По следам детективов: увлекательные истории для изучения английского языка - страница 6

Did you know that Arthur Conan Doyle was a keen sportsman? Since his school days, he had been interested in sports and also succeeded in this field. He was the first goalkeeper in the history of Portsmouth. What may come as a surprise is that Arthur Conan Doyle played under the pseudonym “A. C. Smith” rather than under his own name. Apart from football, the legendary writer also played cricket, golf, and rugby. And that was not all. Arthur competed in the amateur billiards championship and was a fan of boxing. Interestingly, Arthur Conan Doyle was a frequent visitor to Switzerland and helped popularize skiing among the English. I guess that, like many creative people, he found inspiration in nature. Many may agree that there’s nothing more exciting than watching breathlessly as snow-white clouds, resembling giant mythical creatures, disappear behind a mountain top.

Our life depends on the decisions we make. So, choosing a career is very important. As I see it, Arthur Conan Doyle made the right decision that changed his life forever. Contrary to the family tradition, Doyle didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps. He decided to pursue a career in medicine. While being a medical student, he met his future teacher Dr. Joseph Bell, who later had a strong impact on his works. Arthur was really inspired by his remarkable observation and deductive skills. Dr. Bell was able to determine the occupation of a random stranger just by looking at them. This meeting was significant and life-changing for Arthur Conan Doyle. I think that at that point his career as a writer really started.

At the age of twenty-three, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first book and sent it to a publisher. Apparently, he had high hopes, but destiny had its own plans: the manuscript of Conan Doyle’s first novel mysteriously was lost in the post. Later, Arthur Conan Doyle would write, “I must admit that my shock at its disappearance would be as nothing to my horror if it were suddenly to appear again – in print.” Honestly, I can’t even imagine what he must have felt when he realized the misfortune. In my opinion, anyone else in his place would have lost heart, but not him. Arthur Conan Doyle attempted to rewrite the story. For many years, the manuscript was unlisted in his archives. The novel called The Narrative of John Smith was published posthumously in 2011 by the British Library. Anyway, Arthur Conan Doyle never got discouraged, whatever happened to him. While studying, he tried his hand at writing short stories to earn some extra money.

Upon receiving his Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees, he worked for a time as a naval surgeon. In a while, Conan Doyle opened his first practice in Portsmouth. His business wasn’t blooming, and he was finally able to devote more time to writing books.

In August of 1885, he married a beautiful young girl Louisa Hawkins, who was his patient’s sister. As I see it, they were a tight-knit and truly happy family. Their two children, Mary and Kingsley, were raised in the environment of love, kindness, and harmony.

As the years went by, Doyle devoted himself to writing a book which introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The story first appeared in the British paperback magazine in 1887 and a year later was republished as a single volume. His debut novel was called