Customer Reviews

Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

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This is an excellent book for anyone with even a passing interest in Sherlock Holmes. It's a series of essays-- more like discussions, or tributes-- and a few useful lists, with photogrpahs, drawings, and a nice short pastiche (written with as much skill that it might have been written by Watson himself.)
It's currently out of print, but you can easily buy a copy from one of the sellers here on Amazon.[com.] I can't vouch for the harback or first edition copies, but the paperback from 1977 is usually surprisingly [low cost]. Really, you're getting more than your money's worth. The writing is charming and smart. I would say this is a necessary addition to any Sherlockian home library.

Being originally published in 1933, I was a bit skeptical about the validity of this book to the modern Sherlockian. I have never been so glad to be proven wrong! Not only did I find Starrett's work to be surprisingly not outdated, his style of writing was refreshing and his loyalty to facts left me believing this is the single best companion to Canon there is. It certainly outshined every other companion piece I have read to date.Undeniably, Starrett is familiar with all the nuances of Canon, and this love of the stories, the characters - and his great understanding of Holmes & Watson is readily apparent in his work.

Overall, this was an excellent read that left me grinning from ear to ear and was also an informative read in the process.

I was especially interested in the author's take on actors who had, up until it's first publishing date, played Sherlock Holmes. He is a great admirer of the often overlooked Arthur Wontner (who is a dead ringer for Paget's illustrations, btw) which I was glad to see, being a fan of his portrayal of Holmes, myself. One wonders what Starrett would have thought of Jeremy Brett's unmatched portrayal...
My advice to any casual fan or serious Sherlockian would be to get a copy of this book any way you can!

(There is also, as I understand it, a version of Private Life updated by the author that contains a pastiche at the end. My copy does not have this, so in hindsight I'd definitely look for the version that did.)

I have been reading all things related to Sherlock Holmes for years and this book remains one of my favourites. I really enjoyed the insights into the world of sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Lots of interesting information and easy to read. I only wish the book was longer.