Siteadmin, Check users, Administrators
12,071
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − + − In the novels, Sherlock Holmes lived at 221b Baker Street in London. There has been a recent movement to place a plaque on this residence despite the fact that Mr Holmes was a fictional character.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − == Links == − [http://www.sherlockian.net/canon/ Sherlock Holmes Stories]
Extensive rewrite and expansion on key concepts
'''Sherlock Holmes''' is one of the greatest and most well known fictional characters of all-time. He was created by Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]. Doyle wrote fifty-six short stories and four novels featuring Holmes. Holmes is a criminal detective, and the stories are told by his friend and chronicler, the famous [[Dr. Watson]]. Holmes is known for using his amazing art of deduction to solve what seem to be unsolvable crimes. The first Holmes story, ''A Study in Scarlet'', was published in 1887. It is interesting to note that Doyle actually killed Holmes off in ''His Last Bow'', but due to the outcry of his readers he brought him back. One of the most widely read stories is ''The Hound of the Baskervilles''. Sherlock Holmes greatly influenced other writers of detective stories. Some authors, such as Larry Millet, have even written their own Holmes books. There have also been movies made of him.
'''Sherlock Holmes''' is one of the greatest and best-known fictional characters in English literature. He was the central character in fifty-six short stories and four novels written by Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]. Holmes is a "consulting detective" specializing in crime, and the stories are told by his friend and chronicler, the famous [[Dr. John H. Watson]]. Holmes is known for using his amazing art of deduction to solve what seem to be unsolvable crimes--though he would be the first to tell anyone who asked, as he frequently tells Dr. Watson, that he is only observing "elementary" facts that anyone having eyes to see, would see just as well.
== Background ==
Of Holmes' early life and family, Conan Doyle said but little, though many dedicated fans have attempted to supply the details. Christopher Morley, founder of the first Sherlock Holmes fan club, "The Baker Street Irregulars,"<ref name=Morley>Authors unknown, "[http://www.sherlockian.net/societies/index.html Societies]," ''[http://www.sherlockian.net/ Sherlockian.net]''. Retrieved April 20, 2007.</ref> estimated the date of Holmes' birth at January 6, 1854.<ref name=World>Authors unknown, "[http://www.sherlockian.net/world/index.html The World of Holmes and Watson]," ''[http://www.sherlockian.net/ Sherlockian.net]''. Retrieved April 20, 2007.</ref>
Sherlock Holmes is the younger by seven years of two brothers. The other brother, [[Mycroft Holmes]], has a reputation for having as much power of observation and deduction as does his brother Sherlock. But instead of being a consulting detective, Mycroft is a sort of minister-without-portfolio in Her Majesty's government ([[Victoria of the United Kingdom]])--and in fact Watson observes that "occasionally he ''is'' the British government."<ref name=Mycroft>Authors unknown, "[http://www.sherlockian.net/world/mycroft.html The Brother of the Detective]", ''[http://www.sherlockian.net/ Sherlockian.net]''. Retrieved April 20, 2007.</ref>
Speculation as to the full extent, and the pedigree, of Holmes' family abounds. However, only Mycroft Holmes, which Conan Doyle specifically mentions, may be considered a canonical relative of his.
The one love of Holmes' life was [[Irene Adler]], whom he called ''The'' Woman. Holmes never married.<ref name=World/>
Sherlock Holmes lived at 221b Baker Street in London.<ref name=World/> When he was not being a consulting detective, Holmes could be found playing his violin, or taking [[cocaine]], an addiction that he never conquered.
== Original short stories and novels ==
The first Holmes story, ''A Study in Scarlet'', was published in 1887. In it, Sherlock meets Dr. Watson for the first time.
Interestingly, Doyle actually killed Holmes off in ''His Last Bow'', but due to the outcry of his readers he brought him back.
One of the most widely read stories--and perhaps the one most often adapted into [[motion picture|film]]--is ''The Hound of the Baskervilles''.
== Allusions to Holmes by other authors ==
Sherlock Holmes greatly influenced other writers of detective stories. Some authors have written their own Holmes books. Larry Millett is one. These extra-canonical works fall into three broad categories:
# Further adventures of Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian and Edwardian periods in which he lived. These include hypothetical stories that have Holmes investigating such real-life criminals as [[Jack the Ripper]], and at least one story (''[[The Seven Percent Solution]]'') in which Watson prevails upon Holmes to consult [[Sigmund Freud]] for help with his cocaine addiction.
# Adventures of Sherlock Holmes after he somehow finds himself in the late twentieth century after someone--usually Professor Moriarty--has had him cryogenically preserved against his will. In this same category one can include the adventures of amnesiacs who ''become'' Sherlock Holmes because of their own obsessions with the canonical works.
# Adventures of other putative members of Holmes' family. In this category also fall stories that have canonical characters behaving out-of-character.<ref name=Vlad>At least one writer of horror and [[science fiction]] has even suggested that Holmes is the nephew of [[Count Dracula]], also known as [[Vlad the Impaler]], through Vlad's brother [[Radu the Handsome]], on the theory that Vlad and Radu ''both'' became [[vampire]]s. See Fred Saberhagen, ''The Holmes-Dracula File'', Tor Books, 1978, ISBN 0812523849</ref>
== Effect on modern culture ==
Recently a movement has sprung up to place a plaque on this residence, this although Holmes was a fictional character.
== Copyright issues ==
The complete body of Sherlock Holmes' work is not yet in the public domain. The last canonical collection, ''The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes'', is still under [[copyright]] in the [[United States]]. This copyright will expire between 2016 and 2023, as per the terms of the [[Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act]] of 1998.<ref name=ASU>Dennis S. Karjala, ''[http://homepages.law.asu.edu/~dkarjala/OpposingCopyrightExtension/ Opposing Copyright Extension, Protecting the Public Domain],'' [[Arizona State University]], March 8, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2007.</ref> The Estate of Dame Jean Conan Doyle owns the remaining US copyrights.<ref name=Copyright>Authors unknown, "[http://www.sherlockian.net/acd/copyright.html Copyright]," ''[http://www.sherlockian.net/ Sherlockian.net]''. Retrieved April 20, 2007.</ref>
However, copyrights in [[Canada]] are already expired (since 1980), as are copyrights in the [[United Kingdom]] (expired 2000).<ref name=Copyright/>
== Portrayals of Holmes ==
Many different actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes in a variety of [[motion picture]] and [[television]] projects. Perhaps the two actors who portrayed Holmes most often were:
# [[Basil Rathbone]], who portrayed Holmes in several films set in the middle twentieth century, when the films were made.
# [[Jeremy Brett]], who portrayed Holmes in adaptations, produced by [[John Hawkesworth]], of all four novels and fifty of the fifty-six short stories. Brett died before Hawkesworth could complete his grand project of adapting all of the Sherlock Holmes stories for [[television]]. Critics regard Brett's portrayal as the most definitive and realistic portrayal of Holmes ever made.
== References ==
<references/>
[[category:fictional characters]]
[[category:fictional characters]]