The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 3

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 23 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Arthur Conan Doyle never wasted time in getting his stories moving. His plots are always direct and refreshingly lucid, and the narrative has a velocity that sweeps you along right to the end. This was no doubt a large part of his immense worldwide success. Not surprisingly, each time he tried to end the series, his fans would howl in protest. But, as he says in the preface to his last collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, all good things must come to an end. And so it is with this series, as we have now arrived at the end of the Sherlock Holmes tales, Conan Doyle's most magnificent creation.

This last volume contains one novel, The Valley of Fear, and two collections of short stories: His Last Bow and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.

Public Domain (P)2010 Audio Connoisseur

Elementary My Dear Watson

Would you listen to The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 3 again? Why?

Yes, the stories are really great and the narration is superb.

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

He brings out all of the characters voices in a wonderful way, and he is a really good entertainer.

great

loved it , really love Sherlock Holmes. now got to go find more of the books.

The father of all modern crime drama

Would you consider the audio edition of The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 3 to be better than the print version?

I wouldn't say the audio edition is better than the print version, but it was definitely the only way I was going to have the time to read the complete works. I listened while at work, and for many days it made my work a pleasure.

Which character – as performed by Charlton Griffin – was your favorite?

Sherlock was by far the character portrayed the best by the voice actor. For a male actor to have to impersonate a female voice can be awkward, and he did as well as could be expected, though an obviously male falsetto has the effect of making you imagine a transvestite in your head rather than the young beautiful woman described by the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many moments that moved me - and surprised me as well. That the stories were so easy to connect with and still so exciting even after all this time was remarkable; keep in mind that the stories are set in a time period where they didn't have cars or telephones. Watson and Holmes are sending telegrams and messenger boys to communicate with people, and jumping into horse-drawn carriages to chase their villains, and yet the attitudes are in many ways very modern and the humor still fresh.

Race and class issues comes up several times and the way Sir Conan Doyle dealt with these things made it clear he was a very forward-thinking man.

Any additional comments?

I had no idea Sherlock was so hilarious.

This series has made me very critical of all versions of this character that have appeared in movies and television. Now that I know the source, it's clear when a drama is just borrowing the name "Sherlock Holmes" to conjure up the idea of a master detective without really taking anything of his real character, and when they have really made an effort.

As someone who has grown up watching crime dramas on TV and in the movies, reading these books was a revelation - most people will have no idea how many story ideas modern TV has ripped-off from these pages. In that sense, many of the stories were almost too easy for me to solve as a reader before getting to their conclusions - not because I'm so smart, but because I'd heard variations on these stories so many times before over the course of decades without knowing where they came from. In that sense, these books have a much tougher audience now than they did when they were first published. Today's general public is not as easily astonished by Sherlock's feats, having seen them mimicked by so many TV shows - even shows that don't reference Holmes directly - and yet his tricks are wonderful and it's a privilege to see where the modern crime drama originated. Sir ArthurConan Doyle was mimicking no one, and he created a rich, unforgettable character very difficult to reproduce.

Bravo

Love the way it truly was a performance, rather then just a reading. I have the complete collection.

great continuation

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

Yes different stories with different plots and they are all good.

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

Even though this book is compiled of several different stories each one was interesting in their own way. I am a mystery buff and loved every story that was told. I like how the book is written like it is from a diary of Watson.

Have you listened to any of Charlton Griffin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure.. I guess I need to start paying attention to who is reading the books. Normally I dont. But his performance was great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes because it wasn't just one story. Even though it is about Sherlock, there are various stories so once I got into another story I wanted to hear it all the way to the end.

Any additional comments?

None

Rinse and repeat....

This review is going to sound contradictory. I really enjoyed volumes I and II of this series. However, by the time volume III rolled around, all the stories sounded the same to me. Different character names, but the stories are all very similar - a man or a woman comes to Holmes' house and tells of an extraordinary story. Holmes' tells Watson he already figured everything out but just need some proof which he leaves to get. The story ends with Holmes surprising everyone by capturing the criminal in front of everyone and then explains the mystery.

So far my statements does not match my star ratings. I had a difficult time deciding on the star ratings. In the end, I thought if I hadn't read Volumes I and II, how would I rate volume III? I concluded that if I wasn't familiar with Sir Conan Doyle's writing style nor Sherklock Holmes stories, then I would find Volume III to be fascinating.

There you have it. If you have volumes I and II, then I would skip III unless you want it for completeness.

Like a literary dress form stand

The last Third of the Arthur Conan Doyle canon was solid, just not his greatest. All in all, I think 'His Last Bow' is probably under appreciated, 'Valley of Fear' was solid, and the 'Case-book of Sherlock Holmes' seemed spotty and almost called-in. Together, however, it was a great bargan and I'm glad I stuck with this series. IT was a very elegant and efficient way to work through Sherlock Holmes.

'His Last Bow' (****):

I was surprised at how good 'His Last Bow' was. While not an absolute masterpiece like 'The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes', it is easily on par with 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes'. I think part of the genius of Sherlock Holmes is how easily the primary charcter allows for adaption to the patterns of the time and the age he is read. Sherlock Holmes is like a literary dress form stand, upon which the fashions of every age can and do hang.

'Valley of Fear' (****):

ACD's last novel (novella?) isn't as masterful as 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' but it's still classic Doyle. It reminded me a lot of 'The Sign of Four', exept the Mormons are now replaced with the Scowrers. I'm probably repeating myself from earlier reviews of ACD's novels, but Doyle is a born writer of short fiction and his novels just don't carry the same punch or force, and seem like watered-down/diluted versions of his better stories.

'Case-Book of Sherock Holmes' (***1/2):

My least favorite of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story collections. Probably 3.5 stars, but all but a couple stories remind me of listening to the Rolling Stones post 2000 (appreciate the work, but it is obvious the exceptional stuff was done 20 years previous). Still here and there I found the 'Case-Book' enjoyable, the rest of the stories seemed phoned in. Doyle wasn't carving new channels here, but his craft was still formidable.

Anyway, I love Sherlock Holmes.

Excellent in all things

Wonderful stories and narration! This is the best audiobook I have ever enjoyed! The reader is truly an amazing actor.

Great books, waste of credits...

Any additional comments?

"The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes Vol 1, 2 & 3" are each sold separately costing a credit each. You can get exactly the same three books for ONE credit. It's titled "The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes" without a Volume number. It clocks in at 70hrs and 53mins.

Fantastic Reader for a classic collection

One reader. Multiple voices. Not annoying.
Sometimes a reader can attempt to do the voice of multiple characters and it sounds grating. Not here. The characterizations are just right to keep you in the story. Well done!