Yep, right at the start Sherlock is getting high on cocaine. It made me wonder why anyone would hire someone who seemed, at least here, to be mildly stoned for most of the day to solve a mystery. Also of interest, we get to meet the future Mrs. Watson.I want to tell you more but I fear that my boredom with the story will cause me to give too much away. Besides, there are many favorable reviews of this book out there that if you like Sherlock, google it then read it. It might do wonders for you.

[ursula_2 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

What is there to say about Sherlock Holmes and Watson that everyone else hasn't already said? That won't stop me, though. I am reading them in order, so this is my second encounter with Holmes and Watson. Here you begin to see what would become the basis for endless film and tv representations of their characters. Holmes is treating his boredom with cocaine; Watson is a bit of a nervous aunt as he inquires as to the wisdom of the treatment. But before we have to delve too deeply into Holmes' psyche, a case comes calling in the person of Mary Morstan. The case involves a death, and a hidden treasure from India. We get a lot of brilliant deduction, followed by various methods employed by Holmes to fill in the gaps in his knowledge - the Baker Street irregulars (street urchins he employs from time to time), disguise, a chase, etc. Ultimately, once the villain is discovered and safely in custody, it's time for him to spill the entire back story so we can see how right Holmes was.Recommended for: everyone (come on, it's Sherlock Holmes!).Quote: "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, HOWEVER IMPROBABLE, must be the truth?"

[hashford_2 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I’m sorry, I have tried to like Sherlock Holmes, I really have. But I just can’t get on with the superior attitude, and the casual racism and sexism scattered throughout the stories.As other reviewers have said, this isn’t one of Conan Doyle’s best. The story is incredibly slow, and doesn’t seem to know when it’s finished. The whole of the last CD (a quarter of the book!) is unnecessary and feels very unrealistic – why would the criminal feel the need to tell his tale quite so thoroughly?. Also, Watson’s “love interest” seems contrived and isn’t followed through anyway, so why is it there?And I’m really sorry (and I know I’m in a minority here!), but I didn’t like Derek Jacobi’s reading either. I would have liked more differentiation between Watson’s and Holmes’ voices – often, picking up the story after a few hours gap I had to work out who was speaking from the content (when I think it should be immediately obvious from the voice). His regional / international accents are wobbly to say the least and he struggles to do women effectively.All in all, listening to this in the car on the school run with my daughter felt far too much like hard work!

[bookworm12_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Watson and Sherlock are back in this delicious mystery, one of only four full Sherlock novels. This one has it all and is my personal favorite. It opens with Sherlock shooting cocaine as a concerned Watson questions the addiction. Things just get better from there. We have a mysterious treasure from India passed down from father to son, murder, great disguises from Sherlock and even a bit of romance for Watson. I love that this novel gives us the full range of Sherlock’s emotions. He is obviously troubled, both when he is bored and when he is frustrated by a case. At other times he is completely joyous and playful as his mind ticks at a rapid pace, miles ahead of everyone else as he connects the dots. The relationship between Watson and Sherlock is at its best here. It’s still in its infancy in A Study in Scarlet and it’s almost completely missing in The Hound of the Baskervilles. This book captures the core of their friendship. They balance each other, Sherlock needs someone to think of the emotional side of things and Watson loves being involved in the thrill of a new case, though he wouldn’t pursue this line of work on his own. We also have Sherlock’s fussy landlady, Mrs. Hudson, who worries about her tenant and the client, Miss Mary Morstan, who catches Watson’s eye. Then there’s the Baker Street Irregulars, a ragtag group of boys who occasionally help Sherlock with his cases. The novel also has a helpful dog named Toby and some of Sherlock’s most infamous lines. You can’t go wrong with this one. BOTTOM LINE: This is definitely my favorite Sherlock Holmes novel so far. I also think it would be a great starting point for anyone who is new to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. "My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." "The chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness." “No, I am not tired. I have a curious constitution. I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely." “Miss Morstan and I stood together, and her hand was in mine. A wondrous subtle thing is love, for here were we two who had never seen each other before that day, between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed, and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other.” “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

[jessiqa_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This is the second Sherlock Holmes novel. I was surprised to find that Holmes was already using cocaine this early in the series. I had been told in class that Conan Doyle had introduced Holmes' drug use in order to make him less likable, because he didn't wish to continue writing about him. That seems an unlikely motive for the second published work, so I guess I can throw that theory out the window.The client in this story is Mary Morstan, whose father disappeared under mysterious circumstances and who is now receiving very strange letters from an anonymous benefactor. This is learned to be Thaddeus Sholto, whose father had hidden a treasure that Miss Morstan's father also had a claim to. The treasure is located by Thaddeus Shoto's brother Benjamin, and when Holmes, Watson and Miss Morstan go with Thaddeus to his brother's home, they find Benjamin dead inside a locked bedroom with the windows all locked shut. Homes deduces the means of the killers' entry and exit and uses a dog to follow the trail, as well as his Baker Street Irregulars. He even uses a disguise to do a bit of snooping himself. This, of course, is what pays off. Once the killer is caught, he relates his whole tale to Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Athelny Jones.There is a bit of a love story in this one too: Watson and Mary fall in love and are engaged by the end of the book. Holmes sighs at Watson's decision to marry since love is so illogical, but he pays Mary the compliment in saying that she "had a decided genius in that way," meaning in investigative work. Quite high praise coming from him.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[jasonlf · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Excellent for what it is, of course. This is the second Holmes novella, fits the formula perfectly, and is enjoyable from beginning to end. It features a locked room mystery (sort of), the usual mysteries that had their origin overseas, and even a little romantic interest for Watson. It is not quite as confounding and mysterious, nor is the solution quite as satisfying, as many of the later Holmes stories. But still excellent.

[jwhenderson_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Having already read The Hound of the Baskervilles, I turned to another one of the published Holmes novels, The Sign of Four, in part because it is available in a Penguin Classics edition. Felicitously, I found it to be one of the best detective novels of its time.The story is wonderfully paced with plenty of excitement, from chasing down the criminals through the use of a dog to another appearance by the Baker Street irregulars, and a thrilling boat chase for the climax of the story. More than a century after it was first written, the novel shows little sign of its age. The Sign of Four is well-paced, exciting, and even action packed story. It represents Doyle at his finest in many ways. The mystery is somewhat bizarre with its use of exotic weapons and strange footprints, but not too outre as seemed to be the case in some of the later Holmes stories such as "The Creeping Man." As is often the case it involves a young woman, with the added attraction of a treasure making the case even more interesting.I think that while in Study in Scarlet, we learned about Holmes, in this book we begin to see Holmes' personality: the genius who is so driven to avoid hum drum existence, who seeks problems and trouble to find some problem to keep his attention. The novel is also noteworthy for its focus on Holmes' use of Cocaine in the beginning and end. Dr. Watson (and by extension Dr. Doyle) were concerned about the use of Cocaine in the late 19th Century and its negative effects. However, Doyle wasn't heavy handed in his approach, and so Watson's concern sounds more like a modern doctor's concern with any popular addiction. And Holmes is blaise about it, leading to some interactions and statement that may seem surreal or humorous to the modern reader.

[port22_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

It seems that Holmes is an early discoverer ("I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it...") of a new didactic method of working out crimes: "Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner." Three qualities are necessary to make the ideal detective -- power of observation, deduction, and technical subjects; it is all a work of precision: "No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit, destructive to the logical faculty."Holmes uses cocaine as a substitute of craved mental stimulant which detective's work provides to him: "My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere." When confronted by Watson he is not irritated, "On the contrary, he put his finger-tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of this chair, like one who has a relish for conversation."And that morning, to Watson's astonishment, Holmes demonstrates that "For example, observation shows me that you have been to Wigmore Street Post-Office, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram."The plot arch is uncovered in a straight forward story which Dr. Watson recounts in first person: A young lady, Mary Mortan, seeks the assistance of able men to accompany her to a meeting with a mysterious someone who promises to reveal to her how her father died and a commitment to relinquish her fair share of a supposed treasure she inherited. Then, the entire action is compressed into the following 3 days.Reading Conan Doyle is also a bit of an archeological window into the language of the 19th century. For me, the smattering of quaint phraseology only adds an element of authenticity to the book.The book excels in unfolding the detective story (the "what"). Tightly paced and compact. One mildly unsatisfactory element is the choice of a deus-ex-machina plot device in explaining the "why". An entire chapter of the book is filled by a guy who sits in a chair and tells a story that puts put the motives behind the crime that was investigated by Holmes and Watson. One defense to this decision could be that this way Conan Doyle preserves the consistency of the book of being entirely told from the point of view of Dr. Watson and written in the first person.

[spyderman58 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anxious to get to the next one. Was a bit surprised to see that SH is a coke head.

[shanaqui_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Things I learned in this book: Watson is way more appealing a character, much of the time, than Holmes. The wrestling really is part of his character. So is the cocaine. Holmes is really irritating when he refuses to share his ideas.

It's funny reading reviews, because there are wildly differing ideas about whether this one is any good or not. Some say yes, some cry no. I enjoyed it well enough, and I thought the structure of it was better than A Study In Scarlet, with a decent transition into the flashback bit. I wasn't really expecting that to be such an important bit of the book -- it took up a decent chunk of it! -- and I wonder if all of them are like that. I shall find out anon, I imagine.

I'm also interested that, of the two of them, Sherlock Holmes is the bigger icon, and yet Watson is rather more likeable. His "romance" with Mary Morstan isn't exactly subtle, but there's something about his frankness about how she distracts him and enchants him which is touching and nice.

[oscarwilde87_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

The Sign of the Four is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes and was published in 1890. It is actually not that easy to sum up the plot of this novel in a few words as it is very complex. The novel is about a stolen treasure, kept secret by a group of four convicts, and about the disappearance of Captain Arthur Morstan, father of Mary Morstan, Sherlock Holmes' new client. Soon, the detective finds a connection between the treasure and Captain Morstan's disappearance. Thaddeus Sholto, the son of a former comrade of Arthur Morstan, reveals that Morstan died of a heart attack and that Sholto had come into possession of information about the stolen treasure. During the investigation, Dr. Watson falls in love with Mary Morstan, who is to become his wife.What I found more exciting about The Sign of the Four than its plot, though, was the depiction of its main character, Sherlock Holmes. Compared to the first novel, there is a change in the depiction of Holmes right in the beginning of The Sign of the Four when the reader learns about Holmes using cocaine. While the first novel depicts Holmes as a great detective with a vast knowledge in various fields of study, and someone who perfected the art of deduction, the second novel makes him seem more human. He is less perfect than in the first novel and this makes him a rounder character.While I liked the character development in this novel, the plot was not really too exciting and a little too complex at times. On the whole, the second Sherlock Holmes novel is still a fairly good read. 3 stars.

[aprilann0814 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to teach this one since Sherlock Holmes does cocaine and heroin and John Watson doesn't stop him, but it's still a wonderful story. The many layers of mysteries SH keeps track of and finds is impressive. To SH, there are no red herring clues, though some may seem that way to JW and the reader. I can't help but wonder what a novel by SH would look like. Of course, he would never waste his time on something so trivial.

[ctpress_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Watson: I fear that it may be the last investigation in which I shall have the chance of studying your methods. Miss Morstan has done me the honor to accept me as a husband in prospective.Sherlock Holmes gave a most dismal groan. “I feared as much,” said he. “I cannot really congratulate you.”I was a little hurt. “Have you any reason to be dissatisfied with my choice?” I asked. “Not at all. I think she is one of the most charming young ladies I ever met….But love is an emotional thing and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgment. "I trust,” said I, laughing, “that my judgment may survive the ordeal.”Sorry for a lengthy quote but I couldn’t resist. I will remember this second novel in the Sherlock Holmes series for the blooming romance between our dear friend Dr. Watson and the woman in peril, Miss Mary Morstan. When you get romance in Sherlock Holmes you have to cherish it. And Holmes’ cold reaction towards it. There’s a guy who stays true to character. Of other novelties in the novel one can mention the opening scene where Holmes with much indifference is sniffing cocaine out of boredom. Watson is shocked and warns Holmes of his dangerous cocain habit. So we come to the mystery itself. Well, all I have to say: This is a short, fast-paced story that takes place all over London - about Miss Morstan and her missing father, a hidden treasure, treachery, murder and greed among the ingredients. Here’s the books concluding remark: Watson to Holmes: You have done all the work in this business. I geet a wife out of it, Jones (the police investigator) gets the credit, pray what remains for you?“For me,” said Sherlock Holmes, “there still remains the cocaine-bottle.” And he stretched his long white hand up for it.

[theokester · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Similar to the first full length Holmes novel, The Sign of Four lets us get to know more about Sherlock Holmes through the unraveling of an intricate case. It gives a greater glimpse into Holmes’ drug habit and his pompous and abrasive personality. This time, Holmes and Watson are presented with a mystery at least ten years in the making when a young woman approaches Holmes with a story of her father who vanished ten years ago and her subsequent receipt of precious jewels and now an invitation to meet someone who promises to shed light on the mystery.Many times through the story, Holmes makes it a point to say that he has a number of theories but doesn’t want to expound on any of them until he has the appropriate facts. Contrary to Holmes’ abundance of theories, the reader walks alongside Watson in confusion as more and more diverse elements pile up without having any clear indication as to their relationship to one another or to the central case. What starts off as the hope of solving a decade old disappearance turns into a case of murder and grand larceny as the crew stumbles upon a corpse and a missing treasure. As the case grows more intricate Holmes annoyingly goes “off stage” a few times to work on some of his own theories. I found these moments annoying because Watson remains in Baker Street waiting for Holmes and as a result we only get a few sentences of explanation as to these elements of Holmes’ adventures or investigations. Some of these moments involve moments of disguise and subterfuge. It’s entirely possible, based on some of the other elements in this book and the previous novel, Study in Scarlet, that these scenes were deemed to be too dull for inclusion and if that is the case then I applaud Conan Doyle for leaving them out. Still, part of me wanted to see more of Holmes in action rather than Holmes in narrative. As the mystery wraps up and we reach the conclusion, we once again receive a lengthy narrative retelling a story that happened decades prior. I found this story a bit more interesting to read than the story told at the end of Study in Scarlet, but I was still a little bored by the lengthy narrative. Much of the action and intrigue of the story was boiled down to its most basic elements or left out entirely as the narrator simply presented the base facts from memory. The overall concept of this particular mystery was fairly intriguing and I liked the way that it played out. I found myself liking this novel slightly better than the first Holmes story but still felt a little underwhelmed as to the overall style and structure. The nature of his intelligent deductions is fun and while his character is abrasive, I enjoy getting to know more about Holmes. A solid sequel.***3 out of 5 stars

[swampygirl-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

While most Sherlock stories are intriguing, this one stood out to me as perhaps the most interesting. Not because of the crime, but because of all the original stories I have read thus far this one seems the most interested in Sherlock's motivation and character- fleshed him out as it were.

I also can't help but be amused by Doyle's treatment of Sherlock's drug addiction and apparent manic depression. No apologies. This may merit further investigation.

[slpenney07 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Summary: A young lady has been sent pearls. Sherlock and Watson investigate their origin, along with a cryptic letter that promises to explain all.The Take-Away: My love of the classics is two-fold: I love stories that well told even by modern standards; I love seeing how the world has changed. For instance, Sherlock Holmes was a cocaine user. When he wasn't solving mysteries, he was so bored with life, that a 7% solution was one of the two things that made life tolerable -- the other being morphine.I also love seeing how writing has changed. "Editing" the title helps me to think through what would need to be done to make it sell in today's market. Working out that muscle also helps my own writing.Sherlock isn't nearly as interesting as Watson. Sherlock is cool and undistribed, always right whereas Watson is emotional and often overlooks what Sherlock considers a clue. Indulge me a bit here: Sherlock is always right, because the author makes sure he is. If Sherlock missed a clue, here and there, like Watson often does, would the books be considered as great? Is it because Sherlock is a larger than life character that they've carried through the years?Recommendation: If you like classics, Sherlock is a great detective.

[therebelprince · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

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!

[lisamaria_c · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

For me this second Sherlock Holmes novel is what defines a classic. By no means is Doyle the master stylist of a Thomas Hardy or Oscar Wilde, and I'm not going to claim there are profound insights into the human condition, but this novel wears its age very lightly indeed. There are books written decades later that feel far more dated, and the few times anything in it feel the slightest bit old fashioned, it lends it more the piquant flavor of the Victorian Age than anything that feels like a flaw. This is a fun, fast read--barely novel length, only 12 chapters and barely over 40 thousand words and along with its mystery and adventure even provides a soupçon of romance. I don't think this is as good as The Hound of the Baskervilles, the most famous Sherlock Holmes story and novel, but it's holds up well compared to the first, A Study in Scarlet and there's so much here that makes Holmes such an immortal character. There are his brilliant deductions such as his tour de force with Watson's watch, there's his sense of humor that ameliorates his sometimes cold ratiocination, his flare for the dramatic seen in his revelation of his disguises, and even his flaws like his addiction (or close to it) for cocaine, which is highlighted here at the beginning and end of the novel. So much here made me smile. The Holmesian aphorism: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." The Baker Street Irregulars. Toby the master tracker, a mongrel that's a mix of spaniel, collie and greyhound. The exotic mix of things from the height of the British Raj, which includes nothing less than hidden treasure to be found. I don't know that I'd recommend this as an introduction to Sherlock Holmes. I'd point someone first perhaps to the collection of short stories The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or the best Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, or even the first novel, A Study in Scarlet. But certainly if you've already discovered you love Sherlock Holmes, you shouldn't be disappointed in The Sign of Four.

[booksfordinner · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Never read this one before, same as with study in scarlet... i had only read the short stories when i was younger. This had the same kind of flashback sectioin, only it was a story told by a character as opposed to a full on flashback with a different narrator...

[marcusbastos-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Holmes and The Science of Deduction This is chronologically the second book of Sherlock Holmes cases. The story evolves around a treasure that came from India in an exquisite manner. The possession of the treasure’s riches cause, as one can expect, some murders. Holmes is called to discovery the reason for the disappearance of Mary Morstan’s father, which appears to have direct connection with the treasury. With the help of Watson, the famous “consulting detective” used all his abilities to solve the mystery. Careful observation added with the special ability of deduction help Holmes to find the answers. In this adventure Watson knows someone who will have an important place in his heart and ultimately in his life. The story has a lot of action and the finish is somewhat surprisingly. After “A Study in Scarlet”, the reader knows a little bit more of Holmes and Watson and the relationship both build.

[lgandt · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Liked the book far more than any of the screen adaptations I have seen, well worth the reading.