The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Public Domain (P)2009 Audio Connoisseur

A classic, classically performed

The narrator has a lot of trouble with women's voices - they seem a bit cartoony - but these feel like cozying up to the radio to hear a few minimalist scene-setting sounds and have the classic Holmes stories read to you. If that sounds like a good way to spend an evening or a commute, you'll not be disappointed.

Stories that are Universal, Timeless, & Elementary

I gave this four stars, but that is a little unfair. I probably need to break it down a little better. ACD's first couple novellas (Study in Scarlet; Sign of Four) were interesting but just didn't hold together well. I could easily deduce what Doyle was trying to do with Study in Scarlet, but he just didn't pull it off (3 stars). Sign of Four was a tad better fit for Doyle (3.5 stars), but still not quite up to my expectations.

ACD's true form is the short story. His longer pieces just don't hold up quite as well as Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5 stars). ACD is a master of the short story. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has very few duds. It is clear that not only was Doyle breaking new ground, but he absolutely pwned the form (and would for the next century). It is rare to find a literary work that sold so well initially (the Strand sold Holmes like crazy) and still appears relevant and popular today (from t.v. shows like Sherlock to Bones). That is the brilliance of Doyle's detective stories: they are universal, they are timeless, and they are -- elementary.

Griffin does a fantastic job at bringing Holmes to life.

Too many mistakes

What made the experience of listening to The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 the most enjoyable?

These are great stories that have stood the test of time and work well in the audiobook format.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Charlton Griffin?

I have great admiration for the actors who read these audiobooks and can produce a range of accents and never get them mixed up. So I am willing to forgive a few lapses in this regard. However, the frequency of missed accents and mispronunciations did detract from my enjoyment of the book. There were occasions where it was clear that the reader did not comprehend the words he was reading. For example, "bowing" with a violin bow not bending from the waist; "a propos" and "in situ" mispronounced; "house' and "horse" getting mixed up - and many more.

Definitive

The narrator is perfect, the stories memorable, the experience comfort food for the mind. This the Holmes to buy and cherish.

It's like time traveling

Obviously well written, and the stories are interesting. But, what comes through most is the opening gap between modern culture and the world described by A.C. Doyle. For example, the character Holmes deduces that a man's wife doesn't love him anymore because she, "doesn't brush his suit anymore." Is this a euphemism or what? This could be good material for a historian studying the period.

A must have collection

For every fan, excellent performance and pace.

I have read almost every Holmes story as have most fans, this narrator doesn't disappoint the listener.

A real classic! Not to be missed!

I am in the middle of this book, listening to "Sign of Four", which follows "Study in Scarlet". I read the entire canon when I was about 20; even though it was written over 100 years ago, the books/stories are so interesting & well written. I am enjoying listening so much. The narrator is excellent, but the one criticism is he needs to improve 'women's voices'-they sound a bit like they escaped from the old play "Charley's Aunt", sort of squeaky. Apart from that, he is aces. I don't know why, but his delivery sounds like somebody who is living in the 1880s.
I thoroughly recommend this work. I have purchased Vol. 1 & 2; then intend to purchase Vol. 3 with a $10 gift I earned in Audible's 'Buy 4' by a certain date. Then I will have the whole of the canon to listen to; I expect to revisit it often since I love the characters & the stories so much.
Don't think you only have to listen in the car while commuting; I put Audible books on while doing cooking or housework. It takes my mind off hard jobs. I also like to put a book on to listen to before sleep. If my eyes are tired, Audible books are the answer.

Solid Collection

The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 / B002V0RHKS

I really enjoy the Sherlock Holmes stories and books, so I was happy to find this available in audiobook form. The narration isn't as great as I'd like -- the narrator speaks a little too quickly for my tastes and some of his voices (particularly for female characters) sound a little distractingly silly -- but overall this is a solid compilation and I'm happy to have it. Note that while it's the "complete" stories, they're spread across three volumes, so you'll have to buy all three to have the total collection. Speaking of, I really wish the Audible application could show which track corresponds to which story (rather than just Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. for the whole kit and kaboodle) but that may be a technical limitation they couldn't get around.

Volume 1 consists of the novels "A Study in Scarlet" (which is very long), and "The Sign of Four", as well as the stories in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". That collection contains the stories "A Scandal in Bohemia", "The Red-Headed League", "A Case of Identity", "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", "The Five Orange Pips", "The Man with the Twisted Lip", "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle", "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb", "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor", "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet", and "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches".

~ Ana Mardoll

Transport yourself to another era.

Would you listen to The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 again? Why?

Certainly, it is wonderful to listen to the language used and the characters have been brought to life in this series

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dr Watson, who is always entranced, bemused and astounded.

What does Charlton Griffin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The joy of having a story read to you, and his voice and the inflections are marvellous

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Sherlock Holmes I presume?

outstanding

Loved it. Some great stories. can't wait to find more od the Schlock Homes stories.