LIESE SHERWOOD-FABRE (Cont.)
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
VOLUME ONE
BLURB EXCERPT
Step back to 1895 England.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‟s stories are full of refer-
ences to everyday Victorian activities and events that
send the twenty-first century reader running to the refer-
ence shelf. Few, for example, are intimately acquainted
with the responsibilities of a country squire, the impor-
tance of gentlemen‟s clubs, or the intricacies of the Victo-
rian monetary system. These short essays explore various
aspects of life mentioned in the original stories, providing
modern-day insight into the nineteenth century world.
Untangle the complexities of inheritance, the significance
of “Dr.” in front of “Watson,” the importance of segre-
gating the queen bee, and the dispute over the delivery of
letters addressed to 221B Baker Street. Such examina-
tions bring deeper meaning and color to the adventures
of the world‟s most famous consulting detective. In the short story “The Adventure of the Greek In-
terpreter,” Sherlock Holmes tells Dr. Watson that his an-
cestors were “country squires.” And other than that bit of
information, along with the note that his grandmother
was the sister of the French portraitist Vernet, Doyle pro-
vided little with respect to his most famous character‟s
origins.
Knowing his father might have been a country squire
as well, however, provides insights into Holmes‟ social
level and certain expectations common to those of his
rank. A country squire would have owned enough land to
rent to tenants and have lived in a manor house. While
the squire‟s position was below a nobleman or large land-
owner, he still ranked high in the local social structure.
In addition to running his estate and ensuring the
welfare of those under his tenancy, the country squire also
held the position of Justice of the Peace. In this capacity,
the squire had both civil and legal duties.
Review by Debbie of Different Time Different
Place Reviews: [An] interesting and informative
read…inspired by a comment made in a Sherlock
Holmes story. [Ed. Note: This review site does not rate
books.]
https://
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place.blogspot.com/2018/03/
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-holmes.html
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