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Title: Missing the most important stories.
Review: I can't agree with the reviewers who praise this new set. It includes all the short stories, but leaves out ALL FOUR of the "novellas," that is "A study in scarlet," "The sign of the four," "The hound of the Baskervilles" and "The valley of fear." By virtue of their length these are the richest of the Holmes stories and would be the most interesting to have annotations of. But more important, the first two were the first published of the Holmes stories and gave Doyle the success needed to continue. Their position in the development of Holmes's and Watson's relationship is crucial; their description of the two men's histories is essential; and their role in the phenomenon that is Holmes's part in our culture is basic. To leave them out (with the promise that a third volume, in 2005, will finally complete the series) is, I think, to serve purchasers of the first two volumes very badly.
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