But how did the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, come up with a character who has become the universal archetype of the independent detective? Sherlock Holmes is one of the most widely recognized figures of literature and pop culture. Read the Transcriptīrett McKay: Brett McKay here, and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast. Podcast SponsorsĬlick here to see a full list of our podcast sponsors. Listen ad-free on Stitcher Premium get a free month when you use code “manliness” at checkout. Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice. Listen to the episode on a separate page. Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!) Lessons in Manliness From Hardboiled Detective Philip Marlowe.Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast Why does the character of Holmes still capture audiences today?.Doyle’s interesting friendship with Harry Houdini.Arthur Conan Doyle’s spiritualism and how it influenced his work.Holmes surprising tobacco and cocaine habits.What was Watson’s role in the Holmes adventures?.The odd inconsistencies from story to story.Were the novels and stories a hit right away?.What set Holmes apart from other fictional detectives?.Edgar Allan’s Poe creation of the detective genre.The state of medicine in the late 19th century.What was his career like as a doctor? How did that influence his writing?.If reading this in an email, click the title of the post to listen to the show. We then delve into the characterization of Holmes and his crime solving methodology, before ending our conversation discussing Conan Doyle’s intense interest in spiritualism and why Holmes is such a captivating figure even in the 21st century. He shows how writers like Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe laid the groundwork for detective fiction, how the Sherlock stories differed from theirs, and how they were initially received. Michael then walks us through the cultural world of Victorian England and how it was the perfect environment for a character like Holmes to be birthed. His name is Michael Sims and we begin our conversation with the early life of Conan Doyle and his experience in medical school studying under a renowned diagnostician who helped inspire the character of Sherlock Holmes. In his book, Arthur and Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes, my guest today explores the biography of the fictional detective by looking at the life of the real-world author. But how did the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, come up with a character who has become the universal archetype of the independent detective? Sherlock Holmes is one of the most widely recognized figures of literature and pop culture.

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle