Event—Adult Education

Sherlock Holmes and the Popular Imagination

Sherlock Holmes has developed from a Victorian icon into a global phenomenon whose most recent incarnation is the hit TV series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role. In this seminar, we will first trace the development of detective fiction before turning to Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories and his best-known Holmes novel...

Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (August 27 at 9 am** – September 13 at 4 pm): $150
Regular Registration Price (September 13 at 4 pm – first day of class): $165

** Registration opens online at 9 am. Phone registration will be accepted starting at 10 am.

Members, seniors, and students get a 10% discount.

Register online

Seminar Description

Sherlock Holmes has developed from a Victorian icon into a global phenomenon whose most recent incarnation is the hit TV series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role. In this seminar, we will first trace the development of detective fiction before turning to Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories and his best-known Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Then, we will look at the spectacular afterlife of Sherlock Holmes, examining everything from his influence on science to his eminence in film and on TV.

One session. E - $150, L - $165

Elzbieta Foeller-Pituch is Assistant Director of the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies at Northwestern University, where she also teaches literature classes.

Materials List

Required:

First Reading:

  • Before the class meets, please read “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Red-Headed League,” “The Boscombe Valley Mystery,” “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor,” “The Adventure of Silver Blaze,” “The Adventure of the Crooked Man,” “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty” (1890s), and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901-02) in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.