Sherlock Holmes

The Man of Mystery

The fictitious detective Sherlock Holmes was as enigmatic as the cases he solved.

THE British detective Sherlock Holmes is known around the world for his uncanny ability to solve crime mysteries, as well as for his eccentric ways and unorthodox personal habits. In the early 20th century, he cracked some of Londons most gruesome, confounding and perplexing cases, astounding the world with his mastery of forensic evidence and deductive reasoning.

The story is that Holmes began his detective career as a university student, helping fellow students solve mysteries. He attended Cambridge University, where a classmates father influenced him to pursue his sleuthing professionally. After college, he ran his detective agency out of his apartment in London.

In 1881, Holmes took in Dr. John Watson as a roommate to help with the rent. Dr. Watson became Holmes trusted and indispensable assistant, as well as his biographer who kept meticulous records of Holmes cases.

Dr. Watson lived with Holmes from 1881 until his marriage in 1887, returning to live with Holmes after the death of his wife. Sherlock himself never married. He was a loner often perceived as arrogant and cold. But he was passionate about his work. There was nothing Holmes wouldnt do to solve a case for his client.

Holmes was a musician, a violinist, a skilled boxer, swordsman and marksman and schooled in the martial arts. He was an expert on chemistry and British law, with an encyclopedic knowledge of Englands most horrific crimes. He was a fierce patriot, often putting his considerable skills to use on behalf of his country and its government.

Sherlock Holmes was believed to have been killed during one of his cases, only to surprise his enemies by having secretly survived. He eventually retired to the English countryside, where he became a beekeeper and wrote a manual on raising bees. But he would come out of retirement to help out on a random case, especially when he was asked to serve his country

And the most astounding fact of all is that he is actually a fictional character, the literary invention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes was based on several different people in Doyles life, but the character has had a life of his own since Doyle published his first Sherlock Holmes story in 1886.

When it seemed that Holmes was killed off in the The Adventure of the Final Problem, fans revolted. Doyle refused to write another Sherlock Holmes story for 10 years, but eventually relented to fan pressure, bringing him back in The Adventure of the Empty House.

Doyle himself died in 1930, but Sherlocks popularity and mythology has lived on.

Picture Above: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, celebrated author and creator of Sherlock Holmes, in 1923

New York Post, December 15, 2010
Written by: Robin Wallace