Robert Barr (September 16, 1849 – October 21, 1912) was a British-Canadian short story writer and novelist, renowned for his contributions to the crime genre. Here’s a more detailed look at his life and work:
Early Life: Barr was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and emigrated with his parents to Upper Canada at the age of four. He was educated in Toronto at the Toronto Normal School1.
Career: Barr became a teacher and eventually the headmaster of the Central School of Windsor, Ontario. In the 1870s, he began writing humorous pieces for various publications, including the Toronto Grip, under the pseudonym "Luke Sharp"1. After a successful serialization of his account of a boating trip on Lake Erie, he switched careers to journalism, becoming a reporter and then a columnist1.
Move to London: In 1881, Barr moved to London to continue his fiction writing career while establishing a weekly English edition of the Detroit Free Press. He founded the magazine The Idler in 1892, collaborating with Jerome K. Jerome1.
Writing Style: Barr was known for his crime novels and stories of the supernatural. He published the first Sherlock Holmes parody, “Detective Stories Gone Wrong: The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs,” in 1892, and followed it with “The Adventure of the Second Swag” in 18941. His novel “The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont” parodies Holmes and other “gentleman detectives,” and is considered a precursor to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot1.
Personal Life and Legacy: Barr socialized widely with other best-selling authors and was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time. He passed away on October 21, 1912, in Woldingham, Surrey, England1.
Barr’s works, including his parodies and crime stories, continue to be celebrated for their wit and ingenuity. If you’re interested in exploring his writings, many of his works are available online and in public libraries. ????????
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