Quicklet on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

ABOUT THE BOOK

I first discovered Sherlock Holmes at the age of 11, in an illustrated, abridged representation of his most famous adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Captivated, I sought out the original and read it as soon as I could. While I had to sit with a dictionary to decipher Conan Doyles exquisite 19th century language, the power of the story had me in its thrall. Over the course of year, I had read all four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring the most famous fictional detective of all time.

As I grew into adulthood, I read them again and appreciated them in a new light. Finer nuances that had escaped me on my first encounter with Holmes now revealed themselves, including the frailties of this mighty personality. For a mind this brilliant (and he was no slouch in the physical department either, as his boxing and other physical exploits will attest), it was certainly a frailty that he did not appreciate the degenerative consequences of injecting heroin. Thankfully, there was the ever-loyal Dr. John Watson to wean him away from his self-destructive habit.

I have read the stories several times since, and I am sure I will read them several times again in future. For it is through them that I developed a love for the English language, and this love affair will continue as long as I am physically able to read.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Sourya is a former risk analyst and has worked with several financial organizations of international repute, besides being a freelance journalist with several articles published online. After 6 years of work, he decided to pursue his MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Sourya has a Bachelors in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Information Technology. He is also a member of high-IQ organizations Mensa and Triple Nine Society and is negotiating with publishers to get his science fiction work published.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Since the first time Sherlock Holmes made an appearance in 1887, he has been the defining character of detective fiction. There have been famous fictional detectives before Edgar Allen Poes Auguste Dupin and Emile Gaborieus Monsieur come to mind and there have been famous fictional detectives since Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot and GK Chestertons Father Brown are notable examples; however, none have reached the heights of popularity that the fictional occupant of 221B Baker Street attained.

As a book, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes presents an interesting insight into the morality of its age. When the collection was first published in London in 1894, it did not include The Adventure of the Cardboard Box, although all twelve stories had appeared in the Strand Magazine where they had been serialized. Consequently, while the US edition did include that story, it was soon removed. Although it is difficult to be certain, the author himself may have been the reason behind this removal, considering the involvement of adultery in the story. Even though current UK editions of the Memoirs do include that story, American editions dont.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Quicklet on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

+ Personal Introduction

+ About the Author

+ About the Book

+ Overall Summary

+ ...and much more