The Dancing Men

This time, in The Dancing Men, Sherlock Holmes and Watson is going to solve a secret writing, that looks like a groups of dancing men, in order to solve the entire case. Mr.Hilton Cubitt, the client, describes that he found a note with "dancing men" and didn't realize what it means, so he showed it to his wife. But his wife, Mrs.Hilton Cubitt, became very pale and worried after she saw the note. Sherlock Holmes find it difficult to solve this secret writing, so he tell Mr.Hilton Cubitt to go home and see if he can get more sample of these little dancing men. Days later, when Sherlock and Watson went to Norfolk, where the Cubitt family live, they heard the tragic news of the death of Mr.Hilton Cubitt and serious injure of Mrs.Hilton Cubitt. Therefore, after a series of investigation, Sherlock found the way to solve this secret writing and decided to use this writing to make the criminal appears by himself. As what Sherlock expected, the criminal really shows up and said that he's actually the friend of Mrs.Hilton Cubitt years ago before she came to England, and said that the secret writing is invented by a gang organization in Chicago, America. The criminal said that originally, it was Mrs.Hilton Cubitt call him out to have a meeting and tries to bride him to leave her and her husband alone. But Mr.Hilton Cubitt found out and tries to shoot him, so he fight back, killed Mr.Hilton Cubitt and injured his wife. Also, he said that he's first meant to use these notes with dancing men to scared Mrs.Hilton Cubitt, since only the people in the Chicago gang know how to write and interpret it.

After finish the whole story, I found myself really like the way they wrote the dancing men secret writing. The entire story was full of intense and mysterious emotion, which I like to have these feelings while I am reading a story, especially the detective story!

The Empty House

Sherlock Holmes is alive! Years after Sherlock and Professor Moriarty fall down from Reichanbach Fall, while everyone thinks that Sherlock will never came back, Sherlock appear in front of Watson in an afternoon. The story begins with Watson trying to solve the crime of Ronald Adair's murder. In an afternoon, when Watson went to the crime scene, he bump into an old man who holds a bunch of book on his hand. Later, when Watson went back to his home, he saw the old man in his house and trying to sell him the books, and when he look back, he saw Sherlock Holmes standing behind him and faint in the shock. When Watson wake up, he asks Sherlock how did he even survived after he fall down from the waterfall, therefore, Sherlock explain that he's not dead actually but have to fake his death to find the rest of the people who works with Moriarty. After years of traveling, he finally came back to London to catch the last companion of Moriarty. Sherlock says that only his brother, Mycroft Holmes, knows his entire plain, and he tries to write letters to Watson but afraid that he might led the others know his situation therefore he didn't do it. Sherlock later bring Watson back to Baker Street, but they hide in a house beside 221B, their original house, since Sherlock wants to catch Moriarty's companion. Sherlock put a model of him in their original house and tell Mrs.Hudson to move it so that the villain will think that they are still in the house. However, Moriarty's companion still find Sherlock and Watson, but get caught by Lestrade in the name of murder Ronald Adair.

After reading this story, I feel really glad that I didn't live in Arthur Conan Doyle's time period, or else I have to wait years and years for Sherlock's return. I think the part when Watson realize that Sherlock is still alive is quite funny but reasonable. Although the story was published years after The Final Problem, but I still think this is a great story that welcome Sherlock's return!

The Final Problem

Arthur Conan Doyle was first meant to finish the Sherlock Holmes series and ended Sherlock's life in this story, The Final Problem. Different from the previous cases, there are no victims in this story. This time, Sherlock Holmes introduce a person called Professor Moriarty, who was the person that organized and owned the largest crime web of London. Sherlock describes that Moriarty is like a spider, who stayed in the central of the web and organized the crime web, and is a person that can be called as the Napoleon of crime, and have incredibly high intellectual level just like himself(Sherlock). Sherlock told Watson that Moriarty went to find him and said that they need to find a way to solve the "final problem" between them. Therefore, he told Watson to follow what he told him in order to avoid or get caught by Professor Moriarty. After a long distance of travel, they got informed that Mr.Hudson get shut, so Watson and Sherlock Holmes split. When Watson find Mrs.Hudson, he realized that he got trick by Morairty, since Moriarty want Watson and Sherlock to be split because he wants to solve their "final problem". Watson again head toward the Reichanbach Fall as fast as he can, but when he arrived, the only thing that he could saw is Sherlock and Moariarty fall down from the waterfall and never saw them again. 

This story was first started with a letter that gave to Watson, written by Sherlock after Moriarty talks to him about their final problem. Overall, I think the author didn't gave a really clear explanation of what really did happened between Sherlock and Moariarty in the Reichanbach Fall since the story was written in Watson's point of view and he's away while they talk. I will be really carious of what really happened between Sherlock and Moariarty and their conversation. But personally, I don't think Sherlock would died that easy even though Arthur Conan Doyle was first really meant to kill Sherlock while he's writing this story. Despite the fact that I still have several doubts upon the story, I still think this is a great one.

The Adventure of Speckled Band

Sir Authur Conan Doyle, in The Adventure of Speckled Band, again display the ability and wisdom of Sherlock Holmes. Miss Stoner is the client of this case. Several years ago, Miss Stoner and her sister live with their step-father, Mr.Roylott, but when Miss Stoner's sister say that she's going to married, something really happened. Miss Stoner describes that in a night, her sister just come into her room with a tremendous look. Her sister said that she heard a deep whistle and other unusual sound, later, Miss Stoner saw a speckled band her sister's death. Years later, Miss Stoner said that she also heard the whistle sound after she talk to her step father about her engagement, and this is why she came to find Sherlock Holmes. After a series of investigation, Holmes and Watson find out that the speckled band is actually a snake, and the whistle sound is made by Mr.Roylott to control the snake. By the way, Mr.Roylott was killed by snake after Sherlock make the snake go back to Mr.Roylott's room. 

Overall, I think the whole story gave me an intense feeling, but I like it a lot. I am really impress by Sherlock Holmes' observation toward everything, especially when he interpret a person's life and his ability to solve the case with very small amount of clues. When Sherlock and Watson were observing the room of Miss Stoner's sister, they point out several unusual features. But later, when Sherlock explain how Mr.Roylott commit this crime, these unusual features were explained by him and started to make sense. However, I really like this fantastic story!

Five Orange Pips

This time, in Five Orange Pips, written by Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes receive an incredibly weird case. The client, John Openshaw, describes that his both his uncle and father was murdered after they received a letter that has a signature K.K.K and five orange pips. Openshaw says that he is the only one who has a better relationship with his uncle, who had live in America for a long period of time. But in an afternoon, as Openshaw goes to find his uncle as usual, he found out that his uncle's face become pale and full of hopelessness after receive the K.K.K. letter and five orange pips. His uncle then quickly burned a box of mail. Few days later, he find his uncle dead. After years and years of peace, Openshaw's father receive the letter and also died few days later. So when John Openshaw receive the same letter, he's afraid that he might be the next one who died in this curse, therefore, went to Sherlock Holmes for help. After Holmes use his logic and great mental ability to think about this case, he conclude that the reason why Openshaw family get killed is because that his uncle hold a secret document of K.K.K secret group (Ku Klux Klan). But still, John Openshaw get kill by these people, before they died on a ship under a wind storm.

Overall, I think the story line was very well-constructed, but the author just kind of rush through at the end of the story. Although the story was begin with mysteriousness and intensive feelings, but I think the author can also have more description for how Sherlock deal with these secret people that hide behind the letter of K.K.K and the orange pips. Despite the fact that I think it ended a little bit too quick, I am hardly appreciate the way Doyle write and the ability to create all these complicated case. Also, I love the feeling of having adventure with Sherlock Holmes!

Art Makes You Smart

This is an article reported by Gray Matter in the New York Times at November 23, 2013. In the article, it stated that students can show a better critical thinking skill, greater social and have a better ability to understand the feelings of others. Since there are so many school want are applying to art tour, the operators decided to use lottery to decide the schools that are going to have an art tour. The educators and researchers found out that having this kind of tour truly help a on either student's way of thinking such as better critical thinking skill, or social ability. 

I agree with what the article said about art can led people become smarter, and I also believed that the more you have in touch with these fine artworks the more empathy you will become. Also, the ability of observing things will increase, too. However, I think the purpose of this article is to tell people that art is an important concept in society that can help to make people smart, and, also, re-evaluate the importance of art!

Link to the article: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/opinion/sunday/art-makes-you-smart.html?_r=0

The Red Headed League

In the Red Headed League, story written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes again shows his faculty of solving challenging mysterious perplex case. This time, the case is about a “red headed league”, which is a league own buy a success red headed man. The client, Mr.Wilson explained that the league is hiring people for copying encyclopedia with high payments, and he is the one who got hired. Mr.Wilson said that his assistant, Vincent Spaulding, introduce him this job. However, after he went to work for several days, the working place was shut down for no reason, and the league was completely gone. After Mr.Wilson explained the whole case to Sherlock Holmes and Mr.Watson, Sherlock Holmes and Mr.Watson with several friends have a meeting at night to solve the case. They finally found out that the red headed league is actually a fraud group and Mr.Wilson’s assistant is actually one of them, so that they can make sure Mr.Wilson is away from his shop in order for them to dig a tunnel to the bank and steal moneys. 

Overall, I think this story goes in a very intense path, and I am really impress on how Sherlock Holmes solve the entire case. Through reading the story, I feels like I am also having an adventure with all the characters in the stories. If I am Sherlock Holmes, I won’t be able to have the courage to meet the criminals at night and can’t solve the case that quick. However, I really enjoy reading the story and see how they find out the true identity of the Red Headed League.