What do you think?
Rate this book
A Study in Emerald
Alluding to both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, this Hugo Award-winning short story will delight fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and of course, Neil Gaiman.
A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn't reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.
A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn't reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.
1 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 1, 2003
45 people are currently reading
10450 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 696 reviews
August 4, 2018
My relationship with Neil Gaiman is still extremely complicated, but hey, I finally read something of his that I'm giving 5 stars! Although it's a very qualified 5 stars.
"A Study in Emerald" won the Hugo Award for short stories in 2004. It's a brilliant mash-up of the Sherlock Holmes universe and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. If you're quite familiar with both of those things, you'll probably love this story.
If you're not terribly familiar with either of those things, you are welcome to try my own personal step-by-step process:
1. Read "A Study in Emerald;" scratch head a little.
2. Google a few pictures of Cthulhu. Creepy...
Google Cthulhu mythos.
3. Read H.P. Lovecraft's , conveniently available online at .
4. Download from Gutenberg. Skim the first few chapters and compare and contrast to "A Study in Emerald." Decide not to read the rest because (a) up for a Sherlock Holmes short story but not necessarily for a novel, and (b) wildly fictional anti-Mormon second half, in the best 19th century tradition (murderous men kidnapping young girls for marriage). Read Wikipedia plot summary instead.
5. Reread “A Study in Emerald.� Appreciate the complexity and the twists a little more this time.
6. Read on “A Study in Emerald,� explaining all the clues Gaiman put in the text that you missed even after all your extra study.
7. Read a few online reviews of the Gaiman story. Whoa: the fake Victorian ads in the text are thematically tied in to the story! Vlad Tepes was the actual name of Vlad the Impaler! (Google “exsanguination� to remind self of what that means.) And “Spring-heeled Jack� (Google him too) was the Victorian boogyman! Also (more Googling) "RACHE" is in fact an archaic word for a hunting dog, as well as the German word for "revenge" and a shortened version of the name Rachel. Very cool!
So yeah, by the time I went through this entire process I was completely convinced of the story’s brilliance. But is it really worth going through this process just to appreciate an amazing and intricate, but very short, story? That's your call. It was kind of a fun and intriguing two or three hours, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.
Neil Gaiman has generously made this story available for free online at .
"A Study in Emerald" won the Hugo Award for short stories in 2004. It's a brilliant mash-up of the Sherlock Holmes universe and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. If you're quite familiar with both of those things, you'll probably love this story.
If you're not terribly familiar with either of those things, you are welcome to try my own personal step-by-step process:
1. Read "A Study in Emerald;" scratch head a little.
2. Google a few pictures of Cthulhu. Creepy...
Google Cthulhu mythos.
3. Read H.P. Lovecraft's , conveniently available online at .
4. Download from Gutenberg. Skim the first few chapters and compare and contrast to "A Study in Emerald." Decide not to read the rest because (a) up for a Sherlock Holmes short story but not necessarily for a novel, and (b) wildly fictional anti-Mormon second half, in the best 19th century tradition (murderous men kidnapping young girls for marriage). Read Wikipedia plot summary instead.
5. Reread “A Study in Emerald.� Appreciate the complexity and the twists a little more this time.
6. Read on “A Study in Emerald,� explaining all the clues Gaiman put in the text that you missed even after all your extra study.
7. Read a few online reviews of the Gaiman story. Whoa: the fake Victorian ads in the text are thematically tied in to the story! Vlad Tepes was the actual name of Vlad the Impaler! (Google “exsanguination� to remind self of what that means.) And “Spring-heeled Jack� (Google him too) was the Victorian boogyman! Also (more Googling) "RACHE" is in fact an archaic word for a hunting dog, as well as the German word for "revenge" and a shortened version of the name Rachel. Very cool!
So yeah, by the time I went through this entire process I was completely convinced of the story’s brilliance. But is it really worth going through this process just to appreciate an amazing and intricate, but very short, story? That's your call. It was kind of a fun and intriguing two or three hours, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.
Neil Gaiman has generously made this story available for free online at .
January 30, 2020
Elementary, my dear Cthulhu.
Neil Gaiman’s 2003 short story A Study in Emerald won the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Story.
Because it is a really good story.
Is it Sherlock Holmes? Is it Lovecraft? Is it both? I also had to remind myself that this was Gaiman and not China Mieville.
Set in an alternate England in an alternative history, this smart short work pays homage to Doyle and Lovecraft and is tied together by the inimitable Neil Gaiman.
So it has that going for it.
Entertaining and fun, this also leaves the reader asking some questions and there are more mysteries left to solve, and all for the better, making this an excellent contribution to the ongoing weird fiction mythos.
Neil Gaiman’s 2003 short story A Study in Emerald won the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Story.
Because it is a really good story.
Is it Sherlock Holmes? Is it Lovecraft? Is it both? I also had to remind myself that this was Gaiman and not China Mieville.
Set in an alternate England in an alternative history, this smart short work pays homage to Doyle and Lovecraft and is tied together by the inimitable Neil Gaiman.
So it has that going for it.
Entertaining and fun, this also leaves the reader asking some questions and there are more mysteries left to solve, and all for the better, making this an excellent contribution to the ongoing weird fiction mythos.
December 8, 2024
"A Study in Emerald" is a cool short story written by Neil Gaiman, one of today's masters of weird fiction, and can be found for free . If you have half an hour of your time left to be spent with one of Gaiman's best short stories, then you should
right now
click on this link instead of reading my thoughts about it disguising themselves as a review.
As the title already implies, the entire story alludes to Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, , but only upon closer observation does it become clear that Gaiman also spends those nine pages with references to the works of . As I don't know any of his stories, the internet had to assist me with getting to this conclusion, but I do know the original Sherlock Holmes canon quite well by now, and not only was it interesting to see classic characters like Greg Lestrade and Mrs. Watson included in this story, but also to follow the hints leading back to Doyle's original tale. The plot premise was similarly structured, yet turned out to be completely misleading and full of surprises as the ending drew closer, turning "A Study in Emerald" into an independent short story which Neil Gaiman once again used to prove his creativity and his talents as a writer.
The story's originality unfolds not only in the plot itself, but also in the structure of the story. With each chapter being introduced by different advertisements referencing to well-known characters of classic literature like Viktor Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll, Gaiman produced a mysterious atmosphere, which only added to the story's charm. And I totally fell for it.
This story includes cool stuff (not without reason did Neil Gaiman include this in the "cool stuff" section of his website) and certainly a few surprises you will not have guessed at the beginning of the first chapter. Tadiana's review includes an interesting step-by-step suggestion for reading this, which I might have followed as well (if I had not read "A Study in Scarlet" already months prior to this one). I can recommend this story for fans of Neil Gaiman and/or Sherlock Holmes, but also generally for readers looking for a fast-paced little distraction.
As the title already implies, the entire story alludes to Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, , but only upon closer observation does it become clear that Gaiman also spends those nine pages with references to the works of . As I don't know any of his stories, the internet had to assist me with getting to this conclusion, but I do know the original Sherlock Holmes canon quite well by now, and not only was it interesting to see classic characters like Greg Lestrade and Mrs. Watson included in this story, but also to follow the hints leading back to Doyle's original tale. The plot premise was similarly structured, yet turned out to be completely misleading and full of surprises as the ending drew closer, turning "A Study in Emerald" into an independent short story which Neil Gaiman once again used to prove his creativity and his talents as a writer.
The story's originality unfolds not only in the plot itself, but also in the structure of the story. With each chapter being introduced by different advertisements referencing to well-known characters of classic literature like Viktor Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll, Gaiman produced a mysterious atmosphere, which only added to the story's charm. And I totally fell for it.
"If there's one thing that a study of history has taught us, it is that things can always get worse."
This story includes cool stuff (not without reason did Neil Gaiman include this in the "cool stuff" section of his website) and certainly a few surprises you will not have guessed at the beginning of the first chapter. Tadiana's review includes an interesting step-by-step suggestion for reading this, which I might have followed as well (if I had not read "A Study in Scarlet" already months prior to this one). I can recommend this story for fans of Neil Gaiman and/or Sherlock Holmes, but also generally for readers looking for a fast-paced little distraction.
January 16, 2013
A Study in Emerald Study Guide
>What is A Study in Emerald?
1) A pastiche
2) A parody
3) A trifle
4) A tisket
5) A tasket
6) A green and yellow basket
>What is "A Study in Emerald"?
1) A reference to a classic Sherlock Holmes story
2) A disgusting green mess of bile that is sprayed all over the place after a disgusting un-man has been slain
>Who is the protagonist of A Study in Emerald?
1) Sherlock Holmes
2) Professor James Moriarty
3) Cthulhu
4) Queen Victoria
5) Neil Gaiman
>Why did A Study in Emerald win the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story?
1) Because it is a clever mystery set in an alternate Victorian London with an enjoyably off-center narrative, a bizarre setting, and a smashing twist ending.
2) It is certainly a mystery! Surely there were more deserving nominees that year; A Study in Emerald is merely a diverting and polished little trifle.
3) Neil Gaiman
>Discuss:
>What is A Study in Emerald?
1) A pastiche
2) A parody
3) A trifle
4) A tisket
5) A tasket
6) A green and yellow basket
>What is "A Study in Emerald"?
1) A reference to a classic Sherlock Holmes story
2) A disgusting green mess of bile that is sprayed all over the place after a disgusting un-man has been slain
>Who is the protagonist of A Study in Emerald?
1) Sherlock Holmes
2) Professor James Moriarty
3) Cthulhu
4) Queen Victoria
5) Neil Gaiman
>Why did A Study in Emerald win the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story?
1) Because it is a clever mystery set in an alternate Victorian London with an enjoyably off-center narrative, a bizarre setting, and a smashing twist ending.
2) It is certainly a mystery! Surely there were more deserving nominees that year; A Study in Emerald is merely a diverting and polished little trifle.
3) Neil Gaiman
>Discuss:
May 29, 2016
If there's one thing Neil Gaiman has taught me, it's that one can be original with other people's ideas as well. So let's talk about A Study in Emerald, a fantastic amalgamation of Sherlock Holmes and the Cthulhu Mythos; an amalgamation of the stoic, dry writing style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the wild, beautiful prose of H. P. Lovecraft. If anyone can find any semblance of balance between the two and manage to execute it, it is Gaiman.
In the alternate Victorian (they take Victoria very seriously in this one, they do) universe of , Gaiman seamlessly combines the fine detective skills of Sherlock Holmes with the lore of the Great Ones, in a world where humanity is ruled by the latter. Interspersed with creative advertisements, all referring to literary masterpieces themselves, this Hugo Award winning short story is presented as creatively as it is written, and it is, indeed the perfect combination of "wonderful" and "weird". Oh, it's also a mere 9 pages by the way, so go for it.
In the alternate Victorian (they take Victoria very seriously in this one, they do) universe of , Gaiman seamlessly combines the fine detective skills of Sherlock Holmes with the lore of the Great Ones, in a world where humanity is ruled by the latter. Interspersed with creative advertisements, all referring to literary masterpieces themselves, this Hugo Award winning short story is presented as creatively as it is written, and it is, indeed the perfect combination of "wonderful" and "weird". Oh, it's also a mere 9 pages by the way, so go for it.
June 17, 2017
এইটা হচ্ছ� ক্লাসি� লেখা� নয� পাতায় যা দিছে, যেভাবে দিছে, ধুয়� দিছে� গাইম্যান সাহেব। নয়শ� পাতায় পারব� না আমি। ক্লাসিকে� বাংল� কী? ধ্রুপদ? কালজয়ী? বিশেষণ দিয়� গাইম্যানের এই লেখারে নিমজ্জিত কর� ফেলা যাবে মেঘন� নদীতে�
এই নিয়� কয়বার পড়লাম? চা�-পাঁচ, নিশ্চি� না আমি। প্রথ� যখ� পড়ি, বছ� পাঁচেক আগ�, ভালো লাগে না� পড়ে তখন। ভাষাটা জানতাম না তখ� বোধহয় একেবারেই� এখ� পড়ি, মাঝে মাঝে� পড়ি� মাসে-বছরে এক-দুইবার�
কী হয�? হয� � অনেক কিছু�, সবচেয়� ভালো বিষয়গুলির একটা নিঃসন্দেহে এই সংস্করণে� বিজ্ঞাপনগুলি, আরেকটা ভালো বিষয� এই লেখাটা গাইম্যানের ওয়েবে মুফত� পাওয়া যায়, এই বিষয়টা। আর� � ভালো দি� আছ�, বল� আর কদ্দূর� এর আগ� যখ� পড়ি, লাভক্র্যাফ� কম পড়া ছিলো, এইবা� কিছু পড়া থাকায় আরেকটু জম� গেলো বিষয়ট�, কিন্তু খু� না, স্প্রি�-হিলড জ্যাকর� না চিনল� যেমন এই লেখা খু� দূরবর্তী হয়ে যায় না, একটু হয�, কিন্তু অত কাছে বা যাবো� কী করে। বিজ্ঞাপনগুলি কেমন সূচারু খোঁচ�, লেখাটা�, কিন্তু একেবার� খোঁচাসর্বস্ব� না, যা আমাদের হয়ে যায় বারে বারেই।
গাইম্যানের বড� বইয়� প্রায়� তিনি যেইট� করেন, মূ� চরিত্র একটা খেলো নুলো বরবা� চরিত্র হয়ে যায়, বাদবাকীদে� তুলনায�, মূ� প্লট� হয� খুবই সূত্� মানা, চলছে গাড়� সুবর্ণনগ�, কিন্তু সেইটার� আবার পো� মানায় তাঁর বাদবাকী চরিত্রদে� অন্যায্য রকমে� অসাধারণত্ব, মাঝে মাঝে ওই বেটাদেরই মূ� চরিত্র মন� হয�, আর পিকারেস্� উপন্যাসে� মত মূ� প্লটের ফাঁক� ফাঁক� নারদের বয়ান। গাইম্যান বস্তুত একজন পিকারেস্� লেখক� �, প্লট হব� গতের, কিন্তু খেউড� হব� জাতে�, নায়� হব� ফরমুলা, কিন্তু এস� ঘুরে যাবে গল্পের অধীশ্বরেরা।
এসবই অবশ্� বড� বইগুলিতে, ছোটো বইয়�, ছোটো লেখায় এস� না�, সেইখান� তাঁর গল্পের ভেতরটা ভালো হল�, যেহেতু লিখে� ভালো, গল্প বেশিরভাগ সময় উতড়� যায়� কিন্তু এইখানে, এইখানে ��তড়ে না�, উন� উড়ে গেছে� পুরা� গাইম্যানের পড়াশুনা নিয়� নতুন কিছু বলার না�, এইটা তাঁর লেখায় আস�, ছোটো বড� নির্বিশেষে, এইখানে� সেটা এস� এব� বক্তার পরিচয়ের ক্ষেত্রে মোচড� দিয়� এই লেখক যে গাইম্যান সেটা নিশ্চি� প্রমাণ কর� গেছে, কিন্তু তাঁর আগেই লেখকের ভালো লেখা� হা� প্রমাণ হয়ে যায় যে� জায়গায় এস� তিনি � গল্পের জগতটার� দাঁড� করান, একটা মঞ্চের সামন� বস�, সে জায়গাটায়� ইন� এই জায়গায় অলমোষ্� না, পুরাপুরি� নিজেরে ছাড়ায়ে গেলে� যেনো�
ফ্যানবয়গিরি করতেছি, এরকম ভালো লেখা হয� না � আসলে, হলেও আম� এট� সেটা খুঁত বা� করতে বস�, এক্ষেত্র� পয়স� ছড়ালে� খুঁতের� ধর� দেবে না� কী করবো আর, ফ্যানবয়গিরি করি। আহ্�, কী ভাগ্�, আমাদের সময়� নী� গাইম্যান বেঁচ� আছেন�
পড়ু�, অপরক� পড়ত� বলুন� এই নয� পাতা না পড়ে যেনো আপনা� পরপারে যেতে না হয়।
December 14, 2019
So much unexpected fun from a short story.
October 10, 2017
Read A Study in Emerald if interested in Neil Gaiman.
If not, read anyway.
It may be read here:
1) Like nearly every living, reading human being, I too have always liked the quintessential detective, Sherlock Holmes. It, however, took the BBC Sherlock to have me completely Sherlocked. It did not just break the ice in my relationship with the medium of the television and become only the second or third agent to convince me that things not so bad might happen in pop culture as well, but also reinstated my faith in the art of retelling and re-producing. How very fitting it is that the second retelling to blow me off my feet should concern the same iconic figure!
2) If you asked me to sum up 2016 as my year in books, I would say, “Neil Gaiman�, before you could blink an eye.
One of the major drawbacks, and perhaps the all-sealing one, of literature as a line of inquisitive, or academic, for that matter, enquiry, is that nothing in this part of the world simply is. It is all about what you make out of things, how you imagine for them to be. In such a situation of technical impossibility for objective veracity to exist, the best you can do is to rave about what you love, second only, perhaps, to verbose criticism of things you hate. Amid such favourable prerequisites, A Study in Emerald, for me, is an occasion of celebration on dual fronts!
Lo and behold, A Study in Emerald=Sherlock (Holmes)+Neil Gaiman!
Gaiman has always had a way with language that few writers have mastered, and his execution to perfection of the late Victorian lingo, for the story like A Study in Scarlet, the first narrative in the Sherlock Holmes canon, is set in the Victorian era, albeit in an alternative reality, is worthy of a scarcely surprised, yet highly impressed, note. What calls on with more force at the reader’s attention, of course before delving into the real tale, is its catchy form. The narrative technique is like the traditional Sherlock Holmes story, which has later gone on to be the model for 8 of 10 detective narratives in the hundred and fifty years that have followed. What is interesting, however, is the newspaper-like formatting of the pages, reminiscent of Dr Watson’s stories in the Strand Magazine, and the advertisements that head every chapter, ranging along the likes of Jekyll and Frankenstein, amusing for the reader and adding to the symbolic cohesion of the larger fabric of the plot.
The events of the tale unfold after the manner of A Study in Scarlet with minor variations and surprise begins to set in only when “Holmes and Watson� are deep into their case. I, personally, have not read Lovecraft’s enunciation on the Cthulhu Mythos and can assure you that such ignorance is not going to hinder your appreciation of the story, for as always, Gaiman handles the mythic material like the nitrogen in the air. I, for one however, was initially rather disgusted by this incorporation of the mythical into the Sherlock Holmes rhetoric. The two, plainly, act like oil and water. But trust me when I say, as you can already read from my rating, Gaiman has his emulsifier at the ready.
Not intending to give out the plot and as a result deny you a bit of the rare true beauty that the world, contemporary literary world, to be precise has to offer, I hold myself back with great personal effort, for the story creates worlds of opportunities for you to write playing the literary critic. Neil Gaiman has been reported stating that his story requires the reader to assume the role of the detective and deduce what actually happens in the narrative, taking for granted that they have read the entire canon. I, however, will now take a safe route and turn my attention to the title.
A Study in Emerald. The phrasing is very predictable, but the signature word is not. That was the very thought with which I started reading the story, and probably, anyone would. Why emerald, and say, not “ruby� which would better have been in tune with “scarlet�? Sifting through the whirlwind of substantiations that is doing the rounds in my brain, I choose to expound upon only a few here, confining my deductions to the part of the story that you HAVE read, no matter what—the title itself. I shall now now take the liberty of elucidating my theory through strictly delineated points of comprehension, merging them as and when deemed necessary.
1) Both “scarlet� and “emerald�, having been used as words to denote colours in the titles of the concerned narratives, strictly speaking, are not really colours. Emerald, of course, is the precious stone, while, scarlet, etymologically, traces its way back to “brightly coloured cloth� and farther on to “small villages�. Fusing this to the web of perception that is the plot, we might conclude, in complete disagreement to John’s piece of eternal wisdom that he comes up with in “The Lying Detective�, it is NOT what it is.
2) Emerald is the complementary shade to scarlet—diametrically its opposite.
3) Emerald, as a tone, is supposedly a symbol of love and steadfast bond, which is easy to decode as Gaiman� self-professed love for the Holmes stories (trivia: he is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars), and that of his readers, for reading or writing a retelling is nonetheless the business of a fan. It also stands for reflection, an obvious Sherlock Holmes attribute; however, as argued by the previous point, this cannot be quite the same as in “scarlet�.
4) The emerald colour, green, is one of vitality—the fandom lives on in full blossom. However, as the narrator reports in the story, the splattered green that lends the story its title ranges from verdant to bile which is highly repulsive, and brings out the sick aspects of the world described. The question that follows is: what should be the role of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, “the last and highest court of appeal�?
Points 1 and 2 confirm that the reader should expect some major reversal, massive discontinuity from the usual strain of thought. 3 and 4 complicate the question further. But then again, are questions and complications not what we expect from all mysteries? What is so special about this occasion is that it is not just a mystery but a mystery of the text.
Signing off, it has to be said that a hero is a hero, but a fandom hero is more than that. While Gaiman’s Holmes does not of course aspire to be an angel owing to the establishment connotations of the divine species, he cannot evade being a hero, despite everything Moffat and Gatiss makes him say �
If not, read anyway.
It may be read here:
1) Like nearly every living, reading human being, I too have always liked the quintessential detective, Sherlock Holmes. It, however, took the BBC Sherlock to have me completely Sherlocked. It did not just break the ice in my relationship with the medium of the television and become only the second or third agent to convince me that things not so bad might happen in pop culture as well, but also reinstated my faith in the art of retelling and re-producing. How very fitting it is that the second retelling to blow me off my feet should concern the same iconic figure!
2) If you asked me to sum up 2016 as my year in books, I would say, “Neil Gaiman�, before you could blink an eye.
One of the major drawbacks, and perhaps the all-sealing one, of literature as a line of inquisitive, or academic, for that matter, enquiry, is that nothing in this part of the world simply is. It is all about what you make out of things, how you imagine for them to be. In such a situation of technical impossibility for objective veracity to exist, the best you can do is to rave about what you love, second only, perhaps, to verbose criticism of things you hate. Amid such favourable prerequisites, A Study in Emerald, for me, is an occasion of celebration on dual fronts!
Lo and behold, A Study in Emerald=Sherlock (Holmes)+Neil Gaiman!
Gaiman has always had a way with language that few writers have mastered, and his execution to perfection of the late Victorian lingo, for the story like A Study in Scarlet, the first narrative in the Sherlock Holmes canon, is set in the Victorian era, albeit in an alternative reality, is worthy of a scarcely surprised, yet highly impressed, note. What calls on with more force at the reader’s attention, of course before delving into the real tale, is its catchy form. The narrative technique is like the traditional Sherlock Holmes story, which has later gone on to be the model for 8 of 10 detective narratives in the hundred and fifty years that have followed. What is interesting, however, is the newspaper-like formatting of the pages, reminiscent of Dr Watson’s stories in the Strand Magazine, and the advertisements that head every chapter, ranging along the likes of Jekyll and Frankenstein, amusing for the reader and adding to the symbolic cohesion of the larger fabric of the plot.
The events of the tale unfold after the manner of A Study in Scarlet with minor variations and surprise begins to set in only when “Holmes and Watson� are deep into their case. I, personally, have not read Lovecraft’s enunciation on the Cthulhu Mythos and can assure you that such ignorance is not going to hinder your appreciation of the story, for as always, Gaiman handles the mythic material like the nitrogen in the air. I, for one however, was initially rather disgusted by this incorporation of the mythical into the Sherlock Holmes rhetoric. The two, plainly, act like oil and water. But trust me when I say, as you can already read from my rating, Gaiman has his emulsifier at the ready.
Not intending to give out the plot and as a result deny you a bit of the rare true beauty that the world, contemporary literary world, to be precise has to offer, I hold myself back with great personal effort, for the story creates worlds of opportunities for you to write playing the literary critic. Neil Gaiman has been reported stating that his story requires the reader to assume the role of the detective and deduce what actually happens in the narrative, taking for granted that they have read the entire canon. I, however, will now take a safe route and turn my attention to the title.
A Study in Emerald. The phrasing is very predictable, but the signature word is not. That was the very thought with which I started reading the story, and probably, anyone would. Why emerald, and say, not “ruby� which would better have been in tune with “scarlet�? Sifting through the whirlwind of substantiations that is doing the rounds in my brain, I choose to expound upon only a few here, confining my deductions to the part of the story that you HAVE read, no matter what—the title itself. I shall now now take the liberty of elucidating my theory through strictly delineated points of comprehension, merging them as and when deemed necessary.
1) Both “scarlet� and “emerald�, having been used as words to denote colours in the titles of the concerned narratives, strictly speaking, are not really colours. Emerald, of course, is the precious stone, while, scarlet, etymologically, traces its way back to “brightly coloured cloth� and farther on to “small villages�. Fusing this to the web of perception that is the plot, we might conclude, in complete disagreement to John’s piece of eternal wisdom that he comes up with in “The Lying Detective�, it is NOT what it is.
2) Emerald is the complementary shade to scarlet—diametrically its opposite.
3) Emerald, as a tone, is supposedly a symbol of love and steadfast bond, which is easy to decode as Gaiman� self-professed love for the Holmes stories (trivia: he is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars), and that of his readers, for reading or writing a retelling is nonetheless the business of a fan. It also stands for reflection, an obvious Sherlock Holmes attribute; however, as argued by the previous point, this cannot be quite the same as in “scarlet�.
4) The emerald colour, green, is one of vitality—the fandom lives on in full blossom. However, as the narrator reports in the story, the splattered green that lends the story its title ranges from verdant to bile which is highly repulsive, and brings out the sick aspects of the world described. The question that follows is: what should be the role of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, “the last and highest court of appeal�?
Points 1 and 2 confirm that the reader should expect some major reversal, massive discontinuity from the usual strain of thought. 3 and 4 complicate the question further. But then again, are questions and complications not what we expect from all mysteries? What is so special about this occasion is that it is not just a mystery but a mystery of the text.
Signing off, it has to be said that a hero is a hero, but a fandom hero is more than that. While Gaiman’s Holmes does not of course aspire to be an angel owing to the establishment connotations of the divine species, he cannot evade being a hero, despite everything Moffat and Gatiss makes him say �
September 4, 2015
Neil Gaiman’s Sherlock Holmes pastiche and Cthulhu mythos mashup is certainly weird, but I am not so sure about wonderful. It is available as a so there is no reason not to give it a shot. The PDF file is cleverly formatted to look like a Victorian newspaper with amusing ads placed by Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and other Victorian SF characters. Gaiman is doing a sort of literary sleight of hand here, leading the reader up the garden path. Set in an alternate Victorian England where mankind (or may be just the British?) has been subjugated by the for centuries. Nothing and nobody is what they seem and he only shows his hands by the end of the story.
It is an interesting and imaginative story but not really as much fun as I was expecting. The Cthulhu side of it is not at all scary though there are some creepy descriptions (the same could be said for most of Lovecraft’s stories I think). I don’t think that this is Gaiman at his best, and I wonder how it won the Hugo Award in 2004. As always this is just my opinion and as the story is available for free download I would not discourage anybody from reading it. Certainly it is not bad. Neil Gaiman does not do “bad�.
It is an interesting and imaginative story but not really as much fun as I was expecting. The Cthulhu side of it is not at all scary though there are some creepy descriptions (the same could be said for most of Lovecraft’s stories I think). I don’t think that this is Gaiman at his best, and I wonder how it won the Hugo Award in 2004. As always this is just my opinion and as the story is available for free download I would not discourage anybody from reading it. Certainly it is not bad. Neil Gaiman does not do “bad�.
January 30, 2020
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman won the Hugo in 2004. It's a cross-genre wierd fiction short story that can be downloaded for free. It was entertainig, fun and short.
But I read it twice, especially the interspersed advertisements, plus quite many reviews and I still probably don't get all the allusions.
"If there's one thing that a study of history has taught us, it is that things can always get worse."
But I read it twice, especially the interspersed advertisements, plus quite many reviews and I still probably don't get all the allusions.
"If there's one thing that a study of history has taught us, it is that things can always get worse."
July 17, 2016
I admire the creative exploits of Neil Gaiman. His ability to bring something different.
This was a short, Sherlock Holmesish fantasy-mystery formatted in antiquated newsprint fashion, including witty illustrations placed throughout the piece. I wouldn't call the story great, but it was still classic Gaiman, nicely presented and thoroughly entertaining.
June 4, 2020
نمیخوا� بگم خیلی داستان لاوکرفتی و شرلوک هولمزی خوندم. ولی میخوا� بگم که ببینید، این به سادگی بهترین داستان شرلوک هولمزی و لاوکرفتیه. فقط برید بخونیدش :)))
May 26, 2018
Fun homage to the original Sherlock series. After all the recent remakes and fan fiction I read of Sherlock in modern times, it was thoroughly enjoyable to revisit a more Victorian sensibility. Straight forward Doylesque tale.
Gaiman posted it on his website where you can read it for FREE:
Gaiman posted it on his website where you can read it for FREE:
January 3, 2023
Okay, I've got so many Question about this AU Crossover.
I needed a few Days to get a partially proper Review done. :D
I have never made it to fully reading a Book of Gaiman himself. I guess I haven't found the right one yet.
But this Lovecraftian style 'fan-fic' of his, I just� wow!
9 tiny pages of awesomeness.
, please read. :)
Let's start by Jouni Koponen's editorial work and artwork on this 'Newspaper Article'. I really enjoyed that part a lot. It was well done itself!!
The advertisements where fun highlights in my humble opinion. Well thought out by Gaiman and well executed by Koponen.
Then we got the part about our mystery to be solved. It's hard not to spoil you but I will try.
The story starts with a war veteran working his way on getting a shared space to stay in London, Albion.
He ends up sharing a place in 221b Baker Street with his new 'Partner in Crime' as they start investigating a murder in a Study bathed in Emerald.
Light to medium Spoilers ahead but worth the read.
(I took the liberty of using gifs from another 'Sherlock Holmes Crossover' I have been fond of)
I needed a few Days to get a partially proper Review done. :D
I have never made it to fully reading a Book of Gaiman himself. I guess I haven't found the right one yet.
But this Lovecraftian style 'fan-fic' of his, I just� wow!
9 tiny pages of awesomeness.
, please read. :)
Let's start by Jouni Koponen's editorial work and artwork on this 'Newspaper Article'. I really enjoyed that part a lot. It was well done itself!!
The advertisements where fun highlights in my humble opinion. Well thought out by Gaiman and well executed by Koponen.
Then we got the part about our mystery to be solved. It's hard not to spoil you but I will try.
The story starts with a war veteran working his way on getting a shared space to stay in London, Albion.
He ends up sharing a place in 221b Baker Street with his new 'Partner in Crime' as they start investigating a murder in a Study bathed in Emerald.
Light to medium Spoilers ahead but worth the read.
(I took the liberty of using gifs from another 'Sherlock Holmes Crossover' I have been fond of)
June 4, 2020
Everyone that enjoys Lovecraftian horror and Sherlock Holmes must read this.
January 16, 2013
This short story can in a rather unique and interesting 'periodical' form.
What is A Study in Emerald? It is a mixture of two different worlds Clearly from the title one can see that it is a reference to the notable classic A Study in Scarlet. In fact the very first page or so seems to almost copy that Sherlock tale word-for-word. Which leads me to question plagiarism in connection to stories like this. Many people like to pick out sentences and so forth from books and cry plagiarism. This story does pretty much that and yet clearly it's a brilliant reference to the original and the story in total is a unique product.
I won't give much away about this story as it is one of those works of fiction that if anything is spoiled, the illusion is broken. I will say that it is very short and as mentioned can be read above. It's one of those short stories I would fully recommend you attempt to read. I would also recommend out of interest, as it is in a similar vein of fiction.
December 30, 2020
This was a fun Sherlock Holmes homage, but the (in my view) over-the-top supernatural elements made me long to read the real thing. I'm not sure if I've ever read any actual Sherlock Holmes stories before. I should rectify that soon.
June 16, 2012
3.5 Originally posted at .
A Study in Emerald is a Hugo and Locus Award winning short story by Neil Gaiman in which he pays tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.
At first Gaiman’s story appears to be a straight Sherlock Holmes pastiche as a man who appears to be Watson relates how his new friend, a consulting detective who appears to be Holmes, is being asked by Inspector Lestrade to help solve a murder mystery. In fact, it completely parallels Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet,which gets its name from Holmes� comment that the murder scene is “a study in scarlet.�
You probably know where I’m going with this. There are a few clues that Gaiman’s world is not the England we know (e.g., it’s referred to by its ancient name of Albion), but we’re left in no doubt when this murder scene is “a study in emerald.� Still, though, Gaiman only hints at what this alternate England is like, and the fact that he never tells us much is part of the charm of this story. Then, when the narrator and detective solve the case and call the Inspector in to arrest their criminal, Gaiman throws us a delightful twist that will have Sherlock’s fans grinning.
I listened to Neil Gaiman narrate the audio version of A Study in Emerald which is 49 minutes long and is available at Audible for $3 for members and $4 for non-members. I always enjoy hearing Gaiman read his own stories. If you’d prefer to read this story in print, you can find a free pdf version that reads like a Victorian newspaper at Neil Gaiman’s website.
A Study in Emerald is a Hugo and Locus Award winning short story by Neil Gaiman in which he pays tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.
At first Gaiman’s story appears to be a straight Sherlock Holmes pastiche as a man who appears to be Watson relates how his new friend, a consulting detective who appears to be Holmes, is being asked by Inspector Lestrade to help solve a murder mystery. In fact, it completely parallels Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet,which gets its name from Holmes� comment that the murder scene is “a study in scarlet.�
You probably know where I’m going with this. There are a few clues that Gaiman’s world is not the England we know (e.g., it’s referred to by its ancient name of Albion), but we’re left in no doubt when this murder scene is “a study in emerald.� Still, though, Gaiman only hints at what this alternate England is like, and the fact that he never tells us much is part of the charm of this story. Then, when the narrator and detective solve the case and call the Inspector in to arrest their criminal, Gaiman throws us a delightful twist that will have Sherlock’s fans grinning.
I listened to Neil Gaiman narrate the audio version of A Study in Emerald which is 49 minutes long and is available at Audible for $3 for members and $4 for non-members. I always enjoy hearing Gaiman read his own stories. If you’d prefer to read this story in print, you can find a free pdf version that reads like a Victorian newspaper at Neil Gaiman’s website.
June 22, 2012
"A Study in Emerald" is a blend of the world of Sherlock Holmes with that of H.P. Lovecraft, and the writing style is a homage to both Lovecraft and Doyle. For being a Sherlock Holmes story, the name Sherlock Holmes never appears in the prose. While Gaiman does not seem to have the consistent mastery of the short story that he does of comic and novel format, when he gets it right, he gets it very right. The tale is impossible to predict from start to finish. It is, as Gaiman explains in the introduction, an attempt to wed the rationality of Sherlock Holmes with the otherworldly unknowability of Lovecraft's horrors. The reason that "A Study of Emerald" is so weird in Gaiman's catalog is that the magic is actually the familiar, here, "touché, Watson, touché indeed." Though the two ingredients seem as likely to combine well as milk and steak (get your milksteak on!), the mixture actually works, and neither element of the story feels forced. Great little homage, I loved it.
November 3, 2020
A combination of Sherlock Holmes and lovecraft, that works really well. I liked On Gaiman’s website the story is presented as a newspaper, the ads are very clever too.
May 15, 2013
I've said it before, and I'm sure to say it again. I love crossovers. A crossover between Holmes and Cthulhu is ever so sweet.
December 5, 2024
I like a story that ensures you are paying close attention.
August 6, 2020
শার্লক হোমসের সাথে লাভক্রাফটিয়ান ব্যাপা� স্যাপা�!!! সেইসাথ� ওল�-পালট সব হিসা� নিকাশ। নি� গেইম্যানের পক্ষেই সম্ভ� শুধু�
August 18, 2018
Not bad. I enjoy Gaiman’s short stories. 4 solid stars.
September 21, 2018
As is typical with Gaiman - nifty ideas, evocative imagery, mediocre execution.
I read this because there's a board game based on it, that we're playing tomorrow at game night, and I wanted to be familiar with the source material. Honestly the rulebook was a better read, if only for these lines describing the different motives of the player teams:
"The Loyalist track represents the efforts of the authorities to foment a war, which in turn will feed their unnatural masters and mistresses with psychic energy. The Restorationists are busy inciting the population to throw off their shackles and revolt against the authorities. To some observers the difference between the two aims is difficult to discern."
I read this because there's a board game based on it, that we're playing tomorrow at game night, and I wanted to be familiar with the source material. Honestly the rulebook was a better read, if only for these lines describing the different motives of the player teams:
"The Loyalist track represents the efforts of the authorities to foment a war, which in turn will feed their unnatural masters and mistresses with psychic energy. The Restorationists are busy inciting the population to throw off their shackles and revolt against the authorities. To some observers the difference between the two aims is difficult to discern."
February 18, 2021
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman is a re-imaging of the classic Holmes story "A Study in Scarlet". In this re-imaging the author brings together the 2 worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft's Mythos.
In this case the consulting detective (Holmes' name is never actually used) is asked to investigate the death of a member of the Royal Family. The Royal Family being the Ancient Gods of the Mythos.
Really well written, the author does a wonderful job of giving his story the feel of a Holmes mystery as made famous by Conan Doyle.
Neil is also loyal to the Mythos and it's Gods, but fleshing them out as benevolent beings.
A very original story (at least for me) that stands up well to both of it's worlds. Interesting and engaging this is one that all fans of Gaiman, Doyle and Lovecraft should read.
In this case the consulting detective (Holmes' name is never actually used) is asked to investigate the death of a member of the Royal Family. The Royal Family being the Ancient Gods of the Mythos.
Really well written, the author does a wonderful job of giving his story the feel of a Holmes mystery as made famous by Conan Doyle.
Neil is also loyal to the Mythos and it's Gods, but fleshing them out as benevolent beings.
A very original story (at least for me) that stands up well to both of it's worlds. Interesting and engaging this is one that all fans of Gaiman, Doyle and Lovecraft should read.
December 13, 2017
Wow, this was absolutely mesmerizing. The social mockery mixed with Lovecraftian cross over, only Gaiman can do that. The whole story contained a cold kind of darkness. Read it.
August 2, 2015
9 page short story, involving Sherlock Holmes and Cthulhu mythos and it's absolutely great.
Only Gaiman could have written such thing.
Only Gaiman could have written such thing.
January 8, 2021
"A Study In Emerald" is a spiffing amalgamation of the Sherlock Holmes specifically his first Sherlock Holmes: A study in Scarlet and H.P. Lovecraft's legendary Cthulhu Mythos.
I haven't read any of those. Maybe that's why I wasn't amazed to the hilt like others? It's a Hugo award winning short story and generally Neil Gaiman doesn't do "BAD" to boot.
A mere 9 pages in a antiquated newsprint pattern as a newspaper article, an alternate England from an alternative reality where the Victorian royals who weren't human themselves ruled upon humanity, Sherlock and Watson like characters solving murder mystery of a prince, of course it was interesting. But as I've said I would read it again to get all the allusions properly. For now I'll keep it in my re-read shelf.
I haven't read any of those. Maybe that's why I wasn't amazed to the hilt like others? It's a Hugo award winning short story and generally Neil Gaiman doesn't do "BAD" to boot.
A mere 9 pages in a antiquated newsprint pattern as a newspaper article, an alternate England from an alternative reality where the Victorian royals who weren't human themselves ruled upon humanity, Sherlock and Watson like characters solving murder mystery of a prince, of course it was interesting. But as I've said I would read it again to get all the allusions properly. For now I'll keep it in my re-read shelf.
April 14, 2012
See... I always said that I should read Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. My age and mindset won't matter. Anyone, just anyone, can have a connection with Sherlock and his precocious skills.
Mind it, if I hadn't read , I wouldn't be able to enjoy this witty, cleaver than ever and it-hurts-you-because-you-are-obsessed-with-sherlock kind of story.
Hey, Gaiman, was that reference to Charing Cross Road in the story just a gimmick to rattle the fans of ? Damn you SOB! You reminded me then, how much I want to visit that road.
Now they say that Gaiman also had the mysticism of Lovecraft in this short story. How would I know when I haven't read any Lovecraft? Hmm?!
Now if you excuse me, I have some important business to take care of!
Mind it, if I hadn't read , I wouldn't be able to enjoy this witty, cleaver than ever and it-hurts-you-because-you-are-obsessed-with-sherlock kind of story.
Hey, Gaiman, was that reference to Charing Cross Road in the story just a gimmick to rattle the fans of ? Damn you SOB! You reminded me then, how much I want to visit that road.
Now they say that Gaiman also had the mysticism of Lovecraft in this short story. How would I know when I haven't read any Lovecraft? Hmm?!
Now if you excuse me, I have some important business to take care of!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 696 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.