I like the read and post option for a couple of reasons.

--Having short deadlines is a good way to keep me on track.

--Being able to talk about chunks is appealing both for keeping my ideas coherent and for the potential of getting a more refined understanding through other's experiences.

This constitutes my vote. And, while this is not my first Sherlock reading, I'm so looking forward to Ginger's guidance and will check out "A Scandal in Bohemia" forthwith.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is my first Holmes story.

I'm up for read and post, or for discussing the whole book -- either way.

And doing another short story or two would be fun. Especially "A Scandal in Bohemia" since I *have* read the Carol Nelson Douglas books featuring Irene.

The problem with HotB being your first Holmes story is that it's not very representative of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. It's a little like starting Buffy in the middle of the second season.

Also, will The Hound of the Baskervilles be anyone's first Sherlock Holmes story? If there are a fair number of people who've never read Sherlock Holmes, I'm thinking we should also throw in a couple of the short stories, particularly "A Scandal in Bohemia."

It's my first as well. Ginger, you may want to contact Deena about putting up versions of any add'l reading you're going to be assigning.

and Deena appears.

Let me know what you want to include, Ginger, and I'll put them up.

I propose "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Red-Headed League" and "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." They all are listed in various top-10 Sherlock Holmes stories lists. Even though we first meet Holmes in the short novels A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four, "A Scandal in Bohemia" was the first Holmes short story in The Strand magazine and is the real beginning of his popularity. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" was Conan Doyle's favorite Holmes story. "The Red-Headed League" has a lot in common with shows like CSI. "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" has Christmas, a dead goose and a stolen diamond. What more could you want?

They're all in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which you can find on Gutenberg and here [link]

Does anyone want to recommend any other stories?

Heh. Hound is the first Holmes story I read. And I started watching Buffy mid-season 2. I'm not discouraging anyone from reading the short stories, too... I guess I'm just wondering what it is you're concerned about. The continuity in Holmes is mostly notable by its absence.

It's not the continuity I'm thinking of. Fanwanking probably began with Sherlock Holmes. (Where was Watson injured in Afghanistan, anyway? And how many times was he married?) It's getting a sense of the characters. Holmes is off screen during more than half of Hound.

Yeah, but... that doesn't make the story any less enjoyable. If you've never heard of Sherlock Holmes, I suppose it would be an issue, but that seems unlikely to me.

Sorry; it's really not important and I don't intend to second-guess you, especially since I don't know what kind of discussion you're planning. I'm just in the mood to ask idle questions.

I feel like I *know* Holmes through simple cultural osmosis, and because I've read those Carol Nelson Douglas novels, as well as Laurie King's series. I picked Hound simply because it's always seemed to me like one of the more famous stories/novellas, and I was a little ashamed that I'd enjoyed the take-offs without ever reading the original.

But reading some of the other stories is a great idea. Especially "A Scandal in Bohemia".