show me something beautiful.

Kiss Art February // Day 6: “Almost”

Sherlock Holmes wasn’t always popular (when ACD first released the first books, not many people were that interested). But, his popularity soon grew, to the point where ACD was practically sick of him. 

But why was he so popular?

During those times, the Victorians had an almost morbid fascination with death and the supernatural- this is linked to how religious they were, so when something rebelled against Christianity, it both scared and intrigued them. The Gothic genre was incredibly well-known. Think Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde- all the popular books of those times. And, those books are still popular today. 

Even now, people still want to consume media about murder or horror. Movies are riddled with graphic, violent scenes, people read true crime cases and gossip about them, and it’s reached the point where people are in love with actual serial killers (writing letters to them, creating fantasies about them, all very confusing and concerning). There must be a strange, psychological explanation for this phenomenon, but whatever it is, it’s obvious that people love… death. So, the previous stories mentioned are still wildly popular. Everyone knows the monsters created in Victorian books even if they haven’t even read it; of course, there are misconceptions, but if you mention the word ‘vampire’, that will likely elicit a reaction somewhat relating to Dracula. Everyone has heard the name Frankenstein, often mistaking it for the monster and not the doctor, but knowing it all the same.

So, what does this have to do with Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes was a safety net, and still is. In explanation: every story begins with an evil villain, terrorising all people from gentleman high up in the hierarchy to the lowliest beggars to innocent young women with no one to turn to- except Sherlock Holmes. Even criminals can find some solace in the mysterious detective. Everyone is safe with Sherlock Holmes: it doesn’t matter who you are. There is no discrimination. And, in a time where there was a lot of discrimination, this would have comforted people. 

Again with the theme of comfort, Sherlock nearly always solves the case. The murderer is imprisoned, the fraudster is revealed, the burglar is apprehended. Everything returns to a cozy scene in Baker Street (or something of that kind). Imagine the children, adults, whoever was reading the case, being able to feel that there is some hope of all being fixed, no matter what the circumstance. It’s fair to say that the Victorian era was not the greatest period to live in, but when you are reading about an eccentric detective with his caring doctor-companion solving crimes and saving society, you can escape for a little while. People even believed the pair were real, often addressing letters to Baker Street in the hopes the famed pair would reply.

Now, this is just my opinion of why it was popular then, but why is it still popular now? In some ways, the stories have become slightly outdated, not just the content but the language. In other words, it’s not exactly inclusive to the modern age. 

However, I disagree with this. 

Not about the language, as I understand how difficult all Classical books can be for modern day readers of all abilities. 

The Sherlock Holmes books are timeless for a variety of reasons. I could sit here all day writing about all the different opinions, but here’s mine. 

Sherlock is strange. Not exactly my best selling point, but he is. And that’s what’s amazing about him. Sherlock is demonstrated as being unconventional, extravagant, over the top, sometimes rude, always blunt and very intelligent. In all eras he has been alive, people have felt intrigued by his unusual personality, but also mesmerised by his skill and talent. I understand that the public image of Sherlock Holmes isn’t exactly accurate (he’s almost seen as a ‘sexy’ character now, and I think we all know which adaptation caused this) but it is popular all the same. 

I personally see Sherlock Holmes as autistic, and many agree. So, when I (autistic person) see people on the internet, or in real life, talking about how much they love him, creating further stories about him, finding new ways to introduce more people to him, it makes me feel… relieved? I don’t know how to describe it, but seeing a character in the media whom I relate so heavily to being so loved by society, I don’t feel as ‘abnormal’ anymore. Okay, so people say he’s strange (I did before), but that’s why people like him. It gives me hope that there will be at least one person who will learn to deal with me.

Of course, Sherlock isn’t the only star of the series: John Watson, the lovable companion, the caring doctor and the reason why we were all introduced to the detective. And why do people love him so? Because people can see themselves in him, he’s relatable. We see him gasping and gaping at Sherlock’s deductions and we think ‘Well at least that shows we’re not the only ones in shock’. And, he’s the person who not only ‘deals’ with Sherlock, but is ready to go to great measures to protect him, who will be slightly confused with his ideas but will go along with it, who is prepared to die for him (cough cough The Three Garridebs).

Not only does Watson bring a touch of realism to the stories, but he is the second half in the greatest literary partnership. Yes, I believe the greatest partnership- whether you think they’re in love or not (I think I’ve proven that by this blog, so I don’t have room to put it all here). Again, people (specifically those in the LGBTQ+ community) can find joy with this: a happy, gay Victorian couple in love and at peace in a time of great homophobia. I can’t say this was the same idea during the Victorian times, because I haven’t seen any resources about this from those times, but it is likely that Victorian LGBTQ+ members felt the same. 

Because of all these reasons, and so many more, Sherlock Holmes is still a phenomenon, and I don’t think that will ever stop. New adaptations are created all the time, whether they are accurate or not. Yes, there was BBCSherlock, which both literally and metaphorically brought Sherlock into the modern world, but I think the original canon would still be popular without it. 

I can’t remember where I heard this, but Holmes debuted right around the time of the Jack the Ripper murders. The police response to the murders was notoriously incompetent, and the killer was never even identified, let alone caught. So it might have been comforting for Victorian readers to see there was a force for good out there who was picking up the slack where the police had failed. (The police in these stories are generally none too helpful.)