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The Best Supernatural Tales of Arthur Conan Doyle

arthur conan doyle

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First American edition of the 15 finest stories in the supernatural genre by the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Superlative examples of Doyle's superior narrative style, these are well-plotted, powerfully descriptive tales of the occult, spiritualism, Egyptian magic, psychometry, ghosts, demoniacal possession, etc.

302 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1,1979

This edition

Format
302 pages, Hardcover
Published
October 1, 1998 by Amereon Ltd
ISBN
9780848807528
ASIN
0848807529
Language
English

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About the author

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arthur conan doyle

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Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.3 / 5.0, 18 votes)
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18 reviews All reviews
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Guthem
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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A surprisingly quick read. I found the stories enthralling and page-turning even though they are of course incredibly silly. Even Conan Doyle could see the silly side, in spite of his gullibility in the areas of spirituality and fairies, and so a handful of the stories are written in an humorous vein. Certainly a fun way to pass a dark evening with the wind blowing outside the door. There is racism because of the age of the writing so be warned.
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C4rdos0
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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The Best Supernatural Tales of Arthur Conan Doyle [Dover, 1976].

A selection of fifteen stories in the gothic horror vein from A.C. Doyle, originally published from 1880-1920, including:

“The Bully of Brocas Court”: On a desolate stretch of the Queen’s highway, an undefeated champion middleweight boxer meets a formidable, otherworldly foe.

“The Captain of the Polestar”: An epistolary story which takes the form a physician’s journal recounts hauntings on board a whaling ship.

“The Brown Hand”: A British doctor who served in India, is haunted by the ghost of a former patient who seeks to be reunited with his hand in the afterlife.

“The Leather Funnel”: A leather funnel which was used to water board a suspected murderess produces disquieting dreams.

“Lot No. 249”: An Oxford student reanimates a mummy’s corpse.

“The Great Kleinplatz Experiment”: A semi-comical story in which a stodgy professor and a spirited youth switch personalities after a session of mesmerism goes awry.

“The Ring of Thoth:” A student who fell asleep in the Louvre, awakens in the middle of the night and finds an attendant stalking around, who claims to be an almost four thousand year-old priest of Osiris.

“The Los Amigos Fiasco”: A farcical tale of a botched execution attempt.

“The Silver Hatchet”: A cursed antique weapon causes homicidal urges.

“John Barrington Cowles:” A beautiful woman with secret occult proclivities drives her various suitors to madness and death.

“The Americans Tale:” An American ruffian recounts the story of an ambush on the Arizona frontier, which met with strange and unexpected results.

***
Arthur Conan Doyle was one of the most popular authors of his age. In addition to the Sherlock Holmes stories, he wrote historical fiction, and science fiction, including The Lost World.
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kirs4215
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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3.88⭐

Arthur Conan Doyle and His Supernatural Fiction by B. F. Bleiler 4⭐
The Bully of Brocas Court 3⭐
The Captain of the Polestar 4⭐
The Brown Hand 4⭐
The Leather Funnel 4.25⭐
Lot No. 249 4.5⭐
J. Habakak Jephson's Statement 5⭐
The Great Keinplatz Experiment 3.5⭐
The Literary Mosaic 3.5⭐
Playing with Fire 3.5⭐
The Ring of Thoth 4⭐
The Los Amigos Fiasco 3.25⭐
The Silver Hatchet 3.5⭐
John Barrington Cowles 4.25⭐
Selecting a Ghost 4.25⭐
The American Tale 3.5⭐
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Izaz00
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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A nice mix of supernatural subjects. Conan Doyle has a very readable style in most, which makes them a joy. Too bad Sherlock overshadows everything else Conan Doyle wrote.
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GutsEndo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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This was a fairly well put together collection. Some stories were great, while others lacked. The most striking thing, however, was seeing these short stories and the influence they have had on film over the years. At least three stories I can directly relate to pulp films I've seen over the years and this connection came without truly pondering each story and then films I've seen, but was a natural association.
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Urameshi-Kun
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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An excellent collection of stories from the author of Sherlock Holmes.

Though none of these stories feature everyone's favorite detective the same writting style and tone come through. Also these are fine examples of Doyle's remarkable attention to plot and detail.

A must read for anyone who has only ever read Sherlock Holmes stories. If you haven't read Sherlock Holmes then this collection would be a wonderful introduction to one of the best writers form an era full of excellent writers.
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