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Title details for The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Available

The Hound of the Baskervilles

#5 in series

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Frederick Davidson
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
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1 of 2 copies available

"Dr. Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered, "Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound."

The "luminous, ghostly, and spectral" hound of family legend has been seen roaming the moors at night. Sir Charles Baskerville has recently died, and it appears that the new baronet, Sir Henry, has inherited not only the vast wealth and property of his family but also a terrible destiny. To this Holmes ominously observes, "It's an ugly business, Watson, an ugly dangerous business and the more I see of it the less I like it."

  • Creators

  • Series

    Sherlock Holmes

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 2, 2012

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481546881
      • File size: 160657 KB
      • Duration: 05:34:42

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1170
    • Text Difficulty: 8-9

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Storyteller Jim Weiss narrates this adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery about a suspicious death, an inheritance, and the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles. Weiss gives an assured performance in even tones that suit the logical Holmes as well as his colleague, Dr. Watson, the point-of-view character who throws himself into gathering facts about the residents and neighbors of Baskerville Hall. Weiss's British accents are strong, but his characterizations aren't always distinct, which is occasionally confusing in a complicated that requires listeners to pay attention to detail. Still, Weiss's reading is engaging, and this is a great way to introduce families and casual listeners to a classic of the genre. A.F. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Attentive listeners may find themselves checking their ears as they listen to this classic Sherlock Holmes story. Is it a full-cast recording? Actually, no. All of these marvelously individualized voices are the work of David Timson, whose Sherlock Holmes speaks with arrogance and crackling intelligence and whose Scots country folk speak in pronounced accents. Aided by judiciously orchestrated music to set the mood and signal transitions, Timson brings this classic tale of suspense to vivid life. He understands Conan Doyle's pacing and even makes some of the author's blockier expository passages flow smoothly. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from November 24, 2014
      Of all Doyle’s stories about the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend and chronicler Dr. John Watson, arguably the best known is their investigation into what appears to be a homicidal “gigantic hound” pursuing the Baskerville clan. There have been numerous film, radio, and television adaptations, but rarely has one been as flat-out entertaining as this radio-like full-cast performance, directed by Alexis Jacknow and recorded before a live audience. Much of this is due to the clever script by Pichette and Wright, which includes most of Doyle’s original plot but manages to be as humorous as it is thrilling and, though set in Victorian times, ends with a refreshingly contemporary noirish twist. Assisted by splendid sound effects, the cast performs with energy, enthusiasm, and invention. For example, Moira Quirk portrays the 221B Baker Street housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, with an amusingly flippant attitude. Seamus Dever is a sharp-witted and sharp-tongued Holmes, but, as in the novel, the character spends quite a bit of time observing events from afar (and is therefore often away from the mike). In his absence, Watson and potential victim Sir Henry Baskerville carry the plot, with Geoffrey Arend presenting the good doctor as a capable and humane straight man considerably out-charmed by actor James Marsters’s Sir Henry. The production also features comments by Leslie S. Klinger, editor of the Edgar Allan Poe Award–winning New Annotated Sherlock Holmes.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This 1968 adaptation of the well-known Sherlock Holmes story is the first volume of the Adventure Theatre series, exhumed from the vaults of Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. Radio dramas from this era may have some charm or retro appeal, but not all of them succeed in genuinely holding the listener's interest. This one does--with decent acting and judicious sound effects. The accents, most of which are probably affected, are nonetheless convincing and easily differentiated, making the dialogue easy to follow. Only when the titular hound brays in the night does the production veer into cheesiness. Otherwise, it's an entertaining and suspenseful listen. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Let's first examine the available evidence: one great mystery, with Sherlock Holmes at his finest; an eerily atmospheric tale set on the English moors; and a spectacular narrator in Sir Derek Jacobi. And now, the particulars: Sir Derek approaches the book as a challenge, giving emotion and psychological weight to both Holmes and Watson while creating memorable voices for each of the other characters. He leads us through the maze of clues with expert pacing, never letting us know which are real and which are red herrings. Jacobi's voice reaches a crescendo as we near the dénouement and then softens as the tale concludes. The result? A wonderful experience that's elementary, dear reader, elementary. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      The most atmospheric and suspenseful of the Sherlock Holmes novels concerns a ghastly fire-breathing canine that roams the Baskerville moors and threatens the Canadian-born Baskerville heir. In imitation of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, Tony Britton gives Holmes a sharp, masterful voice and makes Watson a bit of a fool, a fool more than thirty years older than his roommate. The Canadian has a slight, intermittent Southern twang. Otherwise, this is satisfactory but is by no means the best of the many audio renditions on the market. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 1, 2002
      Sherlock Holmes aficionados will welcome the first two volumes in the Baker Street Irregulars manuscript series: Arthur Conan Doyle's Angels of Darkness: A Drama in Three Acts edited by Peter Blau, and The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter XI. The former contains a facsimile of an unpublished play based on the second part of A Study in Scarlet, while the latter includes not only a holograph reproduction and linear transcription of the chapter manuscript but also several scholarly essays on what many consider the best detective novel ever.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 24, 2009
      This better than average comics version of the quintessential 1901 Sherlock Holmes novel shows the first private detective's cool rationality confronting gibbering horror in order to thwart an ancient curse, a hound from hell that kills the male heads of a wealthy family. Patriarch Sir Charles Baskerville just having been frightened to death, Holmes and Dr. Watson set out to protect the family heir, Sir Henry. Few trappings of gothic mystery are missing from the action, but they are countered by Holmes's instructions that Watson should observe closely and analyze skeptically everything he sees. Edginton's script is much closer to Conan Doyle's original than most adaptations, although that does mean that the characters get to talk a lot. Culbard's energetic layouts and darkly sinister backgrounds are effective; when he turns to the story's people, unfortunately, the Seth-like brushwork stretches their heads until they look like animated kidney beans. Overall, though, Hound
      gives modern readers a taste of what makes Sherlock Holmes an immortal character.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1170
  • Text Difficulty:8-9

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