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A study in Southsea: The unrevealed life of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle
Book by Stavert, Geoffrey
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 3, 2012
After having read An Entirely New Country focusing on Doyle's time at Undershaw and Hindhead, I wished there was one focusing on his life in Southsea. And lo and behold, there is! The book dates back to the mid-80's so there are some inaccuracies when comparing the notes to the city today but that can hardly be avoided. I've lived in this city my whole life and it was fascinating to read about how it was in the Victorian era and what a vital part of the community Arthur Conan Doyle happened to be.
Each chapter covers a year of his residence, including the final chapter which skips ahead to 1896 when he briefly returned. I very much liked that while it did, of course, mention the Sherlock Holmes stories that he created here (as well as numerous other tales to keep the money coming in and pass the time) it was more intent to focus on his active role in the town. Looking at how he managed his practice, the sport that he was involved in (I'm not very well versed in cricket but details provided were interesting and never dull), his presence in the Literary Society and his family life. Naturally, the main focus is on Doyle but there are lovely little asides every once in a while with newspaper articles on things going on in the area, to just flesh out the scene which I think would appeal to anyone familiar with the city.
Clearly a lot of research has been done and you are provided with fact after fact on both Doyle and Southsea without it seeming like you're drowning in information. There are also nice moments where the author adds in his own speculation, as if conspiring with us to find a deeper meaning of something and perhaps some possible seeds planted in Doyle's brain that would later appear in a Holmes story or some such.
There are numerous black & white pictures throughout, both from the 1880's and 1980's but mainly just of Southsea, rather than Arthur IN Southsea (but it was still interesting for me to look at and also helped me find Dr Pike and John Hawkin's gravestones in my local cemetery). One thing that would have been useful is a glossary of names at the end. There were so many people mentioned throughout that I was beginning to lose track of who was who and how Arthur knew them. Having just a brief sentence on who they were at the back to refer to would have been very helpful.
Otherwise, a highly recommended book for those interested in Arthur Conan Doyle and/or Southsea.
Each chapter covers a year of his residence, including the final chapter which skips ahead to 1896 when he briefly returned. I very much liked that while it did, of course, mention the Sherlock Holmes stories that he created here (as well as numerous other tales to keep the money coming in and pass the time) it was more intent to focus on his active role in the town. Looking at how he managed his practice, the sport that he was involved in (I'm not very well versed in cricket but details provided were interesting and never dull), his presence in the Literary Society and his family life. Naturally, the main focus is on Doyle but there are lovely little asides every once in a while with newspaper articles on things going on in the area, to just flesh out the scene which I think would appeal to anyone familiar with the city.
Clearly a lot of research has been done and you are provided with fact after fact on both Doyle and Southsea without it seeming like you're drowning in information. There are also nice moments where the author adds in his own speculation, as if conspiring with us to find a deeper meaning of something and perhaps some possible seeds planted in Doyle's brain that would later appear in a Holmes story or some such.
There are numerous black & white pictures throughout, both from the 1880's and 1980's but mainly just of Southsea, rather than Arthur IN Southsea (but it was still interesting for me to look at and also helped me find Dr Pike and John Hawkin's gravestones in my local cemetery). One thing that would have been useful is a glossary of names at the end. There were so many people mentioned throughout that I was beginning to lose track of who was who and how Arthur knew them. Having just a brief sentence on who they were at the back to refer to would have been very helpful.
Otherwise, a highly recommended book for those interested in Arthur Conan Doyle and/or Southsea.
February 6, 2013
An interesting read of the time that Arthur Conan Doyle spent in Southsea, Portsmouth where he founded his first medical practice, met his first wife and created the Sherlock Holmes series. The Author, a member of several Sherlock Holmes societies began researching Doyle's life almost 30 years prior to writing the book out of mere interest and was able through town records to put together a good deal of information on him through research and sleuthing worthy of Holmes. A great read for those interested in a more personal view of this time period of Doyle's life with many relevant black and white photos of the area and Doyle from the 1880's through the early 1900's.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews