The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes [antikvár]

IntroductionConan Doyle had a singularly powerful romantic imagination. One can see it, not only in the Holmes stories, but in the books which, as with Sir Nigel, have not lasted so long (where Doyle, as modest as a successful writer can be, for once felt that he was being badly treated). One can see it in his life, the gallant crusades, the spiritualism, even his second marriage. In literature, to the depth and richness to which he possessed it, it is a rare quality, much rarer than most of those which we are inclined to venerate more. Balzac had it, so had Dickens, but other fine novelists, even some of the greatest, to nothing like the same extent.It is probably impossible to capture a world audience without it. It is certainly impossible without it to produce a fictional person whose name becomes far better known than that of the author himself. How many people all over the planet could say something significant about Sherlock Holmes but would not have the faintest idea who created him! The number must be large. It is difficult to think of any similar case; perhaps the nearest equivalent would be the relation of Cervantes and Don C^ixote.The essence of an imagination such as Doyle's is that it simplifies and heightens. It can be benign, and give us a feeling of a desirable world - which most of the time he did. As I shall say in a moment, that is one of his delights. With some darker and more tormented souls (c.f. Dickens) it can be Gothic, or plain sinister. This quality was not entirely lacking in Doyle. No one could write "The Copper Beeches' or 'The Speckled Band' without sadistic undercurrents disturbing him somewhere.