What do you think?
Rate this book
The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes gathers together the best of the hilarious mishaps that have befallen the greatest detective of them all—the tales that Watson couldn't or wouldn't tell, for reason of discretion or just plain incredulity. This hugely entertaining volume—essential reading for Sherlockians and a feast of amusement for everyone else—is a collection of parodies, burlesques, pastiches and "unofficial" adventures.
The Martian crown jewels / Poul Anderson --
From the diary of Sherlock Holmes / Maurice Baring --
The anomaly of the empty man / Anthony Boucher --
The adventure of the Paradol Chamber / John Dickson Carr --
The adventure of the Conk-Singleton papers / John Dickson Carr --
The adventure of the snitch in time / August Derleth and Mark Reynolds --
The adventure of the dog in the knight / Robert L. Fish --
The adventure of the three madmen / Philip José Farmer --
Mr. Montalba, obsequist / H.F. Heard --
A trifling affair / H.R.F. Keating --
The great detective / Stephen Leacock --
The singularge experience of Miss Anne Duffield / John Lennon --
The affair of the midnight midget / Ardath Mayhar --
From a detective's notebook / P.G. Wodehouse
The Martian crown jewels / Poul Anderson --
From the diary of Sherlock Holmes / Maurice Baring --
The anomaly of the empty man / Anthony Boucher --
The adventure of the Paradol Chamber / John Dickson Carr --
The adventure of the Conk-Singleton papers / John Dickson Carr --
The adventure of the snitch in time / August Derleth and Mark Reynolds --
The adventure of the dog in the knight / Robert L. Fish --
The adventure of the three madmen / Philip José Farmer --
Mr. Montalba, obsequist / H.F. Heard --
A trifling affair / H.R.F. Keating --
The great detective / Stephen Leacock --
The singularge experience of Miss Anne Duffield / John Lennon --
The affair of the midnight midget / Ardath Mayhar --
From a detective's notebook / P.G. Wodehouse
249 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 26, 2016
Odd, and not in a particularly good way. I enjoyed the story from Mrs. Hudson's point of view, but the others seemed completely random. Well, "The Singularge Experience of Miss Anne Duffield" certainly gave me a new view of John Lennon, but...yeah, this collection is skippable.
September 18, 2012
This collection of Holmes stories by Science Fiction and Mystery writers was a bit of a disappointment. Some of the individual stories I enjoyed, others, not so much -- which, I guess is normal for a short story collection. Most of the book is taken-up by a novella by Philip José Farmer. I happen to like Farmer's work, especially his idea (in his stories) that all the classic Victorian and Edwardian "fictional" tales were true AND all these folks knew each other. "The Adventure of the Three Madmen" by Farmer has Holmes and Watson experience the worst travelling experience possible, by air and over land in Africa -- along the way they meet Sir Mowgli (of the Jungle Book) and several air pilots that completely put Holmes off (who thereafter swears off flying). The story is fun, but a bit long.
My favorite story was "The Affair of the Midnight Midget" which consisted of a series of letters from Mrs. Hudson to Dr. Watson as she looks after Sherlock and his nephew (Mycroft's son), Andrew. It's adorable!
I also liked the Martian Holmes story.
My favorite story was "The Affair of the Midnight Midget" which consisted of a series of letters from Mrs. Hudson to Dr. Watson as she looks after Sherlock and his nephew (Mycroft's son), Andrew. It's adorable!
I also liked the Martian Holmes story.
October 23, 2011
Very quick read -- a collection of purportedly funny / satirical Sherlock Holmes homage pastiches by other authors, both famous and unknown. It felt very dated and old-fashioned, with none of the timeless nature of the real Holmes canon. Perhaps unsurprising, because the collection dates from 1944 and is an anthology hastily put together by Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, such as it was then. Probably only very interesting for true Sherlockians, dilettantes like myself should stay away.
April 6, 2022
An early collection of Holmes parodies and pastiches, this is a variable affair which veer between humorous pastiches and earnest attempts at extended the universe of Doyle.
Sci-fi author Poul Anderson's reinvents Holmes as a Martian in a rather fun encounter while there are also a few slightly other worldly exploits in equally entertaining stories The Adventure of the Stitch in Time (with infamous Holmes knock-off Solar Pons) and The Anomaly of the Empty Man.
Sadly much of the book is taken up by The Adventure of The Three Madmen. Philip Jose Farmer's story is maybe admirable in scope - introducing characters from Kipling and Haggard into Doyle's canon - but eschews Holmesian detection for a heady mix of war story, violence and good old fashioned misogyny and racism. It becomes a bit dark and plodding, and those who have more than a passing familiarity with the work of Alan Moore will probably feel there are better ways of dealing with characters from multiple fictional universes within one story.
But there are also a few humorous stories to balance everything it. While John Lennon's The Singularge Experience of Miss Anne Duffield is a sometimes exhausting explosion of nonsense language and silliness, there's still wit and invention while PG Wodehouse himself ends proceedings with a lovely exploration of the true nature of nature in which the rigours of detection are exposed via the truisms of capitalism.
A bit all over the place but there's enough here to enjoy to accompany your day's pipe and violin.
Sci-fi author Poul Anderson's reinvents Holmes as a Martian in a rather fun encounter while there are also a few slightly other worldly exploits in equally entertaining stories The Adventure of the Stitch in Time (with infamous Holmes knock-off Solar Pons) and The Anomaly of the Empty Man.
Sadly much of the book is taken up by The Adventure of The Three Madmen. Philip Jose Farmer's story is maybe admirable in scope - introducing characters from Kipling and Haggard into Doyle's canon - but eschews Holmesian detection for a heady mix of war story, violence and good old fashioned misogyny and racism. It becomes a bit dark and plodding, and those who have more than a passing familiarity with the work of Alan Moore will probably feel there are better ways of dealing with characters from multiple fictional universes within one story.
But there are also a few humorous stories to balance everything it. While John Lennon's The Singularge Experience of Miss Anne Duffield is a sometimes exhausting explosion of nonsense language and silliness, there's still wit and invention while PG Wodehouse himself ends proceedings with a lovely exploration of the true nature of nature in which the rigours of detection are exposed via the truisms of capitalism.
A bit all over the place but there's enough here to enjoy to accompany your day's pipe and violin.
January 11, 2023
I bought this little book 30 years ago, and this is only the second time that I read it. However, in between these two dates I have read so much in English (native language is Dutch), that I understand more of it than thirty years ago.
While probably not the greatest collection, it gives a nice sample of different ways in which Sherlock Holmes has been pastiched, ironised or just plainly used as the basis for stories in another time and another place.
Maybe the editor should have looked for a better collection across time, as there are two stories from 1911, then stories from 1945 to 1955, some of the sixties and some of the eighties. In that regard it could maybe have been better.
But it's a nice, non-serious distraction.
While probably not the greatest collection, it gives a nice sample of different ways in which Sherlock Holmes has been pastiched, ironised or just plainly used as the basis for stories in another time and another place.
Maybe the editor should have looked for a better collection across time, as there are two stories from 1911, then stories from 1945 to 1955, some of the sixties and some of the eighties. In that regard it could maybe have been better.
But it's a nice, non-serious distraction.
January 22, 2024
Drivel. Absolute drivel. What a waste of time money and wearing out of eyeballs !!!
August 28, 2010
A collection or the wild weird humerous and playful interpretations of the great detective.The complier Wolfe states the boundaries between parodies, pastiches and burlesques is not very clear and I feel none the wiser. Notable is John Lennon's pun-ish version which is punishing to read but still an excellent demonstration of the poet lyricist at work. Interesting though it may be it is going into my clearing out box.
June 6, 2023
If your a Holmes fan this is not a book for you. If you enjoy good , well thought out short stories, this also is not a book for you.
This is not a book for anyone.
This is not a book for anyone.
April 25, 2017
I loved this book. Most of the stories were either or funny. I liked more stories than most similar books with multiple authors. Highly recommended for SH fans.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews