Silberstern (short story)
| "Silver star" | |
|---|---|
| author | Arthur Conan Doyle |
| country | Great Britain |
| language | English |
| tape | The memoirs of Sherlock Holmes |
| genre | Detective story |
| Publishing year | 1892 |
Silberstern (original title: Silver Blaze ), often also Silberpfeil , is a Sherlock Holmes short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . It is one of the detective stories and first appeared in Strand Magazine in 1892 . In 1893 it appeared as the first part of the volume The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes .
action
Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion Dr. Watson takes a train to Dartmoor to investigate the disappearance of the racehorse Silberstern and the murder of his trainer, John Straker. Inspector Gregory is also investigating the case and initially suspects Fitzroy Simpson, a bookmaker from London , because his tie was found at the scene. The owner of the horse, Colonel Ross, asks Holmes and Watson for help.
Holmes quickly finds out that Simpson has nothing to do with the murder or the disappearance of the horse. Instead, Holmes and Watson follow the tracks that the horse has left on the moor during the stormy night. You can find the horse in the stable of the rival Silas Brown, who found the horse alone in the moor. Holmes and Watson are now returning to London without the murder case being further solved.
On the day of the race, in which Silberstern should start as the favorite, Holmes, Watson and Ross meet again. Ross is surprised to find that Silberstern is still set up for the race and wins it. He does not recognize his horse at first, but Holmes explains to him that his rival Brown Silberstern colored the characteristic white head and legs dark in order to better hide the horse. All that remains is the murder of John Straker, which Holmes immediately clears up. While trying to paralyze the horse with a knife so that it could not win its next race, Straker was killed by Silberstern himself. Straker led a double life under the name Darbyshire and tried to make a lot of money with what he believed to be a safe bet against Silberstern to finance his second identity.
Historical background and literary significance
In the year the short story was published, horse racing was very popular in England . It was also known under the name "Sport of Kings", as the English nobility and the royal family in particular liked to practice this sport. But the common man also enjoyed horse racing because he could bet on the racehorses to win money and to become part of that culture. Since betting was often about a lot of money, bribery and cheating were common in the races. Many English people are still fascinated by horse racing, which is why England has numerous horse racing tracks, such as the Ascot racecourse . Numerous large horse races are held, such as the Derby in Epsom , the Ascot Gold Cup or the Wessex Cup, in which the horse Silberstern from history also takes part.
Silberstern is a typical detective story. At the beginning of the short story, the murder puzzle is presented. This is resolved step by step by the ingenious detective Sherlock Holmes by methodically rolling up the past. He carefully examines the crime scene, interviewing witnesses and drawing logical conclusions. All of these are typical elements of a detective story and reflect contemporary reality.
Film adaptations
- 1912: as Flamme d'Argent part of the French silent film series with Georges Tréville
- 1923: Part of the film series with Eille Norwood
- 1937: parts of the story were in the movie Silver Blaze with Arthur Wontner used
- 1977: Canadian film adaptation of Silver Blaze with Christopher Plummer
- 1988: Season 4 episode of the television series Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett
- 2000: parts of the story were in the 14th episode of the animated series Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century used
Radio plays
- 1947: NWDR radio play Silberstrahl with Fritz Wagner - Director: Gottfried Lange
- 1956: WDR radio play Der Silberstrahl with Richard Münch - Director: Eduard Hermann
- 1963: BR radio play Silberstrahl with Peter Pasetti - director: Heinz-Günter Stamm
- 2007: Part of the Radioropa audio book The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Ronny Great
- 2007: Maritime radio play Silberpfeil with Christian Rode
literature
- Kottira, Franz: Silver Blaze (by Arthur Conan Doyle). Hueber, Munich, 1977.
- Fuhrmann, Helmut: On the poetic and philosophical anthropology of Schiller . Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg, 2001.
Web links
- Silberstrahl (German translation by Gutenberg)