The Best Sherlock Holmes Book Edition (for any true Sherlock aficionado)
If you’re looking for the best Sherlock Holmes book and are overwhelmed by the choices, here’s my advice from 6 years of dedicated treasure hunting in bookshops. As you probably know, many of the great books of yesteryear have fallen out of copyright and are published by in countless editions (almost 4 and 1/2 thousand of Sherlock Holmes according to Goodreads), many of them cheaply done in mass paperback printings. But this post isn’t about those, it’s about the best volume for the Holmes aficionado.
Here it is: The Complete Sherlock Holmes, published by Doubleday & Company Inc.
Yes, that’s my cherished antique copy in the above photo. Hidden underneath the rather ordinary dust-jacket is a perfectly handsome, deep-dark navy, cloth-bound hardcover with lovely gold lettering on the spine.
Here’s what makes it so grand:
- It’s a COMPLETE collection. When I love a character I want to read every single story he’s in. And when there are over 50, as in the case of Holmes, it can be quite trying to search out every single last one~especially as so many of the books overlap stories or publish only the popular titles… Here in one volume are all four full length novels and all 56 short stories. You can rest assured that you are not missing out on even one adventure Sir Arthur Connan Doyle penned about the detective.
- It’s not abridged! Need I say anything else? Not a speck has been edited or changed from the originals.
- The mysteries are not loose or randomly ordered, but rather arraigned by book, as they were originally grouped when published (eg. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Return of Sherlock Holmes, etc.)
- It is a handsomely bound book. Aesthetics are important. This book, especially when devoid of the dust jacket, is beautiful, dark, and rich, with gilt letterning that gleams when it catches a ray of light. Even when not being read it enriches a room merely by it’s visual addition to the decor.
- It’s an antique, a vintage book from the past, you wonder who has held it and where it has been. In short, mystery shrouds the very volume you hold–filling the imagination with delightful possibilities of it’s history…
- Quality. Printed in the United States of America. Soundly bound and a sturdy hardcover that was published by arrangement of “the Estate of Sir Arthur Connan Doyle” itself!
Now for the technical details:
1,122 pages
Published by Doubleday & Company Inc.
Forward written by Christopher Morley
Measures 9.5″ x 6.5″ x 2.25″
One Note of warning: this book was published many different years and all of them don’t have the same cover under the dust-jacket. So make sure you see a photo of the actual book cover to be sure you like it. Not all of them look like mine. 🙂
Now to the true Homes collector more Sherlock may be added to your shelves, I have quite a few others myself. Just because I have THE Sherlock Holmes book doesn’t mean that I’m adverse to owning a leather bound Hound Of Baskervilles novel. Such books have their time and place and are perfect for loaning to friends or slipping into your suitcase on your next trip, especially when visiting a majestic old mansion in the country for one night and you don’t want to lug around the weight of a large collection.
However this Complete Sherlock Holmes cannot be topped for true fans who want all of the mysteries. It makes a grand gift.
This book can be found many other places ~ it just takes a little sleuthing to find a really nice antique copy. This very same book is nowadays published in a paperback, but there is a fine leather edition that looks quite stunning.
What do you think? Do you have any favorite editions of Sherlock stories? I’d love to hear about them!
September 18, 2018 @ 4:55 pm
I have one of these books except it doesn’t have the front slip cover so it has been so hard for me to find out what book this actually is. It is exactly like yours, solid front hard cover with no wording, all the others have a duel color cover and this one is solid black or was blue that is faded. The very front inside cover is brown with A. Conan Doyle in white lettering. Can you tell me what it is worth in the condition of no bends, tears or rips, etc.? I will never part with it, but was wondering its value. Thank you
October 9, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
Hello Michelle!
It’s nearly impossible to accurately judge without seeing for myself. That said, without being able to see photos or handle it myself, I’d guess that it is worth somewhere around the neighborhood of $30.
The solid covers are scarcer than the dual color covers. Enjoy your book–it’s a nice one to own!
October 8, 2019 @ 7:39 am
Hello, what year was this particular edition published?
Also have you seen this one, (this review has a lot of pictures of the book which are not on amazon):
December 31, 2019 @ 6:06 pm
Yes, that edition looks nice as well! I’m partial to vintage books myself, so I have to say I still prefer my copy. 🙂
The date is somewhere in the 40’s-50’s.
October 8, 2019 @ 7:41 am
link didn’t post.
https://etspeaksfromhome.co.uk/2019/02/sherlock-holmes-the-complete-collection-review.html
October 31, 2020 @ 10:24 am
My book looks exactly like this. But it was published by Barnes and Noble. Do you have any notion?
January 16, 2021 @ 10:42 am
I have this exact edition. I’ve had it since I was a teenager (hate to say it, but that was about 50 years ago) and I read it cover to cover. Still in very good condition.
I agree it’s a wonderful book!
January 16, 2021 @ 11:08 am
Congratulations–it’s a great one to own! It’s great that you have been able to hold onto your original copy for so many years. The sentiment and personal history makes it even nicer to have in your collection!