“Inevercanresistatouchofthedramatic.“TheMemoirsofSherlockHolmesisnowbestrememberedforitsconcludingstoryinwhichthegreatdetectiveappearstoplungetohisdeathintothewatersatthebottomoftheReichenbachFalls,lockedinastrugglewithhisnemesis,ProfessorMoriarty.However,thecollectionalsobringsthereaderbacktothebeginningsofHolmes’career,involvingamutinyatseaandatreasurehuntinaSussexcountryhouse,andafirstencounterwithHolmes’olderbrotherMycroft,ofwhomHolmessays,“Iftheartofthedetectivebeganandendedinreasoningfromanyarmchair,mybrotherwouldbethegreatestcriminalagentthateverlived“.Thiscollectionincludessomeofthedetective’sgreatestcases,suchas’SilverBlaze’and’TheNavalTreaty’,andevenonecasewhichHolmesfailstosolve.EditedwithanintroductionbyJarlathKilleen,thisvolumeexaminesHolmesasasafeguardagainstsocialbreakdownandchaos,aswellasanagentofjusticeandgoodnessagainsttheforcesofevil.Italsosituatesthecollectioninthegrowthoflifewritingintheperiod,andexploresthewaysinwhichHolmesbecameincreasingly’real’toreadersasmoredetailsabouthispersonalityandbiographyarerevealedinthestories.ABOUTTHESERIES:Forover100yearsOxfordWorld’sClassicshasmadeavailablethewidestrangeofliteraturefromaroundtheglobe.EachaffordablevolumereflectsOxford’scommitmenttoscholarship,providingthemostaccuratetextplusawealthofothervaluablefeatures,includingexpertintroductionsbyleadingauthorities,helpfulnotestoclarifythetext,up-to-datebibliographiesforfurtherstudy,andmuchmore.
