H.E. Bates Companion

A very early piece of literary criticism, constituting the beginning of "work for hire" for the twenty-one-year-old Bates, a type of work that would provide essential financial support throughout his career. No doubt following fairly strict guidelines from the editor, J.A. Hammerton, Bates's contribution joins almost 400 previous ones (of an intended 700, "in 42 fortnightly Parts") dealing with both classic and modern authors. As Doyle is not otherwise known to have been of interest to Bates, or an influence on him, it is likely that Bates was given an assignment, perhaps through the influence of Edward Garnett (his early literary mentor). The five-page essay includes a biographical section, a discussion of Doyle's now-unappreciated historical romances, and finally a section on the Sherlock Holmes stories. In The World's Great Books in Outline ( Pt. 24, Oct. 5, 1926, pp. 2231-2235).