| Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Sherlock Holmes Contributor(s): Riley, Dick (Author), McAllister, Pam (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0826411169 ISBN-13: 9780826411167 Publisher: Continnuum-3PL OUR PRICE: $42.70 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 1998 Annotation: Filled with rare photos, posters, puzzles, maps, and other visual material, The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Sherlock Holmes covers all the literature -- as well as the stories behind the stories, offering many fascinating tidbits of information. It's not generally realized, for instance, that Sherlock Holmes did not devote his life to fighting crime. Many of the 56 short stories, while they usually involve mysteries, contain no crime at all, while others include relatively minor offenses. And how many know that "Sherlock Holmes" was not the original name of the great sleuth? (A Study in Scarlet was to center around one "Sherrinford Holmes.") Did you realize that the curved or meerschaum pipe so identified with Holmes is not in the stories? (It was first used by William Gillette, the American actor, who portrayed Holmes on stage and couldn't say his lines with a straight pipe in his mouth.) Why did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- who was knighted not for creating Sherlock Holmes but for defending British conduct during the Boer War -- bring Holmes back from the dead after killing him off in The Final Problem? And many will also be surprised to learn that the definitive television Holmes of our time, Jeremy Brett, had his first role as Dr. Watson! |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Mystery & Detective Fiction - Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh |
| Dewey: 822.33 |
| LCCN: 98023376 |
| Series: Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companions |
| Physical Information: 0.72" H x 6.12" W x 9.26" (0.81 lbs) 232 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Providing an overview of all aspects of the life and times of the world-famous detective, Riley and McAllister offer interesting and entertaining information about the fictional sleuth. Along with the trivia and information, the authors insert historical background on Victorian England, a short biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and brief synopses of the Holmes stories. Additional chapters cover explanations of rank in the British nobility, drugs used in the era, and the wars mentioned in the stories. Several chapters make forays into understanding the psychology of Holmes, his personality, and his pleasures. One entire chapter reviews the various clubs dedicated to him. A crossword puzzle, a Sherlock Holmes Mystery Map of London, and around 200 black-and-white illustrations, including some from the stories and some of Victorian London, add to the fun. |