The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes [Revised Edition]

by Vincent Starrett

Interesting sidelight of the Sherlock Holmes stories. This is a basic book for all afficionados of the great detective. illus.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY: Books for College Libraries; Catalogue of the Lamont Library, Harvard College.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, Literature, Victorian, Biography Memoir

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

AKA Charles Vincent Starrett, or Charles Starrett

Vincent Starrett was a book collector, author, bibliographer, and a Sherlock Holmes scholar. He has been referred to as part of Chicago's "literary renaissance” and has written or edited more than 50 books of essays, criticism, fiction, biography, poetry, and bibliography.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the cornerstone books in any serious Sherlockian bookshelf, and my copy is personally inscribed by Otto Penzler. It doesn’t get much better than that! This is one of the books in Otto Penzler’s Sherlock Holmes Library, a reissue of eight previously hard to find classics from the earlier age of Sherlockiana, it was originally published in 1933.

Starting with part of the classic Dorr Steele color illustration for The Norwood Builder, this one just feels like a classic (a word I don’t use often, but seems perfect for this review!). Keep in mind that what is now common knowledge in 2003 was not nearly as widely known and certainly not as disseminated in 1933. Starrett opens with mention of Joseph Bell’s influence on Doyle and then discusses the publication of A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. Already the reader is interested.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a nice piece about the Reichenbach Falls and “bringing back Holmes” but not reviving him for The Hound. No. 221-B Baker Street is one of my favorite essays, complete with a reproduction of Gray Chandler Briggs’ hand-drawn map of the famous neighborhood.

The book’s title chapter is more about Holmes’ social life and hobbies and fun reading. The Real Sherlock Holmes discusses Doyle’s true-life crime investigations, a subject which has since resulted in several detailed books.

Impersonators of Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a great chapter, discussing William Gillette’s famous play, plus a few others and then moving onto similar fiction. Starrett praises Arthur Wontner (one of my personal favorites) with the sentence: “Surely no better Sherlock Holmes than Arthur Wontner is likely to be seen and heard in pictures, in our time.” Fine words, indeed! There follows an essay discussing parodies and burlesques.

An absolute gem is The Evolution of a Profile. This look at how the illustrated image of Holmes developed would be the standard on the subject until Walter Klinefelter’s marvelous Sherlock Holmes in Portrait and Profile (also reviewed on this site). Of Frederic Dorr Steele Starrett says, “Sixty tales, in all, comprise the saga of Sherlock Holmes, and Dorr Steele has illustrated twenty-nine. While he yet lives and loves, and lifts his pencil, will he not do the other thirty-one?”

That sentence conveys one of the strengths of this book. Starrettt had a wonderful writing style. That he was a scholar on the subject of Sherlock Holmes is indisputable. But he never “writes down” to the reader. Instead, he is intent on sharing something he truly loves. I have yet to encounter an author of Sherlockiana that has as perfectly captured this trait as Starrett.

There are two “examinations,” an appendix and a short bibliography to round out the book.

At 214 pages, this is the second longest book of the series (Starrett’s 221B: Studies in Sherlock Holmes comes in at 247). I would also venture to say that seventy years after it’s publication, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is one of the finest pieces of Sherlockiana ever written.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

“My turn that way [i.e., his ability to observe and make deductions] is in my veins, and may have come with my grandmother, who was the sister of Vernet, the French artist. Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.”

There’s nothing like a good Sherlock Holmes tale; this is nothing like one. First published in 1933, shortly after the death of Sir Arthur, this tome complies trivia about Holmes and Watson gleaned from the writings with contemporary stage, film, and parody representations of the duo.

“From first to last—as student, physician, writer, spiritualist, and prophet of war—[Doyle] was always the private detective, the seeker after hidden truths, the fathomer of obscure mysteries, the hound of justice upon the trail of injustice and official apathy.”

Most contemporary items in 1933 are hopelessly obscure in 2020. For example, reviewing the best representations of Holmes on stage and film, there’s no mention of Basil Rathbone, who to many is the representation. (Starrett suggests its William Gillette.)

Only die-hard Holmes fans need bother.

“And since there is nothing quite so real as the unreal, perhaps these ghosts walk there with more persuasive tread than any of those other ghosts we call the living.”

[Nancy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

In good faith I gave the book 3 stars. I really wanted to just give it two stars but I think that is mainly because I was expecting one thing from the book and got another. My opinion was that I was going to read a book about the origins of Sherlock Holmes, the characters, cases, etc. Instead I felt like I got some factual accounts (the public hated it when Mr. Doyle killed off Sherlock) and a lot of fictional jargon. I thoroughly enjoy mysteries and have always loved all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. For Sherlock fans out there, this could be the book for you so don't let my opinion discourage you from reading. Not all books are for everyone, and apparently that is the case with The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes for me.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (in particular the hawk-nosed Holmes and mustachioed doctor), then this book is for you.

I'd first heard of Vincent Starrett in conjunction with his poem, "221B," and this book of essays showcases the same love for Holmes and Watson that's reflected in the poem. Starrett discusses what we know about the detective and his companion based on the "Sacred Works," a.k.a. Arthur Conan Doyle's original short stories.

Oddly enough, I was most interested in the sections where Starrett discusses Watson's inaccurate memory, or Conan Doyle's lack of continuity. It was amusing to read about the time John Watson became James Watson, or how Watson's wife goes completely unmentioned for many stories when she should at least make an appearance on the sidelines. (However, Holmes' eye-color was always consistent: grey.)

Highly recommended for all Holmesians!

[Nicholas Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful (and the original) biography of the world’s first and greatest consulting detective. A stupendous work of scholarship and indispensable Holmes companion. Essays cover such topics as everything known of Mrs. Hudson, and a bibliography of unpublished adventures alluded to by Watson. The most astounding chapters treat the real-life cases that Conan Doyle consulted on, showing a marvelous ability for deduction; or the parallels between Holmes and Dr. Joseph Bell, the figure who served as the inspiration for the great detective.

Starrett notes many instances where Conan Doyle’s — I mean, Watson’s —attention to details, particularly dates, goes astray. His research and the research of others helped establish what facts can and cannot be teased out of the Sacred Writings. In addition, his exuberance is contagious. No matter how many times you’ve read the canon, you’re sure to find a source of new inspiration and a wealth of details you’ve previously overlooked.

[scriptedknight · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating 3/5 stars
~
MARY DIED ???

[Fred Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this might be a fun review of Sherlock Holmes but found it kind of boring.

[Jc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private Life is a wonderful, joyous little look at the world of the first Consulting Detective as well as the strange world of Sherlockian fandom. Starrett was a founding member (along with Christopher Morley, Alexander Woollcott, & William Gillette, among others) of The Baker Street Irregulars (BSI). The BSI being the American holder of the sacred Holmesian Grail (Madison WI’s and my own “Notorious Canary Trainers” is an official scion of the BSI). Starrett was old enough to have corresponded with Arthur Conan Doyle himself (the book includes a letter from Doyle dated 1918), as well as Gillette and other important characters from the early Holmesian world, yet young enough to publish this rewrite of Private Life in 1960 [Starrett died at 87 in 1974]. That being said, Private Life, in a mere 150+ pages, works as a complete introduction for any fan of Sherlock to the world of official Sh. Holmes fandom. And all of this in a compact, very readable, often amusing, fact filled text. I have had this on my shelf for ca. 30 years, and am annoyed and embarrassed that I took this long to read it. Don’t make my mistake: if you enjoy Sir Conan’s best-known character at all, read this now. You’re welcome.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In connection with reading the first comprehensive work on Sherlock Holmes in Bengali, the study of some of the stalwarts became necessary. Hence this book had to be read. I found it to be surprisingly delightful, pretty straight-forward, factual as well as anecdotal. It relied upon the non-controversial aspects of Doyle's life and other documentation. Not a very insightful work fulfilling modern rigours as well as clamours, if the title is to be considered. But enjoyable nevertheless, and historically very-very important without a doubt.
Recommended, if you can find a copy.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, I believe, the first of the many biographies of Sherlock Holmes, but it is distinct in that it is compiled by a true fan and a founding member of the Baker Street Irregulars. A must-read for all Sherlockians.

Kindle editions of out-of-print books often suffer from terrible typographical errors brought about by bad OCR and no human proofreading. This edition doesn't suffer from any of that.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not *quite* what I expected, but still an enjoyable read. Amazingly (or not so amazingly?) I knew most of the "trivia" type stuff. I think what I most appreciated was the list of all of the cases *mentioned* but never written about, as well as a list of all of Holmes' writings (on bees, tatoos, and tobacco, to name a few).

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking it would be something other than what it was. Still it was interesting.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being originally published in 1933, I was a bit skeptical about the validity of this book to the modern Sherlockian, though I have never been so glad to be proven wrong. Not only did I find Starrett's work to be surprisingly not outdated, his style of writing was refreshing and his loyalty to the facts left me believing this is the single best companion to Canon there is. It certainly outshined every other companion piece I have read to date, because unlike some other Holmesian "scholars" who shall remain nameless but we all know who I'm referring to, his observations are based solely on what we see within the pages of the original source material. And while still providing thought provoking and insightful theorizing, Starrett never resorts to outlandish speculation.

Undeniably, this is a book written by someone familiar with all the nuances of Canon, and this love of the stories, the characters, and his great understanding of Holmes & Watson is readily apparent in his work. Overall, this was an excellent book that left me grinning and was also an informative read in the process. I cannot recall one instance where his prose lags or becomes boring.

I was especially interested in the author's take on actors who had, up until its first publishing date, played Sherlock Holmes. He is a great admirer of the often overlooked Arthur Wontner (who is a dead ringer for Paget's illustrations, btw) which I was glad to see, being a fan of his portrayal of Holmes, myself. One wonders what Starrett would have thought of Jeremy Brett's unmatched portrayal.

My advice to any casual fan or serious Sherlockian would be to get a copy of this book any way you can.

(There is also, as I understand it, a version of Private Life updated by the author that contains a pastiche at the end. My copy does not have this, so in hindsight I'd definitely look for the version that did.)

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Sherlock Holmes is of course a fictional character, that does not mean that he does not live in the minds of his fans. The purpose of this book is to explain the aspects of his life that can be gleaned from the combination of the original stories. There were of course inconsistencies when Dr. Watson was putting down their adventures. He was often confused about the sequential timeline and of course Arthur Conan Doyle was interested in the immediate plot and did not spend a great deal of thought on temporal consistency across the stories.
Many people have spent a great deal of time cross referencing the stories. One of the points of interest that was tracked down is where in London is 221B Baker Street. After executing a great deal of scholarship, the most likely location of the residence of Holmes and Watson in London was identified. Another point of interest is a more in-depth analysis of the life of Mrs. Hudson. It is known that she is a widow, but the particulars are largely unknown. It was explicitly stated that Dr. Watson was married, but that his wife died. Another path of investigation follows the trail of the specific aspects of Dr. Watson’s wife.
One of the most unusual “biographies” that has ever been written, this is a book that all fans of the great, fictional detective should read.

[Jim Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although sometimes called a biography, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is really a series of essays on Sherlock Holmes and his creator. It explores all aspects of Holmes: his life and the lives of Watson and Mrs. Hudson, the location of 221B Baker Street (and the attempts by Holmes scholars to identify the "real" location, as there isn't actually a 221B), the early dramatizations, the Baker Street Irregulars (the characters in Doyle's stories as well as the literary organization), and so on. It includes background on Doyle and on Joseph Bell, the Edinburgh doctor that Holmes is in part based on, and even some of Doyle's own exploits (Doyle went out of his way, Holmes style, to prove that two men unjustly imprisoned for crimes the didn't commit, were innocent). It also includes Starrett's fine pastiche, "The Adventure of the Unique Hamlet," perhaps the first Holmes pastiche and still one of the best.

This is a wonderful accomplishment, finely and cleverly written, deftly moving back and forth between the view of Holmes as fiction to the facade of explaining inconsistencies in the stories as perhaps the results of Watson's memory.

Highly recommended -- indeed essential reading -- for all Sherlockians.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is not a novel, not a mystery, not a pastiche—but something rarer: a deep, contemplative portrait of Holmes as more than fiction. Vincent Starrett, poet and Holmesian supreme, invites us into a world where 221B Baker Street truly existed, and where Holmes and Watson were real men disguised as myth. The book drips with nostalgia and reverence, not just for the characters but for the time, the gaslit streets, the violin echoing through the fog. Starrett blends biography with bibliophilia, turning Doyle’s stories into sacred texts and their contradictions into clues. This is not about solving crimes—it’s about inhabiting a dream, and Starrett keeps that dream flickering with tender brilliance.

My wife gifted me this book during the first cruel wave of the Covid-19 pandemic—a time when silence stretched long and reality bent at the edges. I remember sanitizing this book :)

Reading Starrett’s quiet devotion to Holmes felt like a form of refuge. It reminded me that some myths endure not because they are true—but because they feel truer than truth.

In that locked-down world, Holmes was still walking Baker Street. Still thinking. Still watching.

[William Dury · Rating 3 out of 5]

A famous but slightly disappointing study much quoted by Baker Street enthusiasts. Chapter 7, “The Untold Tales of Dr. Watson” contains a wonderful list of the stories mentioned but not recounted by Dr. Watson, the most famous, of course, being “The Giant Rat of Sumatra,” and my personal favorite, “The Affair of the Politician, the Lighthouse, and the Trained Cormorant.” The mind reels.

Mr. Starrett theorizes that Mrs. Hudson followed Holmes to act as his housekeeper in his Sussex retirement, and also act as his undercover (for two years!) agent in bringing about the downfall of the German spy Van Bork, in “His Last Bow.” Interesting volume, just feels a little dated, sad and self published.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting 'biography' of Holmes using various stories with small clues to fill in the gaps. That was pretty clever. It also showed where '221B Baker Street' might have been modeled after (no, not on Baker Street).

However, I found the first half of this book more interesting than the last half. The beginning examines the Canon for clues to fill in the gaps about Holmes' private life. The last half goes into various plays, musicals, movies etc. that feature Holmes but I couldn't see how this was relevant as none were written by Conan Doyle. And the author went on and on (and on and on) about different actors whose portrayal did or did not mirror Holmes from the books.

Still, I enjoyed reading most of it and will add it to my Holmes bookshelf.

[Christa Saccullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...

I'm usually not one for nonfiction, but I'd heard this was a needs must for any Sherlock Holmes fan.
The first half was excellent, and in many ways, put to words why this detective is so highly regarded.
The second half was a bit slow for me because the author delves a little deeper into history and events that shaped the stories.
Also, some parts were hard to follow because this book was written in the 1930s, thus it is written more in style of that period.

If you've never read Holmes or know very little about him, do not read this. This book is written on the pretense that the reader is very familiar with the subject.

Christa

[Jimmy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not a Sherlock Holmes story, but rather a history of Sherlock Holmes in literature and other media. I am guessing this was before 1940. I found it interesting and enjoyable. The book includes how various people have expanded on Doyle's original. It is well worth a read if you are a Holmes fan.

[Rob Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is series of essays on various aspects of Holmes and his world including a chapter on the Baker Street Irregulars club, a pastiche story, and a bio of Starrett. A classic companion volume for the enthusiast after you've read the stories and novels. This was only mildly entertaining for me except the pastiche story which was fun.

[Jake Mcconnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'd really really really have to be a fan of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy this book, and even then I think there would be doubts. It mainly goes over a couple of discrepancies in the series and how to possibly smooth them over, but overall it really wasn't all that entertaining of a read.

[Star Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry as dust. Why all the discussion of where he lived, etc? Who cares? He's a fictional character, people. Conan Doyle MADE IT UP.
I had to skim through a lot of it, because it was of little interest to me. My husband bought this book, thinking it was a novel. It isn't.

[Outlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a modern reprint of a history of the Sherlock Holmes phenomenon, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally published in 1930 and is therefore dated - but interesting none the less and a worthwhile addition to my collection.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read.

[Teatum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review of quotes and stories to tell the story of the author and the character. Interesting trivia, a bit meandering at times. Happy to nerd out to this in the good parts.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine buffet of Holmesian writing for anyone with the least experience with th Holmes stories. The bibliography at the end is useful but dated, of course.

[Keith Boynton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a warm literary blanket.

[Aragorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable and detailed description of the foremost deductive detective in a most entertaining biography. Highly recommended for Sherlockians and casual fans alike of Sherlock Holmes.

[Eirin Stiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is essential in your library if you enjoy Sherlock Holmes. It has a deeply analysis of this character and it shows how their fans discuss the same things through time.