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The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1
First appearing in print in 1890, the character of Sherlock Holmes has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of a super sleuth. His creator, Conan Doyle, imbued his detective hero with intellectual power, acute observational abilities, a penchant for deductive reasoning and a highly educated use of forensic skills. Indeed, Doyle created the first fictional private detective who used what we now recognize as modern scientific investigative techniques.
Doyle ended up writing four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and his companion, Dr. Watson. All but four are told in the first person by Watson, two by Holmes, and two are written in the third person. Together, this series of beautifully written Victorian literature has sold more copies than any other books in the English language, with the exceptions of the Bible and Shakespeare.
Volume 1 in this series consists of two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, followed by a collection of short stories entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Doyle ended up writing four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and his companion, Dr. Watson. All but four are told in the first person by Watson, two by Holmes, and two are written in the third person. Together, this series of beautifully written Victorian literature has sold more copies than any other books in the English language, with the exceptions of the Bible and Shakespeare.
Volume 1 in this series consists of two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, followed by a collection of short stories entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
20 pages, Audiobook
Published October 15, 2009
82 people are currently reading
827 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
14.4kbooks23.7kfollowersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 1, 2011
This summer, while working on sewing my Hogwarts robe, I decided to watch the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes, which is simply entitled “Sherlock.” I mean, it was screen written by Steven Moffat, who’s a complete mad genius, so of course I checked it out. Well, I was hooked, and thus started a Sherlock kick that took approximately twenty hours worth of Sherlock Holmes short stories to shake.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started listening, and it was sort of hard to get into at first, seeing as the first story was “A Study in Scarlet” which moved slightly slowly in the beginning. However, it wasn’t too long before I was once again sucked into the world that Holmes and Watson inhabited. As a collection of stories, this volume is fantastic!
As an audiobook, it is very well produced. The narrator has a very fitting voice for Watson, and changes pitch and accent for each new character with skill. The only scruple that I had with his performance was that Holmes’ voice threw me off a bit at first, but about halfway through “A Study in Scarlet” I was used to it and it didn’t distract me much for the remaining stories.
Overall, this is a must read for any Holmes fan, or a fan of mysteries in general.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started listening, and it was sort of hard to get into at first, seeing as the first story was “A Study in Scarlet” which moved slightly slowly in the beginning. However, it wasn’t too long before I was once again sucked into the world that Holmes and Watson inhabited. As a collection of stories, this volume is fantastic!
As an audiobook, it is very well produced. The narrator has a very fitting voice for Watson, and changes pitch and accent for each new character with skill. The only scruple that I had with his performance was that Holmes’ voice threw me off a bit at first, but about halfway through “A Study in Scarlet” I was used to it and it didn’t distract me much for the remaining stories.
Overall, this is a must read for any Holmes fan, or a fan of mysteries in general.
January 30, 2019
I'm really torn about how to rate the great Sherlock Holmes upon rereading. As a kid I did not hear the Mormon-bashing of A Study in Scarlet or the overt, revolting racism of The Sign of Four; i barely registered that Sherlock Holmes was mainlining drugs by the second story. And the only way I can read the stories now is by hearing Watson's voice to be the voice of a a bigoted, somewhat misogynistic narrator. I am no longer able to enjoy these stories delightful entertainments that inspired a new genre of writing. The narrator of these audio stories is peculiarly perfect for them, creating voices that reflect all the barriers of class and gender that are in the text itself, and doing a hilariously bad job at portraying women. Sorry, Sir Arthur. Of course the author never liked Sherlock Holmes, himself...I think I will give The White Company a try.
April 29, 2012
This volume contains two novels: "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Sign of Four". It also contained a collection of short stories called, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". Holmes's best friends, Dr. Watson, is the narrator of the stories.
I am more used to the short stories of Sherlock Holmes, and I also think the short story is the best venue for his tales. In fact, I was not expecting "A Study in Scarlet", the first Sherlock Holmes story, to be a novel. The novels were still well done, but I did prefer the "Adventures" book.
In "Study", the story was broken in two main parts (possibly 3), with the solving of the crime, the backstory from the standpoint of villain, and then the resolution. This formula is used in the second novel and many of the short stories. In the case of "Study", I was very shocked when suddenly in part two, I was transported to the western part of the United States many years prior to the events in part one. This novel may be upsetting to Mormons. A brief description of this and its resolution and possible apology are here:
It should also be noted the books are by no means PC by today's standards with regards to non-white men. It is important to remember it was written by a British man in the late 19th century.
The novels do depict drug use, but it is not considered something good; in fact, Watson tries to convince Holmes to stop poisoning his body.
The stories are generally very fun with a bizarre mystery that Holmes unravels with amazing ease. He always explains how he does it, and that makes it fun.
I am more used to the short stories of Sherlock Holmes, and I also think the short story is the best venue for his tales. In fact, I was not expecting "A Study in Scarlet", the first Sherlock Holmes story, to be a novel. The novels were still well done, but I did prefer the "Adventures" book.
In "Study", the story was broken in two main parts (possibly 3), with the solving of the crime, the backstory from the standpoint of villain, and then the resolution. This formula is used in the second novel and many of the short stories. In the case of "Study", I was very shocked when suddenly in part two, I was transported to the western part of the United States many years prior to the events in part one. This novel may be upsetting to Mormons. A brief description of this and its resolution and possible apology are here:
It should also be noted the books are by no means PC by today's standards with regards to non-white men. It is important to remember it was written by a British man in the late 19th century.
The novels do depict drug use, but it is not considered something good; in fact, Watson tries to convince Holmes to stop poisoning his body.
The stories are generally very fun with a bizarre mystery that Holmes unravels with amazing ease. He always explains how he does it, and that makes it fun.
February 24, 2014
I didn't realize that ϻӮ has this series broken up into separate smaller volumes. The version I have is one large book. So I need to update this to show the correct volume number or change the edition.
Anyway about the book.
I'm really enjoying reading these stories. Some are short and to the point and other are drawn out. The only complaint is a small one. Sir Doyle's villains have a tendency to monologue. This is the first time I was presented with his style of writing and I was taken by surprise.
While I am familiar with some of the Sherlock Holmes stories themselves I am unfamiliar with the original telling of them. After reading some of them so far I'm still interested in the story, the writing and the characters.
My first read was "A Study in Scarlet"
The Dr Watson and Sherlock first meet for the first time and are introduced to one another as potential roommates.
My first impression of Dr Watson after getting into a few of the stories is that Dr Watson sometimes feels like a Sherlock cheerleader or an overenthusiastic fan. To be honest Sherlock's ability is impressive to see in action.
Again, the writing style was really odd to me. What I found odd was the fact that once the case was solved and the criminal caught or corners without an exit the villain was then given the opportunity to speak his side of events. Why? I mean I know it's to fill in the blanks but the telling of it seemed out of place. At one point I started to believe that I mistakenly skipped pages and was in another story. Like I said it was a minor issue. I'm going to continue reading the stories but I can't help but visualize Benedict Cumberbatch as I read them. LOL
Anyway about the book.
I'm really enjoying reading these stories. Some are short and to the point and other are drawn out. The only complaint is a small one. Sir Doyle's villains have a tendency to monologue. This is the first time I was presented with his style of writing and I was taken by surprise.
While I am familiar with some of the Sherlock Holmes stories themselves I am unfamiliar with the original telling of them. After reading some of them so far I'm still interested in the story, the writing and the characters.
My first read was "A Study in Scarlet"
The Dr Watson and Sherlock first meet for the first time and are introduced to one another as potential roommates.
My first impression of Dr Watson after getting into a few of the stories is that Dr Watson sometimes feels like a Sherlock cheerleader or an overenthusiastic fan. To be honest Sherlock's ability is impressive to see in action.
Again, the writing style was really odd to me. What I found odd was the fact that once the case was solved and the criminal caught or corners without an exit the villain was then given the opportunity to speak his side of events. Why? I mean I know it's to fill in the blanks but the telling of it seemed out of place. At one point I started to believe that I mistakenly skipped pages and was in another story. Like I said it was a minor issue. I'm going to continue reading the stories but I can't help but visualize Benedict Cumberbatch as I read them. LOL
October 10, 2015
While it was fun to listen to the original works again (I had last read them more than 30 years ago) and see how they informed the later television series, there was much about the originals that I'd forgotten - the fact that so many cases conveniently hinged on the discovery of cigar or cigarette ash, how nearly every square foot of London has some kind of unique soil, etc. Holmes' casual use of drugs is also troublesome, but as we all know, he was just fine.
The stories themselves are interesting, though, and I am glad of the changes that have been made to them by later interpreters.
The stories themselves are interesting, though, and I am glad of the changes that have been made to them by later interpreters.
February 22, 2015
Read all of these as a young lad and now in my 50's, went back to an audiobook to listen to every single case on my long commute to work. Sir Arthur to this day is such a great writer and a genius in setting up and solving each crime, no wonder Mr. Holmes is still so relevant today. Special props to the narrator of these audiobooks, they were a true pleasure to listen to. Have a long commute? Then give Mr. Holmes a chance to met away the miles.
September 6, 2015
Do I really need to say anything about it? The real character I would say. Fascinating.
October 2, 2019
I listened to the Audible audiobook recommended to me by Ben De Bono. This audiobook contains Volumes #1, #2, and #3 of "The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes," meaning that it includes every Sherlock Holmes story that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, in chronological order.
DESCRIPTION:
First appearing in print in 1890, the character of Sherlock Holmes has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of a super sleuth. His creator, Conan Doyle, imbued his detective hero with intellectual power, acute observational abilities, a penchant for deductive reasoning and a highly educated use of forensic skills. Indeed, Doyle created the first fictional private detective who used what we now recognize as modern scientific investigative techniques.
Doyle ended up writing four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and his companion, Dr. Watson. All but four are told in the first person by Watson, two by Holmes, and two are written in the third person. Together, this series of beautifully written Victorian literature has sold more copies than any other books in the English language, with the exceptions of the Bible and Shakespeare.
Volume 1 in this series consists of two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, followed by a collection of short stories entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
DESCRIPTION:
First appearing in print in 1890, the character of Sherlock Holmes has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of a super sleuth. His creator, Conan Doyle, imbued his detective hero with intellectual power, acute observational abilities, a penchant for deductive reasoning and a highly educated use of forensic skills. Indeed, Doyle created the first fictional private detective who used what we now recognize as modern scientific investigative techniques.
Doyle ended up writing four novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and his companion, Dr. Watson. All but four are told in the first person by Watson, two by Holmes, and two are written in the third person. Together, this series of beautifully written Victorian literature has sold more copies than any other books in the English language, with the exceptions of the Bible and Shakespeare.
Volume 1 in this series consists of two novels, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, followed by a collection of short stories entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
February 17, 2022
I’m taking my time… for good reason
I love my British thrillers! I’ve not finished this 70-plus hour classic series. This is a perfect compilation in which to savor and take one’s time. Throughout this spectacular audiobook, I intersperse my listening with others, then continue on. Flawlessly narrated by the talented Charlton Griffin, “The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes” is an audicted series to be savored. When this was available during an Audible 2-for-1 sale, I immediately grabbed it up. Well worth a credit! If you’re a Sherlock Holmes’ fan, and let’s be honest, who isn’t, this brilliant collection is for you!
I love my British thrillers! I’ve not finished this 70-plus hour classic series. This is a perfect compilation in which to savor and take one’s time. Throughout this spectacular audiobook, I intersperse my listening with others, then continue on. Flawlessly narrated by the talented Charlton Griffin, “The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes” is an audicted series to be savored. When this was available during an Audible 2-for-1 sale, I immediately grabbed it up. Well worth a credit! If you’re a Sherlock Holmes’ fan, and let’s be honest, who isn’t, this brilliant collection is for you!
March 16, 2020
Almost 70 hours by Audible, but these stories hold up well as mysteries. The occasional prejudice, societal and other, can be viewed as a testimony of social progress since then. Entertaining, but the 70 hours would have been better broken down and read as several parts separated by a bit of time.
August 5, 2021
I love this series. It is well read and keeps you engaged in the stories. It can get a little confusing between stories as some other then go together but are played out of order. But you can figure out what is going on. I really enjoyed this and will continue to listen to it over and over.
September 21, 2017
He had a weird twists on mormons in one part. I don't thank no he had a high opinion of them. But good classic
January 31, 2021
I've watched multiple televised series on the BBC as well as movies Hollywood films directed by Guy Ritchie, all are engrossingly, captivating.
The thrill of the hunt.
The thrill of the hunt.
March 11, 2020
An awesome classic. It makes you think with amazing literature and writing of Doyle, and the mysteries and plots are very gripping and will make you addicted. The witty and cynical personality of Sherlock, and his very loveable side-kick Dr. Watson is perfect. Also a little idiosyncrasy, the stories are written from the point of view of Dr. Watson, which is a little peculiar, but I absolutely love that.
February 5, 2025
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes
vol I of III
The nice thing about Sherlock Holmes stories is that after about 5 years I've forgotten everything and they're good for a re-read.
This edition is in 3 volumes and starts with the first Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet". One cool thing about it is, it's the origin story. Watson autobiographically introduces himself and his circumstances as a young former Army doctor recuperating from the 2nd Anglo-Afghan War. Looking for a place to rent in London, he's introduced to the eccentric Holmes, who was looking for a roommate. And so they become friends and roommates, and eventually Watson learns that Holmes styles himself the world's only Consulting Detective -- giving advice to the police and private detectives who seek his help. In the end we also see this is the origin of the premise that Watson is the one writing these stories -- as he's so offended that Scotland Yard gets the credit in the newspapers for Holmes's cases that he resolves to publish accounts of Sherlock's work.
The first case Watson gets dragged into with Holmes involves two murders in London. And here's where I did recall something from my last read -- just when Holmes has ID'd the murderer and you think the story is about to wrap up, it incongruently shifts to the Utah desert for an absolutely endless backstory involving Mormon settlers. Last time around I got bored and skipped the rest of the story. OK this time I resolved to stick it out. Nearly all Holmes stories are short stories so this was a surprise first time I encountered it. And sure enough the long story of murder, revenge, and Mormonism out West, with no Holmes or Watson involved, eats up 75% of the narrative, making this distinctly different from all other Holmes stories. Eventually it all ties together in a sympathetic murder suspect caught in London, but it's a long slog.
The next story, "The Sign of Four" is the second Holmes novel, and is distinguished by Watson falling in love with the young woman client. Even though this is only the 2nd Holmes story published, by the end Watson is getting married and moving out of Baker Street. (The remaining short stories in this volume begin either with Watson coming around for a visit to Holmes and getting dragged into a case, or Watson recalling some adventure from his earlier time as Holmes's roommate.)
Next in this volume is the published collection of Conan Doyle's first set of short stories, collected as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", starting with "A Scandal in Bohemia" -- featuring the villainess Irene Adler in her only appearance.
The final story in this volume includes the trusty Watson shooting a vicious attack dog dead. I always like to see the heroic side of Watson, since those old Basil Rathbone movies portray Watson as a useless middle-aged buffoon, only good for comic relief -- quite unlike the vigorous, intelligent, and manly Watson from the books.
vol I of III
The nice thing about Sherlock Holmes stories is that after about 5 years I've forgotten everything and they're good for a re-read.
This edition is in 3 volumes and starts with the first Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet". One cool thing about it is, it's the origin story. Watson autobiographically introduces himself and his circumstances as a young former Army doctor recuperating from the 2nd Anglo-Afghan War. Looking for a place to rent in London, he's introduced to the eccentric Holmes, who was looking for a roommate. And so they become friends and roommates, and eventually Watson learns that Holmes styles himself the world's only Consulting Detective -- giving advice to the police and private detectives who seek his help. In the end we also see this is the origin of the premise that Watson is the one writing these stories -- as he's so offended that Scotland Yard gets the credit in the newspapers for Holmes's cases that he resolves to publish accounts of Sherlock's work.
The first case Watson gets dragged into with Holmes involves two murders in London. And here's where I did recall something from my last read -- just when Holmes has ID'd the murderer and you think the story is about to wrap up, it incongruently shifts to the Utah desert for an absolutely endless backstory involving Mormon settlers. Last time around I got bored and skipped the rest of the story. OK this time I resolved to stick it out. Nearly all Holmes stories are short stories so this was a surprise first time I encountered it. And sure enough the long story of murder, revenge, and Mormonism out West, with no Holmes or Watson involved, eats up 75% of the narrative, making this distinctly different from all other Holmes stories. Eventually it all ties together in a sympathetic murder suspect caught in London, but it's a long slog.
The next story, "The Sign of Four" is the second Holmes novel, and is distinguished by Watson falling in love with the young woman client. Even though this is only the 2nd Holmes story published, by the end Watson is getting married and moving out of Baker Street. (The remaining short stories in this volume begin either with Watson coming around for a visit to Holmes and getting dragged into a case, or Watson recalling some adventure from his earlier time as Holmes's roommate.)
Next in this volume is the published collection of Conan Doyle's first set of short stories, collected as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", starting with "A Scandal in Bohemia" -- featuring the villainess Irene Adler in her only appearance.
The final story in this volume includes the trusty Watson shooting a vicious attack dog dead. I always like to see the heroic side of Watson, since those old Basil Rathbone movies portray Watson as a useless middle-aged buffoon, only good for comic relief -- quite unlike the vigorous, intelligent, and manly Watson from the books.
June 9, 2012
Haven't read the original Holmes stories in decades (literally) and many of these were new to me. What struck me was how well written they were and how they are an artifact of the time. I would get thrown out of the stories when there were some contradictions, racism, or misogyny but they felt like internalized cultural aspects or what I'd now think of as stupid stereotypes. There were great people studies throughout that showed humans in all their nature: vile and humane. The short stories included were "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and were all published in 1891-1892. "The Case of Identity" was the only one I felt seemed to have Holmes acting against the nature shown in the other stories as his given explanation for his actions didn't seem to make sense. Reading up more on the story, I think my disconnect is indicative of cultural shifts that made a different "read between the lines" for the 1892 readers. At only one story in the collection, it's still very readable for modern readers. As an audiobook, it's good, with the male voices done much better than the female ones.
August 11, 2013
I am already headlong into the 2nd Volume because the 1st did such an incredible job of whetting my appetite for all things Holmes. I was enthralled from the very first story, a novel entitled "A Study In Scarlet" in which Holmes and Watson make their famous first acquaintance. It was not merely this that engaged me and kept me reading. I would say that it would have to be the underplayed details of Sherlock Holmes as a deeply-flawed, human and tragic genius. I had no idea that Doyle's invention was bipolar as well as a drug addict. This endeared the character of Sherlock Holmes to me all the more. The stories were not cookie-cutter ten minute mysteries. There is real depth of character in each and every tale. I would recommend this collection mystery lovers as well as to those who love a good character-study.
May 29, 2014
I have always loved Sherlock Holmes and the movies, but as a child I read only one book alike, the Beast of Baskerville, and it was absolutely thrilling. The movies intrigued me, even though it was criticized because it wasn't identical to the book, so my curiosity demanded an answer, thus forth i started reading The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1. The stories made my mind explode because the clues always brought up questions and answers and it made me think for the answer to the investigation, but since I was usually wrong, it created a drive for me to try and answer the case, and when I did, it made me feel amazing. This feeling was created throughout the whole book, and made me read more and more and more. I recommend this book for whoever enjoys and book that will answer all your questions as you continue to read, also to those who enjoy a relaxing and thrilling read.
March 16, 2012
This is a collection of the first set of Sherlock Holmes mysteries starting with the initial story describing how Watson and Holmes first met. There are several short stories and a short novel. The writing and dialogue is very good and it is entertaining to hear Holmes show off his superior intellect and egotism. The vocabulary is so rich and it is funny to hear the way people talked in England around 1890. Many of the situations are very unlikely but amusing, kind of like the stories in Wooster and Jeeves books. There is a recurrent theme of fathers not wanting their daughters to get married and of the solution to a crime being that two of the characters are really the same person. The narrator in the audiobook version is great and the way he portrays Holmes' voice is entertaining.
April 7, 2012
Wow, I'd forgotten how sanitized the radio plays were compared to the originals. And how utterly full of fail many of the colonial themes are.
Several things that struck me as curious: many, many people in London in the 1800s seem to have suffered from "brain fever". I can't tell if this is analogous to a nervous breakdown, but it sure sounds a lot more exciting. Further, it seems that all women who were due to inherit money had evil relatives out to stop them from doing so, and that quite a lot of people were being blackmailed and subsequently murdering their blackmailers.
...Doyle didn't trust his characters to have many motives other than lust or money, and it's very apparent when you read all the stories straight through.
Several things that struck me as curious: many, many people in London in the 1800s seem to have suffered from "brain fever". I can't tell if this is analogous to a nervous breakdown, but it sure sounds a lot more exciting. Further, it seems that all women who were due to inherit money had evil relatives out to stop them from doing so, and that quite a lot of people were being blackmailed and subsequently murdering their blackmailers.
...Doyle didn't trust his characters to have many motives other than lust or money, and it's very apparent when you read all the stories straight through.
May 14, 2013
I read the Sherlock Holmes stories a long time ago and when I was talking with a friend recently, something about canon in the recent rush of movies and TV-series, I realized that I had forgotten a whole lot. For the modern reader Doyle's language is dense and heavy on the exposition. Probably because I've been spending so much time reading modern, action-filled books lately I liked the book less than I remember liking it. But Holmes as a person was a much more agreeable character than I remembered him being so that probably balances out. While the two books may at times seem like a slog, I would still recommend reading them for any fan of the Sherlock Holmes reincarnations as well as anyone who likes to write.
January 19, 2011
Classic--
Sherlock Holmes was my childhood favorite, and reading his adventures all over again more than 15 years later, I was so excited that I bought his complete works in hard copy.
The audiobook is excellent, too, with the narrator using multiple voices for different characters. I really liked his voice, too - deep and resonant.
Yes, the cases are rather simple and not all that hard to figure out, but they NEVER fail to entertain.
A must read.
Sherlock Holmes was my childhood favorite, and reading his adventures all over again more than 15 years later, I was so excited that I bought his complete works in hard copy.
The audiobook is excellent, too, with the narrator using multiple voices for different characters. I really liked his voice, too - deep and resonant.
Yes, the cases are rather simple and not all that hard to figure out, but they NEVER fail to entertain.
A must read.
June 5, 2011
First of all, Charlton Griffin does a great job as narrator, although he does the thing that many male narrators do and makes all women sound simpering and/or wimpy. More generally speaking, I hadn't read any Sherlock in quite a while and parts of it seem a bit dated (especially the racism, most obvious in Sign of Four) but I still totally get why my teenaged self was so in love with Holmes, Watson and their adventures!
July 23, 2012
After becoming a fan of the BBC's Sherlock, as well as Tom's recommendation, put it in my queue. It took me a while to get into the stories, given the style, which jumps between well narrated adventure to didactic summaries of how the facts fit together. But the style does grow on one.
I particularly enjoyed seeing where "A Study in Scarlet" and "a Study in Pink". Though I have to say, the order of the telling of "A Study in Scarlet" was quite strange.
I particularly enjoyed seeing where "A Study in Scarlet" and "a Study in Pink". Though I have to say, the order of the telling of "A Study in Scarlet" was quite strange.
November 29, 2022
I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan and have read the complete works and watched every movie/television show episodes I've been able to find. The narration by Charlton Griffin of this audio version is exceptional. His use of different voices for each character is wonderful and the wonderful English accents add much to what are already great stories. This kept my attention, though I was already very familiar with all the stories.
January 14, 2014
While this book has more than its fair share of politically incorrect characterizations, it is very much a product of its era, and it feels unfair to judge the book based on our modern sensibilities. I did enjoy the character of Holmes, and I can understand the fascination that his character has inspired in literally millions of readers since his first appearance in print. I will be continuing on with the series.
September 20, 2014
This was a fun listen. The reader did pretty well, just lost his accent once in awhile. But it was fun to hear all the stories. It's very long, nine parts, so would be great for a long drive or something. We just listened in our spare time so took quite awhile. But as a Holmes fan, it was good to finally hear all of Conan Doyle's stories about him.
March 6, 2015
This is a great collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. Complete and presented in chronological order, this collection brings out the great detective. What makes these stories so much fun, is not so much the mystery of them, but the characters of Watson and Holmes and how they evolve over time. These are entertaining stories and if you love Sherlock Holmes these are the stories you must read.
August 6, 2012
Does Sherlock Holmes really need another review praising him? Nope. It's pretty much a given that it's good, and I can vouch that I definitely enjoyed this first volume. I particularly liked it in audio book format - Griffin's voices are fantastic. Very entertaining.
Kudos, Doyle, kudos.
Kudos, Doyle, kudos.
May 4, 2014
It was great to go through these stories again, especially to see how they line up with the Sherlock TV episodes. Haven't read them in many years, so I got to be surprised by some of the endings again.
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