Through the character of John Smith, a 50-year-old man confined to his room by an attack of gout, Conan Doyle sets down his thoughts and opinions on subjects including literature, science, religion, war, and education.

From the article and news that’s been release about the novel, it seems that this is more of an introspective look at a young Arthur Doyle. In the beginning, as writers, we are not always so adept at stringing an audience along. Arthur Doyle’s notoriety is due in large part to his outstanding Sherlock Holmes series, written after The Narrative of John Smith. It will be interesting to compare the difference in writing and storytelling.