The Pot of Caviare

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer who is most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularising the mystery of the Mary Celeste. He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh Medical School. A London-based "consulting detective" whose abilities border on the fantastic, Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to adopt almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases. Holmes, who first appeared in publication in 1887, was featured in four novels and 56 short stories. The first novel, A Study in Scarlet, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887 and the second, The Sign of the Four, in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891; further series of short stories and two novels published in serial form appeared between then and 1927. The stories cover a period from around 1880 up to 1914. All but four stories are narrated by Holmes's friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson; two are narrated by Holmes himself ("The Blanched Soldier" and "The Lion's Mane") and two others are written in the third person ("The Mazarin Stone" and "His Last Bow"). In two stories ("The Musgrave Ritual" and "The Gloria Scott"), Holmes tells Watson the main story from his memories, while Watson becomes the narrator of the frame story. The first and fourth novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Valley of Fear, each include a long interval of omniscient narration recounting events unknown to either Holmes or Watson. In 1882 he joined former classmate George Turnavine Budd as his partner at a medical practice in Plymouth, but their relationship proved difficult, and Doyle soon left to set up an independent practice. Arriving in Portsmouth in June of that year with less than £10 (£900 today) to his name, he set up a medical practice at 1 Bush Villas in Elm Grove, Southsea. The practice was initially not very successful. While waiting for patients, Doyle again began writing stories and composed his first novels, The Mystery of Cloomber, not published until 1888, and the unfinished Narrative of John Smith, which would go unpublished until 2011. He amassed a portfolio of short stories including "The Captain of the Pole-Star" and "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement", both inspired by Doyle's time at sea, the latter of which popularised the mystery of the Mary Celeste and added fictional details such as the perfect condition of the ship (which had actually taken on water by the time it was discovered) and its boats remaining on board (the one boat was in fact missing) that have come to dominate popular accounts of the incident.

Genres: Horror, War, Short Stories

34 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2013

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

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of people in a besieged town is waiting to be freed from their assailants. Reinforcement seems to be due in several hours. They want to celebrate this event with a pot of caviare they preserved for an occasion like this. But one of the defenders doesn't think in their liberation. He thinks the enemy has conquered the fresh troops and comes next for them. What is he planning? How does he plan to prevent them from being taken prisoner? This is an extremely compelling story with a fine twist and timeless wisdom. Don't make premature judgements, read first. Highly recommended!

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot of this one brought forth thoughts such as Ho Hum, been there done that. Then, of course, I thought about how old this story is. It isn't a cliche, the movies I've seen and other things I've read maybe but this story is not. It was first published in March 1908, in "The Strand Magazine".

I do not want to reveal too much of the story and ending so I will just give a brief overview. In China, during the Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901, a tiny group of Europeans and Chinese Christians are trapped in a small village by hordes of violent Boxers. It is a miniature of the siege of the Legation Quarter in Beijing then known as Peking. Ammunition and food are running out. Will relief come before they are submerged in waves of Boxers? What if a relief force does not arrive in time? The Boxers are known to be violent and brutal. The American doctor lived through an earlier uprising in which all of the captives except himself were tortured to death in gruesome fashion. What should they do? An excellent, taut, suspense filled story. My only serious quibble is that in typical Imperial fashion no one, including Conan Doyle, displays much concern for the fate of the Chinese Christians. I hope that is because in a short story of this type there simply wasn't space to address the issue. I don't think that the author of "The Crime of the Congo" would have really been insensitive to their fate.

Conan Doyle also wrote a play using this story. It was performed in several theatres at intervals from 1908 through the 1920's. It was published as a book in 1928.

[Teemu Öhman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another one of ACD's Round the Fire Stories, originally published in The Strand magazine in 1908. The story takes place in China during the Boxer Rebellion. A bunch of Europeans (ACD pays no attention to the locals) are trying to defend their small outpost while waiting for help. This was a gripping little story!

What I read was a Kindle edition of the short story, not ACD's play of almost the same name (A Pot of Caviare).
4.5/5

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this I went and got meself some sushi with tobiko caviare piled on high!—It was terrible! 🫠