Monday, September 29, 2014

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock

What is it about Sherlock Holmes that is so enduring? I've been in love with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved Sherlock and Watson since I was about ten years old. I enjoyd, A Game of Shadows. I would have liked more romance to balance out the action, but it was still great and I've learned to appreciate Robert Downey, Jr. as a different type of Sherlock, I had trouble with that in Sherlock Holmes, the first one with Downey, but he seems to have captured Sherlock's intellect and shrewdness in this one and I like it. Jude Law is great as ever as Watson.

Professor Moriarity played by Jared Harris is an excellent villain.

Here's a link about Doyle's Biography A paragraph on this site reveals a lot and so much I didn't know: " The young medical student met a number of future authors who were also attending the university, such as for instance James Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson. But the man who most impressed and influenced him, was without a doubt, one of his teachers, Dr. Joseph Bell. The good doctor was a master at observation, logic, deduction, and diagnosis. All these qualities were later to be found in the persona of the celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes."

Also, I think he solved a dilemma that many of us struggle with. I wish it was this easy for me. He had a serious bout with the flu that nearly killed him. "When his health improved, he came to realize how foolish he had been trying to combine a medical career with a literary one. "With a wild rush of joy," he decided to abandon his medical career. He added, "I remember in my delight taking the handkerchief which lay upon the coverlet in my enfeebled hand, and tossing it up to the ceiling in my exultation. I should at last be my own master."

I love a great mystery. Is this what makes the team of Sherlock and Watson so enduring and endearing? This team goes on and on . . . why is that? 

My very favorite Sherlock Holmes book and movie was and is, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Do you have a favorite? Are you a fan of a different type of mystery? I'll be giving away a copy of my own romantic mystery this month, Chameleon. I dare you to solve it.



 
 Chameleon by Jillian KentJillian is employed as a counselor for nursing students in Cincinnati, Ohio and possesses a masters degree in social work. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and passionate about mental health, wellness, and stomping out the stigma of mental illness. You can also read her September article of The Well Writer which is titled, Battling the Black Dog. You can explore further at her website www.jilliankent.com.She invites you to join her on Twitter @JillKentAuthor and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JillianKent




 a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 comments:

  1. Love everything about Sherlock Holmes! My favorite just happens to be The Hounds Of Baskervilles, too. I really enjoy the camaraderie between Downey and Law in the movies. I think they do well. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Susan,
      I wonder if there is a new Sherlock coming out? I haven't heard anything but I'm ready for another now with Downey and Law. I'd love to see them do a remake of the Hound.

      Delete
  2. I'll have to write another post sometime when I can explore a little more of Conan Doyle himself. Here's another link I just found. http://www.biography.com/#!/people/arthur-conan-doyle-9278600#synopsis
    Within that article it states, "Doyle's first paying job as a doctor took the form of a medical officer's position aboard the steamship Mayumba, travelling from Liverpool to Africa" That sounds just like a Sherlock adventure. I'm reading The Hound of the Baskerviless again now. What is it about this guy that keeps us coming back for more?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jillian! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of Chameleon! This may come as a surprise but, I have never read a single Sherlock Holmes novel in all of my 37 yrs! (I've never read anything by Jane Austen either, I have seen 4 of the movies of her books however)! I don't know why I haven't other than none of Doyle's or Austen's books were required reading in school and I read mainly contemporary novels when I was younger.
    **I hope you'll still put my name in the hat for Chameleon because I do love historical novels these days!**
    kam110476 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hallo, Hallo Ms Kent!

    I was trying to sort out if I ever actually finished reading one of the Holmes mysteries whilst I was growing up on cosies, as I think I might have opted instead to see him in motion pictures rather than to absorb all the stories in one sitting! :) It was always something I wanted to do though, and one day I know I will get around to reading his collective works! The way in which Doyle was able to craft the suspense of the mysteries is what I think has endeared us to his bent on the genre and of which has given other writers such a flexible breadth in which to create their own; thus far forward in time.

    I love cosy mysteries overall - I love when they are set in contemporary times as much as the historical eras of the past; my newest love would be the Cosy Historical Mystery of which I have had the pleasure of reading a few times already now that I'm blogging full time. I wasn't as exposed to reading cosies set so far back in time as I am now; from the Medieval era to even earlier! I loved seeing how one author took Francis Bacon and turnt him into a detective as much as how the writers grant us the ability to 'see' the past through their particular portal of interest.

    I'm a steadfast fan of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock as much as I am a huge appreciator of SHERLOCK with Benedict Cumberbatch (even if the last series sort of pushed me a bit; that opener was overdone); I am not a fan of the new film versions unfortunately as for me they felt 'off' and not the traditional nor modern Sherlock I wanted to see represented. However, I know for each of us who loves Sherlock Holmes there are a lot of different avenues we can each take to continue our love of his legacy! For instance, one of my favourite 'after canons' for Holmes are the Mary Russell mysteries by Laurie R. King! I am still gaining ground inside that series, but ooh! What delightful goal, eh!? :)

    I may have mentioned previously how keen I am to read your mysteries so it is quite a nice surprise I think for the winner this month! :)

    ReplyDelete