Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography
Arthur Conan Doyle is one of the most famous writers in English, most noted for creating the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Read on.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography
The author, who was born on 05/22/1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland, was a medical student from 1876 to 1881 at the University of Edinburgh. Before finishing medical school, Doyle began writing short stories and had a few works published.
After an uneasy practice partnership with a classmate, Arthur Conan Doyle went to Portsmouth in June of 1982 with less than £10.
His initial uncertain success led to writing stories again. He composed his first novels and a portfolio of short stories. It took some time until they were published.
Ward Lock Co bought his first significant piece, A Study in Scarlet, featuring Sherlock Holmes, for £25, on 20 November 1886.
Sherlock Holmes was openly inspired by his former university teacher Joseph Bell. Robert Louis Stevenson recognized that resemblance. Other authors point out different influences.
A series of Holmes stories followed while Conan Doyle struggled with publishers.
A heart attack took Doyle’s life at the age of 71 in 1930. “You are wonderful”, were his last words to a grieving wife.
A controversial discussion about his spiritualist beliefs led to a debate about where to bury him. So he was first buried on 07/11/1930 in Windlesham rose garden.
Later he was re-interred together with his wife in New Forest, Hampshire. His epitaph points him as a right and honorable man of letters and principles.
His home in the south of London became a hotel and restaurant from 1924 until 2004. Moreover, it ended up in a judicial dispute for redevelopment that was canceled. The house now is a school for special kids.
Statues of both Doyle and Holmes were placed in Crowborough and Edinburgh, respectively.
Our Arthur Conan Doyle reviews:
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange
The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
A fascinating biography!
I didn’t know the original author of Sherlock Holmes (how shocking), and I cannot believe it was sold for a measly £25. Nor did I know the inspiration for the famous character, so I learnt a lot from this post.
Sherlock is one of my favourite fictional characters to date, so I enjoyed reading this. Thank you,
– TBonki
Hello, Tbonki,
No worries! “Living and learning”, right? Thanks for sharing your piece of mind. Cheers!
Hi Roberto/ Caito. Very interesting website. I love reading and history. I did a writing about CS Lewis in bible school long time ago. He was a force to be reckoned with and very good debater.
I believe you get people who are thinkers and others just go with the flow everyday without asking question or being interested in anything. I suppose you have a large general knowledge.
Well done with your site it’s very interesting.
Hello, Adrian,
Thanks so much for your support. Cheers!
This is a very insightful article and they say you learn something new everyday. It’s a shame Conan Doyle didn’t get to see how famous Sherlock Holmes is, right up to the present day and for a long time to come. What a wonderful legacy to leave behind. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Jay
Hello, Jay,
And thanks sharing your impressions. Cheers!
Interesting information on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I did not know much about the author of the Sherlock Holmes books. It amazes me that it took so long for him to get them published, and that he was initially in medical school. Strange combination to go from medical school to writing books. Seems he was very successful at the latter.
Hello, MM,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!
Great autobiography Roberto. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was indeed a great and fascinating writer. I really enjoy the fictional stories of Sherlock Holmes, he really did a great job when creating Sherlock Holmes and Watson. He really had great knowledge and an imagination to keep you interested the entire time. Thanks for the info.
Hello, Joe,
Thanks for sharing your impressions. Cheers!
Very interesting biography on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have always enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes books. It is one of those series of books that is just timeless and, still today, so very interesting. My son had to read one of the stories for school this year, and I enjoyed discussing it with him. Great information.
Hello, MM,
It’s always nice to see your around. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!
I’m a huge avid reader and I am also quite fascinated in the different authors that write certain books. I like just looking up different authors. Sometimes that will actually determine what book I read next. I actually haven’t read any of Doyle’s books. I’ve heard of a couple of them, though. Thanks for this awesome article.
Hello, Caleb,
The only thing I can think about now is: “What are you waiting for?” It’s a fantastic literary experience and explains some of the most quoted expressions in our culture. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!