http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/06/bo...The Valley of Fear is not new to me. I read it the first time when I was in the seventh standard and totally loved it. The mystery was totally ingenious and utterly unexpected!Arthur Conan Doyle had studied to become a doctor but started writing when patients didnt flock to his clinic. Taking his old professor as his muse, he created the legendary character of Sherlock Holmes who is just too intelligent. It sometimes feels like he is from another planet and of a different species. Eccentric, sometimes rude, unemotional and yet a genius like no one has ever seen, he again tests his mental faculties in this novel where a man gets killed in a locked room in an old manor completely cut off from outside at night so that no one can enter or leave it at that time. How was he killed and who killed him?A strange and puzzling mystery with missing dumbbells, raincoats, missing wedding ring and mysterious cards left behind, it is a case where nothing is as it seems.The Valley of Fear is the last of the four novels by Arthur Conan Doyle and takes the readers to the prim and proper era in England with large country houses, lords and ladies of the manor and a time when England ruled over half the world. We are also transported to America in its early days with a boom in mining of coal. The book is also believed to be loosely based on the real-life case of Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. It has been adapted to TV, stage and movies and considered a masterpiece from the master storyteller, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.The story is divided into two parts with the first part taking place in England where the lord of the manor is killed in mysterious circumstances and the second part happens in flashback which takes us some twenty years back in time to America where a cult is terrorizing a valley in the American West. "It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the dusk to the dawn."The cover art has changed many times since the book was released first in 1914 but what first caught my attention was the name of the book. The name The Valley of Fear created an instant chill and a sudden thrill of danger in my heart the first time I picked up this book. The blurb further attracted me and made me check it out from my school library.I still remember that hot afternoon when I first read this book and the excitement I felt while I eagerly turned the pages. Howsoever I tried but I could not solve the mystery and was ultimately left speechless when the mystery did unfold before my eyes! :)Such is the effect of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes' books that they still shock and surprise us even after almost a century. The times have changed, we are more advanced and still the crimes that happened at that time leave us baffled.This book sets the stage for the legendary confrontation between Sherlock and Professor Moriarty in The Last Bow. Professor's presence and his hand in this mysterious killing of Mr. Douglas is hinted. "I can see only two things for certain at present- a great brain (Moriarty) in London, and a dead man in Sussex. It's the chain between that we are going to trace."The writing style is narrative and Dr. Watson is our narrator who symbolizes the normal public with their average intelligence very often in the dark with respect to the workings of Sherlock Holmes' genius mind!The book is medium paced and may sometimes feel a bit boring due to the lengthy descriptions of the places and people. But these lengthy descriptions are put to use in solving the mystery and so become quite important.The characterization is expertly done to form an image of the person in the reader's minds. "I age he may have been about fifty, with a strong-jawed, rugged face, a grizzling moustache, peculiarly keen gray eyes, and a wiry, vigorous figure..." (description of Mr. Douglas)"The greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every deviltry, the controlling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations-that's the man!" (description of Professor Moriarty)"Sherlock Holmes' eyes glistened, his pale cheeks took a warmer hue, and his whole eager face shone with an inward light when the call for work reached him."The deductions that Holmes makes by studying the behavior of the suspects is exceptional and fills the readers with admiration. The author shows his intricate knowledge of human nature and behavior which he expertly uses in his book. "Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius, and MacDonald had talent enough for his profession to enable him to perceive that there was no humiliation in seeking the assistance of one who already stood alone in Europe, both in his gifts and his experience.(Sherlock Holmes)""...He was cheery and genial to all, but somewhat offhand in his manners, giving the impression that he had seen life in social strata on some far lower horizon.."(Description of Mr. Douglas)"I am not a whole-souled admirer of womankind, but my experience of life has taught me that there are few wives, having any regard for their husbands, who would let any man's spoken word stand between them and that husband's dead body."I loved the first part with the mind boggling mystery and the clues which just confused me. The second part is a bit slow in developing and I did feel a bit bored in some parts but the unexpected end to it just blew me off!This is an intricate mystery with a solid story which gives us a glimpse into the lives and times of late 1800s and early 1900s. I have read this book numerous times but still, the story never gets old and the mystery never stops stumping me.4.5 super shiny stars to The Valley of Fear. Go read this masterpiece featuring one of the best Detectives of all times, Sherlock Holmes. The book is not to be missed and I strongly recommend it to all mystery and detection lovers.
Sherlock Holmes investigates a murder in Part I of The Valley of Fear and in Part II exits stage left to allow the American set story of Jack McMurdo and the murderous society of the Scowrers in the Valley of Fear to take centre stage and bring everything full circle. And it all ends in an rather unexpected turn of events!Sherlock and Watson are two of the most iconic literary characters ever written and when you read their stories there is always that little bit of extra weight that comes with them, the weight that tells you as you're reading that this is a classic. This is a classic. A classic! This is the third Sherlock Holmes novel I have read and up till this point I have yet to truly be impressed. Arthur Conan Doyle had not really blown me away in the manner that I am with other more modern mystery novels and I wasn't expecting the Valley of Fear to be any different. Perhaps it is because I'm more accustomed to a different style of writing, but I've always been left wanting something more from the story that it just wasn't giving me. Like eating a bar of "healthy" chocolate. It's great in it's own way, and great for you, but leaves you wanting a bowl of jello instead.However, I enjoyed reading Sherlock and Watson go through the motions of Douglas's murder in Part I of the story. There were so many different possibilities surrounded by the building tension of Moriarty and his involvement, as well as a rather perplexing moat. Yes, there is a moat, though a rather non-threatening one. The mystery had a flow to it that kept everything moving, even if it was a bit slow to start. The nature of the murder itself was interesting, although the suspects were a bit so-so and the conclusion wasn't really a conclusion at all. Continued in Part II, we are transported to America, to reveal the secretive past of Douglas in amazingly descriptive detail. The time and place is depicted so vividly that by the time I was finished it had such a great impact on me.Although, not all things were smooth sailing. While nearing the end of Part II I was ready for it to be finished. I enjoyed the descriptive writing and overall story, but it seemed to be dragging a bit. I understand why it was necessary to build the characters for the Valley of Fear and add depth to the mystery that happens years later, but it seemed like the point of "these are terrible people, who do very terrible things" was being driven home a bit too at length. ... Then came the twist and I was wowed by the deception. It took all that build up to get to that point and it was, for me at least, amazing. I was not expecting things to take that sort of turn and it brought everything together in a way that saved me from feeling like all Sherlock Holmes was is a "classic" instead of a truly excellent mystery.
What do You think about The Valley Of Fear (2007)?
The final Sherlock Holmes novel written by Conan Doyle (though not the last chronologically) starts in tip-top fashion, with the master detective cracking a cyphered letter by means of some deft deduction, but too late to prevent a grisly murder.An unconventional country gentleman who made his money in America is found dead in his home, his head blown off by a shorn-off shotgun. Holmes is called to investigate by the local constabulary, able men but but not possessed of the same genius as the super sleuth.Thanks to his contacts in the criminal underworld Holmes suspects the involvement of none other than that 'Napolean-gone-wrong', Professor Moriarity. He quickly discovers that the dead man had ties to a sinister secret society, which no doubt accounts for his murder. The pleasing start and a clever resolution aside, The Valley of Fear suffers from the same slightly disappointing aspect as all the longer form Holmes stories - there is simply not enough Sherlock! It's why the short stories are so much better.Half of this novel is dedicated to the back story of the criminal elements, a lawless and corrupt unionist outfit in America. The portrayal of its leaders and methods is interesting and convincing, but I would rather be in Baker Street!Read the first half of the book by all means. You can take or leave the second half though.
—Perry Whitford
Let’s face it, Sherlock Holmes is a prig. A vainglorious bombast whose every breath seems devoted, at least in part, to extolling his prodigious and ubiquitous knowledge and singular mastery over every form of argument, logical deduction or investigative strategy (he's a little like that last sentence). It’s amazing the man can dress himself given that one arm is forever employed in the constant motion of slapping palm to his own back in congratulations for his monumental genius. Now when faced this over-the-top example of Holmes’s masturbatory love for his own brain, one can either cringe and slink away to cower in the corner with less abrasive (and more boring) personalities, or one can boldly embrace this personification of mental prowess, slip inside the conceit canoe and journey with this most compelling of personages. I choose the latter and hereby declare myself a proud member of TEAM JACOB SHERLOCK!!Ripley’s believe it or not, this novel is my first concentrated exposure to Sir Arthur’s exploits of the World’s Greatest Detective (tied for #1 with Batman). I have owned the completed works of Sherlock Holmes for some time and had previously perused a few of the short stories, but never had read a story from cover to cover until now. This is an oversight I intend to correct over and over again during the next 12 months as this was a terrific experience. PLOT SUMMARY:The Valley of Fear is one of four Holmes novels to go along with 56 short stories written by Doyle. This story is also, I was flabbergasted to discover, one of only two stories to feature Professor Moriarty (the other being “The Final Problem”). That was a stunning revelation as Moriarty is THE villain associated with Holmes. However, after reading this story (and the Final Problem), I can now see why and I think it is a good thing that Moriarty’s actual appearances are so few. The novel itself is broken up into two main segments with a third comprised of the introduction and epilogue that glue the narrative pieces together. Holmes and Watson decode a letter from an underling of Prof. Moriarty and learn that a certain John Douglas is going to get whacked. The whacking, in fact, occurs and the two head off to Sussex to investigate the murder in the hopes of of learning Moriarty’s involvement. What ensues is a brilliantly executed mystery that is solved elegantly and with much self-congratulations by Holmes, much to the starry-eyed, “may I kiss you” amazement of Dr. Watson. Seriously, these two have the best bromance since “Shake and Bake” from Talladega Nights. Part II of the story (“The Scowrers”) takes us back to learn the history of John Douglas’s time in America. Despite, neither Holmes nor Watson appearing in this segment, the story itself is wonderful and demonstrates Sir Arthur’s gift for compelling, plot-driven writing. The climax of this segment answers several large questions left dangling out of Part I’s under garments and segues nicely into the epilogue where Holmes performs a final recitation of both threads as well as the tie in with Moriarty. It’s a well-written, superbly crafted novel that engages and entertains in equal measure. THOUGHTS:Holmes is a force of nature and I found him impossible to ignore when he was pontificating from the page. He emits a resonance that leapt off the parchment and put a stranglehold on my attention with the strength of his personality. He won me over big time. I grant you that his immense ego and his chronic case of patronizingitis is such that I would not likely choose to hang out with him on the weekends and play scrabble, but as a main character he is simply superb. A truly unique voice in all of literature and I am very happy to have now officially made his acquaintance. 4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.P.S. I listened to the audio of this read by Simon Prebble (one of my favorites) and he did his usual exceptional job.
—Stephen
This was my least favorite of all the Sherlock Holmes books I've read so far. The novel was published in 1915 and features two parts: The first half involves the murder of a man named John Douglas at his manor house. Sherlock is called in to help solve the mystery of how the murderer got away because the house was surrounded by a moat. Dr. Watson comes along to help out, but the solution of the case is disappointing and Sherlock wasn't given much to do. The second part is an extended flashback at an American mining region called Vermissa Valley. The plot is reportedly based on a real incident of a Pinkerton agent who infiltrated the Molly Maguires, which was a secret society of miners. This narrative format is similar to Sherlock's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, in which there was an lengthy flashback involving Mormons in Utah. Because Sherlock was absent for half the novel and given little to do in the other half, this book felt like a TV show in which the lead character is written out of the episode because they're hosting Saturday Night Live. It seemed like Doyle decided to give Sherlock the week off.If you want to read just one Sherlock novel, I would suggest The Hound of the Baskervilles. I think The Valley of Fear could be skipped by all but the most dedicated of Sherlock fans.
—Diane Librarian
