The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lycett examines the character from the perspective of his times, which of course was Doyle's times as well.

To put it in terms similar to Lycett's, this looks at how Holmes is a reflection of that period, but a reflection specifically through the eyes (pen?) of Doyle. That isn't to say that Holmes is a stand-in for Doyle, but that there is simply no singular perspective on any period of history, so understanding the person through which we are given our glimpse is essential. This isn't, however, a biography of Doyle but rather focuses on the major strands of thought and belief of the time.

This is an excellent companion for someone working their way through the stories and would be ideal for someone considering revisiting them. In fact, this has made me want to reread some of them. It also sheds some interesting light on TV and film representations. The reader can consider what liberties were taken to make the character more likely to be embraced by viewers at various times.

As a bit of an aside, I think this could be a useful read for a writer who is thinking about creating a character that would reflect our current times. How did Doyle create a character who could both embody much of the time yet also question, explicitly or implicitly, some of the ideals? This book doesn't necessarily answer that question, but it does offer some examples that a writer could apply to their own work.

I would definitely recommend this to those in the, as Lycett calls it, Sherlockian world. Even a casual reader (or viewer) of the Holmes stories will enjoy seeing how the character is a product of not just a fertile mind but of the time as well.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )