WORDS WITH MR. KAUMANS- KEVIN KAUMANS
The mystery genre is arguably one of the most popular categories in writing.
Don’t believe me? Ask your mom, dad, or grandmother what they’re currently reading and it’ll more than likely be about a detective trying to catch a killer, kidnapper, etc.
But why is this? Well, I’d argue it’s because of the natural human obsession with the unknown.
Oftentimes, when reading mystery books, readers will find themselves trying to guess the answer before the detectives themselves; which brings us to this week’s book on this episode of “Still Worth Reading: The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Now, “The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes” isn’t your typical novel. It’s a collection of short stories published in The Strand Magazine between 1890 to 1892. Keep in mind, this is the original Sherlock Holmes; the “six foot tall, lean detective with a hawk-like nose,” as Watson would say.
The problem with these being short stories means there’s not a lot of character development for our main characters. Another problem is Watson and everyone who wasn’t Sherlock were pretty bland in character.
Luckily, however, the mysteries themself more than make up for it.
The short stories have this thing where they sometimes overload you with minor characters and descriptions of the streets and mansions Sherlock and Watson travel to. This takes away your attention from the main mystery, which only makes it harder for readers to pull themself away in order to predict the solution to the mystery. This helps challenge the reader’s memory and ability to stay focused on the problem.
“The Adventure of the Copper Benches” has a young woman who consoles Sherlock after being offered a job by a man who wants her to do strange things like cut her hair short, wear dresses that were once his daughter’s, and read to him and his wife. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say the eerie elements give this short story a certain kick that the other 11 featured in this book just don’t have.
Thank you for tuning into this week’s column. Until next time friends:
Stay Educated
