A Study in Scarlet (1891 Illustrated Edition): 100th Anniversary Collection

These Seawolf Press publications of the Sherlock Holmes stories are such a joyful reading experience. For me, my definitive copy of a Sherlock Holmes canon story collection would have: 1. All 60 stories in matching volumes. Check! 2. Original illustrations. Check! 3. Hardcover since these are classics that I will want to re-read. Check! 4. Have the stories divided among several smaller volumes so they are easy to hold and read. Check! Seawolf Press gives us a taste of the experience of reading the stories in the early editions balanced with modern sensibilities. The covers have facsimiles of early editions on the covers, giving a sense of nostalgia. The fonts are those that were in use during the time of original publication, but are easy to read. Each of the 4 novels is its own volume. Each of the 5 collections of short stories merits its own binding. I searched through Amazon and a certain other large book retailer and found that the other editions either lacked original (or any) illustrations, were missing stories, or were heavy, cumbersome tomes that would cause injury should I be reading them laying down, doze off, and drop them on my face. Given that the Holmes stories are public domain, there are numerous prints/versions/editions and this was the only set that met all my criteria. Are these leather-bound editions with gilt edges and a ribbon bookmark? No! Do they trace their pedigree to Otto Penzler's collection of rare first editions? Not even close. These books are case-laminated so I don't have to worry about ripping dustjackets or getting any fingerprints or stains on cloth covers. For me these are attractive, user-friendly editions meant to give joy in reading the content, not for eliciting envy for an antique collectible (at least not yet). All for less than the cost of a contemporary trade paperback! Buying tip: On Amazon you have to search through the formats as for some of the volumes the website's hardcopy default is to direct you to another (less cool) edition. As I write this I was able to find all 9 Seawolf hardback volumes on Amazon.

The cover is from the "Beeton's Christmas Annual". The text and illustrations in the book are taken from the Ward, Lock, Bowden, and Co. edition of 1891. It is not a facsimile but more of a recreation. SeaWolf Press uses fonts that are consistent with those used at the time. Some of the English spellings of particular words have been converted to the American spellings. I bought this primarily to have an illustrated version. I'm very glad I did. The illustrations greatly enhance the story. On the frontispiece is the infamous illustration by David Henry Friston for the "Beeton's Christmas Annual". The rest of the illustrations are fine reproductions of George Hutchinson's work. Each chapter has a vignette or Chapter End Ornament. The last, rather than being a decorative flourish as the others, is an illustration of a "four wheeler" being driven by a cabbie. The title page says there are forty illustrations. However I counted them several times and there are actually 41. If the four wheeler and cabbie vignette is included that is 42 and if Friston's illustration is counted that's 43. The book is 6 inches x 9 inches and 143 pages. It's a well put together book with a nice waxy cover, high quality paper and good binding. The print and illustrations are crisp and clear. It is more than worth the price.

This is an amazing edition of this book! It is 100% faithful to the original, the illustrations are great, and the quality of the publication is outstanding. It is done with lots of care and love for the books!! I highly recommend SeaWolf Press books!! These books are a treasure to be cherished with all the family, my kids love them!!

This was a very interesting book knowing it was written in the 1800’s and the first book introducing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. I found it enjoyable reading and loved the description of the characters. There was so much detail given to every little thing including how Holmes solves the mystery of the murder. Glad I decided to read something I normally wouldn’t have picked up.

It was really fun reading the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes. The book is really nice, and very collectable having the original magazine cover on it. Everything to me seems correct, not sure what the previous reviews about the incorrect place of birth are coming from. If your a Holmes fan, and want to read his first appearance I would highly recommend this edition.

The author wrote this book in 30 days, did one hell of a job, loved all of it. A very good story.

I love getting the feel of the first editions through the fonts, formatting and original illustrations that SeaWolf uses. No other reprints do this for so low a price. This is seriously the only version anyone should ever buy!

I fell back easily into Holmes/Watson stories I enjoyed years ago---Arthur Conan Doyle was great and still is!!!

This is a lovely edition of this book from Sea Wolf Press. It is hard to find illustrated versions of the first two Sherlock Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of The Four, as they were not published in the famous The Strand magazine whose illustrations helped create the legend of Sherlock Holmes. However, this volume sports the authentic cover design of Beeton's Christmas Annual (1887) where A Study in Scarlet, and Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, was first unleashed unto the world. It also contains 42 original good quality illustrations by George Hutchinson from an 1891 publication of the story. A little gem of a book.

good packing. on time delivery. illustrated version as in the original publication! ( not by Sidney Paget)

Bon livre.

El libro llegó en muy buenas condiciones, los únicos detalles fueron que las imágenes no son de la calidad que esperaba (están un tanto borrosas) y la biografía del autor trae datos diferentes en la parte trasera del libro y en la parte interna, en una dice que el autor nació en Escocia y en otra dice que en Inglaterra. Pero fuera de eso creo que es un gran libro.

O livro é muito bom, em todos os aspectos esse romance policial supera as expectativas, inclusive foi o livro que no ano de 2013 me despertou para a leitura, a partir dele e de toda a obra de Arthur Conan Doyle, eu me tornei um ávido leitor. Inicialmente o li em português, mas estava ansioso para lê-lo em inglês, posso dizer que a nostalgia de ter relido esse livro misturado com a emoção de ler na língua que o próprio autor escreveu foram essenciais para a avaliação de cinco estrelas aqui deixada.