The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

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Analyzing Sherlock Holmes: The Mind of a Reasoner

In the opening of 'A Scandal in Bohemia', Dr. John Watson introduces us to the fascinating, contradictions of Sherlock Holmes. To Holmes, Irene Adler is always 'the' woman. Yet, this fascination is not romance. For Holmes, any strong emotion is a threat to his absolute logic.

Watson uses a brilliant analogy to describe Holmes's mind. He calls him the 'most perfect reasoning and observing machine.' To admit a soft emotion like love into his delicate temperament would be like introducing grit into a highly sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses.

When not actively engaged in a case, Holmes's life oscillates wildly. Watson describes a pendulum swinging between two extremes: the drowsiness of drug-induced escape, and the fierce, electric energy of his ambition when a problem presents itself.

On the night of March 20th, 1888, Watson passes Baker Street. Looking up, he sees the tall, spare silhouette of Holmes pacing the brilliantly lit room. This pacing, with his head sunk and hands clasped, is the ultimate physical sign that the machine is back at work, hot on the scent of a new problem.

Lessons in this 156-part set

  • Analyzing Sherlock Holmes: The Mind of a Reasoner
  • The Art of Observation
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • A Scandal in Bohemia: The Anatomy of a Compromise
  • A Scandal in Bohemia: The Setup and the Disguise
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Reconnaissance of Briony Lodge
  • The Scandal in Bohemia: A Wild Chase to the Altar
  • Sherlock's Scheme: Inside Briony Lodge
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • The Smoke Rocket Trick
  • The Psychology of Sherlock Holmes
  • The Outwitting of Sherlock Holmes
  • The Wit of Irene Adler and a New Case
  • The Art of Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • The Strange Case of the Red-Headed League
  • The Strange Adventure of the Red-Headed League
  • The Strange Terms of the Red-Headed League
  • The Mystery of the Red-Headed League
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Three-Pipe Problem
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Power of Observation
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Dual Mind
  • The Red-Headed League: Assembling the Party
  • The Red-Headed League: Inside the Bank Vault
  • The Red-Headed League: Vault Ambush
  • Anatomy of a Mastermind: Solving the Red-Headed League
  • The Logic of Sherlock Holmes: Reconstructing the Red-Headed League
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of the Uncommonplace
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Observation
  • The Financial Motive in 'A Case of Identity'
  • The Strange Case of Hosmer Angel
  • The Disappearing Groom
  • The Art of Observation
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Chemistry of Clues
  • Anatomy of a Deception: The Case of Hosmer Angel
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Logic of Disguise and Identity
  • The Boscombe Valley Mystery: Anatomy of a Case
  • The Boscombe Valley Mystery: Mapping the Crime Scene
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Observation
  • The Boscombe Valley Mystery: Analyzing the Evidence
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Reverse Reasoning
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of the Hypothesis
  • The Boscombe Valley Mystery: Unraveling the Motive
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Boscombe Valley Mystery
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Boscombe Valley Mystery
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Footprint Analysis
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes's Deductive Method
  • Sherlock Holmes' Forensic Deduction
  • The Ballarat Gang and the Grip of Black Jack
  • The Boscombe Valley Resolution
  • The Atmosphere of Baker Street
  • The Five Orange Pips: John Openshaw's Arrival
  • The Mystery of the Five Orange Pips
  • The Mystery of the Five Orange Pips
  • The Mystery of the Five Orange Pips
  • The Mystery of the Five Orange Pips
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • The Logic of Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Five Orange Pips
  • The Tragedy of Waterloo Bridge
  • Sherlock's Web: The Logic of the Five Orange Pips
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Fate of the Lone Star and a New Mystery
  • The Search for Isa Whitney
  • Holmes's Midnight Drive
  • The Mystery of Neville St. Clair
  • The Mystery of the Opium Den
  • The Mystery of Hugh Boone
  • The Mystery of the Weighted Coat
  • The Twist in the Investigation: A Letter Arrives
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Observation
  • Sherlock Holmes' Breakthrough: The Power of Deduction
  • The Mystery of the Dirty Beggar
  • The Dual Life of Neville St. Clair
  • The Strange Double Life of Neville St. Clair
  • Sherlock's Method: The Seedy Felt Hat
  • The Blue Carbuncle: Solving the Hat
  • The Art of Deduction: Sherlock's Method
  • The Mystery of the Blue Carbuncle
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Blue Carbuncle
  • The Chain of the Blue Carbuncle
  • Sherlock's Clever Bet
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Chain of the Blue Carbuncle
  • The Blue Carbuncle Unraveled
  • The Blue Carbuncle's Flight
  • The Blue Carbuncle & The Speckled Band
  • The Art of Deduction
  • The Art of Deduction and the Fall of Stoke Moran
  • The Backstory of Stoke Moran
  • Mapping the Mystery: The Adventure of the Speckled Band
  • The Mystery of the Speckled Band
  • Analyzing the Clues in Stoke Moran
  • The Speckled Band: Clues & Confrontation
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Financial Motive
  • The Layout of Stoke Moran
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Peculiar Bedroom
  • Holmes's Deductions in The Speckled Band
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Clues at Stoke Moran
  • The Dreadful Vigil: Anatomy of Suspense
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band
  • The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
  • A Matter of Hydraulics: Dr. Watson's Patient
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hydraulic Engineer
  • The Suspicious Client: Colonel Lysander Stark
  • The Engineer's Adventure: The Secret of Eyford
  • The Engineer's Adventure: Clues in the Carriage
  • The Silent House of Eyford
  • The Engineer's Adventure: A Warning Ignored
  • The Hydraulic Press Trap
  • A Narrow Escape from the Hydraulic Press
  • The Engineer's Escape and Holmes's Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Geometry of Deception
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
  • The Mystery of the Missing Bride
  • The Noble Bachelor: Mapping the Disappearance
  • The Noble Bachelor's Bride
  • The Noble Bachelor's Clues
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Noble Bachelor
  • Trout in the Milk: Deductive Reasoning vs. Superficial Clues
  • The Dual Evidence: Holmes vs. Lestrade
  • The Mystery of the Noble Bachelor
  • The Mystery of the Missing Bride
  • The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor: Solved
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Noble Bachelor
  • The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
  • The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet: The Setup
  • Securing the Beryl Coronet
  • The Household of the Beryl Coronet
  • The Mystery of the Beryl Coronet: Analyzing the Clues
  • The Mystery of the Beryl Coronet
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Beryl Coronet
  • The Layout of Fairbank: Holmes's Method in Action
  • The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet: Clues in the Snow and Stone
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Beryl Coronet
  • A Study in Suspense: Analyzing the Narrative Arc
  • Unraveling the Beryl Coronet
  • The Mystery of the Beryl Coronet
  • Sherlock's Snow Tracks: The Logic of Deduction
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Beryl Coronet Solution
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Art of Deduction
  • The Adventure of the Copper Beeches: Miss Violet Hunter's Dilemma
  • The Strange Offer at Copper Beeches
  • The Strange Demands of the Copper Beeches
  • The Copper Beeches: A Strange Dilemma
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Logic of Isolation
  • The Isolation of the Copper Beeches
  • Observing the Household at Copper Beeches
  • The Mystery of the Copper Beeches
  • The Mystery of the Copper Beeches
  • The Mystery of the Locked Wing
  • The Mystery of the Forbidden Wing
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Copper Beeches
  • The Mystery of the Copper Beeches
  • The Mystery of Copper Beeches: Unravelling the Plot
  • The Resolution of The Copper Beeches

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