Thanks to this man and his fantasies, we all passionately loved detective stories. The legendary Arthur Conan Doyle and his Sherlock Holmes completely changed the world of literature and the bias of readers. The stories about the famous detective who lived on 221b Baker Street are so interesting and fascinating that you can completely forget about everything in the world. And a lot of them were created by Arthur Conan Doyle: “The Hunchback”, “The Motley Ribbon”, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, “Study in Scarlet Tones”, “Union of Reds”, “Blue Carbuncle” and so on. I would like to tell a little about this unusual person.
short biography
The future writer was born on May 22, 1859 in Edinburgh. He studied at a boarding school, where he first discovered a talent for composing and telling fascinating stories. Having chosen the profession of a doctor, he studies medicine and at the same time gets acquainted with many writers of that time. Having tried to publish his stories, Arthur realizes that he can earn his talent. Working as a ship's doctor, he studies the difficult maritime craft. Conan Doyle then opens his own practice, devoting some time to literature. Life got better: Arthur got married, worked in his specialty and regularly published his essays in popular magazines.
The spouse’s illness caused the family to move, and material difficulties forced me to write a lot. But still, Louise died of tuberculosis. The writer married his new lover - Gene Lekey. By the way, even though he had loved her for a long time, he did not allow himself to leave his wife. As a doctor, he took part in the Boer War, and in 1902 Conan Doyle was awarded the title of knight. The brilliant writer died on July 7, 1930.
Interesting facts about Sherlock
In 1887, readers met Sherlock Holmes - the hero of the work "Etude in Crimson Tones." And he was so fond of the demanding public that Arthur was forced to compose new adventures of his protege on the fly. For such popularity, the author hated his character, but continued to write, because it was profitable: the editors agreed to any conditions of the writer. But when the famous detective “died” in the abyss of the waterfall, the public was very indignant, the sales of the Strand magazine, where Conan Doyle’s stories were printed, fell significantly. And only financial difficulties forced the writer to resurrect Sherlock Holmes, who was bored with him. And if not for them, the reader would have lost a lot, since these stories can be safely called masterpieces of literature. The "Hunchback" (Conan Doyle), a summary of which we will give below, refers to them. Therefore, we recommend that everyone read this story on their own in full.
The Hunchback (Conan Doyle): Summary
This is one of the most interesting stories about the famous detective. Therefore, a little lower you can read its summary. "The Hunchback" is the life drama of a little man who has been ruined by envious and traitors.
The story tells of life in the small town of Oldershot, where the military unit was based. There they killed the valiant Colonel James Barclay. He was an exemplary family man, did not cherish a soul in his beautiful wife Nancy. Before that fateful evening, Mrs. Barclay left with her friend in a charity, and returned very upset. The servants heard her cursing with her husband, calling him a coward. But when they got into the room after a heart-rending scream, they found her without feelings, and Mr. James dead. Someone from the servants heard a woman utter the name David.
We continue to tell the summary. The Hunchback is a work that is still worth reading in its entirety. The police reached a dead end: Mrs. Barclay was unconscious, her husband died on the spot from a skull broken by a massive club (a gun was found in the room), and the woman’s friend did not know anything. Sherlock Holmes undertook to investigate this matter, becoming interested in the fact that incredible horror was frozen on the face of the dead man, and the key to the door disappeared without a trace. The detective also found traces on the lawn and came to the conclusion that there was someone else in the room.
Sherlock gets down to business
Having interrogated Nancy's friend once again, Holmes found out that she accidentally met her old acquaintance - a wandering humpback cripple. Miss Morrison left them alone, after which she saw how upset Mrs. Barclay was. Although she asked her friend not to tell anyone about this meeting. The renowned detective quickly finds this witness, and he reveals the truth about the fateful evening and about his fate.
It turns out that the hunchback is Henry Wood, a brilliant officer in the past, a handsome man who was supposed to marry Nancy Barclay. But just then, a riot took place in the country, and their regiment was besieged. Henry volunteered to go on reconnaissance, and James Barclay decided to become his guide. The latter was himself in love with Nancy, he betrayed a friend and led him into an ambush. In captivity, Henry was mutilated, but he managed to stay alive. And only now, in his declining years, a wandering magician decided to visit his homeland.
What did the cripple say?
The work "The Hunchback" (Conan Doyle), the brief content of which we tell the reader, has a completely unpredictable end. After talking with Nancy, the failed groom went behind her secretly. Seeing her quarreling with her husband, he went into the house. Seeing Henry, Mr. Barclay got scared and fell, hitting his head on the fireplace, his wife lost consciousness. Henry first wanted to call for help and took the key, but then decided that he would be charged with murder. Therefore, the man escaped, leaving his club in the room. The hunchback’s story was confirmed by a medical examination, which admitted that Mr. Barclay died as a result of a header. The case was closed. There was only an incomprehensible question about why a woman called some kind of David, because the cripple was called Henry, and her husband was called James. To which the brilliant detective replied that Nancy used this name as a rebuke, drawing a parallel with the biblical king.
Story analysis and reviews
The Hunchback (Conan Doyle), a brief summary of which the reader already knows, is not a simple story. It shows the drama of a person, his powerlessness in front of the outside world, flaunts vices that need to be fought. After all, if Colonel James did not intervene during the events, Nancy and Henry would get married and be happy. Although he achieved the favor of the girl with his betrayal, he made her and her lover unhappy. And he himself probably lost his peace, ashamed of his crime. And Conan Doyle is trying to warn against such fatal mistakes. The "Hunchback", whose main characters are a detective and his friend Watson, talks about the relationships of people, complex and unpredictable, and teaches him to be responsible for his actions.
The story is written in a fascinating, easy and understandable language, which the author was fluent in. Everyone already knows that the creator of this creation is Arthur Conan Doyle. "Hunchback" reviews receive the most positive so far. Contemporaries consider the writer a true master of their craft, because it is very difficult to come up with a plot and develop it in this way. Well, Sherlock Holmes is the best image of a detective of all time. Enjoy reading!