From Holmes to Sherlock
The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon
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3.7 • 6 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“If you love Sherlock Holmes, you’ll love this book…the best account of Baker Street mania ever written.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post
Winner of the Agatha Award for best nonfiction work
Edgar Award finalist for best critical/biographical work
Anthony Award finalist for best critical/nonfiction work
Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes. But what made this fictional character, dreamed up by a small-town English doctor in the 1880s, into such a lasting success, despite the author’s own attempt to escape his invention?
In From Holmes to Sherlock, Swedish author and Baker Street Irregular Mattias Boström recreates the full story behind the legend for the first time. From a young Arthur Conan Doyle sitting in a Scottish lecture hall taking notes on his medical professor’s powers of observation to the pair of modern-day fans who brainstormed the idea behind the TV sensation Sherlock, from the publishing world’s first literary agent to the Georgian princess who showed up at the Conan Doyle estate and altered a legacy, the narrative follows the men and women who have created and perpetuated the myth. It includes tales of unexpected fortune, accidental romance, and inheritances gone awry, and tells of the actors, writers, readers, and other players who have transformed Sherlock Holmes from the gentleman amateur of the Victorian era to the odd genius of today. From Holmes to Sherlock is a singular celebration of the most famous detective in the world—a must for newcomers and experts alike.
“Riveting…[A] wonderfully entertaining history.”?TheWall Street Journal
“Celebrates the versatility of one of fiction’s most beloved characters…terrific.”?TheChristian Science Monitor
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This exhaustive study of the 130-year Sherlock Holmes phenomenon spans Arthur Conan Doyle's earliest inspirations up to today's two successful Holmes-inspired TV shows. Bostr m begins with Conan Doyle's pre-Sherlock life, explaining how the fledgling author struggled to place his early fiction in the popular magazines of the day. He goes on to show how Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr. John Watson have been represented in every imaginable medium: plays, radio, film, TV, and even podcasts. The keepers of the flame have been the "Sherlockians," the individuals who analyze Conan Doyle's works and collect memorabilia. Bostr m narrates Holmes's pervasive and global influence after Conan Doyle's death in 1930; screen adaptations were even produced behind the Iron Curtain. He also lays out the bungling efforts of Conan Doyle's children to control the portrayal of his creations and ensure they got a share of the profits. The book occasionally bogs down in their legal skirmishing, but always gets back on track as it explores the world's continuing fascination with fiction's leading detective hero. The informal, accessible style of Gallagher's translation makes for an easy, if lengthy, read. Elin Hellstr m, Brandt New Agency (Spain).
