By:
Daniel Friedman, MD
Eugene Friedman, MD
Description
Doyle’s
World is no ordinary biography about one of the world's
most influential writers. It is instead a work that deciphers in particular the
cryptic origins and actual scientific methods used by fiction's most famous
consulting detective Sherlock Holmes—and a work that provides a detailed look
into the psyche and working life of Holmes’ creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The book follows Doyle’s entire illustrious literary career, with emphasis on the
Sherlock Holmes mysteries as they evolved from the late 1880s to the early
1900s. Revealed here for the first time—by son-father writing team Daniel
Friedman, MD, and Eugene Friedman, MD—are the many inspirations behind
the physical, emotional, and intellectual characteristics that Doyle wove
together so deftly to bring his legendary sleuth to life. Readers are in for
many surprises as the Friedmans bring forth tantalizing parallels between the
literary realm of both Sherlock Holmes—along with his various other fiction and
nonfiction works—and the actual events from Doyle’s childhood and early
adulthood that served as frequent inspiration.The authors offer answers to long-debated and mysterious questions, such as:
*
From whom did Sherlock Holmes actually learn the art of detective work?
* Why did Doyle kill off Sherlock Holmes—and how did the country of Japan
inspire how he brought his famous detective back to life after nearly a decade?
* What story elements did Doyle borrow from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island?
* How did Doyle apply his fervent belief in Spiritualism to a variety of Holmes
stories?
* Who inspired Doyle to write about civil rights after a steamship journey in
1882?
* How did the women in Doyle's life
come to influence the relationships with women that both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have across sixty written adventures?
Doyle’s
World is divided into three sections. The first is
dedicated to the elements—both good and bad—that comprised Doyle’s childhood
and early adult years, and how an assemblage of persons and places and things
from his life found their way into his literature. The second section
emphasizes the highly complex themes and plots present in the Sherlock Holmes
adventures, while it also thoroughly examines some of Doyle’s strengths—and weaknesses—as
a public figure of his time. The Friedmans also reveal how Doyle was able to
subtly incorporate his own political, social, and religious views—in
particular, his passionate and often bewildering embrace of Spiritualism—into the
Holmes stories. And in the third section, the authors offer two “lost” stories
they uncovered that were written by Doyle under a pseudonym—accompanied by textual analysis with which they make their case.
This is a work of rich detail and in-depth scholarship that should win over
both established fans of Doyle and devoted “Sherlockians” everywhere—and that
will engage, and entertain, all
others who enter this intriguing hall of literary mirrors.
Reviews
Author Biography
Daniel L. Friedman, MD, received his BA from Stony Brook University, and his medical degree from St. George’s School of Medicine. He is currently a practicing pediatrician in Floral Park, New York, and is also an active member of the Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he sits on the voluntary staff advisory committee. Dr. Friedman’s prize-winning articles on Doyle and Holmes have appeared in numerous national and international journals. He and Dr. Eugene Friedman are also the authors of the book, The Strange Case of Doctor Doyle. Dr. Friedman resides in Long Island, New York with his wife, Elena, and their three children.
Eugene Friedman, MD, received his BA from New York University, and his medical degree from New York Medical College. He was Chief Resident in Pediatrics at New York Medical College and later served as Assistant Chief of Pediatrics at Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia. Dr. Friedman has been in private practice with his son, Daniel, for over twenty years.. He has held multiple leadership positions in organized medicine and has devoted himself to the education of future physicians. He and his wife, Sheryl, live in Long Island, New York and have five children and fifteen grandchildren.