- Hardcover: 338 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Books (9 Mar 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385517920
- ISBN-13: 978-0385517928
- Product Dimensions: 16.4 x 3.1 x 24.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 790,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Horrifying, hilarious, and outlandish. . . . These straightforward tales grip you as unrelentingly as the suckered appendages of the giant squid Grann attempts to track down in 'The Squid Hunter.'"
--"Entertainment Weekly "(Grade: A)
"A gripping read. . . . Obsessives get themselves into some interesting places. Grann is the perfect guide to take you there."
--"The Miami Herald"
"A dozen intricately crafted accounts. . . . Like the best of stories, each carries the spice of intrigue and the momentum of a search. . . . [They] will make your heart race and, at times, ache. They're stories to share with friends, even if Grann can't be there himself."
--"Cleveland Plain Dealer"
"Grann's obsession with how narratives are told is complex and compelling. . . . But it's the basic stories themselves--bizarre and fascinating, bolstered by exhaustive research--that make the book so gripping."
--"Time Out New York"
"Titillating. . . . Evidence of Grann'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Acclaimed New Yorker writer and author of the breakout debut bestseller The Lost City of Z, David Grann offers a collection of spellbinding narrative journalism.
Whether he’s reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone- tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.
Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world’s foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent; and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City’s water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann’s hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit.
Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.
Whether he’s reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone- tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.
Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world’s foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent; and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City’s water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann’s hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit.
Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession comes from the pen of David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z. I had really enjoyed this true life tale of swashbuckling adventure in the Amazon so I was pleased to receive an ARC copy of his newest book. Sherlock Holmes noted that "life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent". Grann has taken that mantra to heart and presents a collection of true tales which feature obsession, perverse behaviour and even murder.
The collection starts with the apparent murder of the world's pre-eminent Sherlock Holmes scholar who is found dead following an obsessive quest for the missing archives of Arthur Conan Doyle. Grann progresses to arson detectives, an amnesiac guilt-ridden survivor of 9/11 and white supremist gangs. The scope is wide and far-reaching and Grann has clearly taken each story to heart, travelling to research and meet the characters involved. He even manages to make some pretty unsavoury characters seem sympathetic.
Because each story is free-standing, this is an easy book to read in pieces. In fact, each of these essays has been previously published, with the majority appearing in The New Yorker Magazine (although they have been revied and updated for this edition). This explains perhaps why the collection of essays in one edition doesn't seem to gel quite right. They are fantastic stories, but are better suited to piecemeal reading, rather than a continuous read.
The collection starts with the apparent murder of the world's pre-eminent Sherlock Holmes scholar who is found dead following an obsessive quest for the missing archives of Arthur Conan Doyle. Grann progresses to arson detectives, an amnesiac guilt-ridden survivor of 9/11 and white supremist gangs. The scope is wide and far-reaching and Grann has clearly taken each story to heart, travelling to research and meet the characters involved. He even manages to make some pretty unsavoury characters seem sympathetic.
Because each story is free-standing, this is an easy book to read in pieces. In fact, each of these essays has been previously published, with the majority appearing in The New Yorker Magazine (although they have been revied and updated for this edition). This explains perhaps why the collection of essays in one edition doesn't seem to gel quite right. They are fantastic stories, but are better suited to piecemeal reading, rather than a continuous read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am really not sure why this book works so well. Everything is so jumbled up it's almost impossible to categorize it. Part murder mystery, part adventure story, with a little engineering daring do, thrown into the mix.
Its perhaps because of the eclectic flavor that makes it so difficult to put down, the best way I can describe this is to compare it to a brilliant guest at a dinner party, as the wine goes down the conversation ebbs and flows, changes tack but improves because of it.
Strangely the two stories I personally enjoyed most were if asked not my usual thing at all. The obsession of a squid hunter and the danger of a life as a sand hog far beneath the city streets of New York are hardly my usual fare, but they were intriguing.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Its perhaps because of the eclectic flavor that makes it so difficult to put down, the best way I can describe this is to compare it to a brilliant guest at a dinner party, as the wine goes down the conversation ebbs and flows, changes tack but improves because of it.
Strangely the two stories I personally enjoyed most were if asked not my usual thing at all. The obsession of a squid hunter and the danger of a life as a sand hog far beneath the city streets of New York are hardly my usual fare, but they were intriguing.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it was really really interesting. As it is made up of a number of different 'articles' there were some that I had read previously but even so, as the writing is so good, it was nice to read them again. Highly recommended...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting read.
Top-notch writing most of the way through, the only really downside for me is some stories didn't interest me at all (Baseball, I'm from the UK) and the fact that it was a fairly... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jakebrap
An eclectic mix of true-life accounts - enjoyable!
This book is a 5 star book in terms of its writing and depth of research. However, I this the sub-title is a bit mis-leading - "Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession" - I took... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Louise Roberts
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