When I was 11 or 12 years old I discovered Sherlock Holmes, and it was a beautiful thing. I'd curl up with a book of Sherlock Holmes stories and read for hours, fascinated by the workings of this brilliant man's mind. I loved how his keen powers of observation helped him to solve mysteries. It was almost magical, how he'd be able to identify a murderer by the type of dirt on the man's boot, or the color of a twig sticking to the man's coat. It's been a long time since I read a Sherlock Holmes story, but I'm getting reacquainted with the great man because my daughter bought me a collection of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories for Christmas. He is one of the most fascinating characters in all literature, to my mind.
I know there's a new Sherlock Holmes movie out now, starring Robert Downey. The great detective has been portrayed many times on the silver screen, but I don't think anyone has truly captured his essence. For me, he'll always be more of a mind than anything else. A keen intelligence that cannot be pinned down to a mere actor playing a role.
