Das Zeichen der Vier

Von Arthur Conan Doyle

Das Zeichen der Vier ist der zweite Sherlock-Holmes-Roman von Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Er erschien zuerst 1890 in der Februar-Ausgabe von Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine unter dem Titel "The Sign of the Four" und wurde noch im selben Jahr von Spencer Blackett als Buch veröffentlicht.

(aus wikipedia.de)

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Erscheinungsdatum: 29. Juni 2015
• ISBN: 9783738618754

Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish writer and physician, most famous for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes and long-suffering sidekick Dr Watson. Conan Doyle was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels.

Buchvorschau

���[book_preview_excerpt.html�[˒�F��x3ް��wKaGiJ*�����%�$�M ���0W���N�7��^3���ɜsn$K��Ytw��q�{2�~�����!�q��}�}w���O{�71���7���7�K����w���\���-��O՛����M�w��o/�'n��z����]���t׃�������_�z�ow=����|r�޿�s��޹��n�|�cw�;s��2�q˽gk�C��?�}��7�������M;��۵O��:�T������>D�����!F}�_�O����j�Wn�$�*�V��m;��Ã�e�Sۿ�T����ʃr���U�����P=�;[��cl��~���%���q���ڷ�Oy�7~Q������յ<�R�\�M��v2�BK���Q��Y�]�T����Sۆ��.�n�����p�D>_���wc�܏���ܹTa��6{�8~��C��<4̢r56��1�>��vX�ޅ�M>�T�}�2M���q���W��'��ŏ�߼�K���ε��a�����Ø5���W���Z����5�u�Q�r��u�-��o<�Ȉ�.����:n�S�4:������Bsަ0�}�F #f7�$X�S�1�0�n~��·���Ǹn-��@���f�$+�s�Dp�Os1V��%F���g.r�/����\T�x�ꭷ> ~��4�~���{�?�mo`�0�kڶ���K����q����f8�2N��C�zD_� 8����O��K]���_5��~30��ևQ1S�}��[�JI�m+�Z�b�qXTK�q�Z��1VO�����V/�b�s�|��^�q�����δ�۾�G��-2�(.B ��S�%c��Z��ǰ�^=��hJۊ[Q:�:>�|�p�(Gc�>t�՚���$�X�d�1�����f��X�g.Gk�K�����4^� €7>- � ����5ְ1�����L�?�by�߮-&������ ͐�YCN�8}ǟ�\͋��o���K}�W=�Rk��B�}b�,�:���ts�=u��]�ƠI,�wr�9�hw�~u��p�"2U�����Bn���g���j�����yf�B��,2;�L �v��#�o�)K�|�|�M�S�T�a-a����)܎��L%�3�m50��PB_��F��c;!-s(V����Y����X��=����!�K��~��?�,ۂ�K�YɘwLʚ@qQœ����rk��T&60��3�����k�[Y�C�Ǡ0�\g�6>\�)FX�\��hB<$ ]�L��+�}���� Q�+A�[�j ˬ�h��kf����X%������MIJ�B, ����"$��l��~}��"s���Ah�^0x��w�Jn]l���{��e����O�&�����I�q!~��$�D{��A6��NW�%�mp��Ϣȍ+Xs�l�'k���Ĭ1�U���Q� r���S����]�Ui����:O%z4�q�o�>Uo���삦jR��������b�}�
�l��rnX�
V�I墊�[����ȷ����FA,Ұ&.�]�uha�yFn�j�.j��n$��yq�W�$d�Ǟ�a�s�oN��6�T�s���m�S6چ��"5U�`��P�&�Vk̞���*`���ې6� �*��!���V^\L��m�F}]�T4$pf?7}��&��/�-����w�}���7��}ع&�a�Kd��ۯ�@�8}��<�Ys�B~��~�^7��㐢
 ��k}=h>aK� �@(J�}���6)j��d6깨@�����W 67Xy'B���� �j��RI��L���@�jl5b|�M�N�0�$�#�<��+�����
�:�e��������=ϐ~�8��Հi�t�Q�K��]7�$]�[-�xbƯ���̪�šA�` ��م�"�Kټ*s��x� �!�!cy���O�ǨY�����A�Yn�u�ܒ*��x:`Z��u�-�R�;�˴g¸BX�J�
7�� �,���ҩ�7"�@����e#r�� b��S���7)����e}u���l���a��:���dݯe��!s�Zo��^�0�<|���E$Α��Ϣ��J1�Ub.Hx�!K�\H�X�n���?��i=zf����w��'r�f��T�#*��]� �XQ9@�n=��h°��9֙ġ�!�ݑ���8 �>�Vp��"�1V �~ *�%k{�W��:X�G�Oa �GH��,��Rf�ZT� �S�q���X�8"C�V#i.Cd�� ��+G���Y����"�0�J� ����*�_L�fy�ns,�v�,��I�Aa'�&b����\�S0)c$-�Q��;�3���3��:Y8a���t��ib�-���^�;���������3o"cxϸ�Z92)-��L�0�>Ŋ�:���r@a���ꇞ�iŵ�^���F� �M�@�g�X��`g� x{C�8�b�I=aT�#�]H���'��� �\�Є���p*���G!B>��J.�}m��H BaH���}p-�"�@�9�֚(�Kᱱ`y��Y�lU4Ni����_�e��T�S�u,5����"C+��d��Z���[��N"v���z��� U�5�)����_uR����bQd~��'���J&�ॡ���xn��б�Ђ�{�b�p"C���Yz��c����cCC�ة'�;)xf?�=��d�[mmXZ2~��j�ҷ��ֲx��cv,���‚��E��ô���?�/�S�Л�Sc�����+W�M�"����c��'(5�F�q#�SB���OF V�^����/����*T� |t���0G<���W�>X-�%LW�L��_">M�Z�T�D�r+� #ヅTB�?C�R��Ću:|:�2y�hێ�,���t�󒑲z)�P!�C�pK�m5�#̎��(
oU�e ("ji~|:ƍk�$˙�K���K��=q����4��'|�Sw����,�����󍟭=b�㙡� �K,�,��b�����?�&�+��v`�z�������G�<
�ڠ3�mD�Ⱥ}{�>��5O����G�Sc��$E�|N�Bʮn�植U����06��k�Rbֻ�eYK��X���飙�UO���o,1o�4颗���)�P�b��Y�= �b��i��T��3�|�U3������yc��*J�7�QY8N5��t�Y��&�4� ��X�RK���.m�z"L����G�iE�0���Lgo�w�.D����G���W�!��w��o��I}�ij��&vC���0>Y7�� 5�T���X>Ӆyf�T M��R�4�����7�z��f��*�l[� }K��L��p'5ݨ��"j�M�+�s��T&��� �Rr�5�+����b���(*�I��YP�2]�ګ,��w�)�-�N�zwȒRF���:@�������V!^%RKVJ+ek�Р�[U&��WL|Vw2�ƍ�-��KJȆd�3E�t�/ux-�n��q�e�ݷ�U'C��b�Ѽ$/���{���G�/�.(�����8���$ ��-tS�Y-�4�gq�m�`2V�̵�'s.QO�������t��$p<���d_a_�9? Յ-&bLJS��&Zsp�U�T�ҍ����e����T"R�:�N&���J��֌�Md"_>ϋ�&�I���I�����\'��\{����P$��T5�YV�b���c�'�6��Z��`m]��!������KW����V�z;ָ��7���c��t`%C9;}��ҒI(K����6��l��c4��H[{%��rF��;b�~�q�:�f�6�6 �ɥ�q�X�1/�u��B�- ��Ti��Y��~�)�kO�j�d������Bk�rq�0u�T]vR�D��+�D6�aY1$�Sy���;0�O�ȎEfy�{�b����$p��a �ƞ'i2����<�uRF���(y��k9(;U~R(�]ر�_��N��0i\��N�nx~(����Eo:����G�� ��)JE�t�7��k1�_�i/Bh�ȷ=ܫ����2��) �1��n��r���z�JW�G!�� ���$ݺ��L|�x�@U�gTb��(M���T����Lf2 U���
<`��n��3,u�/�U����,�{&��p8��霄7$��y�J'(�.�㏃� G�����82�� �����ԅ��ƭt�M��V}��Ν���gayvj�<�1�H��N<'��j V�{ǩ���ܩ*(��ae-QK����ʧ"�w���� t9��v�z�����>����Y,�"D�U����ԭ]E�!13�k" j���I�P��k�����e,_���L��� ��Aޙ�T�d��Gt�m�cţ���5�j��8��<�t�tH��Tc�x���� ���؎��e�������o��#E`���A�O�����+7 bk�n��4���l��Ҕ��ϼ��[�Y��D���=,d��μH
M��5D���0���)�t�h��X�t��]�]��6��n�8�d��\�)r�Q�N`��h�o�]%/dE�Zv�q��?l%N.��`�q�Si٭��iIi �)L�1}�ۏ�6#�>ǎ�=9�t�ylhv�������@�o�)g�gEqGjVڧ�ˊgŘ���-��:_�S}b'_d+���Hn�{�k]U3)`&�v��� �f?*M���fM��T
O��,ʎa�S�}��:���r�ʐ��
�8� �:9q�*����o�0��%. S��:�]�}gg�\�E�:��;�\v�ŗz�5�c,b��"��Dq\��؇���+���hG䝳��"����?^HZ{t��`�gz�C��K�!��~ߟ��A� &]�3�����V�[P�� 1��.��ˆ O�*h �J�nb,m?��=��i�1���܅�&,�n��7�,l��߆?�֦�`�"����Z �v>^��� �N�i*c�DB�hK��=6,����;�������.��B�*;D�P���NXH|�N5ONZ�i;<&�C j"Ǘ�˾�&�3�����(D�x>�M�-'��@��쾌+�j�[C���!)/�b�e'�"3��W2ۙ�\�v ��ڰ�(�v7V��}�M��9��

Gefällt Ihnen die Vorschau?

Zum Weiterlesen abonnieren

Rezensionen für Das Zeichen der Vier

[robinrowlesauthor · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The Sign of Four means murder! Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson accompany a beautiful young woman to a sinister assignation. Mary Morstan receives a mystery letter telling her she is a wronged woman. In order to seek justice she's to meet her unknown benefactor, bringing with her two companions. But surprise, surprise, there are others stalking in the fog of London! A one-legged ruffian has revenge on his mind - and his companions, who place no value on human life!
This story has non-stop action and it's certainly believable (bearing in mind when it was written)- It has a really surprising ending - jewel-thieves at its best. With greed another factor, there is plenty of adventure and mystery to get you turning-over the page. There's also a destination of love for Dr Watson with Mary Morstan!
Yes, at times it's certainly curious and intriguing.. along with its whodunit theme.
A well written story with lots of very good description and detail. Some really great characters.

[theeclecticbookworm · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I listened to this book for a few days on my way to/from work, which was easy to do. I hadn't heard of this story before and I'm not really surprised. It was okay, and i liked it, but I don't think I'd bother to listen to it again, or to read it.

[asxz-2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Opens with Sherlock self-administering class-A drugs intravenously... because he's bored. How very Trainspotting. Another romp through the streets of London or rather down the Thames in this instance. A locked-room mystery instantly solved and love at first sight for Dr. Watson. Charming and fun.

[ruthich · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Not quite the classic of Study in Scarlet or Valley of Fear, an adventure that roams to an Indian hard labour camp, where some of the inmates get involved with jewels and crooked British Officers.

[andrew1theqm · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

3.5 Stars. Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one.

[391_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The Sign of Four brings in a lot of character development and description - we get to see Watson and Holmes' famous friendship (such as when they are led to a complete dead-end by a dog who has gotten on the wrong track) as well as find out more of Watson's personal history. I also quite like the narrative voice, as Watson can be quite the charmer at times, though occasionally melodramatic, an opinion with which I'm sure Sherlock would agree. The long exposition at the end, though it didn't drag nearly as much as Jefferson Hope's, was still a bit tedious compared to the adventures leading up to it.

[amydross · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

mostly of interest to me for the wildly extravagant racism and the portrayal of drug use.

[bookworm12_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Watson and Sherlock are back in this delicious mystery, one of only four full Sherlock novels. This one has it all and is my personal favorite. It opens with Sherlock shooting cocaine as a concerned Watson questions the addiction. Things just get better from there. We have a mysterious treasure from India passed down from father to son, murder, great disguises from Sherlock and even a bit of romance for Watson. I love that this novel gives us the full range of Sherlock’s emotions. He is obviously troubled, both when he is bored and when he is frustrated by a case. At other times he is completely joyous and playful as his mind ticks at a rapid pace, miles ahead of everyone else as he connects the dots. The relationship between Watson and Sherlock is at its best here. It’s still in its infancy in A Study in Scarlet and it’s almost completely missing in The Hound of the Baskervilles. This book captures the core of their friendship. They balance each other, Sherlock needs someone to think of the emotional side of things and Watson loves being involved in the thrill of a new case, though he wouldn’t pursue this line of work on his own. We also have Sherlock’s fussy landlady, Mrs. Hudson, who worries about her tenant and the client, Miss Mary Morstan, who catches Watson’s eye. Then there’s the Baker Street Irregulars, a ragtag group of boys who occasionally help Sherlock with his cases. The novel also has a helpful dog named Toby and some of Sherlock’s most infamous lines. You can’t go wrong with this one. BOTTOM LINE: This is definitely my favorite Sherlock Holmes novel so far. I also think it would be a great starting point for anyone who is new to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. "My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." "The chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness." “No, I am not tired. I have a curious constitution. I never remember feeling tired by work, though idleness exhausts me completely." “Miss Morstan and I stood together, and her hand was in mine. A wondrous subtle thing is love, for here were we two who had never seen each other before that day, between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed, and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other.” “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

[aliceanna-1 · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Meh. Dr. Watson's romance was pretty much the only interesting thing about this particular book. At least it was short.

[nx74defiant · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

A client walks in and Watson falls in love. At the end there is a long section with Jonathan Smalls back story leading up to the case.

[msaucier818 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was my second Sherlock Holmes book and I enjoyed it as much as the first. This book introduces us to Holmes' cocaine habit, and Watson meets a girl he likes, so it was nice to have that type of character development. The way Holmes uses logic to solve the crime of the story is again interesting and fun to read. I also liked the bit of history mixed into the story - this time dealing with British rule in India. A quick read and I will continue to read the Holmes' stories in the future.

[tronella_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was very weird compared to the previous Holmes book I read. Less Mormon-hating, more racism. Also, what with reading The Mad Ship and watching Muppet Treasure Island recently, I feel like everything I see is about how one-legged men are evil. :s

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I inherited a set of Holmes a few years back but hesitated to read them for fear they'd be difficult due to old-fashioned language & style, and due to references to unfamiliar history and culture. Well, they were amazingly accessible and interesting. Highly recommended.

But don't start with this one (or with Hound of the Baskervilles) and do try to read them in some sort of order. This particular was a bit convoluted (after all, it's longer than many, too).

[booksfordinner · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Never read this one before, same as with study in scarlet... i had only read the short stories when i was younger. This had the same kind of flashback sectioin, only it was a story told by a character as opposed to a full on flashback with a different narrator...

[she_climber · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Interesting enough story about lost and stolen treasure, interesting characters, poison arrow darts, brilliant deductions, and even some romance for Dr. Watson. Even the First time in the classic Holmes that I recall hearing of his drug use.Normally I love Sherlock Holmes but this one just drug on for me. I'm going to blame it in part of the Audio, the music in between scenes just didn't do it for and I'm guessing I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for some classic Holmes.

[adilinaria · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This one had a lot of the dated language and imagery I'd expect from a Victorian novel unfortunately, so be aware of that going in. Colonialism was strong here. Besides that it had something that I think a lot of the short stories lack, and I really found that fun. The 'high speed boat chase' was absolutely hilarious to me, though I enjoyed it. After reading Lindsey Faye's Sherlock shorts now I'm seeing the constant romanticized descriptions of women and it's just so over the top and ridiculous. I did like seeing Watson and Mary's relationship though, that was very cute. Sadly the mystery in this one was not very mysterious, I was a bit bummed on how simple it worked out to be. Ah well!

[ursula_2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

What is there to say about Sherlock Holmes and Watson that everyone else hasn't already said? That won't stop me, though. I am reading them in order, so this is my second encounter with Holmes and Watson. Here you begin to see what would become the basis for endless film and tv representations of their characters. Holmes is treating his boredom with cocaine; Watson is a bit of a nervous aunt as he inquires as to the wisdom of the treatment. But before we have to delve too deeply into Holmes' psyche, a case comes calling in the person of Mary Morstan. The case involves a death, and a hidden treasure from India. We get a lot of brilliant deduction, followed by various methods employed by Holmes to fill in the gaps in his knowledge - the Baker Street irregulars (street urchins he employs from time to time), disguise, a chase, etc. Ultimately, once the villain is discovered and safely in custody, it's time for him to spill the entire back story so we can see how right Holmes was.Recommended for: everyone (come on, it's Sherlock Holmes!).Quote: "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, HOWEVER IMPROBABLE, must be the truth?"

[port22_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

It seems that Holmes is an early discoverer ("I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it...") of a new didactic method of working out crimes: "Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner." Three qualities are necessary to make the ideal detective -- power of observation, deduction, and technical subjects; it is all a work of precision: "No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit, destructive to the logical faculty."Holmes uses cocaine as a substitute of craved mental stimulant which detective's work provides to him: "My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere." When confronted by Watson he is not irritated, "On the contrary, he put his finger-tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of this chair, like one who has a relish for conversation."And that morning, to Watson's astonishment, Holmes demonstrates that "For example, observation shows me that you have been to Wigmore Street Post-Office, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram."The plot arch is uncovered in a straight forward story which Dr. Watson recounts in first person: A young lady, Mary Mortan, seeks the assistance of able men to accompany her to a meeting with a mysterious someone who promises to reveal to her how her father died and a commitment to relinquish her fair share of a supposed treasure she inherited. Then, the entire action is compressed into the following 3 days.Reading Conan Doyle is also a bit of an archeological window into the language of the 19th century. For me, the smattering of quaint phraseology only adds an element of authenticity to the book.The book excels in unfolding the detective story (the "what"). Tightly paced and compact. One mildly unsatisfactory element is the choice of a deus-ex-machina plot device in explaining the "why". An entire chapter of the book is filled by a guy who sits in a chair and tells a story that puts put the motives behind the crime that was investigated by Holmes and Watson. One defense to this decision could be that this way Conan Doyle preserves the consistency of the book of being entirely told from the point of view of Dr. Watson and written in the first person.

[swampygirl-1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

While most Sherlock stories are intriguing, this one stood out to me as perhaps the most interesting. Not because of the crime, but because of all the original stories I have read thus far this one seems the most interested in Sherlock's motivation and character- fleshed him out as it were.

I also can't help but be amused by Doyle's treatment of Sherlock's drug addiction and apparent manic depression. No apologies. This may merit further investigation.

[therebelprince · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

After being disappointed with "A Study in Scarlet", I decided to tackle a second Holmes novel in the hopes that things would improve. Sadly, they didn't. I'm not beaten yet - I'll be attempting "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" as my next train-to-work novel - but so far, this doesn't do anything for me.

There are some good elements here: Holmes of course is an enjoyable response to the crime fiction that existed at the time. His methods of deduction, while sometimes ponderous, are always clever. Unfortunately, there's very little else to be said for this book.

Watson continues to be an uninteresting narrator; the supporting characters are mostly forgettable, with the exception (oddly) of the police characters, who so far I have found pleasant; and Holmes himself, as many other reviewers seem to note, is at his least likeable here. Obviously, we're supposed to be somewhat confounded by his aloof personality, but his treatment of other members of the human race is extremely off-putting. Like the 2000s versions - Dr. House, etc. - it's supposedly tempered by his desire to help the innocent and fearful, but really the fact that he only seems to have a heart for small children just leads me to assume he is a sociopath.

And then there is the mystery itself: here, Conan Doyle reveals himself as mostly a pulp writer, it seems. Like "A Study in Scarlet", this mystery is decidedly outlandish: cannibalistic midgets, wooden legs, etc, etc. Yes it's escapism and I accept that, but the problem is these mysteries are almost tailor-made for Sherlock Holmes. No human being could possibly be expected to guess from a simple murder that it involved so many elaborate contrivances and foreign devils. It seems strange to say it, but if Holmes could instead investigate a (complex) drawing-room mystery or the like, I might be drawn into the work more, as this would require him to piece together clues within my human scope of comprehension. I'm not asking for an easy mystery, just one that has more of a human element.

Anyway, I'll be interested to continue reading the Holmes books (although I may slow down, as I do have the rest of my life), and perhaps find out why he has become such a mythical figure!

[john257hopper · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was the second Sherlock Holmes story, written following the famous arranged literary encounter between Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde (which resulted in the latter's Picture of Dorian Grey). The structure is quite similar to A Study in Scarlet, though Sign has probably more typical Sherlockian features. Again, there is a (rather overly long) backstory to the villain Jonathan Small's actions, dating back to his time in India and as a prisoner on the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean, though it doesn't dominate the story quite as much as the Utah desert part of A Study in Scarlet. Great, swashbuckling and exciting stuff, despite the now cringingly dated racial and religious stereotypes and the poor research (a character named Mahomet Singh, a Muslim/Sikh hybrid, makes no sense). The story is also famous of course for Watson's marriage to Mary Morstan at the end of the story, a decision the author clearly regretted as she scarcely appears ever again and is killed off to give a reason for Watson to move back into Holmes's rooms.

[bauernfeind · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

A good old comfortable read

[seriousgrace · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Originally published in 1889, this is the second Sherlock Holmes mystery. We meet Dr. Watson's future bride-to-be, Mary Morstan.One of the most prominent characteristics of Sherlock Holmes's personality is his cheeky hubris, especially when he makes comments like, "Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs" (p 4), or "I cannot live without brainwork" (p 8). Aside from his ego, Holmes carries a sharp sense of reasoning and deduction and of course, the acute ability to draw unsuspecting witnesses out of their privacy, getting them to spill the beans by pretending to know everything they do already. An age-old police tactic.To sum up the complicated mystery: it involves a secret pact between four criminals, a treasure and Mary Morstan. Mary's father has been missing for ten years. He disappeared without a trace. Four years after his disappearance Mary started received a pearl a year from an unknown benefactor. Where's rumor of a hidden treasure.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

What is an English story without a tie-in to India? I enjoyed watching Holmes unravel the mystery and seeing Watson fall in love with his future wife. Fun reading.

[carsonkicklighter · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Dr. Watson, maybe there are easier ways to pick up women than chasing pygmies and peg-legged people down the Thames.

[slpenney07 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Summary: A young lady has been sent pearls. Sherlock and Watson investigate their origin, along with a cryptic letter that promises to explain all.The Take-Away: My love of the classics is two-fold: I love stories that well told even by modern standards; I love seeing how the world has changed. For instance, Sherlock Holmes was a cocaine user. When he wasn't solving mysteries, he was so bored with life, that a 7% solution was one of the two things that made life tolerable -- the other being morphine.I also love seeing how writing has changed. "Editing" the title helps me to think through what would need to be done to make it sell in today's market. Working out that muscle also helps my own writing.Sherlock isn't nearly as interesting as Watson. Sherlock is cool and undistribed, always right whereas Watson is emotional and often overlooks what Sherlock considers a clue. Indulge me a bit here: Sherlock is always right, because the author makes sure he is. If Sherlock missed a clue, here and there, like Watson often does, would the books be considered as great? Is it because Sherlock is a larger than life character that they've carried through the years?Recommendation: If you like classics, Sherlock is a great detective.

[nosajeel · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Excellent for what it is, of course. This is the second Holmes novella, fits the formula perfectly, and is enjoyable from beginning to end. It features a locked room mystery (sort of), the usual mysteries that had their origin overseas, and even a little romantic interest for Watson. It is not quite as confounding and mysterious, nor is the solution quite as satisfying, as many of the later Holmes stories. But still excellent.

[floratina · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

READ IN ENGLISH

The Sign of The Four will be used in the third series of BBC Sherlock as The Sign of Three. I'm quite thrilled that for once I have read the book before they used it, and I will be able to look for everything they used form the book. I can't wait till the third series start!

I liked reading this book as well. The writing style is still quite modern, and reads very easily. The story itself is quite interesting, so it was really a nice read.

[scorched_earth · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four, which is the second book featuring the famed detective Sherlock Holmes, the authors vivid imagination tells another riveting detective story. The book begins and ends with Sherlock Holmes injecting himself with cocaine simply because he is bored due to not having a murder case to occupy his mind. Readers get to know Holmes and Dr. Watson a little better in this book. The story is so detailed and well conceived that it almost seems real. I will be looking forward to the next installment in this series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

[oscarwilde87_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

The Sign of the Four is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes and was published in 1890. It is actually not that easy to sum up the plot of this novel in a few words as it is very complex. The novel is about a stolen treasure, kept secret by a group of four convicts, and about the disappearance of Captain Arthur Morstan, father of Mary Morstan, Sherlock Holmes' new client. Soon, the detective finds a connection between the treasure and Captain Morstan's disappearance. Thaddeus Sholto, the son of a former comrade of Arthur Morstan, reveals that Morstan died of a heart attack and that Sholto had come into possession of information about the stolen treasure. During the investigation, Dr. Watson falls in love with Mary Morstan, who is to become his wife.What I found more exciting about The Sign of the Four than its plot, though, was the depiction of its main character, Sherlock Holmes. Compared to the first novel, there is a change in the depiction of Holmes right in the beginning of The Sign of the Four when the reader learns about Holmes using cocaine. While the first novel depicts Holmes as a great detective with a vast knowledge in various fields of study, and someone who perfected the art of deduction, the second novel makes him seem more human. He is less perfect than in the first novel and this makes him a rounder character.While I liked the character development in this novel, the plot was not really too exciting and a little too complex at times. On the whole, the second Sherlock Holmes novel is still a fairly good read. 3 stars.