I went out recently from reading The fantastic life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , John Dickson Carr, also wanted to write a short article about the creator of Sherlock Holmes Professor Challenger and Brigadier Gerard, I was immediately seized ...
The biography by John Dickson Carr (whom I had the chance of finding a bookstore in an old edition large format, now untraceable), I was a little embarrassed about some aspects. Admittedly, Holmesian convinced knows many passages in the life of this writer genius that was Conan Doyle, but I found several elements of a price advantage rather disconcerting (see the passages relating to events which preceded the First World War), and this is what finally brought me some frustration and a sense of uncertainty about the objectivity of the author. But this is not this book I'm interested in this post.
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the Scottish giant more than one meter eighty, which is intended firstly to a medical career, having succeeded quite brilliantly educated at the University of Edinburgh, turned to writing ... and to create the character that made him famous in 1887, the first private detective story, I named Sherlock Holmes.
While the first part of what was later called 'the canon' is experiencing a rather successful way. It is with the writing of the Sign of Four and the first short stories published by The Strand Magazine, that her success comes as a shock. It does not. He can not believe that Sherlock Holmes could appeal to readers that literature rather average in his words, can meet today such a success, and his publisher offered him huge sums in addition to continue to write ... Conan Doyle as a passion: the historical novel. But the stories they offer on this subject are routinely denied or does not know the success they deserve ... The author knows
therefore a period of rejection of his character, yet terribly liked and popular, came to hate him, thinking that he is unable to write better things, expecting one thing: get rid of him once and for all! Having already thought about killing him, he changed his mind after talking to his mother, first adorer convinced the detective, who lectured as a boy, hearing his son talk about such a shame! But it will succeed in its purpose anyway a few years later by making sink - definitely a priori - in the Reichenbach Falls.
Under pressure from readers, and the Strand, Conan Doyle wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1892, and later resurrect the detective in "The empty house." His popilarité growing, the author manages to publish his other works (Micah Clarke, the White Company, Refugees), who know very honorable finally a success ... Besides the different stories, tales and stories, and the famous adventures of Professor Challenger, which he published between 1912 and 1928 and who also had a great success.
When we see the extent of his work, it is hard to imagine he could still find time to engage as a medical officer during the Boer War in South Africa, vigilante be established as part of criminal cases (see the famous case of George Edalji), stand for election to Parliament or insinuate itself into international politics. An energetic, almost hyperactive, that it would be difficult to collect by relying on the man seen in photographs of the era, and that is readily confused with a certain Dr. Watson ... During the war
14-18, Conan Doyle loses one of his son, his elder brother Innes and his brother. Recently, he was already interested in spiritualism. The loss of loved ones the parents will bring more of this movement was very fashionable but also very controversial, which he will devote himself body and soul until the end of his life, running out until the last weeks of lectures around the world .. .
In terms of bibliography, it is also very interesting to read "Conan Doyle Detective" by Peter Costello, or the brand new "The man who was Sherlock Holmes: a biography of Joseph Bell 's Ely Liebow, who is more interested in the life of Professor of Surgery Conan Doyle, but a portion is devoted to the passage of the writer on the banns University of Edinburgh.
continued ...
