Well Read Company Book Reviews: Sherlock Holmes

One of our designs that is perfect for Autumn is without a doubt Sherlock Holmes, the sleuthing creation of Arthur Conan Doyle. Since his first creation in 1887, Sherlock Holmes has infiltrated the cultural imagination as the quintessential British detective, able to solve any crime with his cold logic. Our vegan handbag design pays homage to the iconic detective with a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes with his deerstalker cap and pipe. 

Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes tales have been adapted into TV programmes, plays, films, novels and all manner of art celebrating the ingenuity of his creation. Beloved by bookworms and crime lovers everywhere, Sherlock remains synonymous with classic crime novel. Ironically, Conan Doyle eventually felt that the public desire for more Sherlock stories were holding him back from writing the non-fictional historical texts that interested him more personally, leading him to kill off his hero at the Reichenbach Falls. 

“My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know.”

However, Doyle never could have anticipated the public reaction to this. He received hundreds of letters from complaining fans, people chose to wear mourning clothes for their favourite hero, and eventually Doyle was forced to carve social pressure and create more Holmes stories. It was arguably the first ‘fandom’ as we know them today, where the fans take control of a piece of someone’s imagination and bring it to life in a new, possessive way.

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.”

We’re so glad the fans stood up for their favourite literary creation! The reason Sherlock Holmes has endured so well over the years is his inspiring quest for the truth, the battle of intellect vs emotion and how one cannot do everything alone, even the sharpest of minds. Join us in honouring this timeless literary character by treating yourself to our burgundy Sherlock Holmes collection!