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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for Conan Doyle fans, November 3, 2007
This is the first book of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's private letters, many of which have never been published. It provides an intimate and unvarnished view of the famous author that should appeal to both serious Sherlockians and casual readers interested in Conan Doyle. These letters reveal details of everyday life not mentioned in biographies, and clarify events that many biographers tend to gloss over. We also learn some new things about the Sherlock Holmes stories, including the fact that two prominent Holmes fans encouraged Conan Doyle to continue writing them when he might have stopped. As a Conan Doyle researcher, I've produced FAQs and web checklists of Conan Doyle manuscripts and archival materials. I'd expected this to be purely a reference book but I ended up reading it straight through. Conan Doyle's style is very readable, and the editors provide excerpts from his autobiography and other details for a smoothly-flowing narrative that's interesting and engaging. Anyone doing research on Conan Doyle or Sherlock Holmes will want to consult this volume. Even if you've already read a biography about Conan Doyle, you should read this book of his uncensored letters. You're certain to learn something new and get a fresh perspective on the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Company, December 8, 2007
It took me about a week to read this volume, and it became a very comfortable companion. I felt the three editors, men with uniquely close relationships with the life of Arthur Conan Doyle, were intelligent commentators on the material that hovered outside the actual letters, and made good decisions on what the reader needs to understand the text. I have read several biographies over a lifetime of study of Dr. Doyle's most famous creation, but I never before felt a real sense of kinship with the author. All knowledge had been perceived through the filter of each biographer's particular prejudices, not to mention the inavailability of much family material including these letters. Reading this book, I felt the full strength of his personality and the familial forces that had shaped his principles and politics. What's more, his sometimes puckish, sometimes ponderous sense of humor was demonstrated clearly to me for the first time. Everything about the book -- the photographs and drawings, the clear and handsome style of each page, the careful index -- gave further examples of the intelligent, thoughtful decisions by its editors and publishers. Let me recommend this book.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unpublished Letters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, November 18, 2007
The presentation represents unique unpublished letters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The letters were written in the 1860s- some are dated others are not dated. There are noted drawings and photos in the book including: o drawings by John Doyle (the son) o photo of Mary Kingsley Conan Doyle o Conan Doyle as a country gentleman o aboard "Eira" ship's master with Conan Doyle The presentation describes how Conan Doyle dedicated the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to Joseph Bell who reviewed the work glowingly in "The Bookman". Clearly, Conan Doyle learned some of the medical technology from Joseph Bell. Nonetheless, Conan Doyle attended medical school where he picked up a considerable body of knowledge applied in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This is a wonderful historical document for academicians, literary buffs, English students, students of literature and students of the historical period of the 1860s. The work is worth acquiring as a gift to the student in your house.
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