BOOK REVIEW
“ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia “
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Publisher: George Newnes
First Published: 1891
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Number of Pages: 307
Summary
After our narrator Dr. John Watson gets married (to Mary Morstan, in Conan Doyle's second Sherlock
Holmes novel, The Sign of Four) he doesn't see Holmes quite as often as he used to. As Watson sets up a
happy home with his wife, Holmes remains as weird as ever, hanging around their old place in Baker
Street and alternating between cocaine and criminal cases.
Watson happens to be passing his former apartment on the walk back from his medical practice one
evening, and decides to stop in to see his old pal Holmes. The two bat jokes back and forth about
Holmes's deductive ability. Holmes finally comes out and asks if Watson can even recall the number of
stairs that lead up to the 221B Baker Street apartment, and Watson admits that he cannot. "Ah ha!"
crows Holmes: proof that, while Watson sees the same things that Holmes does, he fails to observe
them.
A new client arrives to meet Holmes and, after trying to hide his identity for about two seconds, comes
clean: he is Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein and hereditary
King of Bohemia (whoa, that's a lot of letters for one name! Bohemia, by the way, is now part of the
modern-day Czech Republic). His problem is that he's about to marry the daughter of the King of
Scandinavia. The thing is, though, she's from a family with very strict morals, and she wouldn't be
pleased to know that he had a serious affair with another woman before their engagement.
This woman is Irene Adler – who lives on in Holmes's memory as the woman. She's a singer who met the
King in Warsaw, where they subsequently had a bit of a fling. Unfortunately, the King allowed himself to
be photographed with Adler, and she has the picture. The King wants Holmes to recover the
incriminating photo. Holmes agrees.
Holmes then puts on a disguise and goes to Irene Adler's current house in London to stake it out. He
finds out that she gets frequent calls from a lawyer, Godfrey Norton. Holmes even happens to be on the
site when Adler rushes out of her house to meet Norton at a small church and – get this – our detective
is actually called upon (still in disguise) to be the witness for her marriage to the guy. After their surprise
elopement, Adler goes back to her house, and Holmes realizes he has to hurry to get the photo back
before she has a chance to leave with her new husband.
Holmes comes up with the perfect plan for finding the photo: he disguises himself as a clergyman, stages
a riot outside her house, pretends to be injured, and is carried into her living room for medical
treatment. Meanwhile, Watson, waiting outside, throws a smoke bomb into her house through the open
living room window. In a moment's panic, Adler runs for a small hidden compartment in the wall, where,
Holmes guesses, she keeps the photograph. At this discovery, and amidst the confusion, Holmes takes
off with Watson in tow. The two wind up back at Holmes's apartment building. As Holmes is looking for
his key, a young man walks by and greets him by name, with a cheery "Good evening."
The next morning, the King of Bohemia arrives at Holmes's apartment, where Holmes and Watson are
waiting. All three head off to Adler's house. To Holmes's surprise, an elderly woman is expecting them.
She hands Holmes a letter signed by Irene Adler and addressed to Holmes himself.
Adler's letter tells Holmes that she had been warned that he was on her trail. Even so, she didn't
recognize him immediately when she saw him disguised as such a kindly-looking old priest. But she
guessed that it was Holmes when she realized the smoke bomb was a fake fire alarm. Adler then
confirmed Holmes's identity by putting on men's clothes (she was once an actress), following him to his
home, and greeting him by name. Adler tells Holmes she's keeping the photos as collateral against the
King should he ever decide to ruin her reputation. But for now, she's content to live with her new, much
worthier husband, and she considers the matter finished.
The King is satisfied with this news, even though Holmes apologizes for failing to recover the photo.
Holmes then asks the King if he can keep the photograph of Adler alone that accompanied the letter.
The King, surprised, agrees. Watson finishes the story by adding that, while Holmes used to joke about
women's intelligence, he hasn't been cracking wise lately: Adler will always be, for Holmes, the ultimate
woman.
Opinion
In my opinion, this story, unlike many other Sherlock Holmes story is very interesting and refreshing. We
rarely get to Sherlocks intelligence being competed with and this is the only story where he has a
somewhat love interest. The characters on this story are all fascinating and unique which adds more
interest to the story. Other than that, the story is also very engaging with an unexpected twist. It is
somewhat logical and realistic even though it’s a fictional story. This story definitely makes you think
which I adore.
