The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes

 

First, let me make it clear that I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, and have been one since I was 13. So when I heard about the book, The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes by Zach Dundas, it was clear that I would have to read it. The book follows the search of Dundas – also a lifelong Holmes fan – as he sets out to learn “Why have Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and the mysteries Conan Doyle challenged them to solve not only endured, but thrived?” Unfortunately, he never really answers that question, but perhaps it cannot really be answered. Instead, he learns a lot about clubs and venues devoted to Holmes, travels to places where some of the stories took place, and unearths a lot of information about the background of the author, the characters and stories as well as the history of the actors, performances, and related media that the original stories inspired.

On that level, it’s an extremely detailed book – but only for fans of Sherlock Holmes, or at least for people who have actually read the original stories. As Dundas points out throughout the book, many people who know about Holmes only through films and related material don’t really know what the character is like, or at least have false ideas about him. Many of his comments reminded me of aspects of the original that I had forgotten about, and made me want to go back and read the respective stories again.

I can’t imagine that this book would be engaging for those who have never read the stories and are not at all interested in the character or the related material. Perhaps those who like the TV shows and movies, but have never read the original, would be inspired to read them because Dundas makes them sound so compelling.