Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a British writer and physician, best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the most famous detective in all of fiction. His stories helped define the modern detective genre and have never been out of print.
Holmes, with his brilliant powers of deduction, and his loyal friend Dr Watson, appear across four novels — including A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles — and fifty-six short stories. Beyond Holmes, Doyle wrote historical novels, the science-fiction adventure The Lost World, and works of non-fiction. He also became a passionate, and controversial, advocate of spiritualism late in life.
A trained doctor, Doyle modelled Holmes's methods partly on one of his medical professors. He grew so weary of his famous detective that he once killed him off, only to be forced by public demand to bring him back.
His storytelling is brisk and clear, and our editions present it cleanly. Read a story free, and read or listen with a membership.
Arthur Conan Doyle in the library · 8 works
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The Hound of the Baskervilles
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The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Valley of Fear
Audiobooks by Arthur Conan Doyle
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Frequently asked questions about Arthur Conan Doyle
What did Arthur Conan Doyle write?
Doyle is famous for the Sherlock Holmes stories — four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring the great detective and Dr Watson. He also wrote historical novels such as The White Company, the science-fiction adventure The Lost World (introducing Professor Challenger), and non-fiction on spiritualism and history. The Holmes stories are by far his most enduring work.
Where should I start with Sherlock Holmes?
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of short stories, is the perfect starting point — each is self-contained and gripping. Among the novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles is the most famous and atmospheric. A Study in Scarlet is where Holmes and Watson first meet, if you like to begin at the beginning.
Did Conan Doyle really kill off Sherlock Holmes?
Yes. Tired of the character overshadowing his other work, Doyle killed Holmes in the 1893 story 'The Final Problem,' sending him over the Reichenbach Falls with his enemy Moriarty. Public outrage was so intense that Doyle eventually revived him, explaining that Holmes had survived. Holmes went on to appear in many more stories.
Is Sherlock Holmes based on a real person?
Holmes is fictional, but Doyle based his methods on Dr Joseph Bell, one of his teachers at medical school in Edinburgh, who was famous for diagnosing patients and deducing details of their lives from small observations. Doyle combined Bell's deductive brilliance with his own imagination to create the character. Holmes's forensic approach was ahead of its time.
Are the Sherlock Holmes stories hard to read?
Not at all — Doyle wrote in a clear, brisk, engaging style, and the short stories in particular are quick and satisfying. Occasional Victorian references and vocabulary are the only mildly dated element. A clear modern edition keeps them wonderfully readable.
When did Arthur Conan Doyle live?
Doyle was born in 1859 and died in 1930. He introduced Sherlock Holmes in 1887 and wrote the stories over roughly forty years, alongside his other work. Trained as a doctor, he turned to writing full time as Holmes made him famous, and he was knighted in 1902.
Where can I read Sherlock Holmes for free?
The Sherlock Holmes stories and Doyle's other classic works are in the public domain and freely available. Older editions keep the original text. Here you can read a story free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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