Most probably, all bookworms know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous detective Sherlock Holmes. This is the main hero of an outstanding series that lasted over 60 different stories (62). Its success was unexpected, even for the author. It quickly gained popularity in Great Britain. Afterward, it steadily turned into a truly global phenomenon.
Today, you can find millions of people who adore this character. There are numerous fandoms, games, and festivals dedicated to him. People use direct or imaged phrases. For example, some folks say: “I can heat like Sherlock Holmes.” It means they can think smartly, logically, and correctly. Yet, it also has a direct meaning – the fire and its warmth, atmosphere, emotions, and so on. This is only one of multiple things people like about this famous fiction detective. Why is Sherlock Holmes that popular, and how do people value it today? This is the task of this blog post.
The Popularity Conan Doyle Didn’t Want
The incredible success of this Victorian detective was a huge surprise to many people of that time. Even his author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was merely shocked by it. In fact, he was even annoyed and a bit angry with it. Why was that so?
Well, the main root of the issue is that the writer never wanted his readers to become obsessed with that character in his adventure. Sir Doyle was focused on more serious books, such as his historical novel Micah Clarke. It was of little interest to his readers just because of Sherlock Holmes! It made the writer quickly regret the creation of this character.
Behind the writing, there was one simple goal. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was written with the intent of solving financial issues Sir Doyle had at that time. This was a short-term project just to enrich income. So, people might have never read a single word about this detective if there was no need for money.
Weird Reactions of Fans
The incredible popularity of Sherlock Holmes can be clearly seen by the reaction of its fans when everything came to a full stoppage. In 1893, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle finally decided to “kill” his character. It was the last 62nd story when the detective jumped off a cliff in Switzerland with his greatest enemy, Dr. Moriarty. That was a tragic and heroic end.
Yet, the reaction of its fans was unpredictable. The Strand magazine, which published the adventures of this Victorian detective, lost about 20,000 subscribers after all ended. It showed how popular the whole series was and how people could not accept this loss.
This wasn’t the only reaction they showed. Many of them started writing angry letters to the author. They blamed him and cursed him. Others begged him to return, somehow bringing Sherlock back to life. The last wish became possible when it was filmed and performed by Robert Downey Jr. Nonetheless, Conan Doyle refused to do that.
He was shocked and angry with his readers for the letters they sent every day. Americans even started special clubs that turned into a real mainstream – “Let’s Keep Holmes Alive”. So, this phenomenon became really global. In England, he was as popular and loved as Queen Victoria.
What about the writer? Sir Doyle did not undergo the wishes of the majority. While his readers were overemotional about the death of Sherlock, he remained less emotional. Sir Doyle told others that he got sick with this detective and his numerous adventures. He still could not believe that this fiction and sometimes a bit of fantasy story overshadowed more serious works. Conan Doyle never showed any mercy to his fans.
Reasons Why It Became Popular
It is likewise necessary to name the reasons for Sherlock Holmes’ popularity. There are several clues to the understanding of this phenomenon. These are as follows:
- Simple to understand. The author never overcomplicated his detective stories. He truly used the necessary terms to make it realistic. Nevertheless, most terms are easy to comprehend and he also explains everything with plain words.
- Easy-going. You do not get overburdened with the stories. Every adventure is unique but written in a simple form. You take pleasure in reading it and you never get bored.
- Quite short. Another great reason for popularity is the length of the stories. They are short and are straight to the point. So, you do not have to spend several days reading long descriptions that have little sense of the main idea.
This adventurous series was written for middle-class people. This group includes simple workers, non-intellectuals, and the ones who commonly did not have a school education at that time. As you understand, it’s the majority of the population of England at the end of the 19th century.
It is also crucial to mention one more factor. After the writer refused to continue the stories, many fans became even more obsessed. They reread all the stories, looked for some new facts they missed before, and some even tried to continue the series.
Life After Death
The obsession after the death of Sherlock Holmes increased. It turned into some form of a cult. There are different films and TV shows about this character. The most popular version was filmed by BBC, where Benedict Cumberbatch made Sherlock Holmes quite modern. This created a new mainstream and made fans reevaluate the character. Many stories are still waiting for their time on the screen. This mainstream shows no signs of waning. It will surely live on for many hundred years.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, the popularity of Sherlock Holmes can be easily explained. It was pretty novice when it first emerged. The stories were written with plain words for common people. So, you do not have to be a policeman to see all ends. All the stories are pretty short and pleasant to read. Therefore, it remains popular even today.