To mourn the loss of one of the greatest literary characters in publishing history, Londoners wore crepe bands around their hats. And in their prolonged grief, they protested at the magazine office and even went as far as sending threatening letters to Conan Doyle. Even though the writer was tired of his creation and anxious to move his literary career to a higher level, the public was not willing to accept the fate of their most cherished and beloved detective. They would have to wait almost eight years, however, for the next Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, set in a time before Holmes’s accident, and another two years before Conan Doyle finally resurrected his immortal detective. The following quiz contains ten multiple choice questions.
Story Date: April 1891
1. What compels Watson to write and publish the facts surrounding Holmes’s tragic accident?
A. In revealing the incident, the newspapers report the facts incorrectly.
B. Ugly rumors surface, and Watson is adamant about setting the record straight.
C. Letters from Moriarty’s brother publicly defend the notorious professor, and Watson is compelled to write an account on behalf of Holmes.
D. Scotland Yard wants an accurate account of the incident, and they request that Watson summarize the event.
2. How does Holmes describe Professor Moriarty’s genius?
A. “He is the Socrates of evil.”
B. “He is the Sherlock Holmes of intellect.”
C. “He is the Brutus of betrayal.”
D. “He is the Napoleon of crime.”
3. What are Moriarty’s first words to Holmes?
A. “You have less frontal development than I should have expected.”
B. “This situation is becoming an impossible one.”
C. “You must stand clear, Mr. Holmes, or be trodden underfoot.”
D. “I tell you that you will never beat me.”
4. How many attempts had Moriarty made on Holmes’s life?
A. Three
B. Six
C. Five
D. Four
5. How many days does Holmes have to wait before the police arrest Moriarty and his gang?
A. Seven
B. Ten
C. Four
D. Three
6. How is Holmes disguised when he rendezvous with Watson in their carriage on the train?
A. Holmes is dressed as a country squire with a heavy beard.
B. Holmes is disguised as an Italian priest.
C. Holmes is disguised as an elderly woman.
D. Holmes is dressed in Arab garb.
7. Who is the person who takes Watson to the station?
A. Inspector Lestrade
B. Billy, Holmes’s page
C. Mercer, an employee of Holmes
D. Mycroft, Holmes’s brother
8. What disturbing message does Holmes receive from the London police while in Strasbourg?
A. Moriarty has escaped.
B. His apartment on Baker Street has burned down.
C. Moriarty made an attempt on Mycroft’s life.
D. All charges on Moriarty were dropped, due to lack of evidence.
9. How does Moriarty lure Watson away from Holmes, leaving him alone at Reichenbach Falls?
A. Watson receives a message that his wife is ill and that she requests that he return to England.
B. The hotel sends a message for Watson to attend to an Englishwoman who is very ill and who refuses to see a foreign doctor.
C. An avalanche buried several skiers, and all available doctors are urged to attend to the victims.
D. The hotel summons Dr. Watson to assist a young woman who is having a difficult labor.
10. With Moriarty hot on his trail, and knowing that he might not survive the pursuit, how does Holmes manage to send Watson a message after his apparent fatal accident?
A. Mycroft delivers the message to Watson after he returns to England.
B. Watson discovers the message in Holmes’s desk when going through his papers.
C. Holmes slips the message into his silver cigarette case, which Watson finds at the falls.
D. Watson finds Holmes’s message in his mail. Holmes posted it on the morning of the accident.
QUIZ 39 CHARACTERS ACCORDING TO WATSON—PART 2
He was a tall man, he was a small man, he was an aged man, he was a large man, and beyond these noticeable traits, he was secretive, fierce, eccentric, and cunning, and he found his way into several Sherlock Holmes stories. The twenty characters in this quiz appear in the last three collections of short stories: The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, as well as in the novels The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear. Name the characters and the story or novel in which each appears.
1. “The cheek was lovely but it was paled with emotion, the eyes were bright, but it was the brightness of fever, the sensitive mouth was tight and drawn in an effort after self-command. Terror—not beauty—was what sprang first to the eye as our fair visitor stood framed for an instant in the open door.”
2. “In the dim light of a foggy November day the sick room was a gloomy spot, but it was that gaunt, wasted face staring at me from the bed which sent a chill to my heart. His eyes had the brightness of fever, there was a hectic flush upon either cheek, and dark crusts clung to his lips; the thin hands upon the coverlet twitched incessantly, his voice was croaking and spasmodic.”
3. “He was a tall and stately person, scrupulously dressed, with a drawn, thin face, and a nose which was grotesquely curved and long. His complexion was of a dead pallor, which was more startling by contrast with a long, dwindling beard of vivid red, which flowed down over his white waistcoat, with his watch-chain gleaming through its fringe.”
4. “He was a very tall young man, golden-moustached, blue-eyed, with a skin which had been burned by tropical suns, and a springy step, which showed that the huge frame was as active as it was strong.”
5. “Heavily built and massive, there was a suggestion of uncouth physical inertia in the figure, but above this unwieldy frame there was perched a head so masterful in its brow, so alert in its steel-gray, deep-set eyes, so firm in its lips, and so subtle in its play of expression, that after the first glance one forgot the gross body and remembered only the dominant mind.”
6. “It is hardly necessary to describe him for many will remember that large, bluff, honest personality, that broad, clean-shaven face, and, above all, the pleasant, mellow voice. Frankness shone from his gray Irish eyes, and good humour played round his mobile, smiling lips. His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes, spoke for the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous.”
7. “The nocturnal visitor was a young man, frail and thin, with a black moustache, which intensified the deadly pallor of his face. He could not have been much above twenty years of age. I have never seen any human being who appeared to be in such a pitiable fright, for his teeth were visibly chattering, and he was shaking in every limb.”
8. “proved to be a very tall, loose-jointed, round-backed person, gaunt and bald, some sixty-odd years of age. He had a cadaverous face, with the dull dead skin of a man to whom exercise was unknown. Large round spectacles and a small projecting goat’s beard combined with his stooping attitude to give him an expression of peering curiosity. The general effect, however, was amiable, though eccentric.”
9. “Her eyes and hair were of the same rich hazel colour, and her cheeks, though considerably freckled, were flushed with exquisite bloom of the brunette, the dainty pink which lurks at the heart of the sulphur rose.”
10. “I saw a great yellow face, coarse-grained and greasy, with heavy, double-chin, and two sullen, menacing gray eyes which glared at me from under tufted and sandy brows. A high bald head had a small velvet smoking-cap poised coquettishly upon one side of its pink curve. The skull was of enormous capacity, and y
et as I looked down I saw to my amazement that the figure of the man was small and frail, twisted in the shoulders and back like one who has suffered from rickets in his childhood.”
11. “an enormous young man, sixteen stone of solid bone and muscle, who spanned the doorway with the broad shoulders, and looked from one of us to the other with a comely face which was haggard with anxiety.”
12. “He was a terrible figure, huge in stature and fierce in manner. A large stable-lantern which he held in front of him shone upward upon a strong, heavily moustached face and angry eyes, which glared round him into every recess of the vault, finally fixing themselves with a deadly stare upon my companion and myself.”
13. “He was flaxen-haired and handsome, in a washed-out negative fashion, with frightened blue eyes, and a clean-shaven face, with a weak, sensitive mouth. His age may have been twenty-seven, his dress and bearing that of a gentleman. From the pocket of his light summer overcoat protruded the bundle of indorsed papers which proclaimed his profession.”
14. “The heavy, white face was seamed with lines of trouble, the hanging pouches under his closed eyes were leaden in colour, the loose mouth drooped dolorously at the corners, the rolling chins were unshaven. Collar and shirt bore the grime of a long journey, and the hair bristled unkempt from a well-shaped head.”
15. “and we looked up to find a queer little old man, jerking and twitching in the doorway. He was dressed in rusty black, with a very broadbrimmed top-hat and a loose white necktie—the whole effect being that of a very rustic parson or of an undertaker’s mute. Yet, in spite of his shabby and even absurd appearance, his voice had a sharp crackle, and his manner a quick intensity which commanded attention.”
16. “He was a tall, handsome, swarthy fellow, clad in a suit of gray flannel, with a Panama hat, a bristling black beard, and a great, aggressive hooked nose, and flourishing a cane as he walked. He swaggered up the path as if the place belonged to him, and we heard his loud, confident peal at the bell.”
17. “She rose from a settee as we entered: tall, queenly, a perfect figure, a lovely mask-like face, with two wonderful Spanish eyes which looked murder at both of us.”
18. “He seemed to me like a man who was literally bowed down by care. His back was curved as though he carried a heavy burden. Yet he was not the weakling that I had first imagined, for his shoulders and chest have the framework of a giant, though his figure tapers away into a pair of spindled legs.”
19. “I have seldom seen a more remarkable-looking person. It was a gaunt, aquiline face which was turned towards us, with piercing dark eyes, which lurked in deep hollows under overhung and tufted brows. His hair and beard were white, save that the latter was curiously stained with yellow around his mouth. A cigarette glowed amid the tangle of white hair, and the air of the room was fetid with stale tobacco smoke.”
20. “He was certainly a remarkably handsome man. His European reputation for beauty was fully deserved. In figure he was not more than of middle size, but was built upon graceful and active lines. His face was swarthy, almost Oriental, with large, dark, languorous eyes which might easily hold an irresistible fascination for women. His hair and moustache were raven black, the latter short, pointed, and carefully waxed. His features were regular and pleasing, save only his straight, thin-lipped mouth.”
TRIVIA FACTS : DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .
1. After the publication of “Silver Blaze” in 1892, an article appeared in a sporting paper which criticized Conan Doyle’s lack of knowledge concerning the world of horse racing. His response was “I have never been nervous about details, and one must be masterful some times.”
2. Conan Doyle received hundreds of letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes from readers who asked the detective to solve mysteries or find missing valuables. On one such occasion, a woman even offered her services as his housekeeper. Conan Doyle would respond to these letters by sending a postcard with the following reply, “I was interested to receive your communication addressed to Mr. Sherlock Holmes. In the words of Mrs. Gamp, ‘there ain’t no such person,’ but thank you for your interest.” He signed the postcards, “Dr. John Watson.”
Robert Downey, Jr. and Rachel Adams as Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes 2009
FIVE
THE THIRD COLLECTION: THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
“Holmes!” I cried. “It is really you?
Can it indeed be that you are alive?”
DR. JOHN WATSON
When Sherlock Holmes tumbled over the cliff in Switzerland, Conan Doyle fully intended to leave him in the abyss of Reichenbach Falls. The author was determined to make a clean break with his fictional detective, even if it meant a financial sacrifice. In spite of the public’s outcry to resurrect Holmes, Conan Doyle did not give in, but instead became even more adamant about pursuing what he believed to be a more serious literary career, writing historical novels, political essays, and books on spiritualism.
Writing the last few Holmes stories had become an arduous task for Conan Doyle. His personal life was fraught with emotional pain and uncertainty. It was evident that his wife would not recover from her illness, which rendered her an invalid. He had recently made a courageous but frightening choice to set aside his medical practice and make a living solely as a writer. Surrounded by so much uncertainty, this tenacious decision to put an end to his Sherlock Holmes stories was one aspect of his life that he could control. As Sherlock Holmes fans continued to take to the street in protest, Conan Doyle dug in his heels and set about putting his life in order.
Fortunately for all concerned, Conan Doyle’s method of eliminating Sherlock Holmes made it fairly easy to resurrect the detective ten years later when he finally had a change of heart. Had Holmes died by gunshot, stabbing, or being run down by a hansom, Conan Doyle would have had to stretch the bounds of imagination to bring Holmes back to life. Was this an intentional ploy, leaving a loophole just in case he changed his mind about writing additional Holmes stories? There is no direct indication of this foreshadowing in any of the numerous Conan Doyle biographies. But by sparing his readers a lifeless Sherlock Holmes body in “The Final Problem,” Conan Doyle was able to reintroduce the Great Detective.
In his conversation with Watson, Holmes explains how he was able to save himself from the deadly grasp of Professor Moriarty by engaging in a form of Japanese wrestling called baritsu. Surviving the fall and the struggle, Holmes disappears and lays low, traveling, studying, and honing his skills. After a hiatus of three years, he feels that it is time to return to Baker Street even in the face of danger, for Colonel Sebastian Moran is waiting to avenge the death of his former crime boss, Professor Moriarty. Once Watson recovers from his swoon, the detecting duo pick up where they left off three years earlier without so much as missing a beat. The murder of the Honourable Ronald Adair is solved, Colonel Moran is put away, and it is not long before John Hector McFarlane, while standing in Holmes’s room on Baker Street, is arrested for the murder of Jonas Oldacre of Lower Norwood. Holmes knows, of course, that McFarlane is innocent, and the adventures resume.
This collection includes “The Adventure of the Empty House,” “The Adventure of the Norwood Builder,” “The Adventure of the Dancing Men,” “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist,” “The Adventure of the Priory School,” “The Adventure of Black Peter,” “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons,” “The Adventure of the Three Students,” “The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez,” “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter,” “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange,” and “The Adventure of the Second Stain.”
QUIZ 40 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE”
Published in Collier’s in September 1903 and in the Strand in October 1903
Although reluctant to resurrect the Great Detective, Conan Doyle could not turn down the lucrative offer made to him by his American publisher, Collier’s. In typical British form and in a style characteristic of
the author, Conan Doyle announced, “I might add that I have finished the first one, called ‘The Adventure of the Empty House.’ The plot, by the way, was given to me by Jean [his wife]; and it is a rare good one. You will find that Holmes was never dead, and that he is now very much alive.” Conan Doyle was quite anxious about the reception for this first story after the Great Hiatus. He wanted to prove to his fans that he could still spin a great Holmes tale. This quiz contains ten short-answer questions about the first in a new series of Sherlock Holmes stories.
Story Date: April 1894
1. What was the time and date on which Ronald Adair was murdered?
2. What vice did Ronald Adair have which apparently led to his murder?
3. How is Holmes disguised when he bumps into Dr. Watson in front of the Adair house?
4. What is the title of the book that the old man drops when Watson bumps into him?
5. How does Holmes know that Moriarty’s gang is watching his rooms?
6. Who moves the bust around, making it appear to be alive?
7. Why does Holmes place the wax figure in his window?
8. Why did Adair have piles of money in front of him on his desk?
9. What happens to the wax figure of Holmes’s head?
10. What happened to the air gun after Moran’s arrest?
QUIZ 41 “THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER”
Published in Collier’s in October 1903 and in the Strand in November 1903
Always in touch with the latest scientific developments, and possibly even preceding them, Conan Doyle never hesitated in using such information in his stories. In “The Norwood Builder,” Conan Doyle puts Holmes on the right track in solving the mystery when the detective examines a bloody thumbprint left on a wall. In the year in which this story was written, Scotland Yard had arrested a thief after he left his bloody thumbprint on the safe he had robbed. Later that year another thief was arrested when he lost his finger by snagging his wedding ring on a spike. The police matched the print of the finger to one in their criminal file and were able to apprehend the suspect. This quiz contains ten true/false statements.
The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book Page 9