World-renowned for his deductive method, Sherlock Holmes has captured the hearts of readers across generations worldwide, yet he was a source of great irritation for his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the fame and fortune that came from the adventures of his fictional detective forced Doyle to “tolerate” the sleuth and blend the detective genre with his other passions.
Childhood: Legends of Knights Instead of Fairy Tales
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859, into a family of architects. From a young age, his mother, Mary Foley, regaled him with tales of knights, their feats, and adventures instead of traditional fairy tales. The boy was captivated by these stories and later created his own interpretations of them.
When six-year-old Arthur was sent to preparatory school, he quickly earned a reputation among his peers as an engaging storyteller. There, and later at a private college where the future writer continued his studies, classmates eagerly listened to his “tales,” always anticipating the next installment. To maintain his popularity, he had to keep inventing new stories. Surprisingly, he found this quite easy, and his variations often surpassed the originals. Gradually, young Arthur began to write them down, as sometimes he needed to repeat a story for those who had dozed off early.
Little Arthur with his father
Not all classmates were thrilled with young Arthur’s storytelling; for instance, he often suffered at the hands of the Moriarty brothers, who frequently bullied the future writer. Moreover, they excelled in mathematics, a subject Arthur despised with all his heart. As a writer, Conan Doyle elegantly took revenge on his tormentors by naming his antagonist, the genius of the criminal world, Professor Moriarty.
At 17, the ambitious young man fulfilled his dream by enrolling in the medical faculty at Edinburgh University, where he graduated with a highly progressive and prestigious profession as a surgeon, along with several offers for practice. Interestingly, during his time at his alma mater, Doyle met James Barrie, the future “father” of Peter Pan, and Robert Louis Stevenson, who would later write the adventure novel “Treasure Island.”
Traveler: From the Arctic to Africa
The thought of not wasting youth—and life in general—on the mundane, lest he regret it in old age, lingered with the young man since his school days. While still a medical student, Arthur embarked on an Arctic expedition aboard a whaling ship beyond the Arctic Circle. This six-month journey provided him with invaluable life experience and rich literary material, which he later used in his story “The Captain of the ‘Polar Star.’
A page from the journal Conan Doyle kept while aboard the whaling ship “Hope.”
After completing his studies and starting his medical practice, the young doctor seemed to have a clear future ahead. However, his thirst for adventure prevented him from sitting in the cold confines of a surgical office and led him to board a ship bound for distant Africa, where Conan Doyle served as the ship’s doctor on a steamer cruising along the western coast of Africa.
Upon returning to an English port, Arthur Conan Doyle stepped off the gangway as a writer—at least, that’s how he referred to himself. Yet, he found little time to craft literary masterpieces, forcing him to return to medical practice, marry several times, and raise children.
Conan Doyle with his wife and children, 1923–1925
Novelist: The “Quiet” Fame of a Historical Fiction Author
This continued until 1888, when his first novel, “The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard,” was published, receiving no negative criticism from discerning audiences. The “young” writer did not stop there, publishing historical novels that were close to his heart. And not once did he experience failure! Critics particularly praised his chivalric work “The White Company.” Arthur Conan Doyle was over the moon with his achievements, as his novel was placed on par with Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe.”
Once the theme of chivalry was explored, the now-confident writer turned his attention to the history of France. His Scottish perspective on the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s ambition to conquer all, and other pivotal events in the country piqued the interest of readers. Once again, success!
It was clear that Conan Doyle had found his niche in literature, yet, unlike others, his fame was quietly simmering, like a library moth. At that time, the global book industry was bursting with talented writers who were relentlessly publishing hit mystical thrillers, fantastical and adventurous tales, and bold love stories with explicit intimate scenes. Breaking through to any pedestal was nearly impossible. It was time to pick up a different pen!
Conan Doyle in volunteer uniform during the Anglo-Boer War
The Creator of Sherlock: The Genius of Deduction Takes the Stage
During this time, the writer’s first detective story, “A Study in Scarlet,” was published, introducing the brilliant detective for the first time. From that moment on, Sherlock Holmes embarked on a spectacular journey through the pages of books, cinema screens, and theater stages worldwide, a journey that continues to this day.
What was so captivating about this “Study” that resonated with readers? Of course, it was the main character, Sherlock Holmes, whose prototype was Joseph Bell, a lecturer at Edinburgh University. The professor was known for his ability to “read” people. Whether it was extrasensory abilities or a deep understanding of psychology, history remains silent. However, he was an extraordinary and intelligent individual. Sir Arthur didn’t even need to invent a character; he simply had to skillfully craft the personality and habits of the protagonist and send him off in search of criminals.
Portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget, 1904
From the 1890s until the end of his life, Arthur Conan Doyle never abandoned his Sherlock. Although he once attempted to kill him off at the hands of Professor Moriarty—the genius of the criminal world—in the story “The Final Problem.” According to one version, Holmes was saved by the writer’s mother, who, with her characteristic maternal wisdom, urged him, “Son, people are waiting for the continuation; don’t stop. This is your time to shine, and I’m curious to see what other cases this detective can handle.” Another legend suggests that Queen Victoria herself intervened to save the king of deduction, reportedly asking the author to “resurrect” Sherlock, who, in Doyle’s imagination, had met his end in the turbulent waters of the Reichenbach Falls. Not to mention the countless letters from readers demanding the return of their beloved hero.
The cards were laid out: Sherlock Holmes was back! He returned to the pages of “Adventures” with new intricate cases. The writer himself did not share the audience’s enthusiasm for his character and considered the detective’s adventures “light” reading, which, however, brought him literary fame and money. Thus, until the end of his life, Sir Conan Doyle “made peace” with Sherlock’s popularity, seeing himself primarily as an author of historical novels.
Statue of Sherlock Holmes in Edinburgh
Mystic: Is There Life After Death?
There was another realm where Conan Doyle made his mark: he was fascinated by everything supernatural and unexplored. In addition to writing mystical stories, he was a true spiritualist. This passion did not seem odd at the time; the late 19th and early 20th centuries can confidently be called the era of global “mysticism mania.” Western Europe was particularly affected: clubs dedicated to communicating with the spirits of the deceased flourished, and friendly gatherings and family dinners often ended with a “dessert” of summoning otherworldly forces. Newspapers and magazines were filled with reports of the unusual, documenting ghosts, zombies, and superhumans. Proponents of the theory of the supernatural were fervent, while their antagonists vehemently debunked these theories, and organizers of such events and club owners reaped substantial profits. The main thing was that all parties remained satisfied.
Arthur, the “father” of Holmes, was swept up in this trend: Sir Arthur collected and studied occult literature, participated in spiritualist sessions, and even conducted them himself. He was particularly interested in what happens to a person after leaving this mortal world. It is unknown whether the writer received an answer to this question from the spirits he continuously summoned during spiritualist sessions, but Conan Doyle remained a fan of the occult until the end of his life.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Interesting Facts About His Life and Work
- During the Anglo-Boer War, Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to enlist as a soldier. However, he was turned down due to being overweight. The writer only made it to the war in a professional capacity, serving as the head of a field hospital, which inspired the character of Dr. Watson.
- When the writer decided to “drown” the annoying detective in the waters of the Reichenbach Falls, it sparked protests from readers across England: over 20,000 subscribers canceled their subscriptions to the magazine where the detective’s adventures were published, and crowds of outraged people gathered daily around the editorial office with slogans demanding, “Bring us back Holmes!”
- There is a theory that Conan Doyle was the first to propose the idea of scientifically studying evidence from crime scenes—collecting cigarette butts and ashes, analyzing blood, and conducting ballistic tests. These methods were described in his detective stories long before their first official application. A continuation of this theory claims that the writer himself was a detective, secretly conducting investigations.
- Not just Sherlock. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote “The Lost World,” about the revival of the age of dinosaurs on a deserted island. This book later helped Michael Crichton create “Jurassic Park.”
- In 2004, an archive of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was discovered in the office of a London law firm: among more than 3,000 sheets were diary entries, manuscripts of unpublished works, drafts, and correspondence with Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, and Oscar Wilde.
- After the writer’s death, his children and other relatives attempted to summon his spirit. Whether they missed him or hoped to learn the whereabouts of buried African treasures remains unknown.