Peter Gibian is Associate Professor of English at McGill University, Montréal.

"They are 'dazzling' in the breadth of their allusions and striking in their wit and verbal originality. [It] is a rich book ... extensive in its courage and often penetrating in its analysis of a forgotten figure. If it sends new readers to Holmes's trilogy, one of the hidden treasures of American writing, then it will truly have done a service." Nineteenth Century Literature

• Part I. Opening the Conversation: 1. The conversation of a culture: strange powers of speech; Part II. Holmes in the Conversation of his Culture: 2. 'To change the order of conversation'; 3. 'Collisions of discourse' I: the electrodynamics of conversation; 4. 'Collisions of discourse' II: electric and oceanic currents of conversation; 5. A conversational approach to truth: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary truth-sayers; 6. Conversation and 'therapeutic nihilism': the doctor in dialogue with contemporary medicine; 7. The self in conversation: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary psychology; Part III. The Two Poles of Conversation: 8. The bipolar dynamics of Holmes' household dialogues: levity and gravity; 9. Holmes' house divided: house-keeping and house-breaking; 10. 'Cutting off the communication': fixations and falls for the walled-in self: Holmes in dialogue with Sterne, Dickens, and Melville; 11. Breaking the house of romance: Holmes in dialogue with Hawthorne; Part IV. Closing the Conversation: 12. Conclusions: Holmes Senior in dialogue with Holmes Junior.

Peter Gibian is Associate Professor of English at McGill University, Montréal.

"They are 'dazzling' in the breadth of their allusions and striking in their wit and verbal originality. [It] is a rich book ... extensive in its courage and often penetrating in its analysis of a forgotten figure. If it sends new readers to Holmes's trilogy, one of the hidden treasures of American writing, then it will truly have done a service." Nineteenth Century Literature

• Part I. Opening the Conversation: 1. The conversation of a culture: strange powers of speech; Part II. Holmes in the Conversation of his Culture: 2. 'To change the order of conversation'; 3. 'Collisions of discourse' I: the electrodynamics of conversation; 4. 'Collisions of discourse' II: electric and oceanic currents of conversation; 5. A conversational approach to truth: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary truth-sayers; 6. Conversation and 'therapeutic nihilism': the doctor in dialogue with contemporary medicine; 7. The self in conversation: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary psychology; Part III. The Two Poles of Conversation: 8. The bipolar dynamics of Holmes' household dialogues: levity and gravity; 9. Holmes' house divided: house-keeping and house-breaking; 10. 'Cutting off the communication': fixations and falls for the walled-in self: Holmes in dialogue with Sterne, Dickens, and Melville; 11. Breaking the house of romance: Holmes in dialogue with Hawthorne; Part IV. Closing the Conversation: 12. Conclusions: Holmes Senior in dialogue with Holmes Junior.

Peter Gibian is Associate Professor of English at McGill University, Montréal.

"They are 'dazzling' in the breadth of their allusions and striking in their wit and verbal originality. [It] is a rich book ... extensive in its courage and often penetrating in its analysis of a forgotten figure. If it sends new readers to Holmes's trilogy, one of the hidden treasures of American writing, then it will truly have done a service." Nineteenth Century Literature

• Part I. Opening the Conversation: 1. The conversation of a culture: strange powers of speech; Part II. Holmes in the Conversation of his Culture: 2. 'To change the order of conversation'; 3. 'Collisions of discourse' I: the electrodynamics of conversation; 4. 'Collisions of discourse' II: electric and oceanic currents of conversation; 5. A conversational approach to truth: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary truth-sayers; 6. Conversation and 'therapeutic nihilism': the doctor in dialogue with contemporary medicine; 7. The self in conversation: the doctor in dialogue with contemporary psychology; Part III. The Two Poles of Conversation: 8. The bipolar dynamics of Holmes' household dialogues: levity and gravity; 9. Holmes' house divided: house-keeping and house-breaking; 10. 'Cutting off the communication': fixations and falls for the walled-in self: Holmes in dialogue with Sterne, Dickens, and Melville; 11. Breaking the house of romance: Holmes in dialogue with Hawthorne; Part IV. Closing the Conversation: 12. Conclusions: Holmes Senior in dialogue with Holmes Junior.