The Basics
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, the private detective Sherlock Holmes, is one of those literary figures who have become known throughout the world. To many, he is the archetypal English character – calm, rational, a little arrogant, and capable of seeing through whatever fog of deception arises before him.
It isn't just his powers of deduction that amaze Watson and the reader. He is a gifted violinist, as well as an unrepentant intravenous drug-user, these activities supposedly helping him to penetrate the layers of mystery surrounding all sorts of knotty problems, from the business of the Five Orange Pips to the Adventure Of The Sussex Vampire.
