A Study in Scarlet

I listened to the audio version of this Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the other week. I borrowed the BBC radio version from the library and was delighted! What fun... who needs TV when you have the BBC radio version of a book. Has anyone else listened to one of these (or actually remembers when there wasn't television readily available, and people relied on the radio for their entertainment)? It is very different than a regular audiobook. The radio version actually has  sound effects, musical accompaniment, a cast with different actors playing the parts, and more. Fantastic. 

The story was short and entertaining. It was the first Sherlock Holmes mystery that I have actually ever read, and I believe it was the first one ever published. I enjoyed it, and was surprised at the personality of Holmes. I had it in my head that he was a silly character, one that almost pretended to be a sleuth, but really was not one (no doubt thanks to the 1980's movie starring Michael Caine). Holmes is anything but bumbling, and actually a likeable, impressive character. The story has none of the thrill or suspense that today's mysteries contain, but that's to be expected... times change and people need more now to thrill them. 

All in all, I found it an enjoyable introduction to the famous protagonist and look forward to visiting him again in the future. 
Three Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Comments

[jaydek]

I haven't listened to this series in particular, but sounds delightful! I know what you mean about the extra bells & whistles--I do listen to a lot of the LA Theatre Works audio books you can rent at the library. They're usually only about two hours and work perfect for a not-too-long road trip. It's allowed me to appreciate some older famous plays I've never seen in person but still always wanted to see/hear. The Oscar Wilde ones in particular are a favortie.