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The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
£6.99
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9780198862123
Published:
14 Sep 2023
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
176 pages
Dimensions:
195x128x10mm
Weight:
0.136kgs
Author:
As a dense yellow fog swirls through London, Sherlock Holmes sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman, whose father vanished ten years before. The ensuing investigation involves a wronged woman, stolen Indian treasure, a helpful dog, and a love affair.
'I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.'
Mary Morstan receives a large pearl through the post once a year without any clue as to the sender. When her intriguing correspondent requests a meeting, Holmes and Watson take on the case. Together the trio race through London to uncover the secrets of the Sholto family, who hold the key to uncovering the whereabouts of Mary's father and the existence of a treasure stemming from a crime committed years ago in India.
The Sign of the Four has been a crucial part of the Sherlock Holmes canon since its first publication in 1890. It explores theft, betrayal, and murder in the larger context of the British Empire at a time of national upheaval, and the novel's flashbacks to India during the 'Mutiny' and its aftermath call into question the consequences of that imperial venture. Caroline Reitz's new introduction and notes draws attention to some often-overlooked context of the story, such as its original publication in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, its representation of imperial violence, and changing gender roles.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the Author: Caroline Reitz is Associate Professor of English literature at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the City University of New York Graduate Center. She specializes in Victorian literature and culture as well as contemporary female detective fiction and is co-editor of Dickens Studies Annual. She is the author of Detecting the Nation: Fictions of Detection and the Imperial Venture (2004) and numerous journal articles and chapters. Darryl Jones (General Editor) is Professor of English at Trinity College Dublin, where he teaches nineteenth-century literature and popular fiction. He is the author or editor of ten books, including the Oxford World Classics editions of M. R. James's Collected Ghost Stories, Arthur Conan Doyle's Gothic Tales, H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds and The Island of Doctor Moreau, as well as Horror: A Very Short Introduction.
| Number of pages | 176 |
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