an excellent preface

The text is from Conan Doyle's preface to "The Case Book Of Sherlock Holmes" which he wrote in the 1920s.

1. Limbo (with a capital L) in Catholic theology, is where where the souls of dead people went who, although they were good, lived before Jesus Christ and thus were not qualified to go to Heaven. Also the souls of dead babies who were not baptised were said to go there. It may be that God will later admit them to Heaven. A limbo (small l) is thus a kind of imaginary place where ghostly insubstantial entities may be imagined to perpetually exist. The "children of imagination" are not actual children (human beings who are not yet adults); the phrase means "imaginary characters created by writers", in this case Sherlock Holmes. In the limbo Doyle imagines, the beaux (fashionable 18th century gentlemen) in the novels of Henry Fielding may still court the fashionable ladies of the same era in the novels of Samuel Richardson. Also in that limbo he supposes that Sherlock Holmes may still be solving cases, assisted (of course!) by Doctor Watson and possibly impeded by Inspector Lestrade.

2. His (Holmes's) (imaginary) career has been a long one, but it is possible to exaggerate this length (some people think that it is longer than it really is). Doyle pretends humorously to be unhappy that some people think that he began writing the Holmes stories such a long time ago that currently decrepit old men were boys.

3. There is nothing in the text about demands by members of the public.

4. Holmes "began his adventures" in 1887 during the late part of the reign of Queen Victoria (ended 1901), and continued them through the reign of Edward VII (1901-1910) and was still at work during the current (1920s) time of writing (feverish because many changes had happened recently e.g. World War I, and the world seemed a much less stable place than in the late Victorian era).

It is worth recalling that apparently even today there are people all over the world who believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person, and that he is still alive today. They write to him at 221b Baker Street (a fictional address) with details of their problems.

Thank you~

But for the 4th point, the LATER already is there, so
-He began his adventures in the very heart of the later Victorian era

Does HEART have a special meaning here? Hearts are the central part of the human being, but 'the central part of the later Victorian era' does not make sense.

It does make sense. Heart here means centre, middle or possibly "most characteristic part'. The Victorian era lasted from 1837 to 1901, and may be divided into parts, e.g. early, middle, later. The middle of the later part makes perfect sense.

Quote:most characteristic part
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Do you mean SH began his adventures when the later part of that era was full of detective stories?

No, in the most characteristic part of the late Victorian era.

um...that is, the part that shows the outstanding features of the era?

Yes - peak of British imperial, economic and industrial power, beloved old Queen, etc.

Thank you~