Sherlock Holmes :: English Literature

Sherlock HolmesWhat qualities are there in Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes storieswhich have sustained their popularity for so many years?Conan Doyle was among the first writers of detective stories andnovels in England. The first novel recognised as a detective story waswritten in 1868, by Wilkie Collins entitled The Moonstone. Later in1870, the popular novelist Charles Dickens also tried his hand atwriting a detective novel called The mystery story of Edwin Drood. Theseearly detective stories have not become as famous as Doyles creationfor a number of reasons, one of which is that when Doyle began writinghis novels there was a greater demand in general for stories, as morepeople were becoming educated and were taught how to claim.Consequently, when the stories about Holmes were published, there wasa growing empathizeership in England, greater than there had been inDickens and Collins time. Furthermore, the fact that dialect wasrarely used in any of the Sherlock Holmes stories, unli ke other worksof the time, made it easier for people to read and understand thecontent, particularly those who had only recently acquired the basicskill of reading. In addition, as the stories were originallypublished in the Strand magazine, this made them fairly accessible,and therefore they enjoyed a wider social readership. The stories wereoften shorter than those of other writers, and thus avoidedunnecessary detail. Generally, the stories have a distinct andsuccinct plot structure and were supported by illustrations, which Isuggest, played a part in the general success.Because the popularity of his detective stories increased rapidly, yetat the same time Doyle was becoming more and more ill at ease(predicate) withhis character. He wanted, out of personal preference to devote greatertime to other forms of writing. He decided that the best way to dothis was to end the feel of Sherlock Holmes with a dramatic storyinvolving Holmes worst enemy, Professor Moriarty. Doyle sent hisfa mous detective and his enemy plunging to their deaths at theReichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Doyle, however, had underestimatedthe popularity of his character, because when his followers read TheAdventure of the Final Problem there was a public outcry over hisaction. He received many letters from infuriated readers and some workforceactually marched through London, wearing black crepe bands aroundtheir hats, indicating their remorse for the death of their favouritedetective. It has been suggested that it was the popularity ofSherlock Holmes, which kept the The Strand magazine in business, andwhen Doyles stories did not appear in it, there were fewer copiessold, showing the tremendous popularity of the detective.