Through the Magic Door

Through the Magic Door is Conan Doyle's casually eloquent, heartfelt tour of some of the cherished books on his own shelves-"no volume there which is not a dear, personal friend"-and I can't recall reading anything which better conveys a sense of what it means to take books to heart. The battered old volumes purchased when to buy one meant going without a meal; the flawless stories which awakened an interest in becoming a writer; the classic biographies or histories which opened the past to an eager imagination: each book prompts an essay in appreciation, reflections both personal and literary. Thus as we gain insight into the mind of Holmes's creator, we also partake in bookish talk of the first order, reminded about works we've already read, guided enthusiastically to others that have eluded us.