The Real World of Sherlock
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
Ever wondered where Conan Doyle got his inspiration for the literary sleuth? Was there a real 'Study in Scarlet' in Victorian London? What baffled Victorian police detectives? In The Real World of Sherlock, B. J. Rahn explores the world that Sherlock emerged from and the inspirations behind the character himself. Holmes is a man known for his eccentricities - his reclusiveness and the aura of genius have become trademarks today, and are recognisable in any Holmes adaptation. This book reveals the men who inspired that iconic persona. Among them are Dr Joseph Bell, Conan Doyle's role model and an investigator of disease and crime, and the writer Edgar Allan Poe, who invented the detective story as we recognise it today. Rahn also takes a fascinating look at crime and detection in nineteenth-century London. She explores how the work of police detectives and CSI evolved in this era, from footprint analysis and human blood testing to fingerprinting and crime-scene photography. But did Sherlock make use of these emerging techniques in his investigations? This is the perfect book for any Sherlock fan who wants to find out about the background to the character and the fast-evolving world of detection from which the stories emerged. You'll be astonished at just how real Sherlock was.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
English literature professor Rahn provides a competent introduction to the background for Conan Doyle's stories, focusing on the personalities that shaped Holmes and the state of policing during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. She begins with a comparison of Poe's Dupin stories with the canon before moving on to parallels between Holmes and Conan Doyle himself, as well as the influence of Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Conan Doyle's medical school instructors, on the detective. Not everyone will agree with her contention that other writers have underestimated Bell's role "in shaping both Holmes' character and methods of investigation." Rahn presents a solid survey of the history of London's Metropolitan Police and the investigative tools available to them at the time, though little of this material will be new to those who have read biographies of Conan Doyle. Devoting a chapter to "Sherlock Holmes and the Fair Sex" will strike some as odd, given topics not covered that might seem more relevant to Rahn's goal, such as an examination of the criminal underworld and real-life inspirations for Professor Moriarty. Still, Sherlockians will find plenty of interest.
