Sherlock Holmes - a chameleon detective

What is it about?

This paper compares four Sherlock Holmes titles and four colours: A Study in Scarlet (1887), the first of the long-running series of texts by Doyle, and three instances of Holmes's adaptability to twenty-first century standards and expectations: ‘A Study in Emerald’ (2003), an award-winning short story by Neil Gaiman, ‘A Study in Pink’ (2010), the first episode of the BBC series Sherlock, and ‘A Study in Black’ (2012–13), a part of the Watson and Holmes comics series.

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Why is it important?

Each text and colour highlights different aspects of the detective's personality, but also sheds light on his approach to crime and criminals.