Canon of Sherlock Holmes - Works By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Essays and Retrospectives

Essays and Retrospectives

Arthur Conan Doyle rarely gave interviews or publicly discussed his character. However, the following is a list of Conan Doyle essays and interviews on his character which are currently in publication, either in Green or Haining's book or in standard editions of the Complete Stories:

"A Gaudy Death" (1901)

Subtitled "Conan Doyle Tells The True Story of Sherlock Holmes’s End", this appeared in a weekly magazine Tit-Bits, a publication related to The Strand Magazine. It is an interview which is given by Doyle during the great hiatus, and mentions inklings to write more Holmes adventures.

"Some Personalia about Sherlock Holmes" (1917)

This essay was featured in the Strand Magazine as a Christmas treat to its readers. It talks of the way Holmes had caught the public imagination, and Conan Doyle’s view on his character.

"The Truth About Sherlock Holmes" (1923)

An essay from Collier's Weekly, in which Doyle explains exactly where Holmes came from. It contains, at the end, JM Barrie’s "The Adventure of the Two Collaborators", and this may be the reason why many assumed it to be a Holmes tale by Doyle himself.

"To An Undiscerning Critic" or "The Case of the Inferior Sleuth" (1924)

Guiterman first published his homage in America in Life, of 5 December 1912, and then in London Opinion of 14 December 1912 and, in his collection The Laughing Muse. Conan Doyle’s answer appeared in the 26 December 1912 issue of London Opinion and was reprinted in the memoir of the editor of London Opinion, Lincoln Springfield. The late Dean Dickensheet appears to be the first to print the poems together, in An ‘Undiscerning Critic’ Discerned.

"Mr. Sherlock Holmes to his Readers" (1927)

This appeared in The Strand Magazine to introduce a competition to name the best Sherlock Holmes adventures. The same essay, with a paragraph cut, appears as the preface to The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

"My Favourite Sherlock Holmes Adventures" (1927)

This is the sequel to the article mentioned above. In it, Conan Doyle listed what he thought were the best Holmes adventures. He noted that had he been able to include stories from The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes he would certainly have included "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" and "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client". (Haining speculates this claim was intended to raise sales of the forthcoming volume, which included those stories.) The list is as follows:

1. "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"
2. "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League"
3. "The Adventure of the Dancing Men"
4. "The Final Problem"
5. "A Scandal in Bohemia"
6. "The Adventure of the Empty House"
7. "The Five Orange Pips"
8. "The Adventure of the Second Stain"
9. "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot"
10. "The Adventure of the Priory School"
11. "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual"
12. "The Adventure of the Reigate Squire"