Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes  By  cover art

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

By: Arthur Conan Doyle
Narrated by: Alexander Spencer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

In a smooth, calm, British accent, Alexander Spencer gives actual voice to the beloved Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’s faithful assistant and narrator of most of Holmes’s crime-fighting adventures. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is an 1894 collection of stories about the great detective and features such favorites as "Silver Blaze" and "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual". Particularly notable is "The Final Problem", set at the spectacular Reichenbach Falls in Meiringen, Switzerland, where Holmes is pitted against the brilliant and evil Professor Moriarty, and which Doyle considered to be one of his finest efforts. The listener is invited to dim the lights and test her powers of deduction.

Publisher's summary

Here are nine of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous Sherlock Holmes stories, tales that showcase the talents of literature's most famous sleuth. This thrilling anthology includes such favorites as "Silver Blaze", in which a prize racehorse disappears; "Yellow Face", where Holmes confesses to a rare error; and "The Musgrave Ritual", one of his most famous cases. The collection concludes with the poignant, historic "The Final Problem", as Dr. Watson recalls Holmes's tragic death at the hands of Professor Moriarty. These unforgettable stories are landmarks in the detective genre, making clear why Holmes's deductive reasoning, friendship with Watson, and exciting adventures have continued to attract fans for generations.

Public Domain (P)1980 Recorded Books, Inc.

Featured Article: Audible Essentials—The Top 100 Screen Adaptations of All Time


As the category of great page-to-screen storytelling continues to grow, we scoured our libraries, grilled audiophiles and cinephiles, and vetted the entire Audible catalog for the 100 greatest screen adaptations for watchers and listeners alike. These are the stories that inspired some of the greatest on-screen stories of all time, from Academy Award winners and cult classics to must-see TV. They're well worth the price of admission.

What listeners say about The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic tales of the most famous detective

I enjoyed these short stories of Holmes's deductive sleuthing very much. This unabridged collection presents about 12-15 stories in all, read by two narrators with classic British accents.

The memoirs are told through the voice of Watson, Holmes's accomplice and closest friend. We hear stories from each part of their acquaintance -- how they met, their adventures over the years, and the sad story of how their friendship came to an end, all recounted through narrations of the cases they worked together.

At times, I found I needed to rewind the story to pick up a turns of phras that has fallen out of use in this century or is not commonly used here in the US.

I found I really enjoyed this listen for two reasons:
- I found the late 19th century english writing style to be quite an interesting and welcome departure from modern North American english
- I found myself at times trying to out-Sherlock Holmes and failing repeatedly, and just like Watson, finding it amazing how easily the facts fall together when viewed from Watson's perspective. Some of this is accomplished through the narrative device of only telling the story from Watson's perspective, but nevertheless, the majority of the facts of the case are there in plain view. You find yourself amazed again and again at how cunning Holmes's character is.

A few caveats for those that are unfamiliar with Doyle's style and only have the movies or television to refer to when considering Sherlock Holmes:
- A few of the stories are slow paced and dialog makes up a substantial fraction of most stories.
- Not for people with little patience for foreign accents -- the entire read is in proper British english
- This is NOT an action or adventure story and lacks the suspense of modern detective novels. It will not have you gripped with fear, anxiety, or quickened pulse like a Sue Grafton or Steven King novel. It is an intellectual and literary adventure. Know that going in.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Why no titles?

While the audio quality of this book is lacking, it is well read and true to the nature of Holmes. The only problem is there are no spoken titles or segues from one story to another. If you are not familiar with Doyle's stories, you will not know when the story changes. How difficult would it be to add titles?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Get some other version!

The audio quality for this book is terrible. It's completely unlistenable. It's like fingernails on a chalk board- I can't believe Audible would sell something of this poor quality.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful