Exploring the friendship of the inscrutable sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his redoubtable companion, Doctor Watson-a bond that survived forty-six years-this scrupulously researched biography constructs the fascinating story of their relationship, for the most part from evidence in the massive canon of Arthur Conan Doyle. Speculative only when precise data is wanting, the book examines the personalities of its principals, traces the development of their partnership in crime detection, and considers such disputed aspects as the possible homosexual implications of their relationship, Holmes's disappearance for three years, and the identity of the second Mrs. Watson. With theories as to the location of 221B Baker Street, the person of the King of Bohemia, the dating of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and other matters long debated by Holmes experts, this volume will prove to be invaluable to all students of the Great Detective. And for anyone who has enjoyed Holmes in print or in film, television, and radio adaptations, it provides a detailed and engaging biographical account of one of literature's great immortal friendships.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
British crime novelist Thomson, author of four collections of Holmes short stories, combines the canonical facts with the best of recent scholarship in this winning dual biography of that Victorian odd couple, Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson. Unlike many Holmes biographers, the author trips lightly over data where it is vague, inconsistent or nonexistent, consigning discussion of such pedantic matters as problems of dating and the location of 221B Baker St. to appendices. In her prologue she just as deftly puts to rest the claim that the relationship between the two men was homosexual. Not content simply to cite higher authorities, Thomson with unobtrusive modesty puts forward her own theories on such hotly debated issues as the identity of the king of Bohemia and the second Mrs. Watson. Applying modern psychology, she makes the elementary deduction that the great detective was manic-depressive, but is also diligent in documenting other sides of his complex character such as the sentimental keeping of Irene Adler's picture. One advantage of the book's chronological approach is that the reader sees Holmes's character mature, from the impetuous young man of A Study in Scarlet to the mellow 60-year-old who takes his last bow at the start of the Great War. This is one of the finer case studies of one of literature's most celebrated friendships. (Mar. 1) Forecast: A future classic of Holmesian higher criticism, this book will attract ordinary fans looking for a readable narrative, not just Baker Street Irregular diehards.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Even readers with only a passing knowledge of Sherlock Holmes and his chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson, must be aware that this isn't the first "biography" of the great detective. Many books about the world's most famous fictional detective, however, are weighed down with scholarly apparatus. This dual biography of Holmes and Watson avoids such pedantry and, like Philip Jose Farmer's similar "lives" of Tarzan and Doc Savage, imaginatively melds fiction and nonfiction. While Thomson refers to the Holmes canon often, she doesn't spend a lot of time quoting from Conan Doyle's stories: she assumes that anyone reading this book is already familiar with the Holmes tales. Even better, she doesn't waste a lot of time with speculating about Holmes or developing outlandish theories about his character; except where it's absolutely necessary to hypothesize a bit, she sticks strictly to what Conan Doyle has told us, giving the recorded facts the organization and coherence of traditional biography. This plausible, engaging, intelligent addition to Holmesian literature is definitely a must-read for the detective's fans. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The biography of a friendship,
This review is from: Holmes and Watson (Hardcover)
June Watson has written several books of Holmes short stories (under the titles 'The Secret <whatever> of Sherlock Holmes' - File, Chronicles, Journals) but here writes a biography of both Holmes and Watson, with especial attention to their friendship.In writing this book, she draws heavily upon the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (things written by anyone else is ignored) and establishes a chronology of the stories, espouses her own theories and makes reference to those of other Holmesians and Sherlockians. This is a well-trodden path - first treader, as far as I know was Baring-Gould - but Ms. Thomson does a good job. The whole thing hangs together wonderfully - she foreshadows future ideas, she refers back to her previous views, and has plainly thought this project through. And, yes, she addresses the age-old questions - was Watson shot in the shoulder or the leg, why does Mrs. Watson call her husband John "James", how many times was Watson married and to who, who was Mrs. Turner, which university did Holmes go to, etc. If you are interested in the Holmes canon (as opposed to the stories) you may want to read this one.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential reading for Holmes buffs,
This review is from: Holmes and Watson (Hardcover)
Excellent "biography" (originally published in 1995) of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson from an accomplished mystery writer and Sherlockian scholar. The details and discussions are drawn directly from the original Holmes stories and features none of the unfounded or fanciful speculations that clog so many other Holmes "biographies". Thomson does offer other scholars' differing or dissenting opinions and interpretations, conjectures, and so on, where appropriate for a well-rounded text. The writing style is excellent and eminently readable, avoiding the dry scholarly style of some other studies. Well documented and footnoted, this is almost as entertaining to read as the actual Holmes stories themselves. Highly recommended.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unspectacular!,
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This review is from: Holmes and Watson (Hardcover)
June Thomson is a British mystery writer who has published about 18 novels concerning her own characters, and three pastiche collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. What she seems to be doing here is getting another book out of her research and thoughts about the Holmes and Watson characters, as accumulated during the writing of the three short-story collections.There is not much that is original here, and Thomson leans particularly heavily on D. Martin Dakin's SHERLOCK HOLMES COMMENTARY. What is good is Thomson's refusal to speculate wildly. She hews in a Fundamentalist way to the letter of the Canon; and, her main interest is the changing relations between Holmes and Watson, particularly as affected by Holmes' increasing deteriorating mental stability, and Watson's two marriages. Thomson's two claims of originality lie in her identification of the person Watson disguised as the "King of Bohemia"--- an identification I don't buy at all; and, her identification of Watson's mysterious second wife, an identification I find brilliant and completely convincing. This 2001 ... edition seems to be printed directly from the plates of the 1995 British edition, and the type shows quite a bit of damage, with a number of missing letters. If you are a lover of the Canon, and of Holmes and Watson, you'll find much to ponder in this organized review of what few hints the Canon gives us on matters of the actual dates of various cases, and on the day-to-day life and relationship of the Great Detective and his faithful Boswell.
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