Overview

Winner of the Agatha Award for best nonfiction work A finalist for the Edgar Award for best critical/biographical work A finalist for the Anthony Award for best critical/nonfiction work Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a unique literary character who has remained popular for over a century and is appreciated more than ever today. But what made this fictional character, dreamed up by a small-town British doctor in the 1880s, into such a lasting success, despite the author's own attempt to escape his invention? In From Holmes to Sherlock, Swedish author and Sherlock Holmes expert Mattias Boström recreates the full story behind the legend for the first time. From a young Arthur Conan Doyle sitting in a Scottish lecture hall taking notes on his medical professor's powers of observation to the pair of modern-day fans who brainstormed the idea behind the TV sensation Sherlock, from the publishing world's first literary agent to the Georgian princess who showed up at the Conan Doyle estate and altered a legacy, the narrative follows the men and women who have created and perpetuated the myth. It includes tales of unexpected fortune, accidental romance, and inheritances gone awry, and tells of the actors, writers, readers, and other players who have transformed Sherlock Holmes from the gentleman amateur of the Victorian era to the odd genius of today. Told in fast-paced, novelistic prose, From Holmes to Sherlock is a singular celebration of the most famous detective in the world--a must-read for newcomers and experts alike.

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Reviews

Praise for From Holmes to Sherlock A Publishers Weekly Top 10 in Essays & Literary Criticism for fall 2017 Mattias Bostrom has done the impossible--encapsulated the journey of Sherlock Holmes from international literary superstar to modern day television hero. Meticulous, charming and, best of all, adoring of the original. --Lyndsay Faye, author of The Whole Art of Detection Just when you think you've read every great book about the history of Doyle and Holmes, Mattias Bostrom reveals startling new layers to the famous adventures of the greatest detective of all time. Written with skill, wit, and unmatched expertise, From Holmes to Sherlock is the new standard in the complete history of not only the original Doyle stories, but literally every adaptation, too. --Ryan Britt, author of Luke Skywalker Can't Read [Bostrom] comes up with some intriguing and fresh details . . . The canon of critical and biographical material on Holmes and Doyle is massive, of course, but even so, this latest entry makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how a bloodhound called Sherlock took over the world. --Booklist (starred review) A spirited account of how Sherlock became a household name . . . Bostrom's weaving of the Holmes story into the larger one of popular culture and the mass-entertainment industry is the best part of this very good book. For fans of literature, film history, and Conan Doyle alike, a fine complement to the best works of Sherlock-iana. --Kirkus Reviews Bostrom has succeeded masterfully in doing something no one has hitherto dared try: telling the whole Sherlock Holmes 'story.' It is an extraordinary tale. --Nicholas Utechin, editor of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, 1976-2006 From Holmes to Sherlock is a book based on a simple but brilliant idea. He traces the growth in popularity of Sherlock Holmes from an early idea of a physician who hoped to be a writer to a worldwide phenomenon recognized by most of the planet. Not just for Sherlockians, rather it is intended for anyone who has wondered about Sherlock Holmes. --Steven Rothman, editor of the Baker Street Journal Superb! I am deeply in awe of Mr Bostrom's comprehensive research, his meticulous selection and his enticing presentation. Mattias Bostrom is one of a select group of really important Holmesian/Doylean scholars. --Roger Johnson, editor of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, coauthor of the Sherlock Holmes Miscellany From Holmes to Sherlock will be one of the four or five most important books among the scores of nonfiction volumes about Sherlock Holmes, and it's easy and entertaining reading as well. --Christopher Redmond, editor of Sherlockian.net [From Holmes to Sherlock] explores the world's continuing fascination with fiction's leading detective hero. The informal, accessible style of Gallagher's translation makes for an easy, if lengthy, read. --Publishers Weekly [A] unique, incredibly ambitious and wide-ranging volume . . . While it reads like a work of fiction, almost a literary mystery, it is a rich tapestry, filled with real-world heroes and villains . . . I can't recommend this book highly enough . . . A must-read for anyone with an interest in the character, the history or the fandom surrounding him. --Canadian Holmes Well written and recommended. --Peter E. Blau, Scuttlebutt newsletter

Praise for From Holmes to Sherlock Bostrom has succeeded masterfully in doing something no one has hitherto dared try: telling the whole Sherlock Holmes 'story.' It is an extraordinary tale. --Nicholas Utechin, editor of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, 1976-2006 From Holmes to Sherlock is a book based on a simple but brilliant idea. He traces the growth in popularity of Sherlock Holmes from an early idea of a physician who hoped to be a writer to a worldwide phenomenon recognized by most of the planet. Not just for Sherlockians, rather it is intended for anyone who has wondered about Sherlock Holmes. --Steven Rothman, editor of the Baker Street Journal Superb! I am deeply in awe of Mr Bostrom's comprehensive research, his meticulous selection and his enticing presentation. Mattias Bostrom is one of a select group of really important Holmesian/Doylean scholars. --Roger Johnson, editor of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, coauthor of the Sherlock Holmes Miscellany From Holmes to Sherlock will be one of the four or five most important books among the scores of nonfiction volumes about Sherlock Holmes, and it's easy and entertaining reading as well. --Christopher Redmond, editor of Sherlockian.net [From Holmes to Sherlock] explores the world's continuing fascination with fiction's leading detective hero. The informal, accessible style of Gallagher's translation makes for an easy, if lengthy, read. --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Mattias Boström, born in 1971, is a Swedish author, publisher, and Sherlock Holmes expert. He has written three books about Swedish popular culture history and has been an active Sherlockian for almost thirty years, publishing articles and editing books and booklets on the subject. He lives outside Stockholm with his wife and two young daughters.

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