The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Twelve short stories published in 1891–92 introduced readers to Sherlock Holmes's method of observation and deduction, narrated by Dr Watson.

Author

Arthur Conan Doyle

First published

1892

Setting

Victorian London

Genre

Detective fiction

Read it if you like

Short, self-contained mysteries you can finish in one sitting.

On screen and stage

Granada TV series (1984–94), BBC's Sherlock (2010)

Overview

In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson narrates twelve cases from Baker Street, from A Scandal in Bohemia to The Adventure of the Copper Beeches. Each story is self-contained and shows Holmes reading small details, such as a stain, a callus or a style of hat, to solve puzzles that baffle the police. The stories first appeared in The Strand Magazine before being collected in a book.

Themes

• Observation versus assumption
• Reason and evidence
• The friendship of Holmes and Watson
• Victorian London

Background

The stories were published in The Strand Magazine from 1891, and their short, complete format helped the magazine attract a large readership. Conan Doyle modelled Holmes partly on his Edinburgh medical teacher Joseph Bell.

Why it endures

A brilliant detective with an admiring narrator became a template for crime fiction, and Holmes remains one of the most adapted fictional characters.

Quotes