Sherlock Holmes stories were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born in Edinburgh on 22nd May 1859 and died in 1930. The stories of Sherlock Holmes are well known stories today, as they were in their own time. If Conan Doyle had been writing the Stories of Sherlock Holmes today, he would be probably be writing them for television or maybe radio, as the stories are to some people very gratifying. The stories were first published in the Strand magazine and were incredibly popular. A single story was written over a period of three magazines, leaving people at the edge of their seat with cliff hangers, action, depth and emotion. Some people (like me at first) seem to think that Sherlock Holmes was a real person, however, unfortunately he is a fictional favourite, this is because despite the far-fetched nature of many of his cases Sherlock is a realistic, believable and true character. In the four stories I studied, "The Red-Headed League," "The Speckled Band," "The Final Problem" and "The Cardboard Box," all the characters, settings and atmospheres are very lifelike and incredibly convincing.
             Sherlock is the central character in Conan Doyle's superior stories. He is on the "Good-side," and is fair, dominant, superior, extravagant and an honourable character. I think Sherlock Holmes is a love-hate character; you love him because he displays a range of wonderful characteristics, and never seems to give up or fail on an investigation. However, you do feel resentment towards him partly because he doesn't treat his dear friend Watson, who adores Holmes, as well as he should, also, he is big headed, unsympathetic and places himself above the law. Holmes shows this in the story "The Speckled Band," and essentially causes the Swamp Adder to bite DR. Grimesby Roylott, resulting in his death "I am no doubt indirectly responsible for death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily ...