Sherlock Holmes comes back to life in "The House of Silk"
Little did author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle know when he begrudgingly brought his character Sherlock Holmes back to life by popular demand that it was only the first of many resurrections.
Eighty-one years after the death of Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the detective in the deerstalker cap and pipe has yet to fall into obscurity 鈥� in fact, he鈥檚 more popular than ever. His latest incarnation is the novel "The House of Silk" by Anthony Horowitz, a British writer known for his Alex Rider young adult series and for his TV writing credits on the British series 鈥淔oyle鈥檚 War鈥� and 鈥淢idsomer Murders.鈥�
Horowitz鈥檚 novel is the first non-Doyle tale to get the blessing from the author's estate.
Horowitz that part of the appeal of writing a new Sherlock story was the inspiration Doyle鈥檚 stories had given him to become a writer.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a lifelong admirer of the Sherlock Holmes novels,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y whole career was kick-started by them. I鈥檇 read them first when I was seventeen years old鈥�.. As soon as I had this commission, I went back to [the stories], and I like them as much now as I did when I was 17. In fact, I like them even more."
In 鈥淭he House of Silk,鈥� the famous detective and his friend and assistant Watson meet an art dealer in November 1890. The dealer asks Holmes for help with a man with scars on his face who鈥檚 been following him, and Holmes and Watson discover a criminal ring who use bits of white silk as their signature.
Horowitz told the Journal that he tried to combine the traditional feel of the Holmes stories as well as modern crime sensibilities by 鈥渋mmersing myself in the world of Holmes and Watson, but with a fast placed plot with loads of twists."
鈥淣obody鈥檚 guessed the ending,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot yet.鈥�
Horowitz鈥檚 book came out on Tuesday, but Holmes fans have a few more releases to look forward to over the next few months. 鈥淪herlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows,鈥� starring Robert Downey Jr. as the eccentric detective and Jude Law as a more dapper than usual version of his sidekick, will be released Dec. 16 after the success of last winter鈥檚 movie 鈥淪herlock Holmes鈥� with the same two leads.
Also, a second season of the newest British take on the stories, the BBC series titled 鈥淪herlock,鈥� will premiere in 2012. The television show, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and 鈥淭he Hobbit鈥� star Martin Freeman as Watson, puts a modern twist on the story, having Watson recently returned from Afghanistan and setting the two detectives in modern-day London.
For those who prefer their detective between book covers, 鈥淎 Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon,鈥� with stories by authors including Neil Gaiman and Lee Child and edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, was released Oct. 25, while 鈥淭he Adventures of Sherlock Holmes鈥� and 鈥淭he Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes鈥� by Doyle were re-released last month.
It seems the detective has never really gone away, for fans of all ages. The museum with the address of 221B Baker Street in London (actually located between 237 and 241), which recreates the fictional home shared by Holmes and Watson, posted this letter that they received in 1998.
鈥淒ear Sherlock Holmes,
I have heard that some of the lads of London help you from time to time in solving crimes. I would like to let you know that I also am at your service. Any time you need help solving some of the cases which are connected with the United States of America, I will be there for you, especially if the case involves dinosaurs or fish, as these subjects are my specialty. Just let me know. Give my regards to Dr. Watson,
Yours sincerely,
聽Brandon Sellers (5 y/o).鈥�
Horowitz he doesn鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any danger of Sherlock fatigue.
鈥淚 don't think so, though I'm rather happy that my book has come out first,鈥� he replied on whether he was worried the public would tire of Holmes. 鈥淚 think that [the different versions] can all live comfortably together.鈥�
He said the lasting appeal of stories about the detective lie in their timelessness.
鈥淐onan Doyle is the father of all modern crime fiction,鈥� Horowitz told the Wall Street Journal. 鈥淗e鈥檚 where it all began 鈥� story structure, elegance the way clues are used. It鈥檚 a master class in crime writing. It doesn鈥檛 get better. This wasn鈥檛 the case of dusting off an antique. It鈥檚 still a perfectly tuned engine.鈥�
Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.
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