The Man Who Became Sherlock Holmes: The Tortured Mind of Jeremy Brett (Paperback)

~ Terry Manners (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Jeremy Brett was, for millions of television viewers worldwide the quintessential Sherlock Holmes. However he became obsessed by the role and his body and soul were taken over in his quest to become the ultimate Sherlock Holmes, until his untimely death in 1995. Brett's earlier acting career spanned the greats of the English stage - Laurence Olivier was his mentor - as well as the trappings of Hollywood. Terry Manner's insightful biography considers Brett's contribution to the theatre, but concentrates on the turmoil of his life as Baker Street's world-famous sleuth, and his battle with manic depression.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753505363
• ISBN-13: 978-0753505366
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #754,429 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy, October 8, 2002

By A Customer

The author of this book has taken a few facts in Jeremy Brett's life, and has let his imagination soar -- not good to do when writing a biograghy. Manner's depiction of Brett is inaccurate, misleading, and insulting. Not for someone who wants the real story behind the Holmesian actor. I recommend "Bending the Willow" by David Stuart Davies as a truer telling of Brett's story.

42 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad Manners, February 24, 2002

By A Customer

If only I could rate this book less than one star ... very disappointing to anyone who is interested in learning more about Jeremy Brett. I put this book down before I half finished it, and feel he has been dishonored.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but I'm afraid, Fictional....., November 22, 2007

By	retroredux - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Became Sherlock Holmes: The Tortured Mind of Jeremy Brett (Hardcover)

I was fortunate to get several Jeremy Brett books through a Library loan to read, as I cannot afford the exorbitant prices they currently go for:) My review is for other Brett fans who are wondering if certain books are worth spending their hard earned money on.

I just finished Robert Stuart Davies Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett As Sherlock Holmes and Dancing In The Moonlight, and now have read this book.

I start my review for The Man Who Became Sherlock Holmes with this: For a work of fiction it was very interesting reading. Why, do you ask, that I consider this a work of fiction?

Well, my main concern is, nowhere in this book does the author cite a SINGLE source for the supposed intimate, personal and first hand information that he writes as the "truth". I find ANY biography of a recently deceased person that is unable to cite sources HIGHLY suspicious.

What makes this even more disheartening is the intimate, supposedly truthful events he reports in this book while not saying where or even how he received this information.

Information about affairs, sexual preferences, delusional public episodes, even Mr Brett supposedly being molested as a child! When dealing with SUCH personal information-if an author cannot say where he received such info than as a responsible reader I feel all info should be taken as FICTION, salacious gossip and slander-period. Which is ironic as the author writes of Mr Brett's struggle to keep his private life private-so how exactly was such intimate info learned about such a private man? One would realistically surmise that it's inaccurate and fictitious at best.

The book is written like a novel as well-with pages long "inner dialogs" that Mr Brett supposedly had with himself. Again-how in the world is an author-whom from the book I assume never even knew or met Mr Brett-to know these things? He's not-no one knows into the inner thoughts of another person.

Mr Manners took HUGE literary liberties with this book. To put it into modern context-it's basically "fan fiction" and poorly done at that as Mr Manners didn't write this book as a fan but to make a buck off(in 1997) the recently deceased Brett. For the most part, the author does not paint Mr Brett in a favorable light and spews outlandish claims for the benefit of the almighty dollar.

Please take my advice Jeremy Brett fans-look to books Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett As Sherlock Holmes, The Television Sherlock Holmes for more accurate info, or just watch Jeremy at his best The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection), remember him for his proven kindness and talent and skip this highly salacious book.