Literary Imitation Is Still the Sincerest Form of Flattery ; `the Regularity of Plagiarism Cases Is One of the Defining Features of Modern Cultural Life'

Taylor, Dj, The Independent (London, England)

ONE GROWS used to the characterisation of distinguished writers as rip-off merchants: even so, this weekend's claim that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle not only lifted most of The Hound of the Baskervilles from his friend Bertram Fletcher Robinson, but colluded with Robinson's wife to murder him, takes the question of artistic plagiarism up to an entirely new level.

According to a former psychologist named Rodger Garrick-Steele, who has spent the last 11 years researching a mammoth expose entitled The House of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes's 1901 exploits bear "startling" similarities to Robinson's An Adventure on Dartmoor published the year before. Among other things, Mr …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Literary Imitation Is Still the Sincerest Form of Flattery ; `the Regularity of Plagiarism Cases Is One of the Defining Features of Modern Cultural Life'. Contributors: Taylor, Dj - Author. Newspaper title: The Independent (London, England). Publication date: September 11, 2000. Page number: 5. © 2009 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.