MORE Random Notes on Sherlock and His Creator

Here are further indications of how thoroughly the lore and lure of Sherlock Holmes had penetrated the cultural scene of the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

~ "Inconsistency and Conan Doyle" (1906)

We call attention to authors' inconsistencies and anachronisms not because we believe them to be in themselves of vital importance, but because even when most trivial they are always interesting.

~ "Sherlock Holmes in 'Clarice' " (1906)

Mr. William Gillette might as well accept the fact that his original identity has been destroyed. For a time, perhaps, he may have had a dual personality. He may have been William Gillette off the stage, and Sherlock Holmes only when he was acting in that play. But now and for the rest of his life there is no longer a William Gillette, whether he calls himself that, or the Admirable Crichton, or Dr. Carrington. In whatever costume and character he chooses to appear, he is, in spite of himself, and always must be, Sherlock Holmes. [See also HERE.]

~ "A Sherlock Come to Judgment" (1907)

Mr. Stewart Edward White, who after two years and a half of life on the Pacific coast is again in New York, brings us a story which is new to us and which has all the elements that will appeal strongly to the most approved Sherlockian.

~ "A Sherlock Holmes Understudy" (1907)

An anecdote involving "one rat-tailed shaving brush."

~ "Conan Doyle" (1907)

At the time the first series of stories dealing with Sherlock Holmes was in the full swing of success all kinds of problems of an intricate nature were submitted to the author for solution, probably in the belief that he himself was possessed of the peculiar powers of investigation which he attributed to his hero. Of course, the writer was able to give his correspondents very little practical advice or help. Recently, however, he has applied the Sherlock Holmes methods to an English criminal case and succeeded in bringing about the release of an apparently innocent man.

~ "Conan Doyle in America" (1907)

". . . you will never come to any good!"

 ~ "A Case of Coincidence: Relating to A. Conan Doyle" (1910)

A minor controversy precipitated by "The Adventure of the Dancing Men."

~ "A Case of Impertinence" (1910)

"To assume for a moment that a man who has invented hundreds of original plots for stories would need to appropriate stealthily and with criminal intent, an idea from a child's magazine, is ludicrous."

 ~ "Sherlock Holmes" (1911)

We wonder how many of our readers have paused to think that despite certain undeniable literary short-comings, the present age has produced the most widely known character in all fiction. It is now a little over twenty years since the name of Sherlock Holmes was first introduced through the medium of The Study in Scarlet, and to-day it is a byword to millions who have never read any of Conan Doyle's books and who have not the slightest interest in the science of deduction.

Resource:
- "Random Notes on Sherlock and His Creator," a previous ONTOS post.

Category: Detective fiction