Imagine soaring above the bustling streets of London, removing the roofs, and peering into the lives of its inhabitants. Such a view, brimming with unexpected occurrences, would make even the most imaginative fiction seem dull and predictable. This is the very thought that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s iconic detective, Sherlock Holmes, expresses in his short story “A Case of Identity.”
The Birth of a Detective Icon
Doyle’s creation of Sherlock Holmes was a resounding success, captivating readers from the very beginning. “A Study in Scarlet,” the novel that introduced the world to Holmes, was so well-received that it was published in book form just six months after its initial release in Beeton’s Christmas Annual. The subsequent Sherlock Holmes stories, including “The Sign of Four,” were eagerly awaited by fans, cementing the detective’s place in literary history.
Sherlock Holmes and the City of London
Doyle’s astute depiction of London, a city he had recently moved to, plays a crucial role in the Sherlock Holmes stories. He meticulously portrays the city’s atmosphere, emphasizing Holmes’s “exact knowledge” of its intricacies. The connection between Sherlock Holmes and London is undeniable, and Doyle’s time spent in the city significantly influenced his writing. “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, was entirely written in London, with the first five stories penned near the British Museum and the following seven from his home in South Norwood.
A Tumultuous Metropolis
Doyle’s descriptions of London capture the city’s frenetic energy and chaotic development. He vividly portrays its busy and smoke-filled streets, even utilizing the story “The Blue Carbuncle,” about the recovery of a precious blue stone, to showcase the city’s immense scale. Holmes, while investigating the theft, dismisses the case as a simple incident that occurs “when you have four million human beings all jostling each other within the space of a few square miles.” And he wasn’t entirely wrong. London’s population skyrocketed between 1890 and 1940, transforming the city into a bustling construction site that struggled to accommodate its growing inhabitants and their need for modern transportation.
A City in Transformation
To make way for new railway tracks, railway companies seized properties from the less fortunate, displacing thousands of people in the process. Historian Peter Ackroyd estimates that approximately 100,000 people were displaced. The city’s ever-changing landscape and chaotic growth were reflected in its architecture. The Building News and Engineering Journal noted the clashing architectural styles, describing London as a city that had “simply nauseated itself with both Greek and Gothic” after attempts to incorporate elements of both styles into its buildings.
Navigating London’s Labyrinth
Walking through London with Sherlock Holmes is akin to navigating a labyrinth of narrow streets and bustling crowds. The city’s “zigzag of slums” and “labyrinth of small streets” are filled with throngs of people, creating a sense of claustrophobia and congestion. In this chaotic environment, Holmes struggles to locate a specific individual named Henry Baker, lamenting, “There are some thousands of Bakers, and some hundreds of Henry Bakers in this city of ours.” The sheer size of London often rendered finding a particular person an impossible task, blurring the boundaries between individuals and the collective swarm.
The Shadows of Fog and Criminality
Feeling anonymous in a vast city like London was not unusual. However, according to theorist Cesare Lombroso, the father of criminology, criminals were anything but anonymous. Lombroso believed that criminals were identifiable by their physical appearance, suggesting that their criminal minds were a result of genetics. In his 1876 study, “L’uomo delinquente” (Criminal Man), Lombroso wrote that criminals often possessed distinctive features, such as “jug ears, thick hair, thin beards, pronounced sinuses, protruding chins, and broad cheekbones.” Habitual murderers, he added, had a “cold, glassy stare” and bloodshot or filmy eyes.
London’s Fog: A Criminal’s Cloak
So, how could a crime writer reconcile the idea of easily identifiable criminals with the realities of a bustling city? The answer lies in London’s fog. The city’s famous fog served as a natural cloak, obscuring the identities of both criminals and innocent citizens. Henry Mayhew, a social commentator, described fog as London’s “native element,” and even the subject of fog warranted an entire volume titled “London Fogs” in 1880. The fog, as described by R. Russell, created a pervasive haziness that obscured even the city’s most prominent landmarks, rendering the city’s sights indistinct.
Fog in Literature
Conan Doyle skillfully uses fog to enhance the atmosphere of his Sherlock Holmes stories, obscuring views, adding to the city’s rich olfactory landscape, and lending a “smoke-laden and uncongenial atmosphere” to London. While some writers, such as Henry James, found London’s fog suffocating and oppressive, Conan Doyle recognized its potential to create a sense of mystery and intrigue, adding an extra layer to the city’s already complex character.
The Short Story and London’s Pace of Life
London, shrouded in fog and obscured by its own density, could only be seen in fleeting glimpses. This fragmented view of the city reflects the episodic nature of the Sherlock Holmes stories themselves. The short story format perfectly mirrored the fast-paced life of late nineteenth-century London. Readers, like Holmes, were often in a hurry, rushing to catch trains, their lives broken up into smaller episodes.
The Revolutionist: A Serial’s Power
The rise of magazine serializations changed the landscape of fiction, influencing both audience and market. Conan Doyle understood this new reality, carefully crafting his Sherlock Holmes stories to function both as individual narratives and as connected elements within a larger universe. He aimed to create a series that was “without appearing to do so,” allowing readers to appreciate each story on its own while recognizing its links to previous adventures.
Conan Doyle’s innovative approach to serial writing cemented his place as a “revolutionist” in the literary world. By introducing characters and plot threads that teased readers with the promise of future encounters, he fostered a sense of anticipation and heightened their enthusiasm for the next installment.
The Short Story: A Form for Crime
The short story format proved to be particularly well-suited for crime writing. Its concise nature allowed for the construction of well-defined mysteries, offering readers a satisfying sense of resolution. This format allowed Conan Doyle to focus on intricate details and intriguing plots, captivating readers with Holmes’s intellectual prowess and deductive reasoning.
The Science of Sherlock Holmes
Conan Doyle’s own background as a physician is evident in his stories. He meticulously incorporates scientific observations into his narratives, lending a sense of authenticity to Holmes’s methods. This blend of science and fiction serves to blur the lines between fact and fiction, inviting readers to participate in the world of Sherlock Holmes.
A Legacy That Continues
Conan Doyle’s desire to put an end to the Sherlock Holmes stories after “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” was ultimately thwarted. He stated that “it is always better to give the public less than it wants rather than more,” but the enduring popularity of Holmes proved him wrong.
The short story format, with its concise narratives and satisfying resolutions, has continued to captivate readers for over a century. And the legacy of Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective who navigated the labyrinthine streets of London, continues to inspire and entertain readers worldwide.
