El signo de los cuatro

Por 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

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) practiced medicine in the resort town of Southsea, England, and wrote stories while waiting for his patients to arrive. In 1886, he created two of the greatest fictional characters of all time: the detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson. Over the course of four novels and fifty-six short stories, Conan Doyle set a standard for crime fiction that has yet to be surpassed.

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[msaucier818 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This was my second Sherlock Holmes book and I enjoyed it as much as the first. This book introduces us to Holmes' cocaine habit, and Watson meets a girl he likes, so it was nice to have that type of character development. The way Holmes uses logic to solve the crime of the story is again interesting and fun to read. I also liked the bit of history mixed into the story - this time dealing with British rule in India. A quick read and I will continue to read the Holmes' stories in the future.

[joririchardson · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I read the Sherlock Holmes series as a child, so I was very startled to re-open this book after ten years to the scene of the beloved detective injecting cocaine into his arm. Obviously, this went right over my head when I was younger."The Sign of the Four," which is the second Sherlock Holmes mystery, has Holmes and Watson investigating a case that involves a beautiful young woman, Miss Morstan. For years, she has been receiving pearls in the mail from a mysterious source. She is given the chance to uncover the benefactor's identity, but within the offer is a puzzling threat to someone who wronged her. Baffled at who this unknown individual could possibly mean, she calls upon Sherlock Holmes for help. But just as they begin to investigate, a man is murdered, and someone whom Holmes is sure is innocent gets the blame. And so the mystery unfolds as the two detectives try to recover Miss Morstan's fortune, find her mysterious pearl-sender, and clear the name of a falsely accused man.Perhaps it was because since reading Doyle as a child I have been introduced to Agatha Christie and other mysteries. Or perhaps it was just because I was expecting something entirely different. But for whatever the reason, I didn't love this book like I thought I would. It was average - and I will keep it, but I don't feel any motivation to take out any more Sherlock books now.While reading, Sherlock Holmes himself struck me as annoying, and I had to struggle to keep looking for anything likable about him. Watson on the other hand (who I used to think was very annoying as a child), was charming and seemed far more realistic of a person than Holmes.Sherlock is very precise and detail-obsessed, and having built a revered name for himself, he also comes across as quite an arrogant, self important person. He is always convinced that he is right, and seems constantly impressed with himself. The scene where he puts on a disguise that fools even Watson, then reveals himself triumphantly, reminded me of a child. He seemed delighted to have pulled off the disguise so well, and told everyone so. I half expected him to say "Ta da!" But of course, if you examine this thinking, you'll just realize that Holmes admittedly deserves to be a bit inflated. He is a brilliant detective, and I suppose that his disguise was, grudgingly, pretty good if it even fooled his longtime companion. But this just annoyed me even further: Holmes is irritating at times, but he deserves every bit of the praise he gets (and he knows it). The author seemed just as enamored with his character as the rest of the city is. Holmes never makes a mistake, or if he does, it is quickly retracted and spun into being beneficial. Holmes always has impressive plans and second-plans and friends and connections and resources at his fingertips. With this set-up, I can't see how Holmes could possibly have failed to become a successful detective.Watson does not exactly play such an important part in solving the mystery, but as a reader, I was happy to overlook this. I was relieved to recall that it is Watson who narrates the stories, not Holmes.Watson is more grounded than Holmes, more practical. Holmes often imagines impossible, exciting solutions to mysteries, while Watson is more likely to think of what is most logical. Of course, since these are, after all, impossible, exciting mystery stories, Holmes' guesses are most often right, but in the real world, it would probably have been Watson solving all the cases.Watson also seems far more, well, human than Holmes. I was very happy for him in finding a love interest with Miss Morstan. He deserves it.Besides the revolution of finding that I actually dislike Sherlock Holmes (that still doesn't sound right), I also found this book to be (surprise, again) a bit dull at times. It simply never held my attention.I am very glad that I re-read this book, even if it was a bit jarring. Some books you read as a child seem completely and totally different when you re-read them as an adult.

[Jennifer Abaunza · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Was ok. Not very exciting but easy and fast to read

[Nadia Belice Pérez Aguilar · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Sherlock Holmes es el razonamiento deductivo en persona con un increíble uso de la lógica y muestras obvias de una inteligencia hábilmente sustentada en la observación así como en el análisis de un sin fin de elementos que hacen de la ficción una verdadera aventura. Holmes es excéntricamente fuera de serie.

[funstm · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I really liked this. It was much better than A Study in Scarlet. It was much more action packed and riveting. It was fast paced and the mystery was fascinating. The romance between Watson and Mary was a little odd but sweet enough. What we did see of Mary I liked. She seemed very intelligent and genuine. Holmes was much more like the later versions - brilliant and brutal with observations. He could be rather blunt and intense. I was surprised to see him using cocaine. I hadn't realised that Elementary (the tv show) had incorporated the original material when portraying Sherlock as an addict. And I'm sure it said somewhere in A Study in Scarlet about the unlikeliness of Holmes using drugs. Anyway overall fast paced mystery with some interesting twists.

[muumuumousie · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This is my least favorite of all the Sherlock Holmes novels. I’d probably give it 3.5 stars, if we had half-star ratings. What I liked: Even though its tone is very dark, it fits the story, since this novel is all about the evils of colonialism. Its villain is well fleshed out, as are the supporting characters. It’s got a strong female character, whom Sherlock even praises for her “genius” (his word). There is some good humor here, too, as when Watson, overcome by Mary’s beauty, gets tongue-tied and says some really goofy things. There is subtlety here, too, with Sherlock’s character. He seems vulnerable here in a way that he generally doesn’t, and I get the strong impression that he is lying to Watson when he mentions how little notice he (Holmes) takes of the opposite sex. He seems very much affected by women, both here and in later stories, and his denial seems forced, almost desperate. There’s definitely some room for interepretation here. My impression is that Holmes likes being in control of everything, and women, who can prompt strong emotional reactions in men, are a threat to that control. And I really love that Doyle went out of his way on a couple different occasions to mention Watson’s limp. His army backstory is a constant presence here, and it adds still more depth to an already interesting character. And romance! Watson does not talk about himself enough in these stories, so it was nice seeing him get a love story here.

What I didn’t like: Okay, I’m gonna come right out and say it. Sherlock is mean to Watson! This is the story where he crosses the line from lovably egotistical to just plain rude, and Watson must really love this man to keep on forgiving him like that. I do like that Holmes’ behavior isn’t excused; Watson really IS hurt by the comments, and Holmes even apologizes in one place. But Holmes’ egotism and self-centeredness reach their peak in this story, and that can be difficult. I also didn’t like how bleak everything turned out. So many characters are corrupt, and even the decent ones aren’t always great, and most elements of the story don’t really end well (although some do). There is a fairly long flashback scene near the end, but it doesn’t really add much. It doesn’t really make the villain more sympathetic; neither does it flesh out the victim in any meaningful way. The flashback in “Scarlet” did both of these things. Although this book has some beautiful moments, it’s just not my cup of tea.

[beentsy_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Excellent!

[angelajmaher · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

An enjoyable and entertaining mystery.

[danielstj · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I'm not typically a fan of Sherlock Holmes, but this one struck a chord in me. The plot was well-paced, Holmes and Watson were good, breathing characters and the conclusion was satisfactory. Everything that I had come to expect from these sorts of tales was there and there were even moments of surprise amidst the mystery and adventure that Doyle took me on. Overall, a good book and one that should not be missed.

3.25 stars.

[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.

[she_climber · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Interesting enough story about lost and stolen treasure, interesting characters, poison arrow darts, brilliant deductions, and even some romance for Dr. Watson. Even the First time in the classic Holmes that I recall hearing of his drug use.

Normally I love Sherlock Holmes but this one just drug on for me. I'm going to blame it in part of the Audio, the music in between scenes just didn't do it for and I'm guessing I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for some classic Holmes.

[seriousgrace · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Originally published in 1889, this is the second Sherlock Holmes mystery. We meet Dr. Watson's future bride-to-be, Mary Morstan.
One of the most prominent characteristics of Sherlock Holmes's personality is his cheeky hubris, especially when he makes comments like, "Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs" (p 4), or "I cannot live without brainwork" (p 8). Aside from his ego, Holmes carries a sharp sense of reasoning and deduction and of course, the acute ability to draw unsuspecting witnesses out of their privacy, getting them to spill the beans by pretending to know everything they do already. An age-old police tactic.

To sum up the complicated mystery: it involves a secret pact between four criminals, a treasure and Mary Morstan. Mary's father has been missing for ten years. He disappeared without a trace. Four years after his disappearance Mary started received a pearl a year from an unknown benefactor. Where's rumor of a hidden treasure.

[nx74defiant · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A client walks in and Watson falls in love.

At the end there is a long section with Jonathan Smalls back story leading up to the case.

[fictionzeal · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Mary Morstan becomes a client for Sherlock Holmes and a very beautiful and interesting lady for Dr. John Watson. She reports that her father, Captain Arthur Morstan, has disappeared. However, the disappearance was not recent … it was ten years before when he’d telegraphed her to meet him at the Langham Hotel in London. Once there, she was informed he’d not returned to the hotel from the night before. Later, she begins receiving anonymous packages – one for the past six years – each containing a precious pearl inside.

Holmes, Watson, and Mary set up a meeting with Thaddeus Sholto. He was the son of her father’s best friend, Major John Sholto. He confirms that his father had met with Morstan on the night he died. They had quarreled over treasure Sholto had brought back from India. Sholto confesses to his two twin sons, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, that he’d murdered Morstan. Before giving them the location of the treasure, they were purposefully distracted. When they returned to their father, he’d been killed. A note was left upon him, “The Sign of Four”.

This is the second novel of Sherlock Holmes written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published in 1890. It is the first which details Sherlock Holmes use of cocaine, or as he would put it, his seven percent solution. I felt the pace in this full-length story tapered off mid-way, but picked back up toward the end. As always, I enjoyed Holmes’ powers of deduction. The story is more convoluted than A Study in Scarlet. The contemporary adage of ‘follow the money’ seems to have been just as true in the late 1800’s as it is today.

[vlcraven_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Sherlock Holmes, the world’s first consulting detective, is bored. And when he’s bored he injects himself with one of two types of drugs–cocaine or morphine. His housemate and biographer, Dr Watson, hates to see the genius in such a state so when Mary Morstan turns up at 221B Baker Street with a puzzling case he is relieved. Relieved, and other things. Miss Morstan is rather fetching.

The young woman presents her story, which involves her long-missing father, pearls that began arriving mysteriously a few years ago and, now, a note promising to explain everything if only she meets a stranger that very evening and doesn’t bring any police. She may bring two friends, though. Holmes and Watson will do nicely and they’re certainly up for it.

Off they go and are soon mired in a story involving a locked-room murder and missing treasure and a boat race on the Thames.

And casual racism. Sakes alive, the casual racism. One has to be prepared for it in fiction from 100+ years ago–the Victorians in particular loved some anthropologically-based racism. They started stumbling across new races of people and immediately began ascribing all sorts of negative and offensive characteristics to them. This novel is particularly rife, though.

Story-wise I’d give this one a 4/5. Holmes is doing his typical deductive thing, which is why I like reading the stories and why I assume others do, too. If you’re a completest and want to read all of them then it’s a fine read, though if casual racism puts you off stories, this one is going for gold.

The Sign of Four is the second story featuring Sherlock Holmes. The first was A Study in Scarlet .

[Completely off-topic editorializing: Dang, white people are awful. Just because you own the world doesn’t mean you’re the barometer against what everything else should be measured. Reading it from the point of view of a person writing from the country that had the largest empire on Earth at the time is interesting in terms of getting a sense of ego. It’s a digression, but I kept thinking about it while reading the book so it became part of the experience of the novel for me.]

[passion4reading_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A young woman appeals to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson for help. During the course of the investigation, the detective and his friend are called upon to solve a locked-room murder and discover the story of the disappearance of the Agra treasure from India over twenty years ago.

I believe this novella was written at the start of Conan Doyle's career, and it shows: the pacing is quite uneven, and individual plot strands are quite preposterous. Still, some of the usual Sherlock Holmes trademarks are there: the bumbling police inspector out of his depth, the use of the Baker Street irregulars, Holmes's drug use and playing of the violin, Watson being used as a sounding board for the great detective's fanciful - yet inevitably accurate - ideas. This story introduces the character of Mary Morstan, who later becomes Watson's wife, but has otherwise little to say or do, apart from being the subject of Watson's immediate adoration. One for completists.

[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.

[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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.”

[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.

[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.