Beyond The City : The Idyll of A Suburb

Beyond the City is a light-hearted short novel by Arthur Conan Doyle that trades foggy London for the sunny lawns of a Victorian suburb. Set in a tranquil commuter village outside London, the story follows the intertwined fortunes of three neighboring families. At the center are the outspoken Mrs. Westmacott – a "new woman" feminist who brews stout and advocates women's rights in the 1890s– and the boisterous Admiral Hay Denver, a retired naval officer adjusting to quiet land life. There's also a scholarly doctor with two marriageable daughters. As these characters mix, Doyle spins a gentle domestic plot: romances blossom between youthful neighbors, minor scandals erupt (often comedic, as when Mrs. Westmacott's forthright views shock the conservatives), and everyone learns a lesson in tolerance and friendship. While free of crime or supernatural events, the novel engages with contemporary themes like women's education and financial speculation, all within the microcosm of suburbia. Doyle's affection for the setting shines through in idyllic scenes of tennis on the green and evening musical "choruses." By the story's end, marriages occur and conflicts resolve amiably. Beyond the City offers a pleasant escape and a subtle social commentary, proving Doyle's storytelling could be as comfortable with parlors and garden gates as with foggy alleys and detectives.