Round the Fire Stories Book

So this was the end of an era. The final instalment of Sherlock Holmes. That's just the 60 stories across 40 years then.

I've read all of them over the past 18 months or so and during that time I've fallen in and out of love with Holmes. The excitement I first felt dwindled away as the stories became more repetitive and less inventive. Yet as things were drawing to a close, I rediscovered a fondness for Holmes and even Watson in this collection.

I didn't enjoy every story. I felt exasperated at the mention of each savage type. I hardly cared about the mystery and was even less amazed by Sherlock's powers of deduction. Yet there was something comforting as I continued to turn the pages. I suppose it was like spending time with an old friend that you've grown apart from, sharing memories of the good times, but knowing it will be a while before you meet again.