On Conan Doyle: or, The Whole Art of Storytelling

Though most people could pick Sherlock Holmes out of a crowd, not many could craft such a spirited and personal account of the great detective’s creator’s life and lesser-known works as Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post book columnist Dirda (Book by Book). A proud member of the Baker Street Irregulars—one of the oldest and largest Holmes appreciation societies—Dirda intertwines his childhood discovery of Holmes and Watson (it all started with The Hound of the Baskervilles) with the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). While casual readers will associate Conan Doyle exclusively with 221B Baker Street, Dirda makes a strong case for investigating Doyle’s extensive bibliography, which includes adventure stories (The Lost World), historical novels (Micah Clarke), supernatural stories (“The Horror of the Heights”), and books on spiritualism. But Holmes is still the main attraction, and the fascinating dynamics of the Irregulars are as rich as any of Conan Doyle’s fictions. The Irregulars grudgingly accept, but do not encourage, the views of “Doyleans,” who consider the Holmes stories as blips written by the author of The Lost World. Dirda’s lifelong enthusiasm and keen critical skills underscore the timeless quality of the brilliant detective and his multifaceted creator. (Nov.)