Sherlock Holmes has gone down in history as one of the most famous detectives ever. He is indeed beloved by so many that it is a somewhat common belief that he was a real person. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was publishing his fictitious stories about the consulting detective in The Strand Magazine, many would write in with their own cases hoping to pique Sherlock Holmes’s interest. I fully understand this craze since The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (a collection of all the Sherlock Holmes stories) is one of my favorite books. I think one of the most alluring things about Holmes is that he solves cases with seemingly magical powers, however, in reality he is simply using logic, intuition, and years of study. At the end of the day he is a mere mortal (contrary to what he’d like you to believe) whos skills (almost) anyone can hone in. In fact, there are even books written about how the average person can train their brain to take a more Holmesian approach to life (my favorite of which is Mastermind by Maria Konnikova, definitely check it out!).
It is no surprise that Sherlock Holmes continues to inspire characters in TV shows and movies over 100 years on from when he first appeared to the public. One of these characters is Dr. House, which may seem surprising at first, but let me explain.
| Characteristic | Dr. House | Sherlock Holmes |
| Relies on psychology to solve cases? | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts cases they don’t find interesting? | Reluctantly | Rarely |
| Drug addiction? | Yes, Vicodin | Yes, cocaine |
| Home address? | Apartment 221B | Apartment 221B |
| Disregard for social mores? | Yes | Yes |
| Musical instrument? | Yes, Piano and Guitar | Yes, Violin |
| Judges situation with almost no effort? | Yes | Yes |
| Confidant? | Dr. James Wilson | Dr. John Watson |
Sources/Where to head to learn more:
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