From: kathyli@sdcrsi.cray.com (the Rev. Mom)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.holmes
Subject: The Best Holmes Stories
Date: 15 Sep 92 04:15:23 GMT
Organization: CRS San Diego UUCP Gateway

Since I seem to be spending all my time on this group :-), I
figured, what the heck.

There's this book called THE UNCOLLECTED SHERLOCK HOLMES that is
sold by Penguin.  (My source was the Penguin bookstore
in Covent Garden).  ISBN 0-14-006432-X.  The prices on the back
are listed for UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.  Guess
what's missing. :-)  I've tried ordering it from the New York
branch, but they say no go. The copyright on it's 1983, and my
reprint's from 1988, so you might be able to find it if you've
got sources.

It contains two special-occasion items, that are 2-or-3 page
stories with Holmes and Watson throwing some witty repartee back
and forth, a (really long) stage-play adaptation of "The Speckled
Band" entitled "The Stonor Case", another stage adaptation of
"The Mazarin Stone", called "The Crown Diamond", lots of
prefaces, a speech about Holmes on the screen, stray articles,
interview, an unwritten plot, and J.M. Barrie parodies that are a
scream if you're a J.M. Barrie fan. [When talking about his
cricket team, the Allahakbarries in later years, Barrie said, "..Conan
Doyle was the only exception to the depressing rule that the more
successful were the members of my team as authors, the worse they
played."]

It's also got an article Conan Doyle wrote for a competition that
was held in the STRAND in 1927.  Doyle made up a list of his
twelve favorite stories, and then put the list in a sealed
envelope, and everybody had to guess what the twelve were.

The winner got ten.

Here's the solution and explanation that Doyle gave as to what he
thought were the twelve best stories (forgive the typos):

Enjoy!

--Kathy Li aka the Rev. Mom

----------------------
When this competition was first mooted I went into it in a most
light-hearted way, thinking that it would be the easiest thing in
the world to pick out the twelve best of the Holmes stories.  In
practice I found that I had engaged myself in a serious task.  In
the first place I had to read the stories myself with some care.
'Steep, steep, weary work.' as teh Scottish landlady remarked.

I began by eliminating altogether the last twelve stories, which
are scattered through the Strand for the last five or six years.
Tehy are about tocome out in volume form under the title THE
CASE-BOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, but the public could not easily get
at them. Had they been available I should ahve put two of them in
my team--namely, "The Lion's Mane" and "The Illustrious Client."
The first of these is hampered by being told by Holmes himself, a
method which I employed only twice, as it certainly cramps the
narrative. On the other hand, the actual plot is among the very
best of teh whole series, and for that it deserves its place.
'The Illustrious Client', on the other hand, is not remarkable
for plot, but it has a certain dramatic quality and moves
adequately in lofty circles, so I should also have found a place
for it.

However, these being ruled out, I am now faced with some
forty-odd candidates to be weighted against each other.  There
are certainly some few an echo of which has come t me from all
parts of the world, and It hink this is the final proof of merit
of some sort.  There is the grim snake story, 'The Speckled
Band'. That I am sure will be on every list.  next to that in
popular favour and in my own esteem I would place 'The Red-Headed
League' and 'The Dancing Men', on account in each case of teh
originality of the plot.  Then we could hardly leave out the
story which deals with the only foe who ever really extended
Holmes, and which deceived the public (and Watson) into the
erroneous inference of his death. Also, I think the first story
of all should go in, as it opened the path for the others, and as
it has more female interest than is usual.  Finally, I think the
story which essays the difficult task of explaining away the
alleged death of Holmes, and whichalso introduces such a villain
as Colonel Sebastian Moran, should have a place.  This puts 'The
Final Problem', 'A Scandal in Bohemia', and 'The Empty House'
upon our list, and we have got our first half-dozen.

But now comes the crux.  There are a number of stories which
really are a little hard to separate.  On the whole I think I
should find a place for 'The Five Orange Pips', for though it is
short it has a certain dramatic quality of its own.  So now only
five places are left.  There are two stories which deal with high
diplomacy and intrigue. They are both among the very best of the
stories.  The one is 'The Naval Treaty' and the other 'The Second
Stain'.  There is no room for both of them in the team, and on
the whole I regard the latter as the better story.  Therefore we
will put it down for the eighth place.

And now which?  'The Devil's Foot' has points.  It is grim and
new.  We will give it the ninth place.  I think also that 'The
Priory School' is worth a place if only for the dramatic moment
when Holmes points his finger  at the Duke. I have only two
places left. I hesitate between 'Silver Blaze', 'The
Bruce-Partington Plans', 'The Crooked Man', 'The Man With the
Twisted Lip', 'The "Glorioa Scott"', `The Greek Interpreter',
'The Reigate Squires', 'The Musgrave Ritual', and 'The Resident
Patient.'  On what principle am I to choose two out of those?
The racing detail in 'Silver Blaze' is very faulty, so we must
disqualify him.  There is little to choose between the others.  A
small thing would turn the scale.  'The Musgrave Ritual' has a
historical touch which gives it a little added distinction.  It
is also a memory from Holmes's early life. So now we come to the
very last.  I might as well draw the name out of a bag, for I see
no reason to put one before the other.  Whatever their merit--and
I make no claim for that--they are all as good as I could make
them.  On the whole Holmes himself shows perhaps more ingenuity
in 'The Reigate Squires', and therefore this shall be twelfth man
in my team.

It is proverbially a mistake for a judge to give his reasons, but
I have analysed mine if only to show any competitors that I
really have taken some trouble in the matter.

The list is therefore as follows:

The Speckled Band
The Red-Headed League
The Dancing Men
The Final Problem
A Scandal in Bohemia
The Empty House
The Five Orange Pips
The Second Stain
The Devil's Foot
The Priory School
The Musgrave Ritual
The Reigate Squires
-- 
------------------------|  "It is one of the elementary principles of practical 
kathyli@sdcrsi.cray.com | reasoning," he remarked, "that when the impossible
------------------------| has been eliminated the residuum, *however improbable*
                          must contain the truth.    --"The Lost Special" 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.holmes