Sherlock Holmes: A Centenary Celebration

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Centenary Celebration is one of the most enjoyable books I have read. It is profusely populated with drawings, movie and television stills, advertisements, photographs and more. I simply cannot do justice to the illustrations that fill this book.

Eyles takes us on a hundred year tour of Sherlock Holmes, mixing in real-life information about his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Page 12 includes a page from Doyle’s notes on A Study in Scarlet. J Sherrinford Holmes lived at 221 B Upper Baker Street with Ormond Sacker. Obviously, it was a work in progress.

The book then takes us to The Sign of Four and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, including several illustrations from the original editions. There is a picture of a letter to his mother, dated November 11, 1891, in which Doyle says “I think of slaying Holmes in this next & winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things.” Thank goodness his mother talked him out of it; for a short while, anyways.

The narrative continues on with The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, sidesteps for a bit of a discussion on William Gillette’s play (nicely illustrated). There is discussion of the further stories and some nice bits on the movies of the thirties and then the Basil Rathbone films. The bulk of the remainder of the Sherlock Holmes: A Centenary Celebration is primarily on film and television productions, with some mentions of stage performances and pastiches. Throughout the abundance of interesting photos and artwork makes the pages visually appealing. No dusty tome here.

There are a few appendices covering suggested reading and (for the time) a reasonably detailed tv/filmography.

There are a few factual errors throughout the 140 plus pages, but they are not significant and don’t subtract from the enjoyment factor. An updated version of this book would be a treat. As it is, Eyles’ work remains one of the most frequently perused books in my Holmes library.

Reviewed by: Bob Byrne, July 2003