"A Study in Scarlet" is a detective mystery story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and published in 1887. It is significant as the first story to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes, who would later go on to become one of the most famous and iconic literary detective characters, with long-lasting interest and appeal. Image File history File links ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual. ... Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) is the British author most famously known for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction. ... In political geography and international politics, a country is a political division of a geographical entity, a sovereign territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation and government. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centers upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Cassette recording of Patrick OBrians The Mauritius Command An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) is the British author most famously known for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

Conan Doyle wrote the novel at the age of 27. A general practice doctor in Southsea, England, he had already published short stories in several magazines of the day, such as the periodical London Society. The story was originally titled A Tangled Skein, and was eventually published by Ward, Lock & Co. in Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887, after many rejections. The author received £25 in return for the full rights (although Conan Doyle had pressed for a royalty instead). The novel was produced in book form in July 1888, published by Ward, Lock & Co. This book was illustrated by Arthur Conan Doyle's father, Charles Doyle. A second edition appeared the following year and contained illustrations by George Hutchinson, and J. B. Lippincott Co. published the first American edition in 1890. Numerous further editions, translations and dramatisations have appeared since. Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern tip of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

The story, and its main character, attracted little public interest when it first appeared. Only ten copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 are known to exist now and they have considerable value. Although Doyle wrote fifty-six short stories featuring Holmes, A Study in Scarlet is one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. This article is in need of attention. ...

The novel was followed by The Sign of Four, published in 1890. The Sign of Four (1890) was the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

Plot summary

Plot

The novel is split into two quite separate halves. The first is titled Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John Watson, M.D., Late of the Army Medical Department. This part is told in first person by Holmes' friend Doctor John H. Watson and describes his introduction in 1881 to Sherlock Holmes through a mutual friend and the first mystery in which he followed Holmes' investigations. The mystery revolves around a corpse found at a derelict house in Brixton, England with the word "RACHE" scrawled in blood on the wall beside the body. Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional 19th century detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Brixton is an area of South London, England, part of the London Borough of Lambeth. ...

Holmes firmly resolves to solve the case despite the fact that he won't be given any credit of it. For this purpose, he makes up a plan using a wedding ring that had been lost at the crime scene. After placing an ad in the newspaper, asking for the ring owner, Holmes is visited by an old woman who claims the ring. Holmes follows "her" (it turns out to be a man in disguise) but the disguised man manages to escape.

Minutes later, Holmes is visited by one of the police detectives assigned to the case, who claims that the case has been solved and the murderer is now jailed. After the detective finishes explaining how he solved the case, a second police detective (Lestrade) arrives to announce that there has been a second murder - it is clear that the man the police have arrested is innocent. The police are now completely at a loss - both detectives have arrived at dead ends. Inspector Lestrade arresting a suspect, by Sidney Paget Inspector Lestrade in the Granada television series Inspector Lestrade is a Scotland Yard detective appearing in several of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. ...

By way of reply, Holmes announces that he himself has solved the murder and will shortly arrest the killer. Pretending to be packing his bags for a journey, he asks the waiting cab driver to come and assist him with his luggage. As soon as the cab driver appears in his room, however, Holmes takes out his handcuffs and arrests the driver. Proudly he says, "Gentlemen... Let me introduce you to Mr Jefferson Hope, the murderer of Enoch Drebber and of Joseph Strangerson.".

The Mormon Nauvoo Legion, considerably overlapping with the Danites.

The second half of the story is called The Country of the Saints and jumps to the United States of America and the Mormon community, and incorporating a depiction of the Danites, including an appearance by Brigham Young in a somewhat villainous context. It is told in a third person narrative style, with an omniscient narrator, before returning in the last two chapters to Watson's account of Holmes' investigation, and then Holmes' own explanation of his solution. In these two chapters the relationship between the two halves of the novel becomes apparent. The motive for the crime is essentially one of lost love and revenge. Depiction of Joseph Smith at head of the Nauvoo Legion. ... Depiction of Joseph Smith at head of the Nauvoo Legion. ... The Nauvoo Legion was a private militia employed by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Danites were a Latter Day Saint vigilante group organized in the late 1830s. ... According to Latter Day Saint belief, Mormon is the name of the compiler of the book of scripture known as the Book of Mormon. ... The Danites were a Latter Day Saint vigilante group organized in the late 1830s. ... See also, Brigham Young University Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. ... The Narrator is the entity within a story that tells the story to the reader. ...

According to a 1994 Salt Lake City newspaper article, Doyle's descendants later expressed regret to the Mormons for Doyle's harsh account of their sect, which portrayed the Latter Day Saints' organization as being steeped in kidnapping, murder and enslavement[1].

Plot holes

• It is strange that the police apparently never questioned the owner of the Brixton house, where the first murder happened. The door was intact, so whoever murdered Drebber had to have a key, for which the owner would have been the obvious candidate. This would have led the police (or Holmes, who chose to ignore the clue as well) quickly on to the right track.
• It also does not follow that Jefferson Hope shows no suspicion upon having his cab summoned to 221B Baker Street, after his earlier ploy of having sent a friend disguised as an old woman to the same address. It seems unlikely that he would have forgotten the address so quickly after having seen the advertisement about the gold ring in the paper on the previous day.
• The book violates what would later become one of the cardinal rules of detective fiction and which provides much of the fun of reading such books - namely, that the author must provide enough prior clues to let an intelligent and perceptive reader solve the mystery for him/herself. There is no way whatsoever for a reader to do that here. The very first time that the reader hears the name "Jefferson Hope" is when Holmes produces him as the murderer. (The most the reader could know before is that somebody with the initials J.H. is somehow involved). Nor is there in the smallest prior hint that Mormons are in any way involved. Certainly, nothing found in possession of the two murdered men gives any hint of their Mormon background - in fact, Doyle positively misleads the reader, since "Decameron" is anything but recommended reading material for Latter Day Saints. However, it should be noted that these rules of the detective genre did not yet exist, and Doyle's book was among the pioneering works laying the very foundations of that genre.
• The Avenging Angels who terrorize the Ferriers do indeed seem to have divine powers. At least they manage to deliver their daily warnings in a way that borders on the supernatural. Once they manage to place it in John's bedroom after he locks all the doors and windows, and another time he waits up inside his house all night for them, sees and hears nothing, and yet finds the warning painted on his front door.

The term Mormon is a colloquial name, most-often used to refer to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ... The Decameron is a collection of novellas that was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1353. ... A Latter Day Saint (LDS) is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement and is a follower of Mormonism. ... The Danites were a fraternal organization founded by Latter Day Saints in June of 1838 , at Far West in Caldwell County, Missouri. ...

Inconsistencies

First book edition cover 1888

There are several minor inconsistencies in the story which are incompatible with later Sherlock Holmes stories. Dr Watson provides a short autobiography of himself at the start. In this he is invalided out of the army after being wounded in the shoulder in the Second Afghan War at the Battle of Maiwand. In later stories, his wound has moved to his leg. Image File history File links ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet. ... Image File history File links ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet. ... The Rise of Dost Mohammad It was not until 1826 that the energetic Dost Mohammad was able to exert sufficient control over his brothers to take over the throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself amir. ... Combatants Great Britain Afghanistan Commanders George Burrows Ayub Khan Strength 5,599British/Indian troops 8,500 Afghan Tribesmen Casualties 1,757 killed 175 wounded[1] 2,050-2,750 killed 1,500+ wounded The Battle of Maiwand was one of the largest battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. ...

In this book, Holmes is presented as a single-minded person who has no interests whatsoever except for what directly serves his work as a detective, and who indeed actively tries to forget any irrelevant piece of knowledge which came inadvertently to his attention. While this works in the first book, it would have made Holmes an unutterably boring character had Doyle persisted in it for the rest of the series (which would then hardly have had the same amount of popularity).

In later books and stories Holmes is depicted, to the complete contrary, as a multifaceted intellectual with an intensive interest in and deep knowledge of numerous subjects having nothing to do with his detective work, such as music, art, philosophy and bee-keeping, and he keeps writing articles and monographs in numerous fields.

Allusions/references from other works

Doyle paid ambiguous tribute to the influence of Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin and Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq by having Holmes denounce them as "a very inferior fellow" and "a miserable bungler", respectively. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ... C. Auguste Dupin is a fictional detective created by Edgar Allan Poe. ... Émile Gaboriau (November 9, 1832 - September 28, 1873), was a French writer, novelist, and journalist, and a pioneer of modern detective fiction. ... Monsieur Lecoq is the creation of Emile Gaboriau, a 19th French century mystery writer, novelist, and journalist. ...

In his Naked is the Best Disguise, Samuel Rosenberg notes the similarity between Jefferson Hope's tracking of Enoch Drebber and a sequence in James Joyce's novel Ulysses. Several other associations between Doyle and Joyce are also listed in Rosenberg's book. Title The title comes from lines in William Congreves The Double Dealer, 1694. ... Samuel Rosenberg (1912—January 5,1996) was best known for his 1974 study of Sherlock Holmes entitled Naked is the Best Disguise (subtitled The Death and Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes). ... James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (Irish Séamus Seoighe; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish expatriate writer, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. ... Ulysses is a film shot in 1967 and based on James Joyces novel Ulysses. ...

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

As the first Sherlock Holmes story published, it was fittingly the first one to be adapted to the screen. In 1914 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle authorized a silent film be produced by G. B. Samuelson. Holmes was played by James Bragington, an accountant who had never before (and evidently never after) worked as an actor. He was hired for his reseblance to Holmes as presented in the sketches originally published with the story. [2] Unfortunately, as early silent films were made with film which itself was made with poor materials and film archiving was rare, this is now a lost film. The success of this film allowed for a second version to be produced that same year by Francis Ford^{[disambiguation needed]}, which has also been lost. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... George Berthold Samuelson (1888 - 24 April 1947) was one of the pioneers of British cinema. ... A lost film is a film which, for any of several reasons, is no longer in existence. ... Francis Ford (August 14, 1881 - September 5, 1953) a prolific film actor, writer and director. ...

It has been adapted many times, although frequently only the portions of the first section of the book in which Holmes and Watson's relationship is established are used. The Ron Howard/H. Marion Crawford television series used that section of the book as the basis for the episode "The Case of the Cunningham Inheritance". The John Gielgud/Ralph Richardson radio series combined it with details from "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" to create its "origin story". The book has rarely been adapted in full, notable instances being in the Peter Cushing/Nigel Stock television series, as an episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater and by Bert Coules for the first project starring Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. A surprisingly faithful animated version of the tale with Peter O'Toole voicing Holmes was produced in 1984 by Burbank Films and helmed by frequent Disney animator Alex Nicholas. For other people named Ron Howard, see Ronald Howard. ... Howard Marion-Crawford (left) as Dr. Watson opposite Ronald Howards Sherlock Holmes Howard Marion-Crawford (17 January 1914 – 24 November 1969), the son of writer F. Marion Crawford, was a British character actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in the 1954 television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. ... Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH (14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000), known as Sir John Gielgud, was an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winning British theatre and film actor. ... Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ... The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. ... In comic book terminology, the phrase origin story refers to a story or backstory revealing how a male character went through a sex change, or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains. ... Peter Cushing OBE Cushing (left) in the television adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four in the winter of 1954 on BBC Television. ... Nigel Stock (actor) Nigel Stock was a veteran British actor of stage, screen, radio and TV, known as a character actor in particular. ... The CBS Radio Mystery Theater logo The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt in the 1970s to revive the great drama of old-time radio. ... Bert Coules is a radio writer, mainly for the BBC, who has produced many adaptations and original works, most notably the Sherlock Holmes radio series starring Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams/Andrew Sachs as Watson. ... Clive Merrison (born 15 September 1945) is an English actor of film, television, stage, and radio. ... Michael Leonard Williams (9 July 1935 – 11 January 2001) was a British actor. ... Peter Seamus OToole (Peter James OToole) (b. ...

See also

External links

• A Study in Scarlet, available at Project Gutenberg.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

A Study in Scarlet