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Arthur Conan Doyle biography is short. Arthur Conan Doyle: biography, interesting facts Conan Doyle profession




Name: Arthur Conan Doyle

Age: 71 years

Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland

A place of death: Crowborough, Sussex, UK

Activity: english writer

Family status: was married

Arthur Conan Doyle - biography

Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes - the greatest detective ever to exist in literature. And then all his life he tried unsuccessfully to get out of the shadow of his hero.

Who is Arthur Conan Doyle to us? The author of The Tales of Sherlock Holmes, of course. Who else. Conan Doyle's contemporary and colleague Gilbert Keith Chesterton demanded that a monument to Sherlock Holmes be erected in London: “Mr. ". A monument to Sherlock Holmes was opened in London, and in the Swiss Meiringen, not far from the Reichenbach Falls, and even in Moscow.

Arthur Conan Doyle himself was hardly enthusiastic about this. The writer did not consider the stories and stories about the detective to be either the best, much less his main works in his literary biography. He was burdened by the fame of his hero largely because from a human point of view, Holmes was not very sympathetic to him. Conan Doyle valued nobility above all else in people. So he was raised by his mother, Irish Mary Foyle, who came from a very ancient aristocratic family. True, by the 19th century, the Foil family was completely ruined, so all that remained for Mary was to tell her son about the past glory and teach him to distinguish the coats of arms of families related to their family.

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, born May 22, 1859, into a family of doctors in Edinburgh, in the ancient capital of Scotland, had the right to be proud of his aristocratic lineage through his father, Charles Altamont Doyle. True, Arthur always treated his father with compassion rather than pride. In his biography, he mentioned the cruelty of fate, which placed this "man with a sensitive soul in conditions that neither his age, nor his nature were ready to withstand."

Lyrically speaking, Charles Doyle was an unlucky, albeit - possibly - talented artist. In any case, as an illustrator, he was in demand, but not enough to feed a rapidly growing family and provide his aristocratic wife and children with a decent standard of living. He suffered from unsatisfied ambitions and drank more and more every year. Big brothers who were successful in business despised him. Arthur's grandfather, graphic artist John Doyle, helped his son, but this help was not enough, moreover, Charles Doyle considered the very fact that he was in need was humiliating.

With age, Charles turned into an embittered, aggressive, suffering from bouts of uncontrollable rage, and Mary Doyle at times feared for her children so much that she gave Arthur to be raised in the prosperous and wealthy house of her friend Mary Barton. She often visited her son, and the two Mary joined forces to transform the boy into an exemplary gentleman. And both of them encouraged Arthur in his passion for reading.

True, the novels of Mine Reed about the adventures of American settlers and Indians, young Arthur Doyle clearly preferred Walter Scott's knightly novels, but since he read quickly and a lot, he simply devoured books, he found time for all the authors of the adventure genre. "I do not know the joy so complete and selfless," he recalled, "like the one experienced by a child who snatched time from lessons and huddled in a corner with a book, knowing that no one would disturb him in the next hour."

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first book in his biography at the age of six and illustrated it himself. It was called The Traveler and the Tiger. Alas, the book turned out to be short, because the tiger ate the traveler right after the meeting. And Arthur found no way to bring the hero back to life. "It is very easy to put people in difficult situations, but it is much more difficult to get them out of these situations" - he remembered this rule for his entire long creative life.

Alas, the happy childhood did not last long. At the age of eight, Arthur was returned to his family and sent to school. “At home we led a Spartan way of life,” he later wrote, “and in the Edinburgh school, where our youthful existence was poisoned by a belt-swinging teacher of the old school, it was even worse. My comrades were rude boys, and I myself have become the same. "

Most of all, Arthur hated mathematics. And most often it was the mathematics teachers who flogged him - in all the schools where he studied. When the greatest enemy of the great detective - the criminal genius James Moriarty - appeared in the stories about Sherlock Holmes, Arthur made the villain not just anyone, but a professor of mathematics.

Arthur's success was followed by wealthy paternal relatives. Seeing that the Edinburgh school was not doing the boy any good, they sent him to study at Stonehurst, an expensive and prestigious institution under the auspices of the Jesuit Order. Alas, in this school, children were also subjected to corporal punishment. But the training there was really conducted at a good level, besides, Arthur could devote a lot of time to literature. The first admirers of his work also appeared. Classmates, eagerly awaiting new chapters of his adventure novels, often solved math problems for the young writer.

Arthur Conan Doyle dreamed of becoming a writer. But I didn't believe that writing could be a lucrative profession. Therefore, he had to choose from what was offered to him: the rich relatives of his father wanted him to study as a lawyer, his mother wanted him to become a doctor. Arthur preferred his mother's choice. He loved her very much. And he was sorry. After his father finally lost his mind and ended up in an asylum for the mentally ill, Mary Doyle had to rent rooms for gentlemen and take on dining rooms - the only way she could feed the children.

In October 1876, Arthur Doyle was enrolled in the first year of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. During his studies, Arthur met and even made friends with many young men who are keen on writing. But the closest friend who had a huge influence on Arthur Doyle was one of the teachers, Dr. Joseph Bell. He was a brilliant person, fantastically observant, who, with the help of logic, could easily calculate both a lie and a mistake.

Sherlock Holmes's deductive method is actually Bell's method. Arthur adored the doctor and kept his portrait on the mantelpiece all his life. Many years after graduation, in May 1892, already a famous writer, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote to a friend: “My dear Bell, it is to you that I owe my Sherlock Holmes, and although I have the opportunity to represent him in all sorts of dramatic circumstances, I I doubt that his analytical skills are superior to yours, which I have had the opportunity to observe. Based on your deduction, observation and logical conclusions, I tried to create a character that will bring them to the maximum, and I am very glad that you were satisfied with the result, because you have the right to be the most severe of critics. "

Unfortunately, while studying at the university, Arthur did not have any opportunities for writing. He constantly had to earn money to help his mother and sisters, either as a pharmacist or as a doctor's assistant. Need usually hardens people, but in the case of Arthur Doyle, chivalry has always won.

Relatives recalled how one day his neighbor, Herr Gleiwitz, a scientist of European renown who was forced to leave Germany for political reasons and now desperately poor, came to him. On that day, his wife fell ill, and in despair he asked his acquaintances to lend him money. Arthur also had no cash, but he immediately took a watch with a chain from his pocket and offered to pawn it. He simply could not leave a person in trouble. For him, this was the only act possible in that situation.

The first publication, which earned him a fee - as many as three guineas, took place in 1879, when he sold the story "The Mystery of the Sesass Valley" to the Chamber's Journal. Actually, this is how the creative biography of the writer Arthur Conan Doyle began, although at that time he saw his future as connected exclusively with medicine.

In the spring of 1880, Arthur received permission from the university to practice on the whaling ship "Nadezhda", which sailed to the shores of Greenland. They didn't pay much, but there was no other opportunity to get a job in the future in a specialty: in order to get a doctor's place in a hospital, patronage was needed, in order to open a private practice - money. After graduating from the university, Arthur was offered the position of ship doctor on the ship "Mayumba", and he happily agreed.

But as much as the Arctic fascinated him, Africa seemed just as disgusting. What did he not have to endure while sailing! “I'm fine, but I got sick with African fever, I was almost swallowed by a shark, and to top it all off, there was a fire on the Mayumba on the way between Madeira and England,” he wrote to his mother from another port.

Returning home, Doyle, with the permission of his family, spent all his ship's salary to open a doctor's office. It cost £ 40 per annum. Patients were reluctant to go to a little-known doctor. Arthur reluctantly devoted a lot of time to literature. Oa wrote stories one after another, and it would seem that it was then that he should have come to his senses and forgot about medicine ... But his mother dreamed of seeing him as a doctor. And patients eventually fell in love with the delicate and attentive Dr. Doyle.

In the early spring of 1885, Arthur's friend and neighbor, Dr. Pike, invited Dr. Doyle to give advice on the illness of fifteen-year-old Jack Hawkins: the teenager suffered meningitis and now had horrific seizures several times a day. Jack lived with his widowed mother and 27-year-old sister in a rented apartment, the owner of which demanded that the apartment be vacated immediately because Jack was bothering the neighbors. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the patient was hopeless: he would hardly have lasted even a few weeks ... Dr. Pike simply did not dare to tell the grief-stricken women about this and wanted to shift the burden of the last explanation onto a young colleague.

But he was simply shocked by the incredible decision Arthur made. Having met the patient's mother and his sister, tender and vulnerable Louise, Arthur Conan Doyle was imbued with such compassion for their grief that he offered to move Jack to his apartment so that the boy was under constant medical supervision. It cost Arthur several sleepless nights, after which he had to work during the day. And what's really bad - when Jack passed away, everyone saw how the coffin was taken out of Doyle's house.

Bad rumors spread about the young doctor, but Doyle did not seem to notice anything: the boy's sister's ardent gratitude grew into ardent love. Arthur had already had several unsuccessful short novels, but not a single girl seemed to him so close to the ideal of a beautiful lady from a chivalric romance as this quivering young lady who decided to become engaged to him in April 1885, without waiting for the end of the term of mourning for her brother ...

Let Tui, as Arthur called his wife, was not a bright person, but she managed to provide her husband with home comfort and completely save him from everyday problems. Doyle suddenly freed up a tremendous amount of writing time. The more he wrote, the better it turned out. In 1887 he published his first story about Sherlock Holmes - "Study in crimson tones", which immediately brought the author a real success. Then Arthur was happy ...

He explained his success by the fact that, thanks to a lucrative contract with the magazine, Doyle finally stopped needing money and could write only those stories that were interesting to him. But he had no intention of writing only about Sherlock Holmes. He wanted to write serious historical novels, and he created them - one after another, but they never had such reader success as stories about a genius detective ... Readers demanded Holmes from him and only Holmes.

The story "Scandal in Bohemia", in which Doyle told about Holmes' love at the request of the readers, turned out to be the last straw - the story turned out to be tortured. To his teacher Bella, Arthur wrote frankly: "Holmes is as cold as Babbage's analytical machine, and has the same chances of finding love." Arthur Conan Doyle decided to beat his hero until the hero destroyed him. The first time he mentioned this in a letter to his mother: "I am thinking of finally finishing off Holmes and getting rid of him, because he distracts me from more worthwhile things." To this mother replied: “You cannot! Don't you dare! In no case!"

And yet Arthur did it by writing the story "Holmes' Last Case." After Sherlock Holmes, grappling with the final battle with Professor Moriarty, fell into the Reichenbach Falls, all of England plunged into sorrow. "You scoundrel!" - this is how many letters to Doyle began. Nevertheless, Arthur felt relieved - he ceased to be, as his readers called him, "the literary agent of Sherlock Holmes."

Soon Tui gave birth to his daughter Mary, then - the son of Kingsley. Childbirth was hard for her, but, like a true Victorian lady, she hid her torment from her husband as much as she could. He, carried away by creativity and communication with fellow writers, did not immediately notice that something was wrong with his meek wife. And when he noticed, he almost burned out with shame: he, the doctor, did not see the obvious - progressive tuberculosis of the lungs and bones in his own wife. Arthur gave up everything to help Tui. He took her to the Alps for two years, where Tui became so strong that there was hope for her recovery. The couple returned to England, where Arthur Conan Doyle ... fell in love with the young Jean Leckie.

It would seem that his soul was already covered with a snowy veil of age, but from under the snow a primrose has broken through - this poetic image, along with a snowdrop, Arthur presented to the adorable young Jean Lecky a year after their first meeting, on March 15, 1898.

Jean was very beautiful: contemporaries claimed that not a single photograph conveyed the charm of her finely traced face, large green eyes, both penetrating and sad ... She had luxurious wavy dark blond hair and a swan neck, smoothly turning into sloping shoulders: Conan Doyle was crazy about the beauty of her neck, but for many years he did not dare to kiss her.

In Jean, Arthur also found those qualities that he lacked in Tui: a sharp mind, a love of reading, education, the ability to maintain a conversation. Jean was a passionate nature, but rather reserved. Most of all she was afraid of gossip ... And for her sake, as well as for Tui's sake, Arthur Conan Doyle preferred not to talk about his new love even with the closest ones, vaguely explaining: “There are feelings too personal, too deep to be expressed in words ".

In December 1899, when the Boer War began, Arthur Conan Doyle suddenly decided to volunteer for the front. Biographers believe that in this way he tried to force himself to forget Jean. The medical commission rejected his candidacy due to age and health, but no one could prevent him from going to the front as a military doctor. However, it did not work to forget about Jean Leckie. Pierre Norton, French explorer of the life and work of Arthur Conan Doyle, wrote about his relationship with Jean:

“For almost ten years she was his mystical wife, and he was her faithful knight and her hero. Over the years, an emotional tension arose between them, painful, but at the same time it became a test of the chivalrous spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle. Like no other of his contemporaries, he was suitable for this role and, perhaps, even desired it ... A physical connection with Jin would become for him not only a betrayal of his wife, but also an irreparable humiliation. He would have fallen in his own eyes, and his life would have turned into a dirty affair. "

Arthur immediately told Jean that divorce was impossible in his circumstances, because the reason for the divorce could be his wife's betrayal, but certainly not the cooling of feelings. Although, perhaps, secretly thought about it. He wrote: “The family is not the foundation of social life. The basis of social life is a happy family. But with our outdated divorce rules, there are no happy families. " Conan Doyle subsequently became an active member of the Divorce Reform Alliance. True, he defended the interests not of husbands, but of wives, insisting that upon divorce, women receive equal rights with men.

Nevertheless, Arthur resigned himself to fate and remained faithful to the end of Tui's life. He fought with his passion for Jin and with the desire to change Tui and was proud of each successive victory: "I fight the forces of darkness with all my might and win."

However, he introduced Jean to his mother, whom he still trusted in everything, and Mrs. Doyle not only approved of his girlfriend, but even offered to keep them company on their joint trips to the countryside: in the company of an elderly matron, a lady and a gentleman could spend time. without breaking the rules of decency. Jeanne was so fond of Mrs. Doyle, who herself drank grief with her sick husband, that Mary gave Miss Leckie a family jewel - a bracelet that belonged to her beloved sister, and soon Arthur's sister Lottie became friends with Jean. Even Conan Doyle's mother-in-law was familiar with Jean and did not oppose her relationship with Arthur, since she was still grateful for the kindness shown to the dying Jack, and understood that any other man in his place would not behave so noble at all, and so certainly would not spare the feelings of a sick wife.

Only Tui remained in the introduction. “She is still dear to me, but now a part of my life, previously free, is busy,” wrote Arthur to his mother. - I feel nothing for Tui except respect and affection. Throughout our family life, we have never quarreled, and henceforth I also do not intend to hurt her. "

Unlike Tui Jean, she was interested in Arthur's work, discussed plots with him and even wrote several paragraphs in his story. In a letter to his mother, Conan Doyle admitted that Jean had suggested the plot of The Empty House. This story was included in the collection, in which Doyle "revived" Holmes after his "death" in the Reichenbach Falls.

Arthur Conan Doyle held out for a long time: for almost eight years, readers were waiting for a new meeting with their favorite hero. Holmes's return had the effect of a bomb. All over England they said nothing but a great detective. Rumors spread about a possible Holmes prototype. One of the first to guess about the prototype was Robert Louis Stevenson. "Is this my old friend Joe Bell?" - he asked in a letter to Arthur. Soon, journalists flocked to Edinburgh. Conan Doyle, just in case, warned Bell that now he "will be pestered with their crazy letters by fans who will need his help in rescuing unmarried aunts from boarded up attics where they were locked up by villainous neighbors."

Bell reacted to the first interviews with calm humor, although later journalists began to annoy him. After Bell's death, his friend Jesse Saxby was indignant: "This dexterous, insensitive hunter of people, who hounds criminals with the stubbornness of a hound, was not much like a good doctor who always pitied sinners and was ready to help them." Bella's daughter was of the same opinion, stating: “My father was not at all like Sherlock Holmes. The detective was callous and stern, and my father was kind and gentle. "

Indeed, in his habits and behavior Bell did not in the least resemble Sherlock Holmes, he kept his things in order and did not take drugs ... But outwardly tall, with an aquiline nose and graceful features, Bell looked like a great detective. In addition, fans of Arthur Conan Doyle simply wanted Sherlock Holmes to actually exist. “Many readers consider Sherlock Holmes to be a real person, judging by the letters addressed to him that come to me with a request to convey them to Holmes.

Watson also receives many letters in which readers ask him for the address or autograph of his brilliant friend, - Arthur wrote to Joseph Bell with bitter irony. -When Holmes retired, several elderly persons volunteered to help him with the housework, and one even assured me that she was well versed in beekeeping and could "separate the queen from the swarm." Many also suggest Holmes investigate some family secret. Even I myself received an invitation to Poland, where I will be assigned as much fee as I wish. On reflection, I wished to stay at home. "

However, Arthur Conan Doyle did solve several cases. The most famous of these was the case of the Indian George Edalji, who lived with his family in the village of Great Whirlie. The villagers did not like the overseas visitor, and the poor man was bombarded with anonymous threatening letters. And when a series of mysterious crimes took place in the district - someone inflicted deep cuts on cows - the first suspicion fell on a stranger. Edalji was accused not only of mockery of animals, but also of allegedly writing letters to himself. The verdict is seven years of hard labor. But the convict did not lose heart and achieved a review of the case, so he was released after three years.

To whitewash his reputation, Edalji turned to Arthur Conan Doyle. Still, because his Sherlock Holmes decided matters more difficult. Conan Doyle enthusiastically took up the investigation. Noticing how close Edalji brings the newspaper to his eyes while reading, Conan Doyle concluded that he was visually impaired. And how, then, could he run through the fields at night and cut the cows with a knife, especially since the fields were guarded by the watchmen? The brown stains on his razor were not blood, but rust. An expert graphologist hired by Conan Doyle proved that Edalji's anonymous letters were written in a different handwriting. Conan Doyle described his discoveries in a series of newspaper articles, and soon all suspicions were removed from Edalji.

However, participation in investigations, and attempts to run for local elections in Edinburgh, and a passion for bodybuilding, which ended in a heart attack, and car races, balloon flights and even the first airplanes - all this was just a way to escape reality: a slow dying wives, a secret affair with Jean - all this weighed him down. And then Arthur Conan Doyle discovered spiritualism.

Arthur was fond of the supernatural in his youth: he was a member of the British Society for Psychological Research, which studied the paranormal. Nevertheless, at first he was skeptical about communicating with spirits: “I will be happy to receive enlightenment from any source, I have little hope in spirits that speak through mediums. In my memory, they were just talking nonsense. " However, the familiar spirit Alfred Drayson explained that in the other world, as well as in the human world, there are many fools - they must go somewhere after death.

Surprisingly, his passion for spiritualism returned Doyle to the church, in which he became disillusioned during his years of study at the Jesuit institution. Conan Doyle recalled: “I have no respect for the Old Testament, and also no confidence that churches are so necessary ... I want to die as I lived, without the intervention of priests and in a state of the same peace that stems from honest deeds in accordance with the principles of life ”.

The more Conan Doyle was shocked by the meeting with the spirit of a young girl who died in Melbourne. The spirit told him that he lives in a world consisting entirely of light and laughter, where there are neither rich nor poor. The inhabitants of this world do not experience physical pain, although they may experience anxiety and longing. However, they drive away sadness through spiritual and intellectual pursuits - for example, music. The picture was consoling.

Gradually, spiritualism became the center of the writer's universe: "I realized that the knowledge given to me is intended not only for my consolation, but that God gave me the opportunity to tell the world what he needs to hear."

Once established in his views, Arthur Conan Doyle, with his characteristic stubbornness, adhered to them to the very end: “Suddenly I saw that the topic with which I was flirting for so long was not just the study of some force lying outside of science, but something great and capable of breaking down the walls between worlds, an undeniable message from outside, giving hope and guiding light to humanity. "

On July 4, 1906, Arthur Conan Doyle was widowed. Tui died in his arms. For several months after her death, he was in a state of extreme depression: he was tormented by shame that in recent years he seemed to be waiting for deliverance from his wife. But the very first meeting with Jean Leckie gave him back hope for happiness. After waiting for the prescribed period of mourning, they got married on September 18, 1907.

Gene and Arthur lived very happily indeed. Everyone who was familiar with them spoke about this. Jean gave birth to two sons - Denis and Adrian, and a daughter, who was named after her - Jean Jr. Arthur seemed to have found a second wind in literature. Jin Jr. said, “At lunch, my father often announced that he had an idea early in the morning and that he had been working on it all this time. Then he read us a draft and asked us to criticize the story. My brothers and I rarely acted as critics, but my mother quite often gave him advice, and he always followed them. "

Jean's love helped Arthur endure the losses that the family suffered in the First World War: Doyle's son Kingsley, his younger brother, two cousins ​​and two nephews were killed at the front. He continued to draw consolation in spiritualism - he summoned the ghost of his son. He never evoked the spirit of his deceased wife ...

In 1930, Arthur fell seriously ill. But on March 15 - he never forgot that day when he first met Jean - Doyle got out of bed and went out into the garden to fetch a snowdrop for his beloved. There, in the garden, Doyle was found: immobilized by a stroke, but clutching Jean's favorite flower. Arthur Conan Doyle died on July 7, 1930, surrounded by his entire family. The last words he uttered were addressed to his wife: "You are the best ..."

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859 in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, into the family of an artist and an architect.

After Arthur reached the age of nine, he went to Hodder Boarding School, a preparatory school for Stonyhurst (a large closed Catholic school in Lancashire). Two years later, Arthur moved from Hodder to Stonyhurst. It was during those difficult years at boarding school that Arthur realized he had a talent for storytelling. In his final year, he publishes a college magazine and writes poetry. In addition, he played sports, mainly cricket, in which he achieved good results. Thus, by 1876, he was educated and ready to face the world.

Arthur decided to take up medicine. In October 1876, Arthur becomes a student at the Medical University of Edinburgh. While studying, Arthur was able to meet many future famous authors, such as James Barry and Robert Louis Stevenson, who also attended university. But he was most influenced by one of his teachers, Dr. Joseph Bell, who was a master of observation, logic, inference and error detection. In the future, he served as the prototype for Sherlock Holmes.

Two years after starting his studies at the university, Doyle decides to try his hand at literature. In the spring of 1879, he wrote a short story, The Mystery of the Sesass Valley, which was published in September 1879. He sends out a few more stories. But only the American's Tale is published in the London Society. And yet he understands that this is how he too can make money.

Twenty years old, in his third year of university, in 1880, a friend of Arthur invited him to accept the post of surgeon on the whaler "Hope" under the command of John Gray in the Arctic Circle. This adventure found its way into his first story about the sea (Captain of the Pole Star). In the fall of 1880, Conan Doyle returned to his studies. In 1881, he graduated from the University of Edinburgh, where he received a bachelor's degree in medicine and a master's degree in surgery, and began looking for work. The result of these searches was the position of a ship's doctor on the ship "Mayuba", which sailed between Liverpool and the west coast of Africa and on October 22, 1881, his next voyage began.

He leaves the ship in mid-January 1882, and moves to England in Plymouth, where he works together with a certain Callingworth, whom he met in his last courses in Edinburgh. These early years of practice are well described in his book "The Stark Monroe Letters", which, in addition to describing life, presents a large number of the author's reflections on matters of religion and forecasts for the future.

Over time, disagreements arose between former classmates, after which Doyle left for Portsmouth (July 1882), where he opened his first practice. Initially, there were no clients, and therefore Doyle has the opportunity to devote his free time to literature. He wrote several stories, which he published in the same 1882. During 1882-1885, Doyle was torn between literature and medicine.

One day in March 1885, Doyle was invited to consult on the occasion of Jack Hawkins' illness. He had meningitis and was hopeless. Arthur offered to place him in his home for constant care, but Jack died a few days later. This death allowed him to get acquainted with his sister Louise Hawkins, to whom they became engaged in April, and on August 6, 1885, they married.

After his marriage, Doyle is actively involved in literature. One after another, Cornhill magazine publishes his short stories The Message of Hebeccook Jephson, A Blank in the Life of John Huxford, and The Ring of Thoth. But stories are stories, and Doyle wants more, he wants to be noticed, and for this it is necessary to write something more serious. And so in 1884 he wrote the book "Girdleston Trading House". But the book did not interest the publishers. In March 1886, Conan Doyle began writing a novel that propelled him to popularity. In April he finished it and sent it to Cornhill to James Payne, who spoke very warmly of it in May of the same year, but refused to publish it, since, in his opinion, it deserves a separate publication. Doyle sends the manuscript to Bristol to Arrowsmith, and in July receives a negative review of the novel. Arthur does not despair and sends the manuscript to Fred Warne and Co. But their romance was not interested either. This is followed by Messrs. Ward, Locke and Co.. Those reluctantly agree, but set a number of conditions: the novel will be released no earlier than next year, the fee for it will be 25 pounds, and the author will transfer all rights to the work to the publisher. Doyle reluctantly agrees, as he wants his first novel to be submitted to the readers' judgment. And so, two years later, in Beaton's Christmas Weekly for 1887, the novel A Study in Crimson Tones was published, which introduced readers to Sherlock Holmes. The novel was published in a separate edition at the beginning of 1888.

The beginning of 1887 marked the beginning of the study and research of such a concept as "life after death". Doyle continued to study this question for the rest of his life.

As soon as Doyle sent off The Study in Crimson, he began a new book, and at the end of February 1888 finished Micah Clarke. Arthur has always been attracted to historical novels. It was under their influence that Doyle wrote this and a number of other historical works. While working in 1889 on a wave of positive reviews of Micah Clarke over The White Squad, Doyle unexpectedly received an invitation to dinner from the American editor of the Lippincots Magazine to discuss writing yet another work about Sherlock Holmes. Arthur meets with him, and also meets Oscar Wilde and eventually agrees to their proposal. And in 1890, the Sign of Four appears in the American and English issues of this magazine.

The year 1890 was no less productive than the previous one. By the middle of this year, Doyle has completed The White Company, which takes James Payne for publication in Cornhill and bills it as the best historical novel since Ivanhoe. In the spring of 1891, Doyle arrived in London, where he opened an internship. The practice was not successful (there were no patients), but at that time stories about Sherlock Holmes were written for the magazine "The Strand".

In May 1891, Doyle fell ill with the flu and was dying for several days. When he recovered, he decided to leave medical practice and devote himself to literature. By the end of 1891, Doyle became a very popular person in connection with the appearance of the sixth story about Sherlock Holmes. But after these six stories were written, the editor of The Strand asked for six more in October 1891, agreeing to any terms from the author. And Doyle asked, as it seemed to him, such an amount, 50 pounds, upon hearing about which the deal should not have taken place, since he no longer wanted to deal with this character. But to his great surprise, it turned out that the editors agreed. And the stories were written. Doyle begins work on The Exiles (finished early 1892). From March to April 1892, Doyle rests in Scotland. Upon his return, he begins work on "The Great Shadow", which he finishes by the middle of the same year.

In 1892, The Strand magazine again suggested writing another series of stories about Sherlock Holmes. Doyle, hoping that the magazine will refuse, sets a condition - 1000 pounds and ... the magazine agrees. Doyle was already tired of his hero. After all, every time you need to come up with a new plot. Therefore, when Doyle and his wife go on vacation to Switzerland in early 1893 and visit Reichenbach Falls, he decides to end this annoying hero. As a result, twenty thousand subscribers canceled their subscriptions to The Strand magazine.

This frantic life may explain why the former doctor was oblivious to the serious deterioration in his wife's health. And over time, he finally learns that Louise has tuberculosis (consumption). Although she was only given a few months, Doyle begins a belated departure, and he manages to delay her death by more than 10 years, from 1893 to 1906. He and his wife move to Davos, located in the Alps. In Davos, Doyle is actively involved in sports, begins writing stories about Brigadier Gerard.

Due to the illness of his wife, Doyle is very burdened by constant travel, and also by the fact that he cannot live in England for this reason. And then, unexpectedly, he meets Grant Allen, who, sick like Louise, continued to live in England. So Doyle decides to sell the Norwood house and build a luxury mansion in Hindhead, Surrey. In the fall of 1895, Arthur Conan Doyle travels with Louise to Egypt and during the winter of 1896 is where he hopes for a warm climate that will be beneficial to her. Before this trip, he is finishing the book "Rodney Stone".

In May 1896 he returned to England. Doyle continues to work on Uncle Bernack, which was started in Egypt, but the book is difficult. At the end of 1896, he began writing The Tragedy of Corosco, which was based on impressions received in Egypt. In 1897, Doyle came to the idea of ​​resurrecting his sworn enemy Sherlock Holmes to improve his financial situation, which worsened somewhat due to the high costs of building a house. At the end of 1897, he wrote the play "Sherlock Holmes" and sent it to Beerboom Three. But he wished to significantly remake it for himself, and as a result, the author sends it to New York to Charles Frohman, who, in turn, gave it to William Gillett, who also wished to remake it to his liking. This time, the author gave up on everything and gave his consent. As a result, Holmes was married, and a new manuscript was sent to the author for approval. And in November 1899, Hiller's Sherlock Holmes was well received in Buffalo.

Conan Doyle was a man of the highest moral standards and did not betray Louise during his life together. However, he fell in love with Jean Leckie when he saw her on March 15, 1897. They fell in love. The only obstacle that kept Doyle from a love affair was the state of health of his wife Louise. Doyle meets Jean's parents and, in turn, introduces her to his mother. Arthur and Jean meet often. Having learned that his beloved is fond of hunting and sings well, Conan Doyle also begins to get involved in hunting and learns to play the banjo. From October to December 1898, Doyle wrote the book Duet with a Random Chorus, which tells the story of the life of an ordinary married couple.

When the Boer War broke out in December 1899, Conan Doyle decided to volunteer for it. He was considered unfit for military service, so he goes there as a doctor. On April 2, 1900, he arrives at the site and splits a field hospital into 50 beds. But the number of the wounded is many times greater. For several months in Africa, Doyle saw more soldiers die of fever, typhus, than of war wounds. After the defeat of the Boers, Doyle sailed back to England on 11 July. About this war he wrote the book "The Great Boer War", which underwent changes until 1902.

In 1902, Doyle finished work on another major work about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes ("The Hound of the Baskervilles"). And almost immediately there is talk that the author of this sensational novel stole his idea from his friend journalist Fletcher Robinson. These conversations continue to this day.

In 1902, Doyle was knighted for his services during the Boer War. Doyle continues to be weighed down by stories about Sherlock Holmes and Brigadier Gerard, so he writes "Sir Nigel", which, in his opinion, "is a great literary achievement."

Louise died in Doyle's arms on July 4th, 1906. After nine years of secret courtship, Conan Doyle and Jean Leckie are married on September 18, 1907.

Before the outbreak of the First World War (August 4, 1914), Doyle joined the volunteer squad, which was completely civilian and was created in case of an enemy invasion of England. During the war, Doyle lost many people close to him.

In the fall of 1929, Doyle embarked on a final tour of Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. He was already sick. Arthur Conan Doyle died on Monday July 7, 1930.

In this short biography of Conan Doyle, we tried to collect the main milestones in the life and work of the writer. And, of course, it will not do without mentioning Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

Arthur Conan Doyle was born into a rather poor family on May 22, 1859, in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. My father was a creative person and worked as an artist. Doyle's mother gave birth early - at the age of 17. And although she was a housewife, she worked a lot around the house, since the family often made ends meet, she was also not alien to creativity, and she read a lot. The mother loved to tell and retell, and this undoubtedly greatly influenced her son.

Conan Doyle's education

When Arthur was nine years old, he went to school. True, the parents did not have the funds to pay for the school, so these expenses were covered by the relatives. Doyle was interested in studying, but he could not stand the punishment and school regulations, about which he repeatedly wrote to his parents in all details, and thus laid the foundation for his creative activity as an excellent storyteller and writer - these letters were truly small books, stories and stories, and became the first creations in the biography of Conan Doyle.

While studying later at university, Arthur Conan decided to become a physician. Then, for the most part, this decision was influenced by Charles Brian, who was a doctor and temporarily rented an area in their house. They talked a lot with Doyle and became friends on the similarity of interests.

Creativity in the biography of Conan Doyle

His very first story, The Mystery of the Sesass Valley, was published when Conan was in his third year at university. Although the first work was published only in the local magazine of the educational institution, the following stories came out in large circulation and were published in more famous and reputable publications. While receiving his education, the young writer sought to financially help his family, so from time to time he worked part-time, usually in the medical field - in a pharmacy, helping doctors. During his studies, Conan Doyle was a ship doctor in the Navy, and managed to serve on two ships. As a result, after graduating from university, he received a bachelor's degree and became a certified physician.

In 1891, Doyle suffered a severe illness and nearly died of the flu. After that, he decides that the only serious occupation in his life will be literature and after that he devotes his life to it, for which he moves to London. He does not write in any one genre, but tries his pen in a variety of literary directions and gains considerable success.

Sherlock Holmes Doyle and recent years

It is impossible to imagine a biography of Conan Doyle without mentioning Sherlock Holmes. Therefore, it is worth noting separately that the stories about the famous Sherlock Holmes Doyle caused immense popularity among readers. Many believed that the detective in Doyle's stories was a real person, and a large number of letters were sent to the writer to Holmes.

In 1893, Arthur Conan killed Sherlock Holmes, which caused a violent reaction from readers - they wrote letters and expressed their dissatisfaction with this fact. Therefore, after returning from the front, where Doyle fought as a regiment doctor, he revived Sherlock Holmes and wrote about him until 1927.

In recent years, the writer has traveled a lot around the world - he visited Africa, Egypt, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland and other countries.

On July 7, 1930, Arthur Conan Doyle died of a heart attack. He was found in his own garden on the ground with a white snowdrop in his hands.

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In addition, we suggest you visit the Biography section to read about other popular and famous writers.

Perhaps there are not many people who have not seen the Soviet serial film "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" with and in the lead roles. The famous detective, who once also played, descended from the literary lines of the famous English writer and publicist - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Childhood and youth

Sir Arthur Ignayschus Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859 in the capital of Scotland - Edinburgh. This picturesque city is rich in history and cultural heritage as well as attractions. Therefore, it can be assumed that in childhood, the future doctor and writer observed the columns of the Presbyterian center - the Cathedral of St.

The author of adventure stories about the life of Sherlock Holmes grew up and was raised in a respectable Catholic family, his parents made an undeniable contribution to the achievements of art and literature. Grandfather John Doyle was an Irish painter who worked in the genres of miniatures and political cartoons. Descended from the dynasty of a prosperous silk and velvet merchant.

The writer's father, Charles Altemont Doyle, followed in his parent's footsteps and left a watercolor mark on the canvases of the Victorian era. Charles diligently depicted Gothic plots on canvases with fairy-tale characters, animals and magical fairies. In addition, Doyle Sr. worked as an illustrator (his paintings were adorned with manuscripts and), as well as an architect: the stained glass windows in the Glasgow Cathedral were made according to Charles' sketches.


On July 31, 1855, Charles made a marriage proposal to 17-year-old Irish woman Mary Josephine Elizabeth Foley, who later gave her beloved seven children. By the way, Mrs. Foley was an educated woman, avidly read courtly novels and told exciting stories about fearless knights to children. The heroic epic in the style of the troubadours of Provence once and for all left a mark on the soul of little Arthur:

“A real love of literature, a penchant for writing comes from me, I think, from my mother,” the writer recalled in his autobiography.

True, instead of books of chivalry, Doyle more often flipped through the pages of Thomas Mine Reed, who excited the minds of readers with adventure novels. Few people know, but Charles barely made ends meet. The fact is that the man dreamed of becoming a famous artist, so that in the future his name would be placed next to, and. However, during his lifetime, Doyle never received recognition and fame. His paintings were not in great demand, so the bright canvases were often covered with a thin layer of shabby dust, and the money raised from small illustrations was not enough to feed the family.


Charles found salvation in alcohol: strong drinks helped the head of the family to move away from the harsh reality of life. True, alcohol only exacerbated the situation in the house: every year, in order to forget unfulfilled ambitions, Doyle's father drank more and more than he earned a contemptuous attitude from his older brothers. Ultimately, the unknown artist spent his days in deep depression, and on October 10, 1893, Charles died.


The future writer attended Godder Elementary School. When Arthur was 9 years old, thanks to the funds of eminent relatives, Doyle continued his studies, this time at the closed Jesuit College Stonehurst in Lancashire. This is not to say that Arthur was delighted with the school bench. He despised class inequality and religious prejudice, and also hated physical punishment: the teacher waving a belt only poisoned the existence of the young writer.

Mathematics was not easy for the boy, he did not like algebraic formulas and complex examples, which made Arthur blue. For his dislike of the subject, praised and, Doyle received regular punches from fellow students - the Moriarty brothers. The only joy for Arthur was sports: the young man enjoyed playing cricket.


Doyle often wrote letters to his mother, in which he described in detail what happened that day in his school life. The young man also realized the potential of a storyteller: to listen to Arthur's fictional adventure stories, queues of peers gathered around him, who “paid” the speaker with solved problems in geometry and algebra.

Literature

Doyle chose his literary career for a reason: as a six-year-old child, Arthur wrote his debut short story entitled "The Traveler and the Tiger." True, the work turned out to be short and did not even take a whole page, because the tiger immediately dined on the unfortunate wanderer. The little boy acted according to the principle "brevity is the sister of talent", and as an adult, Arthur explained that even then he was a realist and did not see a way out of a difficult situation.

Indeed, the master of the pen is not used to sinning with the technique of "God from the machine" - when the main character, who finds himself in an unnecessary place at the wrong time, is saved by an external or previously unaffected factor in the work. The fact that Doyle, instead of writing, initially chose the noble profession of a doctor, is not surprising to anyone, because there are many such examples, he even used to say that "medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress."


Illustration for the book "The Lost World" by Arthur Conan Doyle

The young man chose a white medical coat over a pen and inkwell, thanks to the influence of one Brian C. Waller, who rented a room from Mrs. Foley. Therefore, after listening to medical stories, the young man without any hesitation submits documents to the University of Edinburgh. As a student, Doyle met other future writers - James Barry and.

In his free time from lecture materials, Arthur did what he loved - pored over the books of Bret Hart and whose "Golden Beetle" left an indelible impression on the young man's heart. Inspired by novels and mystical stories, the writer tries his hand at the literary field and creates the stories "The Mystery of the Sesass Valley" and "American History".


In 1881, Doyle received his bachelor's degree and went to medical practice. It took the author of The Dogs of the Baskervilles about ten years to abandon the profession of an ophthalmologist and plunge headlong into the multifaceted world of literary lines. In 1884, under the influence of Arthur Conan, he began work on the novel "Girdleston Trading House" (published in 1890), which tells about the criminal and everyday problems of English society. The plot is based on clever dealers of the adherents of the underworld: they cheat people who instantly find themselves at the mercy of careless merchants.


In March 1886 Sir Conan Doyle was working on his "Study in Crimson", which was completed in April. It is in this work that for the first time the famous London detective Sherlock Holmes appears before the readers. The prototype of a professional detective was a real person - Joseph Bell, a surgeon, professor at the University of Edinburgh, who was able to calculate with the help of logic both a gross error and a fleeting lie.


Joseph was idolized by his student, who diligently watched every movement of the master, who came up with his own deductive method. It turns out that cigarette butts, ashes, watches, a cane bitten by a dog and dirt under the nails can say much more about a person than his own biography.


The character Sherlock Holmes is a kind of know-how in literary spaces, since the author of detective stories sought to make him an ordinary person, and not a mystical book hero, in which either positive or negative qualities are concentrated. Sherlock, like other mortals, has bad habits: Holmes is inaccurate in handling things, constantly smokes strong cigars and cigarettes (the pipe is an invention of illustrators) and, in the complete absence of interesting crimes, uses cocaine intravenously.


The story "Scandal in Bohemia" was the beginning of the famous cycle "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", which included 12 detective stories about a detective and his friend, Dr. Watson. Conan Doyle also created four full-fledged novels, which, in addition to Etude in Crimson, include The Dog of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Terror and The Sign of Four. Thanks to popular works, Doyle became one of the highest paid writer in England and around the world.

Rumor has it that at one point Sherlock Holmes got tired of the creator, so Arthur decided to kill the witty detective. But after the death of the fictional detective, Doyle began to threaten and warned that his fate would be sad if the writer did not resurrect the hero he liked. Arthur did not dare to disobey the will of the provocateur, so he continued to work on numerous stories.

Personal life

Outwardly, Arthur Conan Doyle, like, created the impression of a strong and powerful man, similar to a hero. The author of books went in for sports until old age and even at an old age could give odds to the young. According to rumors, it was Doyle who taught the Swiss how to ski, organized auto racing and became the first person to saddle a moped.


The personal life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a treasure trove of information from which you can compose a whole book, similar to a non-trivial novel. For example, he went to sea on a whaling ship, where he was a ship doctor. The writer admired the vast expanses of the sea depths, and also hunted seals. In addition, the genius of literature served on dry cargo ships off the coast of West Africa, where he got acquainted with the life and traditions of another people.


During the First World War, Doyle temporarily suspended his literary activity and tried to go to the front as a volunteer to show his contemporaries an example of courage and courage. But the writer had to cool down his ardor, as his offer was rejected. After these events, Arthur began to publish non-fiction articles: the Times published manuscripts of a writer on a military topic almost every day.


He personally organized groups of volunteers and tried to become the leader of "retaliation raids". The master of the pen could not remain inactive in this troubled time, because every minute he thought about the terrible tortures that his compatriots were subjected to.


As for the love relationship, the first chosen one of the master, Louise Hawkins, who gave him two children, died of consumption in 1906. A year later, Arthur proposes to Jean Lecky, a woman with whom he has been secretly in love since 1897. From the second marriage, three more children were born in the family of the writer: Jean, Denis and Adrian (who became the writer's biographer).


Although Doyle positioned himself as a realist, he anxiously studied occult literature and conducted seances. The writer hoped that the spirits of the dead would give answers to his questions, in particular, Arthur was worried about thinking about whether there is life after death.

Death

In the last years of Doyle's life, nothing foreshadowed trouble, the writer of The Lost World was full of energy and strength, in the 1920s the writer visited almost all continents of the world. But during a trip to Scandinavia, the health of the genius of literature deteriorated, so throughout the spring he stayed in bed surrounded by family and friends.

As soon as Doyle felt better, he traveled to the British capital to make his last attempt in life to speak with the Home Secretary and demand that the laws under which the government persecute followers of spiritualism be repealed.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died of a heart attack at his home in Sussex in the early morning of July 7, 1930. Initially, the creator's grave was located near his house, but later the remains of the writer were reburied in New Forest.

Bibliography

Sherlock Holmes cycle

  • 1887 - Study in crimson tones
  • 1890 - Sign of four
  • 18992 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
  • 1893 - Notes on Sherlock Holmes
  • 1902 - The Hound of the Baskervilles
  • 1904 - The Return of Sherlock Holmes
  • 1915 - Valley of Terror
  • 1917 - His farewell bow
  • 1927 - Sherlock Holmes Archive

The cycle about Professor Challenger

  • 1902 - The Lost World
  • 1913 - Poisoned Belt
  • 1926 - Land of fog
  • 1928 - When the Earth screamed
  • 1929 - Disintegration machine

Other works

  • 1884 - Post by Hebekuk Jephson
  • 1887 - Uncle Jeremy's Household Chores
  • 1889 - The Clumbert Mystery
  • 1890 - Girdleston Trading House
  • 1890 - Captain of the Pole Star
  • 1921 - Apparition of fairies

Of course, when the name of Arthur Conan Doyle sounds, most immediately recall the image of the famous Sherlock Holmes, who was created by one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, few know that there was a whole confrontation between the author and the hero, a tough competition, during which the ingenious detective was mercilessly destroyed several times with a pen. Also, many readers do not know how diverse and full of adventures Doyle's life was, how much he did for literature and society as a whole. The unusual life of a writer named Arthur Conan Doyle, interesting biography facts, dates, etc. are presented in this article.

Childhood of the future writer

Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, into an artist's family. Place of birth - Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite the fact that the Doyle family was in poverty due to the chronic alcoholism of the head of the family, the boy grew up smart and educated. Love for books was instilled from early childhood, when Arthur's mother Mary spent many hours telling the child various stories gleaned from literature. A variety of interests from childhood, many books read and erudition determined the further path that Arthur Conan Doyle went through. A short biography of the outstanding author is presented below.

Education and career choice

The education of the future writer was paid for by wealthy relatives. He studied first at the Jesuit school, then was transferred to Stonyhurst, where the training was quite serious and famous for its fundamental nature. At the same time, the high quality of education did not in any way compensate for the severity of being in this place - in the educational institution, cruel ones were actively practiced to which all children were subjected indiscriminately.

The boarding school, despite the difficult living conditions, became exactly the place where Arthur realized his craving for the creation of literary works and the ability to do this. At that time, it was too early to talk about talent, but even then the future writer gathered around him a group of peers, eager for a new story from a talented classmate.

By the time he graduated from college, Doyle had achieved a certain degree of recognition - he published a magazine for students and wrote many poems that were consistently praised by students and teachers. In addition to his passion for writing, Arthur successfully mastered cricket, and then, when he moved to Germany for a while, and other types of physical activity, in particular football and luge.

When he had to make a decision about what profession to get, he faced a lack of understanding from his family members. Relatives expected that the boy would follow in the footsteps of his creative ancestors, but Arthur suddenly became interested in medicine and, despite the objections of his uncle and mother, entered the Faculty of Medicine. It was there that he met Joseph Bell, a professor of medicine, who served as a prototype for the future image of the famous Sherlock Holmes. Bell, PhD, had a complex temper and astounding intellectual ability that allowed him to accurately diagnose people by their appearance.

Doyle's family was large, and in addition to Arthur, six more children were raised in it. By that time, the father had practically no one to earn money, since the mother was completely and completely immersed in the upbringing of offspring. Therefore, the future writer studied most of the disciplines at an accelerated rate, and devoted the free time to part-time work as an assistant to the doctor.

After reaching the age of twenty, Arthur returns to writing attempts. From under his pen several stories are published, some of which are accepted for publication by well-known magazines. Arthur is encouraged by the opportunity to earn money through literature, and he continues to write and offer publishing houses the fruits of his labor, often quite successfully. Arthur Conan Doyle's first stories to be published were Secrets of the Sesass Valley and An American's Tale.

Medical biography of Arthur Conan Doyle: writer and physician

Arthur Conan Doyle's biography, family, environment, diversity and unexpected transitions from one activity to another are very fascinating. So, having received in 1880 an offer to take the position of an onboard surgeon on a ship called "Hope", Arthur goes on a journey that lasted more than 7 months. Thanks to a new interesting experience, another story is born, called "The Captain of the Polar Star".

Thirst for adventure mixed with a craving for creativity and love for the profession, and after graduating from the university, Arthur Conan Doyle gets a job as a flight doctor on a ship that ply between Liverpool and the West African coast. However, as attractive as the seven-month trip to the Arctic turned out to be, hot Africa became so repulsive for him. Therefore, he soon left this ship and returned to measured work in England as a doctor.

In 1882 Arthur Conan Doyle begins his first medical practice in Portsmouth. At first, due to the small number of clients, Arthur's interests again shifted towards literature, and during this period such stories as "Blumensdijk Ravine" and "April Fool's Day" were born. It is in Portsmouth that Arthur meets his first great love - Elma Welden, whom he is even going to marry, but due to prolonged scandals, the couple decides to leave. All subsequent years, Arthur continues to rush between two occupations - medicine and literature.

Marriage and literary breakthrough

The fateful request of his neighbor Pike to see one of the patients with meningitis. He turned out to be hopeless, but observing him was the reason for meeting his sister named Louise, with whom Arthur had a wedding already in 1885.

After the marriage, the ambitions of the aspiring writers began to grow steadily. He had few successful publications in modern magazines, he wanted to create something big and serious that would touch the hearts of readers and enter the world of literature for centuries. Such a novel was "A Study in Scarlet Tones", published in 1887 and for the first time presented to the world of Sherlock Holmes. According to Doyle himself, writing a novel was easier than getting him published. It took nearly three years to find people willing to publish the book. The fee for the first large-scale creation was only 25 pounds.

In 1887, Arthur's rebellious disposition draws him into a new adventure - the study and practice of spiritualism. The new direction of interest inspires new stories, in particular about the famous detective.

Rivalry with a self-created literary hero

After Etude in Scarlet Tones, a piece entitled The Adventures of Micah Clarke, as well as The White Squad, saw the light of day. However, Sherlock Holmes, sunk into the souls of both readers and publishers, asked for the pages again. An additional impetus for the continuation of the story about the detective was the acquaintance with Oscar Wilde and the editor of one of the most popular magazines, who persistently persuade Doyle to continue writing about Sherlock Holmes. This is how the "Sign of the Four" appears on the pages of the Lippincots Magazine.

In subsequent years, the throwing between professions becomes even more widespread. Arthur decides to start studying ophthalmology and travels to Vienna for training. However, after four months of efforts, he realizes that he is not ready to master the professional German language and spend time in the future on a new direction of medical practice. So he returns to England and publishes several more short stories dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.

The final choice of profession

After a serious illness from the flu, as a result of which Doyle almost died, he decides to stop practicing medicine forever and devote all his time to literature, especially since the popularity of his stories and novels at that time reached its peak. So the medical biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, whose books became more and more famous, came to an end.

The Strand publishers asks to write another series of stories about Holmes, but Doyle, feeling tired and annoyed by the annoying hero, asks for a fee of 50 pounds in the sincere hope that the publisher will reject such terms of cooperation. However, The Strand signs a contract for the corresponding amount and receives its six stories. The readers are delighted.

Arthur Conan Doyle sold the next six stories to the publisher for £ 1,000. Tired of "buying" for high fees and being offended by Holmes for the fact that his more significant creations are not visible behind his back, Doyle decides to "kill" his beloved detective. While working for The Strand, Doyle writes for the theater, and the experience inspires him much more. However, Holmes's "death" did not bring him the expected satisfaction. Further attempts to create a worthy play were defeated, and Arthur seriously thought about the question, can he create anything good at all, besides the story about Holmes?

During the same period, Arthur Conan Doyle is fond of lecturing on the topic of literature, which are very popular.

Arthur's wife Louise was ill a lot, so traveling with lectures had to be stopped. In search of a more favorable climate for her, they ended up in Egypt, a stay in which was remembered for the carefree game of cricket, walks in Cairo and the injury that Arthur received as a result of falling from his horse.

The Resurrection of Holmes, or a Bargain with Conscience

Upon returning from England, the Doyle family is faced with material problems caused by a realized dream - building their own home. To get out of a financial predicament, Arthur Conan Doyle decides to make a deal with his own conscience and resurrects Sherlock Holmes in the pages of a new play, which is enthusiastically received by the public. Then, in many of Doyle's new works, the presence of a detective he did not love is almost invisibly noticeable, with the right to exist which the writer still had to accept.

Late love

Arthur Conan Doyle was considered a highly moral person with strong principles, and there is much evidence that he never cheated on his wife. However, he could not avoid falling in love with another girl - Jean Lecky. At the same time, despite a strong romantic attachment to her, they got married only ten years after they met, when his wife died of illness.

Gene inspired him to new hobbies - hunting and music lessons, and also influenced the further literary activity of the writer, whose plots became less sharp, but more sensual and deep.

War, politics, social activity

Doyle's later life was marked by participation in the Anglo-Boer War, where he went to study the war in real life, but he was an ordinary field doctor who saved the lives of soldiers not from mortal combat wounds, but from the then raging typhus and fever.

The literary activity of the writer identified itself with the release of a new novel about Sherlock Holmes "The Dog of the Baskervilles", for which he received a new wave of readers' love, as well as accusations of stealing an idea from his friend Fletcher Robinson. However, they have never been supported by strong evidence.

In 1902, Doyle received a knightly title, according to some sources - for services in the Anglo-Boer War, according to others - for literary achievements. In the same period, Arthur Conan Doyle made attempts to realize himself in politics, which were suppressed by rumors about his religious fanaticism.

An important area of ​​Doyle's social activity was his participation in trial and post-trial processes as a defender of the accused. Based on the experience gained in the course of writing stories about Sherlock Holmes, he was able to prove the innocence of several people, which made a significant contribution to the popularity of his name.

Arthur Conan Doyle's active political and social position was expressed in the fact that he predicted many steps of the greatest powers in the framework of the First World War. Despite the fact that his opinion was perceived by many as the fruit of the writer's fantasy, most of the assumptions came true. It is also a historically recognized fact that it was Doyle who initiated the construction of the Channel Tunnel.

New landmarks: occult sciences, spiritualism

In World War I, Doyle took part in a volunteer detachment and continued to make his proposals to improve the military readiness of the country's troops. As a result of the war, many people close to him died, including a brother, a son from his first marriage, two cousins ​​and nephews. These losses led to the return of a lively interest in spiritualism, to the propaganda of which Doyle devoted the rest of his life.

The writer died on July 7, 1930 from an attack of angina pectoris, this ended the impressive biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, full of surprises and incredible life turns. A photograph of the writer adorns one of the walls of the famous London library, perpetuating the memory of him. Interest in the life of the creator of the image of Sherlock Holmes does not fade to this day. A short biography of Arthur Conan Doyle in English is regularly included in British literature textbooks.