The Wanderings of a Spirtualist

by Arthur Conan Doyle

This is first of Conan Doyle's trilogy of memoirs of lecture tours advocating Spiritualism carried out in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada in the 1920s (the others are also available in this series).

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, Travel, Spiritualism

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Sir 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.

Reviews

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to read this account of Doyle's wanderings throughout all Oceania. He's a great narrator and knows when to stop talking about one topic and change the subject of his writing, though sometimes he seems so thrilled he can't stop pleading his cause. I loved the descriptions of the places he saw and the kind people he met from different cultures and races. It made me want to go and visit New Zealand, one day.
It was great to be in company with Sir Conan Doyle, travelling with him during this warm August at home.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok 👌listening

Another will written British 🏰 seafaring adventure thriller novella by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about a trip to Australia. This novella did not work for me give it a try it may work for you. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening. 2022 👑🏰

[Peter J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed the reading of this book. Sir Doyle’s candor and courage on a topic which is inevitably a sensitive one for any religious listener/reader is most refreshing.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is strictly for those with an interest in either the later life of Conan Doyle or the spiritiualist movement in the first part of the twentieth century.

The book descibes the author's lecture tour of Australia and New Zealand in the early 1920s. The content is more concerned with Conan Doyle's experiences on his travels rather than the details of his lectures. In between descriptions of the places he visits and the people he meets, he provides occasional substantiation (in his opinion) for the validity of his spiritualist beliefs.

I found the most interesting parts of the book were those dedicated to the author's thoughts on subjects such as the future re-emergence of Germany as a world power, the consequences of colonialism and the merits of limited alcohol prohibition. At a distance of 90 years, the author's views on these subjects make for interesting reading.