Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear

Douglas Kerr (University of Hong Kong)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.3: Scottish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Gina Lyle (University of York), J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1914

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Crime and Detective
Novel

Resources

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Of the four novels, or longer stories, which Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes,

The Valley of Fear

is the poor relation.

A Study in Scarlet

(1888) saw the creation of Holmes and Dr Watson.

The Sign of the Four

(1890) is the most perfect,

The Hound of the Baskervilles

(1902) the most dramatic of the longer narratives.

The Valley of Fear

has had its champions, but it is the least known and read of the four. The first installment of the tale appeared in the

Strand Magazine

in September 1914, and it came out in book form the following year, in the USA (published by George H. Doran in February) and in Britain (from Smith, Elder, in June).

Like The Hound of the Baskervilles, the story of The Valley of Fear takes place before Holmes's struggle with Professor Moriarty, and presumed

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1141 words

Citation: Kerr, Douglas. "The Valley of Fear". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 September 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=26983, accessed 24 November 2024.]

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear

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