On January 1, the anniversary of the day young Stamford introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, I will be meeting both of them all over again. I've decided spend the early months of the new year in re-reading the canonical Sherlock Holmes stories.
Over the years I've read all of them more than once, of course -- unlike one dedicated Sherlockian I know who put off for years reading some of the later tales so that he could have something to look forward to. To me, a Sherlock Holmes story is always something to look forward to, even the twentieth reading of a lesser tale.
But this is the first time in years for me to re-read the stories in the order in which they were published, from A Study in Scarlet through The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes. Mostly, of course, this is just for the joy of Sherlock Holmes. But I'm also preparing for three talks I'll be giving in 2012 -- in Chattanooga, Dayton, and Chicago -- as well as for a trip to England.
I'm sure I'll find some new insights on Holmes & Co. along the way, and I look forward to sharing them with you.
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