Adventures in The Strand: Arthur Conan Doyle & The Strand Magazine

by Mike Ashley

Conan Doyle’s name is synonymous with The Strand magazine, chiefly because of the Sherlock Holmes stories but also due to many of his other contributions, such as the Professor Challenger stories, his articles on spiritualism and fairies, and his coverage of the major battles of World War I. From 1891 until his death in 1930, almost 300 contributions by Doyle were published in The Strand , including 120 stories, 9 serialized novels, and dozens of other items including poetry and interviews. It is impossible fully to appreciate Conan Doyle’s artistic development without considering the context of The Strand , as it published almost all of his most memorable and important stories, but it also published essays, commentary and other works that have become unjustly forgotten. Doyle’s contributions highlight, for example, his abilities as a sportsman, an interest which frequently found its way into his fiction. This study charts his outlook and views, examines his shifting reputation during his lifetime, and assesses how Doyle’s contributions to The Strand fit into his overall output as a writer. Ashley uncovers hidden aspects of Doyle’s writings that reveal him to be a more broadly talented writer than he is often given credit for.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2016

About the author

Michael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.

Reviews

[Mike Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of Arthur Conan Doyle's literary output, most of which appeared in the Strand magazine. Sherlock Holmes gets his due, but Doyle's other output is given equal time including Napoleonic and Medieval stories, WWI reportage, and his later science fiction writings. The chapter on his late spiritualist phase was particularly interesting, bringing in Doyle's relationship with Houdini, and describing this surge in interest in communicating with the dead as being related to the high mortality rate during WWI. Doyle's connections with other authors including Oscar Wilde and HG Wells are well described. The author is not uncritical of Doyle, and near the end notes that he was not a great writer on par with Rudyard Kipling or Joseph Conrad, but he was a master of the short story and his best writings (including the Sherlock Holmes stories and 'Lost World') are key late Victorian works. Incidentally, the author describes Doyle's carefully researched novel 'Sir Nigel', set in the 14th century, as "his masterpiece". So that has now been added to my reading list.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Conan Doyle's stories and this book, wonderfully illustrated with original artwork was a delight. Focussing on the relationship between ACD and the Strand magazine was a different angle from previous biographies, and introduced me to forgotten books and short stories that I'll now seek out. A nice book.