The Sherlock Holmes Journal

Review 1: The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, publisher of the Sherlock Holmes Journal and holder of the copyright of the CD set) has produced a set of CDs which is very similar to the BSJ set published by the Baker Street Irregulars. First, this set contains all the semi-annual issues from 1952 through the end of 2002. Three special issues which were published during the 50 year period are also included. The set also various miscellaneous collections which include (a) the Society's Christmas cards (b) Membership lists for each of the 50 years and (c) the Menu of each of the Society's annual dinners. The last two items may be useful to researchers, but was of little interest to me.

The set uses the same Adobe Acrobat Reader, so that the holder of the BSJ collection will feel right at home with the SHJ collection. There are, however, some differences. A very comprehensive index for the 50 year period (actually three separate indexes; Author and Title Index, Media News and Reviews Index, and a Subject Index) is also included. (There will be duplication between the reviews of the items included in this web page and those included in the CD set). A pleasant difference is that the bookmarks for each issue, which are missing from the BSJ set are included in this collection. However, the quality of the .PDF files, while useable, is not as good as those of the BSJ set. In addition, there is no written set of instructions describing the installation of the CDs, although this should not be a major problem for the holder of the BSJ collection.

The CD labeled The Octagon Project appears to be meant as a supplement advertising the products (and there are many) of the publisher, The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box. The CD contains a price list (as of January 2003). In addition it contains three products (a) The complete 60 stories of the canon (b) The Martyrdom of Man by Winwood Reade and (c) The Practical Handbook of Bee Culture by Sherlock Holmes (written by Karl Showler).

The set is contained a 8.5" x 6.5" case (not a jewel case) which is meant to blend nicely on a bookshelf and not in a CD collection.

As with the BSJ collection, while not perfect, the set is highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Les Moskowitz, 2003

Review 2: The e-SHJ provides a 50-year record of the Sherlock Holmes Journal that goes well beyond a simple image archive. Besides containing all the issues from inception to Summer 2002 it also has valuable supplementary material, including Geraldine Beare's comprehensive new Index. It's many useful search and navigation tools make it remarkably easy to find information. It leverages the widely-used Adobe Reader software, which offers a fine set of capabilities for reviewing material in the archive. It's very easy to get started with the e-SHJ and yet it also provides the power and flexibility needed for very efficient use.  

This CD collection delivers significant benefits to anyone interested in Sherlock Holmes. The Index, search tools, and all the SHJ material are available at your computer with just a few mouse clicks. This makes casual research quick and easy while enabling you to efficiently and comprehensively check the SHJ when doing more serious work.  

Most people don't own a complete collection of the printed SHJ, and it is even difficult to find libraries with complete holdings. The e-SHJ fills a clear need and makes a wealth of Holmesian scholarship readily accessible. Even people who own many printed copies may find that the Index and research tools alone justify the investment.  

Some may hesitate at the $100 price, but this reflects the vast amount of material included. It's less than $1 per issue or $0.03 per page. That's far less expensive than buying a used back-issue or getting photocopies. Research time is also valuable and the e-SHJ will save lots of time in identifying and locating articles.  

The e-SHJ is a well-conceived and very well-executed product. It's highly recommended for anyone with a serious interest in Sherlock Holmes.

There's also an extensive set of suggestions and tips on using the Sherlock Holmes Journal CD ROM on the web as well as more details about this product.

NOTE from webmaster: There is a link to Randall's website 'The Best of Sherlock Holmes' on this site's front page. Go to his section 'e-World' for tips on how to use the CD in an optimal way.

Reviewed by: Randall Stock, 2003