Conan Doyle: A Biography of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes

by Ivor John Carnegie Brown

Sherlock Holmes is a literary legend, a character known and loved all over the world, and familiar even to those who are not particularly "bookish". His amazing exploits are quoted, discussed, argued about, filmed, dramatised, analysed, and subjected to frequent academic scrutiny. What lies behind the emergence of this extraordinary character, who has so firm a grip on the world's imagination? Ivor Brown, the distinguished critic and writer, tells the story of a struggling young doctor, Arthur Conan Doyle, who was to become rich and famous as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and whose life was to be ruled by the demands of a public insatiable for more and more Holmes. Yet Doyle himself hated his own creation and longed to be rid of him, even killing him off at one stage and then being forced to restore him, so great was the public outcry. Doyle's own life was a colourful one, sometimes overshadowed by the Holmes cult, and Ivor Brown has put into perspective the various facets of Doyle's career as medical man, traveller, and passionate champion of many causes, for it was Conan Doyle's own experience of life which led him to write so vividly of a character with whom he had much in common. From the inside jacket flap.

145 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Ivor John Carnegie Brown (1891-1974) was a British journalist and man of letters. Born in Penang, Malaya, Brown was the son of Dr. William Carnegie Brown, a specialist in tropical diseases, and his wife Jean Carnegie. At an early age he was sent to Britain, where he attended Suffolk Hall preparatory school and Cheltenham College. After additional private instruction, he was accepted into Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with double degrees in Classics and Literae Humaniores.

Brown spent his final years concentrating on writing books. He would eventually publish over 75 books covering a wide range of topics and genres, but he was best known for his works on literature and the English language. He was chairman of the British Drama League from 1954 to 1962 and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and he was named a CBE in 1957. He died in London in 1974.

Reviews

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting portrayal of the author of Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyal is a literary legend and although he wrote other books, he was mostly known for this crime sleuthing character. From his struggles as a young doctor to his writing, his personal journey was seriously hindered by his vigorous and continued striving for respect from his peers. For although his famous character brought him fame and fortune, Doyle was never satisfied with this notoriety and wanted to be rid of him entirely, as he deemed him unworthy of true intellectual genius. However, the public loved Sherlock Holmes and Doyle felt immense pressure to return him to his avid readers. If you are interested in this brilliant and prolific author, I recommend you read this book.