Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong

Last updated
Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong
Holmeswaswrong bookcover.jpg
First U.S. edition cover
Author Pierre Bayard
Original title L'affaire du Chien des Baskerville
Translator Charlotte Mandell
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Genre Literary criticism
Publisher Bloomsbury USA (English translation)
Published in English
November 2008
Pages208
ISBN 978-1-59691-605-0
OCLC 216941820
823.912 22
LC Class PR4622.H63 B3913 2008

Sherlock Holmes was Wrong: Re-opening the Case of the "Hound of the Baskervilles" is a 2007 book by French professor of literature, psychoanalyst, and author Pierre Bayard.

By re-examining the clues and interpreting them in the context in which Arthur Conan Doyle's book The Hound of the Baskervilles was conceived and written, Bayard clears the hound of all wrongdoing and argues that the actual murderer got away with the crime completely unsuspected by Sherlock Holmes—not to mention by the numerous readers of the story over the past century and even, in a sense, by the author himself.

The book was originally written in French. [1]

Critical reception

The University of Illinois' The Online Gargoyle wrote in its review that the premise of the book "is original, but it is annoying in its uncreative, hole-poking nature." [2]

Related Research Articles

Sherlock Holmes Fictional character (consulting detective) created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> Crime novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the four crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound of supernatural origin. Holmes and Watson investigate the case. This was the first appearance of Holmes since his apparent death in "The Final Problem", and the success of The Hound of the Baskervilles led to the character's eventual revival.

<i>The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes</i>

The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes is a short story collection of twelve Sherlock Holmes pastiches, first published in 1954. It was written by Adrian Conan Doyle, who was the son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and by John Dickson Carr, who was the authorised biographer of the elder Conan Doyle. The first six stories were written in collaboration by the two writers, while the last six stories were written solely by Adrian Conan Doyle.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking is a British television film originally broadcast on BBC One in the UK on 26 December 2004. Produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, it was written by Allan Cubitt and was a sequel to the same company's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, made for the BBC two years previously. Although Silk Stocking retained the same Dr. Watson, Ian Hart, this time the character of Sherlock Holmes was played by Rupert Everett.

The stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have been very popular as adaptations for the stage, and later film, and still later television. The four volumes of the Universal Sherlock Holmes (1995) compiled by Ronald B. De Waal lists over 25,000 Holmes-related productions and products. They include the original writings, "together with the translations of these tales into sixty-three languages, plus Braille and shorthand, the writings about the Writings or higher criticism, writings about Sherlockians and their societies, memorials and memorabilia, games, puzzles and quizzes, phonograph records, audio and video tapes, compact discs, laser discs, ballets, films, musicals, operettas, oratorios, plays, radio and television programs, parodies and pastiches, children's books, cartoons, comics, and a multitude of other items — from advertisements to wine — that have accumulated throughout the world on the two most famous characters in literature."

Sherlock Holmes pastiches Wikimedia list article

Sherlock Holmes has long been a popular character for pastiche, Holmes-related work by authors and creators other than Arthur Conan Doyle. Their works can be grouped into four broad categories:

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1959 film) 1959 film by Terence Fisher

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1959 British gothic-mystery film directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It is based on the 1902 novel of the same title by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It stars Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Sir Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville and André Morell as Doctor Watson. It is the first film adaptation of the novel to be filmed in colour.

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1939 film) 1939 film by Sidney Lanfield

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1939 American gothic mystery film based on the 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Directed by Sidney Lanfield, the film stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson. Released by 20th Century Fox, it is the first of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films produced between 1939 and 1946 starring Rathbone and Bruce.

<i>The Moor</i> (novel)

The Moor is the fourth book in Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 2002 television adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel of the same name.

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1978 film) 1978 British film

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson. A number of other well-known British comedy actors appeared in the film including Terry-Thomas, Kenneth Williams and Denholm Elliott.

Pierre Bayard

Pierre Bayard is currently professor of Literature at the University of Paris 8 and psychoanalyst. He is the author of many creative essays such as Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? (2002), How to Talk about Books You Haven't Read (2007), and Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong (2008).

Sherlock Holmes is the overall title given to the BBC Radio 4 radio dramatisations of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, with Bert Coules as head writer, and featuring Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Dr Watson. Together, the two actors completed radio adaptations of every story in the canon of Sherlock Holmes between 1989 and 1998.

<i>The Sign of Four</i> (1983 film)

The Sign of Four is a 1983 British made-for-television mystery film directed by Desmond Davis and starring Ian Richardson and David Healy. The film is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1890 novel of the same name, the second novel to feature Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1983 film) 1983 film directed by Douglas Hickox

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1983 British made-for-television mystery thriller film directed by Douglas Hickox, starring Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Churchill as Dr. John H. Watson. It is based on Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (2000) is a Canadian television film directed by Rodney Gibbons and starring Matt Frewer and Kenneth Welsh. The film is based on Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel of the same name.

<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1932 film) 1932 film

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1932 British mystery film directed by Gareth Gundrey and starring John Stuart, Robert Rendel and Frederick Lloyd. It is based on the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, in which Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate a suspicious death on Dartmoor. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures. The screenplay was written by Edgar Wallace.

The Hounds of Baskerville 2nd episode of the second series of Sherlock

"The Hounds of Baskerville" is the second episode of the second series of the BBC crime drama series Sherlock, which follows the modern-day adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and was first broadcast by BBC One on 8 January 2012. It was written by co-creator Mark Gatiss, who also portrays Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother in the series, and was directed by Paul McGuigan. The episode is a contemporary adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous works.

The Revenge of the Hound is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche novel by Michael Hardwick, originally published in 1987. It is Hardwick's second Holmes novel after 1979's The Prisoner of the Devil.

References