There is something passing strange about Sherlock Holmes. You’ve seen me as an old lady, Watson. I was never more convincing… —Sherlock Holmes, The Mazarin Stone Sherlock Holmes strides into our imagination, deerstalker hat set jauntily on his head, pipe protruding from his mouth, and a formidable intellect from which he painstakingly masters the mysteries he investigates. Yet the qualities that set Holmes apart as a masterful sleuth are rather surprising. …the impression of a woman may be more valuable than the conclusion of an analytical reasoner. —Sherlock Holmes, The Man with the Twisted Lip A firestorm of controversy met the original publication of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock. Authors C. Alan Bradley and William A.S. Sarjeant in their methodical investigation of the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uncovered the surprising truth about Sherlock Holmes and the dust is yet to settle. The University of Alberta Press is pleased to present the first Canadian edition of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street with a new Introduction by Barbara Roden. Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting. —Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia We know the methods…the game is afoot.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Some ardent Holmes fans may be taken aback or even angered by the authors' thesis, but most should find the book fun and interesting. The old stories are viewed in a new light, invigorating them with freshness. Holmes himself (herself?) would no doubt delight in reading this book and at the opportunity to play the sleuth in perhaps the greatest untold detective mystery of them all." Alan J. Couture, ForeWord Magazine
"The authors have produced a lengthy and well reasoned argument, working through the canon chronologically, rather than in order of publication. They produce a multitude of evidence, which is nicely presented and is never allowed to become boring or tedious. I may not be quite convinced, but I enjoyed exploring the possibility." Geoff Bradley, CADS (Crime And Detective Stories), Vol. 46
"The new edition of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street has a new introduction by Barbara Roden and a new afterword by Alan Bradley that explains the history of a book that was received in the Sherlockian world with outrage or admiration, and occasionally both, when it first appeared in 1989. The authors carefully examined the Canon, and present evidence that Holmes was female, twice pregnant, and possibly once a mother. It is a delight to see their conclusions in print again." Peter E. Blau, Sherlockians Newsletter, October 2004.
“Ms. Holmes of Baker Street is a work of literary and scholarly deduction worthy of its subject him—or is that her?—self. The most playful and intriguing scholarship produced by Canadians in recent memory, the book was reissued recently by The University of Alberta Press. Although based on thorough readings and academic interpretations of the various Holmes stories and adventures, it’s still possible for the average reader to understand. A new edition—and a Canadian one—is welcome. The author’s literary detective work remains as intriguing today as when it was first published.” Francis O’Connor, The Peer Review, fall 2004
“Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock by C. Alan Bradley in collaboration with the late Sherlockian scholar William A.S. Sarjeant is a methodical survey and analysis of the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his detective sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. Imaginative, methodical, scholarly, iconoclastic and very highly recommended reading for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, Ms. Holmes of Baker Street is as thoughtful and thought provoking, as it is controversial and unexpected.” Margaret Lane, Reviewer's Bookwatch
"The thesis of this meticulously researched and wittily argued book is that Sherlock Holmes was in fact born Charlotte Holmes and chose to live as a man in a Victorian society that harshly restricted women’s potential." Trevor S. Raymond, Canadian Book Review Annual, 2005.
"The authors have produced a lengthy and well reasoned argument, working through the canon chronologically, rather than in order of publication. They produce a multitude of evidence, which is nicely presented and is never allowed to become boring or tedious. I may not be quite convinced, but I enjoyed exploring the possibility." Geoff Bradley, CADS (Crime And Detective Stories), Vol. 46
"The new edition of Ms. Holmes of Baker Street has a new introduction by Barbara Roden and a new afterword by Alan Bradley that explains the history of a book that was received in the Sherlockian world with outrage or admiration, and occasionally both, when it first appeared in 1989. The authors carefully examined the Canon, and present evidence that Holmes was female, twice pregnant, and possibly once a mother. It is a delight to see their conclusions in print again." Peter E. Blau, Sherlockians Newsletter, October 2004.
“Ms. Holmes of Baker Street is a work of literary and scholarly deduction worthy of its subject him—or is that her?—self. The most playful and intriguing scholarship produced by Canadians in recent memory, the book was reissued recently by The University of Alberta Press. Although based on thorough readings and academic interpretations of the various Holmes stories and adventures, it’s still possible for the average reader to understand. A new edition—and a Canadian one—is welcome. The author’s literary detective work remains as intriguing today as when it was first published.” Francis O’Connor, The Peer Review, fall 2004
“Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock by C. Alan Bradley in collaboration with the late Sherlockian scholar William A.S. Sarjeant is a methodical survey and analysis of the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his detective sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. Imaginative, methodical, scholarly, iconoclastic and very highly recommended reading for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, Ms. Holmes of Baker Street is as thoughtful and thought provoking, as it is controversial and unexpected.” Margaret Lane, Reviewer's Bookwatch
"The thesis of this meticulously researched and wittily argued book is that Sherlock Holmes was in fact born Charlotte Holmes and chose to live as a man in a Victorian society that harshly restricted women’s potential." Trevor S. Raymond, Canadian Book Review Annual, 2005.
About the Author
C. Alan Bradley retired from the University of Saskatchewan after a career in radio and television broadcast engineering. A pioneer in television distance education.
In 1972 Bill Sarjeant left England with his family to take up an academic appointment in the Department of Geology at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, a position he held until his passing in 2002. In addition to a passion for rocks and folk music, he wrote a series of fantasy novels under the name of Antony Swithin, developed an extensive library, which included a significant collection of detective fiction books, and authored many articles on detective fiction and Sherlockian matters.
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More About the Author
Alan Bradley received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, his first novel, which went on to win the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. He is the author of many short stories, children's stories, newspaper columns, and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. He co-authored Ms. Holmes of Baker Street with the late William A.S. Sarjeant. Bradley lives in Malta with his wife and two calculating cats, and is currently working on the next Flavia de Luce mystery, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Nov. 2011).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An astonishing proposition...,
By FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Ms. Holmes of Baker Street (Paperback)
The thesis of this book is rather remarkable -- as the authors C. Alan Bradley and William A.S. Sarjeant propose, there is something unusual about Sherlock Holmes. This is patently obvious even to those who have not read the stories of the official canon -- Holmes' mannerisms, skills, eccentric lifestyle and general demeanour are the stuff of legend around the world, so renowned that the line between fact and fiction is often blurred.
Bradley and Sarjeant, as devoted Sherlock Holmes scholars, present Holmes here is a new and radically unexpected light. As their own researches show, their proposal is not entirely unique, having been suggested by a few in the past, and simultaneously by one in Japan. However, they still expected a barrage of criticism from their fellow Sherlockians/Holmesians for making the suggestion in an article that appeared in 'From the Mantlepiece'. What is this suggestion, you ask? Sherlock Holmes was a woman. Holmes would hardly be the first woman who had to disguise herself as a man to succeed in a man's world. Holmes would also unlikely be able to succeed in his/her chosen profession if known to be female -- even those professions in Victorian London open to women did not include consulting detective; Holmes as an amateur already suffered the scorn of the professional (if sometimes less competent) detectives of Scotland Yard and other provincial forces. The authors propose that most did not perceive Holmes' deepest secret -- Mrs. Hudson lacked the imagination, and others, when presented with ambiguity, always preferred to err on the side of giving Holmes the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, even Watson was fooled for a great long while. Of course, we know from a number of cases that Holmes was such a master of disguise that Watson was frequently fooled, so to fool him along these lines might be less incredible. The authors trace through clues, in true Holmes fashion, through all the stories of the canon, sifting for small details. Perhaps the best example comes from Holmes' encounter with 'the' woman, Irene Adler, in 'A Scandal in Bohemia', one of the most popular of stories. In Adler's relationship and cunning outwitting of Holmes, not only does she figure out Holmes' plan, but also his identity, placing over-emphasis on his identity as 'Mister Sherlock' Holmes (as opposed to a more simple Mr. Holmes), and even makes the sidewise allusion to Holmes' gender identity in her letter claiming to see through his disguise -- 'as an actress myself...Male costume is nothing new to me'. Adler claimed to occasionally adopt it for the freedom it gave, with an almost tangible aside, 'as do you' implied quite heavily. While the notion that Holmes was a woman rather than a man has not taken the Sherlock Holmes world by storm, it presents yet another area of intrigue and possibility in the depths of the legend and lore about Holmes. This book is a rare find, and, agree or disagree, it is a wonderful piece of reasoning to consider.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A methodical survey and analysis of the literature,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ms Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock (Paperback)
Ms. Holmes Of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock by C. Alan Bradley in collaboration with the late Sherlockian scholar William A.S. Sarjeant is a methodical survey and analysis of the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his detective sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. Imaginative, methodical, scholarly, iconoclastic and very highly recommended reading for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, Ms. Holmes Of Baker Street is as thoughtful and thought provoking, as it is controversial and unexpected.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Could Not Hold My Interest,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Ms Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock (Paperback)
I have many books by this author but I found this one to be disappointing. It did not hold my interest and made a quick trip to my local library as a donation.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THERE IS SOMETHING VERY STRANGE about Sherlock Holmes. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, Mary Watson, John Watson, Raker Street, Victor Trevor, Mary Morstan, Reichenbach Falls, Colonel Sebastian Moran, Reginald Musgrave, Colonel Moran, Miss Morstan, Boscombe Valley, Harold Stackhurst, Montague Street, Professor Moriarty, The Empty House, The Final Problem, The Sign of the Four, Isadora Klein, Martin Dakin, Rex Stout New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THERE IS SOMETHING VERY STRANGE about Sherlock Holmes. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, Mary Watson, John Watson, Raker Street, Victor Trevor, Mary Morstan, Reichenbach Falls, Colonel Sebastian Moran, Reginald Musgrave, Colonel Moran, Miss Morstan, Boscombe Valley, Harold Stackhurst, Montague Street, Professor Moriarty, The Empty House, The Final Problem, The Sign of the Four, Isadora Klein, Martin Dakin, Rex Stout New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 36
books:
See all 36 books this book cites
- In Bed With Sherlock Holmes: Sexual Elements in Arthur Conan Doyle's Stories of the great Detective by Christopher Redmond on 4 pages
- Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World's First Consulting Detective by William S. Baring-Gould on 4 pages
- In the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes by Michael Harrison in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Seven-Percent Solution by Nicholas Meyer in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Baker Street Chronology: Commentaries on the Sacred Writings of Dr. John H. Watson by Ernest Bloomfield Zeisler in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 36 books this book cites
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