По следам детективов: увлекательные истории для изучения английского языка - страница 7

Let us now examine some intriguing facts. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Sherlock Holmes still remains the most portrayed literary human character in film and TV. There’s no one in the world who has never heard of Sherlock Holmes, the iconic fictional detective. Sherlock has long become a household name to describe someone who solves and investigates crimes. What image pops up in your mind when you hear his name? Well, I immediately think of a detective who is wearing a long coat and a legendary cap. Mostly, I think of a person who has exceptional observation and deductive skills. Curiously, few know that Sherlock Holmes’ character was inspired by the real person Dr. Joseph Bell, who shared many qualities with the legendary detective. Some even say that Sherlock’s character was based on his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. However, it’s all just guesswork. This issue is still open for discussion. Curiously, Sherlock never said, “Elementary, my dear Watson.” The line didn’t appear in Doyle’s books. It was later poluparized in Sherlock Homes’ filmes and became a catchphrase. Did you know why Doyle decided to “kill off” his most iconic character? He just became bored of him and wanted to write more serious books. However, this plot twist provoked outrage among his readers, and Doyle had to “resurrect” the great detective ten years later. Could it be that Doyle didn’t want to live in the shadow of Sherlock? I suppose there is some truth to this. Many people know more about Sherlock than they do about his creator.

So, back to the writer’s life. As time went on, things changed drastically for Arthur Conan Doyle. As it turned out, his beloved wife was seriously ill: she was expected just a few months to live at the most. However, the great writer didn’t seem to agree and was determined to extend her life. And he did it. His love, care, and proper treatment made a miracle. Louisa felt much better and lived another thirteen years. When she passed away, Arthur was deeply affected by the loss.

In 1907, Arthur Conan Doyle married Jean Leckie. The happy couple had a lavish wedding with two hundred and fifty guests. Arthur and Jean had three children. The writer shared many of his wife’s activities and lived a measured, quiet life.

Unfortunately, Conan Doyle endured terrible misfortune: he lost many loved ones, including his father, wife, son, brother, and others. It might have been the reason why he showed an interest in spiritualism[1]. This may come as a surprise, but he also believed in the existence of magical beings. Have you ever heard of the Cottingley Fairies? This is a curious story about two girls named Elsie and Frances, who supposedly managed to take a series of photos of dancing creatures. To be more precise, it is one of the greatest hoaxes of all time. It may seem incredible, but those photos, which showed tiny figures with transparent wings, came to Conan Doyle’s attention. Call it coincidence or providence, but at that time Arthur Conan Doyle was working on the article about fairies for the Strand Magazine. When the experts unofficially verified the authenticity of the photos, the writer was so thrilled that he asked Elsie and Frances to use those images of mythical creatures in his publication. The girls’ family was confused by the attention of the legendary writer but quickly agreed. Public opinion was mixed: some believed that the magical beings were real, while others thought they were fake. Later Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a book on the topic under the title