Book Anatomy · The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1892, 105,143 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1892, 105,143 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
105,143 words. Modern crime and mystery often runs 70,000 to 90,000 words, so this is long for the shelf today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At 105,000 words, the book is long for a short story collection but short for a novel. Each case is 8,000 to 9,000 words, fitting Victorian magazine serials. Modern mystery collections are similar in length.
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1892, 105,143 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
The book was serialised in The Strand Magazine. Each chapter likely ended with a hook: ch1 ends with Adler's escape, ch2 with Clay's capture, ch5 with Openshaw's death, ch8 with Roylott's death. These are natural break points for readers.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 5, Ch 8
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern comps: Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories, Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series, and Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad. All feature a brilliant detective solving cases through observation and logic.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
Today it would be shelved in mystery and crime fiction. Readers seeking puzzle-driven plots, Victorian London, and detective fiction would find it. Fans of cosy mysteries and classic crime would enjoy it.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: violence (murder, attempted murder), drug use (opium), class prejudice, sexism, racism, and brief references to sexual scandal. No graphic content; violence is reported rather than shown.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 8
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
Pitch: Twelve cases of crime and mystery solved by the brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Dr. Watson, from a stolen royal photograph to a murderer using a trained snake. Logic always wins.
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The title 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' is straightforward and descriptive, typical of Victorian fiction. It promises a collection of cases rather than a single narrative arc. Modern titles are often shorter or more provocative.
Ask The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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