Sherlock Holmes Quiz
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Sherlock Holmes is the world famous fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - but how much do you know about the author?
Full name: Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle
Year / place of birth: 1859, Edinburgh, Scotland
University studies: Studied medicine 1876 to 1881
Jobs: Writer, doctor
Type of books: Short stories, novels
Genre of books: Detective fiction, science fiction
Famous characters: Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson
First Holmes story: A Study in Scarlet, 1887 Other stories: The Lost World, 1912 – a novel about dinosaurs
Died: 7 July 1930, aged 71
Sherlock Holmes Course
We often run courses on Sherlock Holmes stories - contact us to find out when the next one is planned: info@bookclubschool.com
The top Sherlock Holmes stories
Everyone has their top story. Here are our favourites.
The Hound of the Baskervilles Novel, 1901
Holmes and Watson investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville. People think that Sir Charles died because of a family curse related to a very big dog or ‘hound’. Holmes and Watson travel to lonely Dartmoor to find the truth.
A Study in Scarlet Novel, 1887
In this first Sherlock Holmes story, Holmes and Watson go to an empty house and find a dead man. The man’s body has no 4wounds on it, but on the wall in blood is the word RACHE, the German word for 5revenge. Can Holmes solve this unusual crime?
The Adventure of the Reigate Squire Short story, 1893
Holmes and Watson are staying in the countryside when they hear about some burglaries. The investigation involves a mysterious note. Holmes sees that the note was written by two people and he tries to discover why.
The Adventure of the Speckled Band Short story, 1892
Holmes meets a woman called Helen Stoner. She explains she is going to get married. Her sister died just before her wedding and Helen is worried about her own safety. This was Conan Doyle’s favourite Sherlock Holmes story.
The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet Short story, 1892
A banker, Holder, visits Holmes. A member of the Royal Family left a crown at Holder’s bank, and Holder took it home. One night, he heard a noise and found his own son with the crown. Did his son want to steal it? Holmes investigates.
Six facts about Sherlock Holmes
1 Sherlock Holmes appears in four novels and 56 short stories. Watson narrates most of the stories, so we see Holmes through Watson’s eyes.
2 Sherlock Holmes was inspired by Conan Doyle’s university teacher, Dr Bell. He could diagnose patients just by looking at them.
3 Holmes and Watson live at 221b Baker St, London but that address never existed in real life.
4 Conan Doyle became tired of Holmes, so he killed him off in The Final Problem in 1893. But he brought the detective back in The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901.
5 In pictures and films, Holmes wears a ‘deerstalker’ hat, but in the stories he never wears a hat like this.
6 Sherlock Holmes is in over 200 films. Many famous actors have played him including Benedict Cumberbatch.