What did our English Lit teacher command us to do during quarantine? "Read a fiction book that is not a graphic novel". So I did. Reluctantly. I thought that perhaps I would be able to justifiably indulge in my favourite manga (Black Butler by Yana Toboso).
Why did I want to read this? I mainly wanted to see what all the fuss was about and thought it would be nice to switch things up and read something that was written long before anyone I know was even born. So I did.
I immediately found out what all the fuss was about after I read the first mystery. This stuff is pure, pure genius. The best book I have read in a long, long time.
The ingenious and unpredictable plots are thrilling and pacy and will keep you gripped to the very end and impress you considerably with their sheer refulgence (a word I learned from the book and now sprinkle throughout my fan fiction). The characters are marvellously developed and beautifully written, especially Holmes. It also has a lot of parts that are hilarious, not because that was the intention of the amazing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but because of how they have aged. An all-round perfect book which is now in the running for my favourite of all time (currently Little Women, if you wanted to know).
The novel, in case you did not know, in which case where have you been for the past few centuries?, follows the adventures of the brilliant and iconic private detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson, by whom the books are narrated. They solve all manner of mysteries in Victorian London. Holmes' monologues about how he used his remarkable reasoning and intelligence to solve cases will thrill and impress you.
Cunning, clever and cool in general, I could recommend this novel heartily to literally anyone. Also, there is plenty more where it came from. The perfect book to indulge in during quarantine or, if books are not your thing, why not watch the films? They're great as well. I have recently been hunting around for my literary sweet spot, and I think I have found it at classics one might find leather-bound and with yellowed pages in a cosy bookshop, written a century or two ago. I'm currently in the process of working my way through the Scarlet Pimpernel, which is also remarkably enjoyable, and hope to FINALLY finish Tom Sawyer after that adventure.
There you have it. Old books are great and Arthur Conan Doyle is an absolute genius. That is the lesson for today. Stay safe and don't forget to subscribe.