This guy needs no introduction. This collection of short stories follow the adventures of the world’s most famous fictional detective as told by Dr. Watson, his loyal friend, assistant, and flatmate at 221B Baker Street. With his uncanny ability to make accurate observations from the smallest of clues, Holmes solves crimes for everyone from powerful monarchs to impoverished governesses.
Why it’s so famous?
The keen-eyed Sherlock Holmes became a wildly popular character when Conan Doyle published six short stories about him in The Strand Magazine in 1891.When the author later tried to kill him off, the public outcry was so extreme that the magazine lost 20,000 subscribers and Conan Doyle was forced to resurrect him. In fact, the Sherlock Holmes stories are so influential that in 2008, a survey revealed 58% of British teenagers thought he was a real person.
Why you should read it today?
We’ve all got an internal Sherlock Holmes who, when the situation calls, reaches for the pipe and deer-stalker hat to squeeze an explanation out of the smallest tidbit of information. Got a job interview? You’ve probably analyzed your potential new boss’s LinkedIn profile to figure out how to impress them. Got a date coming up? Who hasn’t examined their Facebook and Twitter with a virtual magnifying glass to see if there are any red flags. Of course Sherlock Holmes didn’t have the advantage of the internet, which makes his spot-on deductions more satisfying then ever.
