Sherlockian Musings


Book Description

Is Sherlock Holmes really as rational as he seems? He talks about the importance of reasoning and logic, but why then does he sometimes seem like a "strange Buddha"? On the other hand, why in The Sign of the Four does Watson smash a Buddha? What is going on in The Sign of the Four, that strange tale of Empire? What is going on in all the original sixty stories in "the canon"? In this study of the stories, Sheldon Goldfarb explores questions like these, from the significance of the eggs in "Thor Bridge" to the reason Watson keeps leaving Holmes for an insubstantial wife. What meanings lurk beneath the surface of these detective stories? Why is there an obsession with Napoleon in this story or an article on free trade in this other? Can we find answers to these questions? Perhaps. In any case, in this collection of essays (or "Musings") on each of the 60 stories, Dr. Goldfarb, an award-nominated mystery writer himself and the holder of a PhD in English literature, light-heartedly tries out a variety of perspectives, allowing readers to come to their own conclusions about such matters as the nature of the angel in "A Case of Identity" or the reason Holmes abandons his magnifying glass for binoculars in "Silver Blaze." Who brings binoculars to a horse race? Indeed.




Clues: A Journal of Detection, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Fall 2020)


Book Description

For over two decades, Clues has included the best scholarship on mystery and detective fiction. With a combination of academic essays and nonfiction book reviews, it covers all aspects of mystery and detective fiction material in print, television and movies. As the only American scholarly journal on mystery fiction, Clues is essential reading for literature and film students and researchers; popular culture aficionados; librarians; and mystery authors, fans and critics around the globe.




Pursuing Sherlock Holmes


Book Description

The influence of Sherlock Holmes can be found throughout the cultural landscape. From the Three Little Pigs to the ancient poetry of Horace, from John Wayne to Macbeth, from the sultry moves of Madonna to the theories of Sigmund Freud, the stories about the greatest of detectives link to just about any subject or situation. In Pursuing Sherlock Holmes, Bill Mason uncovers seething sex in The Hound of the Baskervilles, observes Professor Moriarty through the eyes of Generation X, reveals a hidden formula of death, explains the mystic effect of colors on the mind of Sherlock Holmes, exposes Conan Doyles theft of the plot of Dracula, resurrects ten compelling characters from their graves, and visits the mind of Sherlock Holmes to find his true thoughts about romantic love. This collection of innovative essays, stories and even poetry approaches Sherlock Holmes from a thoroughly unique perspective that combines humor with literature and classic tales with familiar aspects of modern culture.




The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Part XXXVIII


Book Description

Featuring Contributions by: Ian Ableson, Gordon Linzner, Craig Janacek, I.A. Watson, Margaret Walsh, Tracy J. Revels, David Marcum, David MacGregor, Arthur Hall, Sonya Kudei, Jen Matteis, Geri Schear, Charles Veley and Anna Elliott, Peter Coe Verbica, Michael Mallory, Carlos Orsi, Susan Knight, and Tim Newton Anderson, with a poem by Joseph W. Svec III, and forewords by Michael Sims, Roger Johnson, Emma West, Steve Emecz, and David Marcum 59 New Traditional Canonical Holmes Adventures Collected in Three Companion Volumes In 2015, the first three volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories arrived, containing over 60 stories in the true traditional Canonical manner, revisiting Holmes and Watson in those days where it is "always 1895" . . . or a few decades on either side of that. That was the largest collection of new Holmes stories ever assembled, and originally planned to be a one-time event. But readers wanted more, and the contributors had more stories from Watson's Tin Dispatch Box, so the fun continued. Now, with the release of Parts XXXVII, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, the series has grown to over 800 new Holmes adventures by over 200 contributors from around with world. Since the beginning, all contributor royalties go to the Undershaw school for special needs children, located at one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former homes, and to date the project has raised over $110,000 for the school. This new collection of 59 adventures features Holmes and Watson carrying out their masterful investigations from the early days of their friendship in Baker Street to the post-War years during Holmes's retirement. Along the way, Our Heroes are involved in dozens of fascinating mysteries - some relating Untold Cases, sequels to Canonical adventures, and a number or others that progress along completely unexpected lines. Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as "the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known."




The Critical Reception of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


Book Description

Examines both academic and popular assessments of Conan Doyle's work, giving pride of place to the Holmes stories and their adaptations, and also attending to the wide range of his published work. Twenty-first-century readers, television viewers, and moviegoers know Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the world's most recognizable fictional detective. Holmes's enduring popularity has kept Conan Doyle in the public eye. However, Holmes has taken on a life of his own, generating a steady stream of critical commentary, while Conan Doyle's other works are slighted or ignored. Yet the Holmes stories make up only a small portion of Conan Doyle's published work, which includes mainstream and historical fiction; history; drama; medical, spiritualist, and political tracts; and even essays on photography. When Doyle published - whatever the subject - his contemporaries took note. Yet, outside of the fiction featuring Sherlock Holmes, until recently relatively little has been done to analyze the reception Conan Doyle's work received during his lifetime and since his death. This book examines both academic and popular assessments of Conan Doyle's work, giving pride of place to the Holmes stories and their many adaptations for print, visual, and online media, but attending to his other contributions to turn-of-the-twentieth-century culture as well. The availability of periodicals and newspapers online makes it possible to develop an assessment of Conan Doyle's (and Sherlock Holmes's) reputation among a wider readership and viewership, thus allowing for development of a broader and more accurate portrait of Doyle's place in literary and cultural history.




The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories: The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (Non-Slipcased Edition) (Vol. 2) (The Annotated Books)


Book Description

Classic short stories of Sherlock Holmes now available in a separate, attractively priced individual volume. The publication of Leslie S. Klinger's brilliant new annotations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Holmes short stories in 2004 created a Holmes sensation. Available again in an attractively-priced edition identical to the first, except this edition has no outer slipcase (Volume One is available separately). Inside, readers will find all the short stories from The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, with a cornucopia of insights: beginners will benefit from Klinger's insightful biographies of Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle; history lovers will revel in the wealth of Victorian literary and cultural details; Sherlockian fanatics will puzzle over tantalizing new theories; art lovers will thrill to the 450-plus illustrations, which make this the most lavishly illustrated edition of the Holmes tales ever produced. The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes illuminates the timeless genius of Arthur Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation of readers.




The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes


Book Description

"I never can resist a touch of the dramatic." The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is now best remembered for its concluding story in which the great detective appears to plunge to his death into the waters at the bottom of the Reichenbach Falls, locked in a struggle with his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. However, the collection also brings the reader back to the beginnings of Holmes' career, involving a mutiny at sea and a treasure hunt in a Sussex country house, and a first encounter with Holmes' older brother Mycroft, of whom Holmes says, "If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from any armchair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived". This collection includes some of the detective's greatest cases, such as 'Silver Blaze' and 'The Naval Treaty', and even one case which Holmes fails to solve. Edited with an introduction by Jarlath Killeen, this volume examines Holmes as a safeguard against social breakdown and chaos, as well as an agent of justice and goodness against the forces of evil. It also situates the collection in the growth of life writing in the period, and explores the ways in which Holmes became increasingly 'real' to readers as more details about his personality and biography are revealed in the stories. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.




Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell


Book Description

The World’s Greatest Detective Meets Horror’s Most Notorious Villains! Late 1895, and Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr John Watson are called upon to investigate a missing persons case. On the face of it, this seems like a mystery that Holmes might relish – as the person in question vanished from a locked room. But this is just the start of an investigation that will draw the pair into contact with a shadowy organisation talked about in whispers, known only as the ‘Order of the Gash.’ As more people go missing in a similar fashion, the clues point to a sinister asylum in France and to the underworld of London. However, it is an altogether different underworld that Holmes will soon discover – as he comes face to face not only with those followers who do the Order’s bidding on Earth, but those who serve it in Hell: the Cenobites. Holmes’ most outlandish adventure to date, one that has remained shrouded in secrecy until now, launches him headlong into Clive Barker’s famous Hellraising universe… and things will never be the same again. With an introduction by Hellraiser II actress Barbie Wilde.




Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects


Book Description

A dazzling collection of rare art and documents illuminate the life of Sherlock Holmes beyond the page. As one of the most beloved characters in the English language, Sherlock Holmes sometimes seems to have a life of his own, one that leaps beyond the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories. Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects aims its magnifying glass toward a host of overlooked extra-literary objects that tell the story of the famed detective's publication history outside of Doyle's original canon. ​ Drawing on his extensive collection of Holmes-related bibliographic material, Glen Miranker brings to light exhibits ranging from original manuscripts, handwritten letters, business correspondence, vintage book art, pirated editions, and more, all presented in thematic clusters that highlight their significance to the case at hand. Throughout, Miranker invites readers to share in the collector's enthusiasm for the kinds of rarities and oddities that help decipher the appeal of Sherlock Holmes in ways that transcend what can be found on the page.




Re-examining Arthur Conan Doyle


Book Description

This collection re-examines the works and life of Arthur Conan Doyle from multiple disciplinary perspectives. It proposes new ways of studying Conan Doyle, and considers overlooked or neglected aspects of his oeuvre, offering fresh perspectives on the multiple genres of his fiction and his relationship to contemporary writers and movements.