Tag: Arthur Conan Doyle

The Valley of Fear

The Valley of Fear

by Arthur Conan Doyle (George H. Doran, 1915); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC/Audible, 2018)

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In essence, two largely unconnected novellas. The first sees Holmes in fine form, his aura only enhanced by Inspector MacDonald’s shining a lesser light of uncommon strength. The second is an engaging enough story of Freemason gang activity in lawless north-east America.

 

 

The Sign of the Four

The Sign of the Four

by Arthur Conan Doyle (Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, 1890); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC Audio, 2017)

Conan Doyle_Sign of Four

A bravura second outing for Holmes and Watson, once again deflated by a lengthy coda in which neither man features. An important novel for having affirmed the strength of these two characters, and for indicating that Conan Doyle should prefer short stories.

 

 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1892); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC, 2017)

Doyle_Adventures Sherlock Holmes

The first and arguably most accomplished batch of Sherlock Holmes short stories. The cases are consistently ingenious and Holmes is full of a vitality that Conan Doyle would not always muster. Stephen Fry reads with the obvious relish of a lifelong fan.

 

 

The Feng Shui Detective

The Feng Shui Detective

by Nury Vittachi (Chameleon Press, 2000)

Vittachi_Feng Shui Detective

This collection of short stories begins with a shout-out to Arthur Conan Doyle, and justly so; Vittachi crafts mysteries that are mostly about setting and character. Feng shui master C.F. Wong and his assistant (17-year-old westerner, Joyce) form a memorable cross-cultural duo.

 

 

A Study in Scarlet

A Study in Scarlet

by Arthur Conan Doyle (Ward Lock & Co, 1887); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC/Audible, 2017)

Doyle_Study Scarlet

This would have made a fine short story—introducing the great detective to his chronicler—yet the lengthy second part serves only to demonstrate Conan Doyle’s dependence on Holmes and Watson. In the absence of these seminal characters, the prose turns flaccid.

 

 

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1902); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (Audible, 2017)

Conan Doyle_Hound Baskervilles

Despite lacking its protagonist for extended periods and being little more complex a mystery than those of Conan Doyle’s short stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles sustains itself quite charmingly at novel length. The unhurried telling affords added solemnity to the narrative.

 

 

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1893); audiobook ready by Stephen Fry (ABC, 2017)

Doyle_Memoirs Sherlock Holmes

Despite coming across as increasingly distant from modern times, these tales of Sherlock Holmes retain their appeal. Simply put, Holmes and Watson are great characters, and the mysteries themselves have a charm that rests enduringly in Conan Doyle’s (and Stephen Fry’s) telling.

 

 

The Coming of the Fairies

The Coming of the Fairies

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Hodder and Stoughton, 1922)

Doyle_Coming of the Fairies

It isn’t Doyle’s beliefs that grate in this tract; it’s his plodding insistence on presenting facts via formal correspondence. Even when addressing himself to the reader, Doyle assays a monotonous inveiglement, showing nothing of the literary warmth so beloved of his fiction.

 

 

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (George Newnes, 1905); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC, 2017)

Conan Doyle_Return of Sherlock Holmes

Stephen Fry takes seriously the task of voicing Conan Doyle’s stories, yet with faint echoes of his own comedic characters seeping through (in contrast sufficient to add further gravitas to the great detective). Sherlock Holmes resumes practice post-Reichenbach, as superior as ever.

 

 

Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries

Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries

by John Taylor; audiobook read by Benedict Cumberbatch (AudioGO, 2010)

Taylor_Rediscovered Railway Mysteries

Although contrived in places, these four Sherlock Holmes pastiches are of sufficient quality that they feel like original Conan Doyle stories. Benedict Cumberbatch, at the time having just concluded series one of Sherlock, narrates from Watson’s perspective without unduly distracting the listener.

 

 

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