Contextualising Conan Doyle’s Ideal Reasoner: The Case of the Reluctant Scientific Naturalist

摘要

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most, if not the most, durable of Victorian icons drawn from the world of fiction. Holmes seems to have taken on a life of his own long after the death of his creator in 1930. Over two hundred films have featured Holmes as a character. Currently, the sleuth of Baker Street has his own movie franchise, starring Robert Downey Junior. The first film was produced in 2009, followed by a successful sequel in 2011. A third movie is in the works. Two popular television shows grace the small screen. The British televisions show Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch, first aired in 2010. The American television show, set in New York and titled Elementary, began its first season in 2012. Contemporary audiences seem to be just as fascinated by the character, as were the Victorian readers who were transfixed by the detective's adventures and his uncanny ability to solve crimes by using his heightened powers of reasoning.