The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [with] The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

London: George Newnes Ltd, 1894. First editions. Very Good. Original blue publisher's cloth bindings stamped in gilt and black. All edges gilt. Handsome, Very Good copies overall. Inner hinges expertly tightened in both volumes. Adventures with all first edition points including blank sign on the front board, and "Miss Violent" uncorrected on page 317. Crease running up the spine of Adventures and a contemporary owner's name on the half-title. Light to moderate foxing in both volumes.

Containing the earliest twelve stories in a series that would make author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his investigator character infamous. Told from the perspective (truncated) of Sherlock Holmes' loyal side-kick Mr. Watson, the stories fit within the field of Victorian literature that used fiction to comment on social injustice. Relying unflappably on logic to uncover the truth at the base of each case he confronts, Sherlock Holmes encourages readers to think past their own biases and prejudices when assigning guilt and blame. Notably, Doyle himself had studied medicine and drew on his own experience in the sciences when writing his stories.

Memoirs includes the first publication in book form of eleven popular Sherlock Holmes stories, including “The Final Problem” which introduces Holmes’ adversary, the inimitable Professor Moriarty. Hailed as the most frequently portrayed literary character on film, Sherlock Holmes has for generations fascinated mystery aficionados with his deft observations, his extensive knowledge of forensic science and logic, and his fearlessness. While Memoirs closes with conflict between Moriarty and Holmes—seemingly to the death—the revelation of his staged demise and his reemergence in later novels solidified his literary immortality. A cornerstone of detective fiction. Very Good. (Inventory #: 6469)