Thursday, May 28, 2009

The Contradictions of Arthur Conan Doyle


As we have have the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Merrick Library's list of Ten Books to Read before You Die, I thought I'd pass along an interesting article about a contradiction in the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Holmes stories.
Sherlock Holmes, as Doyle described him, was the the most rational of characters--a thinking machine some might say. In "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire," Doyle has Holmes say "This agency stands flat-footed upon the ground, and there it must remain. The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply."
And yet, in real life, Doyle, who would be 150 years old this year, spent much time devoted to a belief in spiritualism. He attended seances and also wrote and spoke widely in favor of the spiritualist movement. Fans of the great detective can check this article for insight into Holmes' creator.

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