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The Stark Munro Letters
The letters of my friend Mr. Stark Munro appear to me to form so connected a whole, and to give so plain an account of some of the troubles which a young man may be called upon to face right away at the outset of his career, that I have handed them over to the gentleman who is about to edit them. There are two of them, the fifth and the ninth, from which some excisions are necessary; but in the main I hope that they may be reproduced as they stand. I am sure that there is no privilege which my friend would value more highly than the thought that some other young man, harassed by the needs of this world and doubts of the next, should have gotten strength by reading how a brother had passed down the valley of shadow before him.Includes a biography of the author.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1895
21 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
15.8k 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 20, 2025
Stark Munro is a young Doctor of medicine writing to his friend Bertie sixteen letters the first one dating from 30th of March 1881 the last from 4th of November 1884.
At first I thought it was a Watson-like tale, that is, the writer was really only to eye-witness to the accomplishments of the real hero of the story. In this case it would be his friend Cullingworth, also a doctor, but a much more charismatic figure, a genius, an inventor. Munro is trying to get a job and is happy when Cullingworth offers to work with (for) him. But it turns out they do not get along that well. And then a large part of the book just describes how Munro is trying to establish his own practice – nearly starving. We learn exactly how much he is earning and how he spends his money.
All the time I expected the real story to start eventually. But then I realised there is no story in the conventional sense. We just get letters of a young man telling his friend what he is up to. In the end he is a success and he marries. Cullingworth is off to South-America but this by the time is not of much interest anymore.
The one thing that kept me reading were Munro’s philosophical musings. He is talking about religion (he is a believer) but does think that religion is a living thing and should not be restricted to 2000 year old teachings. He gets into an argument with one of his patients, a priest, when he points out the contradiction that we should at the same time believe that Jesus was divine and still be praiseworthy for not being a sinner. Munro, of course, thinks that Jesus was human.
But he also reflects on the problem of evil. He does not think it exists. He even writes a long theodicy poem. It is violence that is for him the greatest mystery although he thinks that it probably has its usefulness. Suffering on the other hand is something that is overrated. He also believes that evil is gradually being eradicated. (And in due time we will explore the Solar system.) There is also some speculation on the nature of fate. And he thinks that the uneducated people have very good sense. “They look at life with clearer and more unselfish eyes. It’s an axiom, I think, that to heighten a nation’s wisdom you must lower its franchise.”
It may not be of the highest philosophical level, but it is certainly interesting. This is how an educated man (that is, Conan Doyle, of course) at the time would think about the problems of man.
What makes this book special is the ending. It is absolutely brillant. And I will not spoil it. But this is one of the few cases where the last page of the book made me jump from a three-star to a four-star rating.
At first I thought it was a Watson-like tale, that is, the writer was really only to eye-witness to the accomplishments of the real hero of the story. In this case it would be his friend Cullingworth, also a doctor, but a much more charismatic figure, a genius, an inventor. Munro is trying to get a job and is happy when Cullingworth offers to work with (for) him. But it turns out they do not get along that well. And then a large part of the book just describes how Munro is trying to establish his own practice – nearly starving. We learn exactly how much he is earning and how he spends his money.
All the time I expected the real story to start eventually. But then I realised there is no story in the conventional sense. We just get letters of a young man telling his friend what he is up to. In the end he is a success and he marries. Cullingworth is off to South-America but this by the time is not of much interest anymore.
The one thing that kept me reading were Munro’s philosophical musings. He is talking about religion (he is a believer) but does think that religion is a living thing and should not be restricted to 2000 year old teachings. He gets into an argument with one of his patients, a priest, when he points out the contradiction that we should at the same time believe that Jesus was divine and still be praiseworthy for not being a sinner. Munro, of course, thinks that Jesus was human.
But he also reflects on the problem of evil. He does not think it exists. He even writes a long theodicy poem. It is violence that is for him the greatest mystery although he thinks that it probably has its usefulness. Suffering on the other hand is something that is overrated. He also believes that evil is gradually being eradicated. (And in due time we will explore the Solar system.) There is also some speculation on the nature of fate. And he thinks that the uneducated people have very good sense. “They look at life with clearer and more unselfish eyes. It’s an axiom, I think, that to heighten a nation’s wisdom you must lower its franchise.”
It may not be of the highest philosophical level, but it is certainly interesting. This is how an educated man (that is, Conan Doyle, of course) at the time would think about the problems of man.
What makes this book special is the ending. It is absolutely brillant. And I will not spoil it. But this is one of the few cases where the last page of the book made me jump from a three-star to a four-star rating.
January 23, 2023
Может быть я давно не читала Конан Дойля и позабыла его стиль или возможно у меня настроение с книжкой не совпало, но я расстроена. Вроде бы и книга хорошая, и истории в ней интересные, но как-то общее впечатление унылое.
Такое чувство, что она не закончена. Знаете, в психологии есть такое понятия, как не закрытый разговор (настоящее слово забыла сейчас), это когда ты начинаешь рассказывать истории и ответвлением можешь рассказать о человеке и что он любит, а потом о другом именно для истории и женщины это могут воспринимать как один большой разговор, а для мужчин это три не законченных разговора. Вот я для этой книги как раз мужчина, для которого есть незаконченные разговоры. Это не самое приятное чувство, когда разговор остался открытым, а ты хочешь знать чем все кончилось.
Завидую людям, которые прочитав это произведение увидели в нем прекрасное. Ведь именно на их прекрасное я и повелась занося в список сей труд одного из почитаемых мной авторов. Но честно скажу ни за что бы не поверила, что это автор "Записок о Шерлок Холмсе", может действительно хорошо, что он написал о Шерлоке больше, чем о докторе, которого благополучно схоронил. И все же я дополнительно настаиваю еще и на осени, которая могла внести свои коррективы в мое восприятие "Записок Старка Монро".
Такое чувство, что она не закончена. Знаете, в психологии есть такое понятия, как не закрытый разговор (настоящее слово забыла сейчас), это когда ты начинаешь рассказывать истории и ответвлением можешь рассказать о человеке и что он любит, а потом о другом именно для истории и женщины это могут воспринимать как один большой разговор, а для мужчин это три не законченных разговора. Вот я для этой книги как раз мужчина, для которого есть незаконченные разговоры. Это не самое приятное чувство, когда разговор остался открытым, а ты хочешь знать чем все кончилось.
Завидую людям, которые прочитав это произведение увидели в нем прекрасное. Ведь именно на их прекрасное я и повелась занося в список сей труд одного из почитаемых мной авторов. Но честно скажу ни за что бы не поверила, что это автор "Записок о Шерлок Холмсе", может действительно хорошо, что он написал о Шерлоке больше, чем о докторе, которого благополучно схоронил. И все же я дополнительно настаиваю еще и на осени, которая могла внести свои коррективы в мое восприятие "Записок Старка Монро".
August 13, 2014
I'm surprised that this book doesn't seem to attracted any other reviews, though most of ACD's other little known works have done so.
If you know and like ACD's other work, then this is a truly fascinating book. It's a series of twelve letters, supposedly written by a young doctor to a friend and former fellow student about his early struggles in medical practice. According to ACD himself (I haven't checked this against any of the biographies) it's based, to a very large extent, on ACD's own experiences as a doctor, before he gave up medicine for literature. It features an array of curious characters, most particularly the larger-than-life Cullingworth, who was apparently a real person, with whom the narrator was for a time in partnership.
The book paints an interesting, and somewhat dismaying, picture of late 19the century, pre-NHS, medical practice, when every GP was, in effect, a sole trader, living on his wits, and getting patients as best he could. In some ways, it's a scaled-up version of ACD's short story 'Crabbe's Practice'.
The book also contains ACD's ruminations on religion (he was a theist, but unattached to any church) which have a quaint period flavour. (Evidently, it was written before ACD became obsessed with Spiritualism.)
One very strange feature of the book (I don't think this is a spoiler, in the ordinary sense) is that, although the book is closely based on ACD's own experiences, it ends with a footnote stating that the narrator and his newly married wife were killed in a railway accident. It would be interesting to know exactly what the author was getting at; perhaps it's no more than his way of saying that he had finally abandoned medicine.
If you know and like ACD's other work, then this is a truly fascinating book. It's a series of twelve letters, supposedly written by a young doctor to a friend and former fellow student about his early struggles in medical practice. According to ACD himself (I haven't checked this against any of the biographies) it's based, to a very large extent, on ACD's own experiences as a doctor, before he gave up medicine for literature. It features an array of curious characters, most particularly the larger-than-life Cullingworth, who was apparently a real person, with whom the narrator was for a time in partnership.
The book paints an interesting, and somewhat dismaying, picture of late 19the century, pre-NHS, medical practice, when every GP was, in effect, a sole trader, living on his wits, and getting patients as best he could. In some ways, it's a scaled-up version of ACD's short story 'Crabbe's Practice'.
The book also contains ACD's ruminations on religion (he was a theist, but unattached to any church) which have a quaint period flavour. (Evidently, it was written before ACD became obsessed with Spiritualism.)
One very strange feature of the book (I don't think this is a spoiler, in the ordinary sense) is that, although the book is closely based on ACD's own experiences, it ends with a footnote stating that the narrator and his newly married wife were killed in a railway accident. It would be interesting to know exactly what the author was getting at; perhaps it's no more than his way of saying that he had finally abandoned medicine.
May 11, 2019
This was a very interesting story depicting the life of a new doctor in 1882 England. The moral fibre of the doctor was impeccable and showed such a stark contrast to thinkers of today. It made me wonder if society has intellectually lessened over the past 137 years. Just listen to any British or American politician and learn how morality has somehow become flexible and debased.
October 31, 2024
Nice epistolary novela! The letters are not just about the struggling life about a new doctor, but about philosophycal conversations with his friend, a beautiful and profound friendship!
So I don't understand why it ended like that, ACD just want to make us, the reader, suffer.
So I don't understand why it ended like that, ACD just want to make us, the reader, suffer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2024
Не можу сказати, що дуже сподобалося, але були цікаві моменти, особливо в останніх листах героя. Та і сам головний герой доволі цікава особистість з міцним характером.
February 27, 2013
An interesting autobiography of Conan Doyle's years as a young doctor written in fiction form. According to Conan Doyle, all but the part about Lord Saltire is true, just with all the names changed. The novel is written in letter format like the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and consists of 16 letters written by Stark Munro (Conan Doyle) to his friend. Herbert Swanborough and Conan Doyle notes himself as the editor. In it he mentions his struggles as a new doctor in a decidedly optimistic way. At the beginning of his own practice, he has barely enough money to buy bread and tea to subsist on and sleeps on a wrought iron bed frame using his spare suit of clothes wrapped around his medical book as a pillow. Throughout it all his hope never seems to flag that he will eventually be able to support himself and there is a lightheartedness to his troubles. The story also mentions the courting of and marrying of Louise, Conan Doyle's first wife whom he called "Touie" ("Winnie" in the book) and he appears to have had a very deep love for her. Well written and easy to read, the only slow parts were his opinions on religion which tended to run on at times. Well worth the read for those interested in his life.
September 28, 2013
An obscure work by Doyle told as a series of letters written by a young doctor in the UK to a former classmate now living in he States. He describes the challenges of a struggling young doctor in the 1880's. The story is flat and not much really happens. Doyle also spends a lot of time preaching, I presume his personal views on formal religion. Not a very good book.
September 29, 2014
I found this book through Librivox (and recorded a few chapters of it). It was good fun to read, mostly because of Munro's narrative voice. I'm not sure I'll find it particularly memorable, but some of the narrator's religious debates with his friend are interesting, and make me wish I could hear the other side (the letters' recipient's side).
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February 5, 2019A rather rambling story of a medical man trying to 'find his feet', as he would have put it. Interspersed with philosophical, theological and other asides. Based on Conan Doyles own experiences. Rather clueless....
February 12, 2019
Se trata de una novela de género epistolar, pero amena. El doctor Stark Munro relata a un amigo suyo en una seriende cartas sus andanzas desde que se gradúa hasta que se asienta en la vida.
Me resultó ameno, aunque no me agradó cómo acaba.
Me resultó ameno, aunque no me agradó cómo acaba.
August 22, 2013
Epistolary memoir of a young medical grad in the late Victorian Era. It's a good read if you want to know more about Doyle and/or how the middle class lived in the 1880s.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews