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The Captain of the Pole-Star and Other Stories
Detective fiction
156 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 1883
102 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.9k books24.3k followersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 27, 2018
A mixed bag of short stories from Conan Doyle. I nearly gave up on this after the first two. The title piece is a very average ghost story. It’s not terrible but I found it devoid of any tension or excitement. The second story had a very dated racial theme. I’m not normally one to judge 19th century literature by 21st century attitudes, but I felt uncomfortable with that particular story. Things picked up though with “The Great Keinplatz Experiment”, a comic tale which worked well for me. The other story I liked best was “John Barrington Cowles”.
I got that Story 7 was a send-up of past British writers, but it went a bit over my head as I had never actually read any of the authors featured. It would probably be enjoyable for someone better read than I. “John Huxford’s Hiatus” was too melodramatic for me and the last story in the collection had a ridiculous plot.
I’m a fan of some of Conan Doyle’s work, especially “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “The Lost World”. I wouldn’t recommend this collection though.
I got that Story 7 was a send-up of past British writers, but it went a bit over my head as I had never actually read any of the authors featured. It would probably be enjoyable for someone better read than I. “John Huxford’s Hiatus” was too melodramatic for me and the last story in the collection had a ridiculous plot.
I’m a fan of some of Conan Doyle’s work, especially “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “The Lost World”. I wouldn’t recommend this collection though.
December 12, 2020
Arthur Conan Doyle es conocido por el personaje de Sherlock Holmes sin embargo también es un autor bueno de terror. Este relato es una historia paranormal de amor.
February 15, 2015
Very good story collection (without Sherlock Holmes) with a variety of genres represented. Most stories I'd rate 4 or 4.5 stars, but even the least favorite (mainly the humorous ones) were well written. Worth reading.
September 21, 2012
As this is a book of short stories, and as my memory is shorter still, I shall review as I go.
The Captain of the Pole-Star: I like a setting in the frozen polar regions - and shades of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley haunt these environs. The story is told in the form of a journal by a young ship's doctor, concerned for the sanity of the titular captain. The foreshadowing of doom in Captain Craigie's falsely optimistic statement that is very well done. So, too, is the final footnote, written as by the narrator's father, which really adds to the mystery and leaves more questions than answers: . An auspicious start to the collection. 4/5
J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement: This is Doyle's fictional account of the mysterious abandonment of the brigantine Mary Celeste. He changed the ship's name to Marie Celeste for his story, which in some quarters was taken as factual and so elements of Doyle's tale, including the vessel's altered name, passed into the public consciousness.
Given that we know how the story ends, the tension is in how Doyle takes us there, and that is via a gradually escalating series of accidents, disappearances and deaths. Doyle is a good enough writer that even when the source of the tragedy seems obvious, the motivation comes as a surprise (at least to me - maybe I'm slow). As good as The Captain of the Pole-Star is, this is better. 4.5/5
The Great Keinplatz Experiment: Doyle's Spiritualist leanings are revealed in this story about an eminent professor of anatomy and psychology who seeks to scientifically prove that there is a soul which is capable of existence outside of the body. That he is successful comes as no surprise, though the results are not what he expects. .
Doyle doesn't shove the Spiritualist stuff too far down your throat, so that's not a distraction. He also plays it for laughs about half-way through to the end of the story, at which he is moderately successful. An interesting one, but not quite as good as the previous two. 3/5
The Man from Archangel: Gothic, mysterious and tragic, I loved this story. Doyle's descriptions of the windswept beauty of the Caithness coast form a perfect backdrop for the stormy passions that engulf his characters. 5/5
That Little Square Box: A comedy-thriller in which the "hero" is so socially awkward that not even can overcome his imagined shame and embarrassment should he have misunderstood the situation. Doyle seems to be poking fun at the middle-class anxieties engendered by the rise of .
The ending wasn't altogether a surprise and the comic effect not exactly side-splitting, but it wasn't that bad either. A solid 3/5.
John Huxford's Hiatus: Depending on your outlook, you could find this story either the epitome of mawkish Victorian sentimentalism or a heart-warming tale of faithfulness, constancy and love. Being a bit of a softy, I strongly inclined to the latter.
Doyle builds up the mystery of in masterly fashion, only to ratchet up the emotional level even further during the "reveal" and the final climax. It was as much as I could do to stifle a manly tear. 5/5
Cyprian Overbeck Wells: A Literary Mosaic: An unusual story, being that of an aspiring but unsuccessful writer, Smith, who, having hit a writer's block, has a dream in which he is attended by the literary greats of past and present. Between them, they decide to help Smith and so they weave together a tale to inspire him. What we are then offered is a series of Doyle's pastiches of the writings of such luminaries as Tobias Smollet, Daniel Defoe, Sir Walter Scott, Edward Bulwer Lytton, and others.
The framing story is well done, and the interactions between the phantom writers are good, too, with each criticising the efforts of the last, causing offence and bruised egos. The story they patch together would not, I think, greatly assist poor Smith's literary ambitions and that is the story's downfall. A kind of "covers album" which is never quite as good as the originals. 3/5.
John Barrington Cowles: Doyle is back on cracking form with this one! It starts off as a Victorian melodrama: beautiful femme fatale who has been the ruin of many a poor boy, of whom, God knows, Barrington Coles is set to be one. Being told this by the narrator at the outset gives the story an atmosphere of over-shadowing doom - we know it's not going to end well!
The second half of the story, having set up the tragedy, moves into a supernatural mode, of which I will say nothing but that I feel Doyle's restraint is more effective than a graphic account would have been. 4/5.
The Parson of Jackman's Gulch: This one has the feel of a Western, although it's set in Australia's goldrush, rather than California's. There's a certain inevitability about the dénouement: it's not a surprise, but it is very well done: humour leavened with tragedy and a rough frontier anti-justice. 4/5
The Ring of Thoth: Classic Victorian horror: a clear inspiration for Universal Studio's The Mummy starring Boris Karloff. A creepy night at the museum, a mysterious janitor, a beautiful dead woman and an ancient Egyptian curse. Jinkies, Scoob!! 4.5/5
The Captain of the Pole-Star: I like a setting in the frozen polar regions - and shades of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley haunt these environs. The story is told in the form of a journal by a young ship's doctor, concerned for the sanity of the titular captain. The foreshadowing of doom in Captain Craigie's falsely optimistic statement that is very well done. So, too, is the final footnote, written as by the narrator's father, which really adds to the mystery and leaves more questions than answers: . An auspicious start to the collection. 4/5
J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement: This is Doyle's fictional account of the mysterious abandonment of the brigantine Mary Celeste. He changed the ship's name to Marie Celeste for his story, which in some quarters was taken as factual and so elements of Doyle's tale, including the vessel's altered name, passed into the public consciousness.
Given that we know how the story ends, the tension is in how Doyle takes us there, and that is via a gradually escalating series of accidents, disappearances and deaths. Doyle is a good enough writer that even when the source of the tragedy seems obvious, the motivation comes as a surprise (at least to me - maybe I'm slow). As good as The Captain of the Pole-Star is, this is better. 4.5/5
The Great Keinplatz Experiment: Doyle's Spiritualist leanings are revealed in this story about an eminent professor of anatomy and psychology who seeks to scientifically prove that there is a soul which is capable of existence outside of the body. That he is successful comes as no surprise, though the results are not what he expects. .
Doyle doesn't shove the Spiritualist stuff too far down your throat, so that's not a distraction. He also plays it for laughs about half-way through to the end of the story, at which he is moderately successful. An interesting one, but not quite as good as the previous two. 3/5
The Man from Archangel: Gothic, mysterious and tragic, I loved this story. Doyle's descriptions of the windswept beauty of the Caithness coast form a perfect backdrop for the stormy passions that engulf his characters. 5/5
That Little Square Box: A comedy-thriller in which the "hero" is so socially awkward that not even can overcome his imagined shame and embarrassment should he have misunderstood the situation. Doyle seems to be poking fun at the middle-class anxieties engendered by the rise of .
The ending wasn't altogether a surprise and the comic effect not exactly side-splitting, but it wasn't that bad either. A solid 3/5.
John Huxford's Hiatus: Depending on your outlook, you could find this story either the epitome of mawkish Victorian sentimentalism or a heart-warming tale of faithfulness, constancy and love. Being a bit of a softy, I strongly inclined to the latter.
Doyle builds up the mystery of in masterly fashion, only to ratchet up the emotional level even further during the "reveal" and the final climax. It was as much as I could do to stifle a manly tear. 5/5
Cyprian Overbeck Wells: A Literary Mosaic: An unusual story, being that of an aspiring but unsuccessful writer, Smith, who, having hit a writer's block, has a dream in which he is attended by the literary greats of past and present. Between them, they decide to help Smith and so they weave together a tale to inspire him. What we are then offered is a series of Doyle's pastiches of the writings of such luminaries as Tobias Smollet, Daniel Defoe, Sir Walter Scott, Edward Bulwer Lytton, and others.
The framing story is well done, and the interactions between the phantom writers are good, too, with each criticising the efforts of the last, causing offence and bruised egos. The story they patch together would not, I think, greatly assist poor Smith's literary ambitions and that is the story's downfall. A kind of "covers album" which is never quite as good as the originals. 3/5.
John Barrington Cowles: Doyle is back on cracking form with this one! It starts off as a Victorian melodrama: beautiful femme fatale who has been the ruin of many a poor boy, of whom, God knows, Barrington Coles is set to be one. Being told this by the narrator at the outset gives the story an atmosphere of over-shadowing doom - we know it's not going to end well!
The second half of the story, having set up the tragedy, moves into a supernatural mode, of which I will say nothing but that I feel Doyle's restraint is more effective than a graphic account would have been. 4/5.
The Parson of Jackman's Gulch: This one has the feel of a Western, although it's set in Australia's goldrush, rather than California's. There's a certain inevitability about the dénouement: it's not a surprise, but it is very well done: humour leavened with tragedy and a rough frontier anti-justice. 4/5
The Ring of Thoth: Classic Victorian horror: a clear inspiration for Universal Studio's The Mummy starring Boris Karloff. A creepy night at the museum, a mysterious janitor, a beautiful dead woman and an ancient Egyptian curse. Jinkies, Scoob!! 4.5/5
January 1, 2013
A great effort on part of the Ash Tree Press to remind us about the story-telling abilities of ACD that often get overshadowed by our preoccupation with Sherlock Holmes. The stories are great, and the Kindle edition is very-very pocket-friendly.
August 13, 2018
Reading Format:
Serial Reader App
Why I Read This Book:
Arthur Conan Doyle is an amazing author, and I'm rarely disappointed with any of his books.
Synopsis of the Book:
The story is written as the journal of a ships doctor. They have travelled North on a fishing expedition. The fishing is poor this particular year, and the captain keeps sailing to the North. The crew grows uneasy as the route South slowly becomes blocked by ice. Then the doctor starts hearing stories and rumors of bizarre sights and sounds experienced by various members of the crew, the captain, and eventually even by the doctor himself. Will they make it back home or all be driven insane?
What I Thought:
This was a short read - four serials averaging 12 minutes of reading apiece. Although I'm not fond of books that explore bizarre happenings on excursions where people are cut off from civilization, with little or no hope of returning home, I enjoyed this tale. The writing style is reminiscent of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories - the captain is a man of mystery, and the doctor attempts various means of conversation and observation to discern which rumors about the captain's personal history might be true. The ending was unexpected, and somewhat surprising, another feature I love about Arthur Conan Doyle's writings.
The Bottom Line:
If you enjoy reading Arthur Conan Doyle, you'll probably enjoy this book!
Serial Reader App
Why I Read This Book:
Arthur Conan Doyle is an amazing author, and I'm rarely disappointed with any of his books.
Synopsis of the Book:
The story is written as the journal of a ships doctor. They have travelled North on a fishing expedition. The fishing is poor this particular year, and the captain keeps sailing to the North. The crew grows uneasy as the route South slowly becomes blocked by ice. Then the doctor starts hearing stories and rumors of bizarre sights and sounds experienced by various members of the crew, the captain, and eventually even by the doctor himself. Will they make it back home or all be driven insane?
What I Thought:
This was a short read - four serials averaging 12 minutes of reading apiece. Although I'm not fond of books that explore bizarre happenings on excursions where people are cut off from civilization, with little or no hope of returning home, I enjoyed this tale. The writing style is reminiscent of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories - the captain is a man of mystery, and the doctor attempts various means of conversation and observation to discern which rumors about the captain's personal history might be true. The ending was unexpected, and somewhat surprising, another feature I love about Arthur Conan Doyle's writings.
The Bottom Line:
If you enjoy reading Arthur Conan Doyle, you'll probably enjoy this book!
April 5, 2024
I've read these stories from my teenage years in different volumes, indeed in my bookshelves are slightly yellowing omnibus editions of The Complete Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, the Complete S.H. Long Stories, The Conan Doyle Historical Romances (White Company, Sir Nigel, Micah Clarke, The Refugees), and the Conan Doyle Stories - this latter including the Ring and the Camp, Pirates and Blue Water, Terror and Mystery, Twilight and the Unseen, Adventure and Medial Life, Tales of Long ago - 76 stories, 1216. I have yet, sixty years later to purchase second hand copies of The Complete Professor Challenger Stories (which includes The Lost World) and the Complete Napoleonic Stories (Brigadier Gerard)
The Captain of the Polestar was published by Longmans as a collection of stories in 1890 - as appear in this Kindle edition Most of the stories also appear in other collections, such as described above and I read when I was a teenager in the 1960s. .
I won't detail the stories in this review, but Conan Doyle had an incredibly fecund imagination, and his stories extend on a very wide horizon indeed. These are entertainments, and not to be taken seriously. You read them for diversion and a dip into the literary, cultural and scientific conceits of Victorian England. Conan Doyles was a quality writer and could spin a good yarn, and had a good line in strangeness in his stories, and humour too. They are of variable quality, much as are any of the more famous Sherlock Holmes stories, but definitely none are not worth reading. Winter's evening in England, quiet sitting room, comfortable chair, and a glass of something nice and relaxing on the occasional table, pleasant piano music on your hi-fi - no TV needed, turn off your iPhone, and enjoy.
The Captain of the Polestar was published by Longmans as a collection of stories in 1890 - as appear in this Kindle edition Most of the stories also appear in other collections, such as described above and I read when I was a teenager in the 1960s. .
I won't detail the stories in this review, but Conan Doyle had an incredibly fecund imagination, and his stories extend on a very wide horizon indeed. These are entertainments, and not to be taken seriously. You read them for diversion and a dip into the literary, cultural and scientific conceits of Victorian England. Conan Doyles was a quality writer and could spin a good yarn, and had a good line in strangeness in his stories, and humour too. They are of variable quality, much as are any of the more famous Sherlock Holmes stories, but definitely none are not worth reading. Winter's evening in England, quiet sitting room, comfortable chair, and a glass of something nice and relaxing on the occasional table, pleasant piano music on your hi-fi - no TV needed, turn off your iPhone, and enjoy.
January 18, 2023
Probably the worst thing about reading books on WikiSource is that many of the entries are based on the original publications of certain books, existing decades before the dawn of the ISBN, and so it's tricky to add the "correct" versions to my Goodreads. So what I was reading online was only 315 pages, whereas the copy I'm "shelving" is a bit more, and I forgot this detail, so mistakenly believed I'd have another story to two before the book ended....
This book collects a handful of Doyle's non-Holmes stories, thus giving a better idea of the man's work and his ideas on the whole. It's very much a time capsule of its era, with stories about whaling in the Arctic, or the gold rush in America, or mesmerism, or Egyptology. Very little ties into what I've read of Sherlock Holmes, which is actually neat as it shows Doyle is more than a one-trick pony. I was also surprised at his sense of humor and irony, which I'd say were not strongly pronounced in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
This book collects a handful of Doyle's non-Holmes stories, thus giving a better idea of the man's work and his ideas on the whole. It's very much a time capsule of its era, with stories about whaling in the Arctic, or the gold rush in America, or mesmerism, or Egyptology. Very little ties into what I've read of Sherlock Holmes, which is actually neat as it shows Doyle is more than a one-trick pony. I was also surprised at his sense of humor and irony, which I'd say were not strongly pronounced in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
August 4, 2022
Really enjoyed listening to this as a bedtime story. Didn't realize that Sir Doyle wrote fantasty. This is a supernatural tale. A ship is stranded in the Arctic as it makes its passage towards Shetland. The well dignified captain Craigie is oscillating between an experienced commander and a delusional man. He sees a woman on the ice.
Several sailors and the doctor who is entering a daily journal, hear this voice. Finally, the captain disappears and is found dead. It's only the last line of the book that gives the story its meaning. Enjoyed listening to this.
Several sailors and the doctor who is entering a daily journal, hear this voice. Finally, the captain disappears and is found dead. It's only the last line of the book that gives the story its meaning. Enjoyed listening to this.
April 10, 2025
There is much contention within these short stories. Herein are blatant methods of fear-mongering, by means of racism. When Doyle desists from this technique of "horror", his fiction is formidable and laden with portentous imagery. It seems Doyle prefaced the way for Lovecraft, when you study his formula for horrification. Doyle, however, dabbles in that area of the supernatural, where an explanation is given or required at the end. Often, he would here mar what he had striven to build. Ambiguity would have been a bliss more terrific. This is seen in Playing With Fire - during eldritch séance, a unicorn manifests. What the fuck!
In all, I devoured this five hundred page collection. Horror Of The Heights was, by far, his best. The creatures, in the air jungle, were beautiful yet fearsome.
In all, I devoured this five hundred page collection. Horror Of The Heights was, by far, his best. The creatures, in the air jungle, were beautiful yet fearsome.
January 6, 2022
Wonderful entertaining listening 🔰😀
Ten will written short stories thriller adventure novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle around the world 🌎. Each story has it's own interesting will developed characters and story line with lots of twist, turns, misdirection and action leading to 👍 unexpected conclusions. I would highly recommend this novel to readers of adventure and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or 🎶 listening to 👍 novels 🔰😀2022
Ten will written short stories thriller adventure novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle around the world 🌎. Each story has it's own interesting will developed characters and story line with lots of twist, turns, misdirection and action leading to 👍 unexpected conclusions. I would highly recommend this novel to readers of adventure and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or 🎶 listening to 👍 novels 🔰😀2022
April 22, 2021
It felt like this had too long of a buildup. Is it a ghost story or is it about the descent into madness of a sea captain. The story is related in the form of a journal written by the ship's physician.
Audible edition.
Audible edition.
September 24, 2020
Audible Audiobook
May 25, 2023
A strange tale with eerie effects. Excellent narration and clean. Short story.
November 24, 2023
Our 58th Retirement Read Aloud, not one of our favorites
December 21, 2023
It’s just a small book with some goofy short stories, nothing life changing but nothing too bad – except for the very racially themed one, didn’t exactly enjoy that one.
December 10, 2022
atmospheric, eerie. loved the vibes
May 16, 2012
I like most things written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and some of the stories in this collection are good ones. The title story, "The Captain of the Polestar" I've read several times over the years, and for some reason it always bothers me. Essentially, the Captain of the fishing boat, Polestar, goes insane while his boat is temporarily ice-bound. Fishing hasn't been good, so they thought they might have better luck further north, but they stayed a bit too long. The whole crew was nervous, jittery, concerned about potentially dying for lack of food, water, and heat, if the weather didn't warm enough to allow the ice to break up a bit. One by one they started seeing things, as the captain sank deeper and deeper into himself. In the end, the boat gets free and heads back in to its home base, but it is anything but a "happily ever after" ending.
June 14, 2019
The Captain of the Polestar by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arctic Supernatural Love Story of Captain Nicholas Craigie as chronicled by JOHN M’ALISTER RAY.
I was looking forward to reading an Arthur Conan Doyle sea story.
it was a good story but not great.
Arctic Supernatural Love Story of Captain Nicholas Craigie as chronicled by JOHN M’ALISTER RAY.
I was looking forward to reading an Arthur Conan Doyle sea story.
it was a good story but not great.
June 18, 2019
Interesting and well written, but rather bland. I loved the atmosphere and the build-up - I just think this would have been better in a longer format where the characters could be developed a little more. There just seems to be something missing.
Read
December 16, 2007audiotape
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2012
There is not much by Doyle that disappoints.
Read
August 9, 2012only for fans of Victorian SF
May 30, 2013
A short but reasonably creepy story...
July 27, 2013
Was expecting something much better since it's Doyle's work.
February 21, 2015
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Freaky Friday AND The Mummy
March 27, 2017
Have read all of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and probably others as well, just never bothered to put them in to amazon or goodreads, so dates wrong. Some KU some paperback some hardback some collections.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews