Being Sherlock: A Sherlockian's Stroll Through the Best Sherlock Holmes Stories

by Ashley D. Polasek

Being Sherlock shares the best collection of Sherlock Holmes stories fans have never had, until now. Shared by Sherlockian Ashley D. Polasek, she nimbly sets the stage for each story and shares interesting Sherlockian tidbits about the incredible evolution of this iconic character. Famous former and current Sherlocks William Gillette, Basil Rathbone, Christopher Lee, John Cleese, Robert Downey Jr., Sir Ian McKellen, and Benedict Cumberbatch among others. Featuring lesser-known photography and behind the scene shots, this book is for every Sherlock Holmes fan bookshelf. Unlike other Sherlockian guides, this book attempts to answer why the Sherlock narrative is so popular and decree the best and worst representations.

Genres: Fiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2019

Reviews

[Barbara]

Ashley D. Polasek, who has a PhD in film and television adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, is an internationally recognized expert on the fictional detective.


Ashley D. Polasek

Sherlock Holmes is one of literature's most recognizable characters, and - due to his vast popularity - has been depicted in a gamut of radio shows, stage plays, movies, and television series.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 short stories and 4 novellas make up the 'canon' of Sherlock Holmes, to which other writers have added their own stories, books, scripts, poems, songs, etc. Thus it seems like Sherlock Holmes will never go out of style.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


The Sherlock Holmes canon consists of 60 stories


Many writers have added to the Sherlock Holmes canon

Almost two hundred actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes over the years. One of the first was William Gillette who played Holmes in stage plays and silent films.


William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes

Two all time favorite depictions of Sherlock Holmes' are by Basil Rathbone in films and Jeremy Brett on television. More recent front-runners are Robert Downey Jr. in movies, and Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller on television.


Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes


Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes


Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes


Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes


Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes

More unconventional portrayals of Sherlock Holmes include Sir Ian McKellan as an aging sleuth in the movie 'Mr. Holmes' and Yûko Takeuchi as a female detective in the Japanese television series 'Miss Sherlock.' The author also notes that brilliant diagnostician Dr. Gregory House on 'House, M.D.' (played by Hugh Laurie) is a Sherlockian character. And the list could go on and on.


Sir Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes


Yûko Takeuchi as Miss Sherlock


Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House - a Sherlockian character

Though film and television adaptations of Sherlock Holmes are very popular, Polasek prefers the original stories. She writes, "For all the time I've spent immersed in the screen appearances of Sherlock Holmes, I always return to Conan Doyle's tales. They offer all the delights of the characters, the mysteries, and the atmosphere, and even after wearing the mystery out of them through endless rereading, they still utterly transport me."

In this book Polasek introduces the reader to "the very best the canon has to offer." Polasek shares the stories she loves most, the reasons she adores them, and all kinds of interesting minutiae related to the tales and their screen adaptations. The narrative is illustrated with photos, and it's fun to see Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in an assortment of incarnations.


Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson


Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke as Holmes and Watson


Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Holmes and Watson

Polasek includes her favorite Sherlock Holmes stories in their entirety, and - though I've read the tales many times - I enjoyed this excursion into the cream of the canon.

A Scandal in Bohemia


The Red-Headed League
This yarn, which features a carrot-top man who's hired to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica, not only stimulates Holme's intellectual curiosity, it also tickles his "blissful sense of the absurd."



The Speckled Band
This tale, about a woman who fears something is amiss in the home she shares with her stepfather, is a notable example of Conan Doyle's domestic trope. It features "a heavily veiled young woman, shaking from fear....who ignites the action by recounting the unexplained death of her sister, Julia."



The Man With the Twisted Lip
This narrative, about a man who disappears in a criminal London neighborhood, "draws on all of the anxieties that feed urban gothic works, beginning with the threat posed by the teeming London underworld to middle-class respectability."



The Solitary Cyclist
This story, about a young woman alarmed by a stalker, allows us to observe Holmes "knightly conduct as he stands toe to toe with one of the canon's most notorious scoundrels: Roaring Jack Woodley."



The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton
In this narrative about blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton, Sherlock Holmes calls him "the worst man in London." We get a picture of the revolting rotter, including "details of his appearance, manner, speech, reputation, public and private behavior, and his effects on those around him."



The Adventure of the Bruce Partington Plans
This tale, about submarine plans that are stolen, is a harbinger of the popular spy fiction genre. "It's complete with advanced military technology, foreign agents, international intrigue, personal betrayal, and espionage."



The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
This yarn, about a valuable gem found in the crop of a Christmas goose, is the only holiday themed story in the canon. "It offers everything one might want from a Victorian Christmas tale."



The Adventure of the Dancing Men
This mystery, about a woman threatened with notes written in code, helped cement the popularity of cyphers in detective fiction.



The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
This story, about a murdered aristocrat in a VERY male-dominated culture, is "one of Conan Doyle's most moral stories."



The Hound of the Baskervilles
This novella, about a family cursed with a hound from hell, is "arguably the most popular and easily the most read of the sixty tales that make up the Sherlock Holmes canon and beyond that, is recognized as one of the most beloved novels in the English language." The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most cinematic of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and has been adapted into numerous films and television episodes.



I strongly recommend this entertaining book to fans of Sherlock Holmes and to newbies who want to get acquainted with the famous sleuth.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Ashley D. Polasek), and the publisher (Lyons Press) for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[WS_BOOKCLUB]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on October first.

For those who don’t have the dubious pleasure of knowing me personally, let me say: I love Sherlock Holmes. I have read the Complete Sherlock Holmes multiple times. I’ve enjoyed many different works in the Holmes pastiche, including (but not limited to) Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Anna Waterhouse, the Charlotte Holmes books by Brittany Cavallaro, and The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

This book is a superb addition to the list of Sherlockian books. It added a new angle to the lore and many iterations of Conan Doyle’s famous detective that have sprung from his original works.

I loved the addition of the photos and the author’s viewpoints, as well as her reasoning behind what she included in the book. She points out aspects of Conan Doyle’s writing that I’ve taken for granted up until now. It’s given me an even greater appreciation of the genius of his writing.

My only suggestion would be to read the full original works before picking up this book, simply because it will cause you to appreciate this introspective stroll through Sherlock even more. If you love Holmes, this book is for you.

[Simone]

Thank you, Netgalley, for this advance readers copy! Here is my honest opinion in return.

As a fan of everything Sherlock Holmes, I was excited to get my hands on this book. It did not disappoint!! I love how the author combines the stories with background information, adds information about the movie and TV show adaptions, and includes pictures of the movies and TV shows. For example, Dr. House in the TV show "House" reminded me of Sherlock, now I know why! This is a great collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. It is not just another collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, but goes way beyond that with the additional information.

The author certainly seems to be an expert in everything Sherlock Holmes. The information was not just something you would google and throw together to write a book. She knows what she is talking about!

Great read and I loved rereading some of my favorite Holmes adventures! Made me feel nostalgic!

[Anna Fox]

Enjoyed reading this Sherlock collection. I liked the background given on the stories, the information on
which movies/tv shows that had episodes based on the stories. It gave one another view of the stories and allowed me to notice more about them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat M]

I had a blast reading this, I've loved Sherlock stories for a long time and this book was great. It was fun and well-written, I couldn't put it down.

[Bill Tress]

I love this genre! And this book just put “frosting on the cake”. Sherlock Holmes has been immortalized in books and TV shows, yet, having a real Sherlockian scholar providing introductions and commentary before each story make this book magical. Her insights into Arthur Conan Doyle are superb and further enhance the tales. She tells us about how foggy Victorian London adds an almost sensual feel to these stories; Sherlock and Watson prowling the East End with its narrow alleys and streets while the foggy mist covers their movements is enchanting.
As I read these stories, the plots came back to me, I had read them before, and I had watched them on TV; my favorite TV performers were Basil Rathbone, and Jeremy Brett. Reading Doyle’s excellent prose, allowed my mind to recall the TV portrayal, and it was delightful. Even without all the background, reading Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes again is a pleasure. In the nineteenth century I would have been one of those Londoners who impatiently waited for the latest copy of the Strand Magazine to read Holmes newest adventure.
Doyle’s genius was inherited from Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been credited with initiating the entire genre of “detective fiction” with his detective Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin. It was Doyle who built on Poe’s work by creating Sherlock Holmes. Polasek presentations points out where Doyle mimics Poe in dialogue and interpretation. Doyle’s genius builds on Poe, yet who did Poe emulate? Poe was a student at the US Military Academy, and a story is told that he had an instructor who exhibited the same skills at observation and deduction that Poe gave to Dupin and Doyle gave to Holmes; surely, a subject for another book.
The final story is the timeless “Hound of the Baskervilles” This story combines horror and classic folklore, it is possibly Doyle’s best work. If you love the genre and the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle this book will be a joy to read.

[Annie]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Being Sherlock is a survey course and context commentary for 10 of the author's choices for 'best' Holmes stories plus the Hound of the Baskervilles . Released 20th Sept 2019 by Lyons Press, it's 448 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is an engaging and thoroughly readable collection by Ashley D Polasek, an academic who has specialized in the study of the Holmes canon and media representations. The stories themselves are perennial and almost certainly familiar to anyone picking up this book. What's fresh and really delightful are the author's interesting and -accessible- comments and background for the stories, their history, and the media depictions which they inspired. The author writes well and entertainingly and manages to avoid the pedagogy and convoluted prose which are the hallmark of all too many general reader books written by very specialized academics.

I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it unreservedly for fans of Holmes, the films & TV appearances, and mystery lovers as well. She refers to a number of lesser known but worthy spin offs in print and film which will give the reader more Holmesian goodness to hunt down. This would make a great book club or buddy read (one story with commentary per meeting? Yes, please!).

The book is richly annotated and full of photographs and illustrations. This is a lovingly and respectfully written book. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Susan Johnston]

Princess Fuzzypants here: Elementary! Sherlock Holmes has ignited the imagination of generation after generation since his birth in the fertile mind of Arthur Conan Doyle. Whether it was in serial form when first written or reprint after reprint, generations have embraced him and his associate Dr. Watson. He has also been the star of film and television with many storied actors slipping on his persona.
This is an interesting collection of many of his best tales but it has an intriguing twist. As a preface to each story, the author conjures up some of the finer performances that were based on the particular story. Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch are three actors who have, in the own ways, defined how we see Sherlock. Each has a somewhat different take but all true to the material. It is fascinating to see where the performances originated and how the productions, although vastly different, have all captured the essence.
With its combination of the visual with the written material, this book is an excellent addition to any Sherlockian’s collection. Four purrs and two paws up.

[Jen]

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

"Being Sherlock" contains commentary on the various film and television incarnations of arguably the most famous (fictional) private detective in conjunction with a selection of short stories and the full length novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles". It's a great introduction for those who only know of the great detective through the more recent versions and perhaps never read the original stories. The commentary touches upon the classic interpretations as well as the modern takes and does its best to not favor one actor over another - each incarnation highlights an aspect of the original character and one can't help but picture their favorite version (my personal favorite is Jeremy Brett) while reading the Conan Doyle story.

[Brandi Fox]

This was my introduction to Holmes off the screen and it was delightful. The collection of stories was well curated and has convinced me to be a fan. The introductions and connections to the films makes me want to watch the adaptations.

If you’ve ever wanted to give Holmes a try, this is a great place to start.

[Lois Lane]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. The volume is mostly a collection of classic Holmes stories such as A Scandal in Bohemia. I was hoping for more analysis, particularly of recent adaptations such as Sherlock. What is there is good, but it wasn’t enough to sustain my interest. The stories have been reprinted so many times that I was left wondering what the point of another such volume is.