The fictitious character Sherlock Holmes is among the most famous literary characters of all time. He was developed and established by the Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes originally appeared in Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, which was published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887. This short story is regarded as the prototypical model for the contemporary genius detective.

Throughout the series, Sherlock Holmes chased criminals across Edwardian and Victorian London, the southeast parts of England, and mainland Europe as the world's first and only "consulting detective." Although the fictitious detective had been somewhat inspired by Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq and Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes had a unique influence on the public consciousness and has become the most lasting detective tale character.

Conan Doyle also created the tactics and mannerisms of Sherlock Holmes based on those by Dr. Joseph Bell, his professor at Edinburgh Medical School. Specifically, Holmes's unique ability to collect evidence based on his trained abilities of observation and logical reasoning resembled Bell's way of diagnosing a patient's illness.

Holmes explained his process by stating, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever is left, however implausible, must be the truth." When his partner, Dr. John Watson, describes the murder cases they follow together, Sherlock Holmes' extraordinary detection skills become more evident to the audience, but no less astounding.

Although Holmes rejects praise from other people and describes his talents as "elementary," the term "Elementary, my dear Watson" does not exist in any of Conan Doyle's works, which is why the series still leaves an impact on readers today.

Book: Sherlock Holmes

Author: Conan Doyle

Scarlett O'Hara, one of the most famous literary characters of all time, is the heroine of Margaret Mitchell's 1936 book Gone with the Wind. Mitchell called her protagonist "Pansy" in early manuscripts of the original book and did not decide on "Scarlett" until shortly before the novel's publication.

At the beginning of the story, Scarlett O'Hara is sixteen years old. She is arrogant, self-centered, and spoiled by her parents' money. She may also be insecure; yet, despite the Old South's façade of ignorance and helplessness, she is very clever. Scarlett's strong personality is quite rare among Southern ladies, who society prefers to portray as delicate creatures in need of constant care.

Scarlett's character is presented as unscrupulous and selfish in both the book and the 1939 film, yet her character growth reveals various stigmas that reinforce Mitchell's concept. In a brief interview, Mitchell acknowledged that the novel's central topic was "survival" - especially examining human conduct in the midst of the Civil War's devastation. Years later, critics and writers agree that Scarlett's transformation from a spoiled and affluent girl - typical of her social status - into a strong and independent person in a cruel society and shaky economy exemplifies Mitchell's character development.

Book: Gone With The Wind

Author: Margarett Mitchell

Jo March is one of the narrators and main characters in the famous novel "Little Women" by Louisa M. Alcott. She is the second-oldest daughter in the March household. In the American Civil War, the family has brief financial troubles at the start of "Little Women." The March sisters' father is serving in the military as a preacher, and the elder sisters are trying to boost the family's income.

Different from her other three sisters, Jo March was a wild and courageous kid. She frequently wished she was a boy instead of a girl; as a result, Jo loves whistling, speaking slang, and raking up her clothing - all hallmarks of manhood at the time. Jo wore a "scribbling outfit" consisting of a wide black pinafore designed to soak up ink smudges, coupled with a little black hat and a gray plume.

Jo enjoys reading and would spend many hours doing so, eating apples and crying over classics like The Heir of Radcliffe. Her favorite spot at Orchard Hall was the attic. The little kitchen, which housed several manuscripts, books, and mice (who nibbled her papers and sampled her pencils), also served as her workstation while she was in a "vortex."

At the beginning of the novel, Jo aspires to become a great author. However, towards the conclusion, she seems very content with her ordinary life.

Book: Little Women

Author: Louisa M. Alcott

Alice is a fictitious character and the heroine of Lewis Carroll's kid's story Alice's Adventures in The Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1872). Alice, a Victorian-era youngster, unknowingly embarks on an underground journey after slipping into a rabbit hole towards Wonderland. Then, in the sequel Through The Looking Glass, she traverses a mirror into a parallel universe.

The details of her appearance altered between the first drafts of Alice's Adventures in The Wonderland, Alice's Adventures Below Ground, and the illustrations in the two Alice volumes by political cartoonist John Tenniel.

Alice was born in trivial tales told by Lewis Carroll to entertain her friends - the Liddell siblings - during a rowing trip. Still, the degree to which this fictional Alice was modeled on real-life Alice Liddell is disputed by academics, despite the fact that they have the same given name.

Alice, whom Carroll described as "kind and gentle," "courteous to everybody," "trusting," and "wildly curious," has been variably seen as intelligent, well-mannered, and skeptical of authority. It has been determined since then that she is a cultural icon. The popularity of these Alice novels spawned several parodies, sequels, and imitations with similarly temperamental heroines as Alice. She has been interpreted via a variety of critical lenses, featured in and re-envisioned in countless versions, including Walt Disney's cartoon movie (1951).

Books: Alice in Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass

Author: Lewis Carroll

The fictitious character Hannibal Lecter was developed by the author Thomas Harris. The serial murderer Lecter kills his victims by eating them (literally). Before his eventual arrest, he was a well-respected forensic psychologist; after his imprisonment, FBI agents Clarice Starling and Will Graham consult him to assist them in locating other serial murderers.

Lecter was initially featured as a minor antagonist in Harris' 1981 suspense book Red Dragon - a book that was converted into the 1986 film Manhunter, starring Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecter (also spelled "Lecktor"). Due to immense popularity, the character has a much greater part in Silence of the Lamb (1987); Anthony Hopkins received the Oscar Award of Best Actor for his portrayal of Lecter in the 1991 picture adaption. Hopkins reprised the character in the 2001 film version of the 1999 book Hannibal, in which Lecter evades police pursuit as well as the 2002 film adaptation of Red Dragon.

One of the most well-known Lecter's cinematic interpretations also belonged to the American actor Mads Mikkelsen. He received the Saturn Awards for Best Actor in Television for his role in the NBC series Hannibal (2014–2015), which centered on Lecter's interactions with Graham.

Hannibal Lecter is extremely well-received, both in books and in movies. The American Movie Institute rated Lecter as the best villain in American film in 2003. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly recognized him as one of the 100 best characters from the previous two decades.

Book: Silence of The Lambs

Author: Thomas Harris

James Bond series centers on a fictitious British secret agent, established by Ian Fleming in 1953. The series features twelve books and two short stories.

Since Fleming's passing in 1965, eight other writers have produced official James Bond books or novelizations, including Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Jeffery Deaver, Anthony Horowitz, and more. Anthony Horowitz's newest book, Forever and a Day, was released in May of 2018. In addition, Charlie Higson has also written a book about a younger James Bond, while Kate Westbrook has written three novels inspired by the diaries of Moneypenny - a regular secondary character in the series.

James Bond - often known as 007 (pronounced "double-O-seven"), has been adapted for comic strips, radio, television, video games, and movies. The movie series began in 1963 with Dr. No, featuring Sean Connery as James Bond, and has since earned over $7.04 billion, making it the fourth film series to date.

The Bond films are recognized for many high-quality attributes - notably their great soundtracks - which have won many Academy Award nominations and three ultimate victories. Bond's automobiles, firearms, and gadgets are some of his most famous assets, which inspires numerous similar weapons in other action flicks. Bond's romantic relationships with numerous women - who are often alluded to as "Bond girls" - are also prominent in both the novels and the movies.

Book: James Bond

Author: Ian Fleming