Sherlock Holmes Hero/Antihero Essay

What qualities are there in Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories which have sustained their popularity for so many years?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among the first writers of detective stories and novels in England. The first novel recognised as a detective story was written in 1868, by Wilkie Collins entitled "The Moonstone". Later in 1870, the popular novelist Charles Dickens also tried his hand at writing a detective novel called "The Mystery of Edwin Drood". These early detective stories have not become as famous as Doyle's creation for a number of reasons, one of which is that when Doyle began writing his novels there was a greater demand in general for stories, as more people were becoming educated and were taught how to read. Consequently, when the stories about Holmes were published, there was a growing readership in England, greater than there had been in Dickens' and Collins' time. Furthermore, the fact that dialect was rarely used in any of the Sherlock Holmes stories, unlike other works of the time, made it easier for people to read and understand the content, particularly those who had only recently acquired the basic skill of reading. In addition, as the stories were originally published in the "Strand" magazine, this made them fairly accessible, and therefore they enjoyed a wider social readership. The stories were often shorter than those of other writers, and thus avoided unnecessary detail. Generally, the stories have a distinct and succinct plot structure and were supported by illustrations, which I suggest, played a part in the general success.

Thus the popularity of his detective stories increased rapidly, yet at the same time Doyle was becoming more and more uncomfortable with his character. He wanted, out of personal preference to devote greater time to other forms of writing. He decided that the best way to do this was to end the life of Sherlock Holmes with a dramatic story involving Holmes' worst enemy, Professor Moriarty. Doyle...