The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes,
edited by Leslie Klinger
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me if you would like to submit a review of the New
Annotated Sherlock Holmes and I will consider posting
it here.
The Latest on Sherlock
Released: A new annotated version of Sherlock Holmes
edited by Leslie Klinger November 2004.
Most reviews of the new annotated i have read appear
to be positive but lack a thorough comparison between
the the great William S. Baring-Gould's edition, published
almost forty years ago. As a result I have added a
few reviews from Amazon.com readers below which may
give a little idea of current opinion.
REVIEWS:
Editorial Reviews: From Publishers Weekly
I am surprised at all the praise being heaped on the
book; it has done nothing but gilded the lily, when
the original Annotated Sherlock Holmes by William S.
Baring-Gould, still is fresh and fragrant.
Mr. Leslie Klinger, 'one of the foremost Holmes authorities
in the world' has added precious little to the original.
Even he must acknowledge a debt to Mr. Baring Gould,
which he does after a fashion, in the preface to the
work, justifying his own work for 'including reference
to hundreds of works published subsequently.' Any of
those throw any new light on a detective that saw light
of day in print in 1887? None. Mr. Baring-Gould's book
was an innovation, much before the 'annotated' books
became a fashion and sold a few copies. The search for
references, the time spent in research showed a sense
of scholarship that was stupendous.
More or newer does not always add to the enjoyment:
for example,
annotations for A Scandal In Bohemia, re: the late Irene
Adler,
Mr.Baring Gould's tongue in cheek solution-'King of
Bohemia murdered the woman' and Mr. Klinger's use of
the same information and just adding 'a natural death
cannot be ruled out' does not enhance the topic. (Both
versions have much more information on this, Mr. Baring
Gould's the pithier)and just to show how imitation can
flatter, this reference to late Irene Adler is number
4 in both the books!
Nitpicking? Perhaps. This is just a fan crying out at
the waste and repetition. So we know Sherlock Holmes
sells! Give us something new. We don't mind forking
out $75 (or less if bought on Amazon.com) but give us
something original.
Even the Norton production is so much inferior to the
Clarkson Potter publication of '67? (Has it been that
many years!) Years that gave pleasure to hundreds of
thousand of fans.
The illustrated boards of the original showing London
of Sherlock Holmes and the stark recycled paper of the
new one just show how the book designer quickly gave
up, for economical reasons or lack of inspiration? And
the shining golden title has given way to a prosaic
black of the present volume, telling us the perhaps,
that the publishers, quite unconsciously have, given
it the second rate treatment.
I wonder if the critics who praise this volume have
just seen and failed to observe the obvious differences
between the two sets of books.
Reviewer: John D. Cofield (Georgia USA)
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes is a hefty two volumed
slipcased edition with a promise of a third volume still
to come. When complete, all of the Sherlock Holmes short
stories and novels will be fully annotated, and the
world of 221-B Baker Street and its denizens will be
more intriguing than ever.
As with most annotated books, it helps to be already
familiar with the actual stories so that you can focus
on the annotations. Otherwise, you continually lose
the thread of the story as you get sidetracked on
one fascinating note after another. And with Klinger's
annotations, every note is captivating and lets the
reader see new vistas of material.
Conan Doyle, in common with J.R.R. Tolkien among
other greats, was able to create characters and worlds
who are so believable that many readers accept their
reality. This is part of the charm of Klinger's annotations,
that he accepts the reality of Holmes and Watson and
solemnly analyzes their movements and other activities
as if they really occurred (which of course every
Sherlockian knows they did!) Besides the notes themselves,
Klinger also provides short essays analyzing enduring
puzzles of the stories, like what sort of snake was
"The Speckled Band" and how many times Watson
was married.
This, with the third volume which is promised for
2005, will be absolutely essential for every student/fan
of Holmes and Watson. If you are an absolute novice,
I'd suggest you first read the stories in an unannotated
version, then after you get the plots down, you can
absorb and enjoy the additional pleasures of Klinger's
annotations.
