The Resident Patient

The Resident Patient is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in 1892. The story follows the adventures of Sherlock Holmes' trusty sidekick, Dr. John Watson, as he investigates a series of strange occurrences at a remote country house. As Watson delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a sinister plot involving a mysterious patient who is not what he seems. The story is known for its clever twist ending and its exploration of themes such as perception, deception, and the power of suggestion.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1892 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction · 7,770 words

First lines

In glancing over the somewhat incoherent series of memoirs with which I have endeavoured to illustrate a few of the mental peculiarities of my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, I have been struck by the difficulty which I have experienced in picking out examples which shall in every way answer my purpose. For in those cases in which Holmes has performed some tour-de-force of analytical reasoning, and has demonstrated the value of his peculiar methods of investigation, the facts themselves have often been so slight or so commonplace that I could not feel justified in laying them before the public. On the other hand, it has frequently happened that he has been concerned in some research where the facts have been of the most remarkable and dramatic character, but where the share which he has himself taken in determining their causes has been less pronounced than I, as his biographer, could wish.

What this Textopian page supports

The Resident Patient is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1892 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Short story
• Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Date: 1892 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Crime, Detective Fiction, Short Story, Suspense
• Length: 7,770 words
• Structure: 1 section, 178 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Resident Patient by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Resident Patient?
• How does this short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

• The Stockbrokers Clerk by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of The Engineers Thumb by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• A False Start by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Crooked Man by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Adventure Of The Veiled Lodger by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Shadow Of A Man by E. W. Hornung

Genres

• Mystery — The plot revolves around Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes solving a mysterious situation involving their resident patient, therefore, making the mystery its main genre.
• Crime — The story involves unraveling clues related to a crime and its culprits, which is representative of the crime genre.
• Detective Fiction — The story involves a detective (Sherlock Holmes) and his companion (Dr. Watson) solving a mystery, a staple of detective fiction genre.
• Short Story — The Resident Patient is a single, self-contained narrative that fits into a larger collection of Sherlock Holmes tales, making it part of the short story genre.

Tags

mystery · detective · Sherlock Holmes · crime · suspense · investigation · medical · psychological · short story · 19th century · London · murder

More by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

• The Parish Magazine (1914)
• The Great Brown-Pericord Motor (1914)
• The Holocaust of Manor Place (1901)
• The Debatable Case of Mrs. Emsley (1901)
• The Love Affair of George Vincent Parker (1901)
• The Disintegration Machine (1927)
• The Bully of Brocas Court (1914)
• The Brown Hand (1914)
• All works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle