The Hound of the Baskervilles

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrated by: David Timson

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The award-winning Sherlock Holmes narrator David Timson leads us through Conan Doyle's most famous tale. This extended story brings the archetypal detective to the moors with his friend and biographer Dr. Watson to investigate the mystery of a beast terrorizing the neighborhood.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

(P) and ©2005 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

"The whole Sherlock Holmes saga is a triumphant illustration of art's supremacy over life." (Christopher Morley)

Timson is the best

I like his narration even better than Simon Vance's. The story was exciting and difficult to put down!

A masterpiece

I enjoy Shelock Holmes, and appreciate the role AC Doyle had in developing the genre. Not all the mysteries are well developed though. This one is. It's a masterpiece. The narration is outstanding. One of the best audiobooks I've had.

A wonderful classic

David Timson does an excellent job narrating this masterpiece. The only aspect I didn't enjoy was his awful impersonation of an American accent, but all of his other character voices, as well as his general tone, is highly engaging.
The story itself is, in my opinion, the best of the Holmes novels. There are shocking revelations, tantalizing clues, and an atmospheric setting on the moors. I listened to this on a long drive, and it made the hours fly by.

Adore This Version

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend it. This is my favorite of the Sherlock stories, and I've listened to this so much that David's voice is like sitting next to a lovely fire with hot chocolate.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Even though I've read this story and listened to this audiobook dozens of times, the story still gives me chills when the hound first attacks. I love the way it's narrated.

Always a great story

We enjoyed this reading ! Great to pass the time for a long car ride. We could picture the characters.

A classic thriller with no surprises

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this if you're after a short, dependable story of the Classic variety.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Obviously this story has to be viewed in the context of the era in which it was written as the slightly class-ist and racist views of Sherlock Holmes don't translate that well to the modern era. Very much

Which character – as performed by David Timson – was your favorite?

Timson (narrator) does a reasonable job of distinguishing the different characters in his performance and captures the slight pomposity of Holmes quite well.

Any additional comments?

Overall an undemanding diversion with no surprises.

One of the best SH stories

First things first, David Timson is the best Sherlock Holmes narrator. His voices for each character are clear and distinct and his pacing is perfect.

This is the first SH story I ever read and it was a joy revisiting it years later finding it just as engrossing as ever.

Excellent narrator for a fantastic story!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles to be better than the print version?

I have read the Hound of the Baskervilles and at the time found some parts of it a little dragging, but when hearing it read out to me it's very different. I enjoyed the audio book very much!

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator! David Timson had a great range of voices and it's easy to differentiate between the characters based on his voice alone. The American accent made me chuckle, but the other character's voices more than made up for it!

Which character – as performed by David Timson – was your favorite?

Watson and Holmes were the best of all the characters.

Any additional comments?

An awesome book! Highly recommended for both the narrator and the story!

Love the storry - but choose another version!

What made the experience of listening to The Hound of the Baskervilles the most enjoyable?

It is one of my favourite books and Conan Doyle is one of my favourite authors off all time so I will always enjoy listening to his words, even when they are interrupted by annoying musical intervals all the bloody time!

What other book might you compare The Hound of the Baskervilles to and why?

Victorian Crims and other Sherlock Holmes adventures...

Would you listen to another book narrated by David Timson?

If there is no annoying music interrupting the book, then yes.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I love the setting in this book it is so picturesque and it gives everything a sense of the supernatural which helps underlining the story in the book.

Any additional comments?

STOP THE MUSIC! And let the man talk, seriously!

Wonderful story, and performance

This is my all-time favorite story and I own about 10 different versions of it. This reading is one of the best available, however I disagree with some of the other reviewers that it’s not THE best. In my opinion, Simon Vance’s reading of Sherlock Holmes is heads above anyone else that I’ve heard, but that’s not meant to take away anything from this one.
For anyone interested in having different readings of this classic, I highly recommend giving Simon Vance’s version a try. Also, some other incredible narrators include Charlton Griffin, Simon Preeble, Patrick Tull, Derek Jacobi, Michael Page, and B.J. Harrison. Each of these narrators bring something different, but great to the table.