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    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Level 5
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Level 5
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Level 5
    Audiobook (abridged)1 hour

    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Level 5

    Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Narrated by Iman

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate these 10 mysterious cases: "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", "The Red-Headed League", "A Case of Identity", "The Bascombe Valley Mystery", "The Man with the Twisted Lip", "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle", "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor", "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet", "A Scandal in Bohemia", and "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb".


    This audio classic novel has been carefully abridged and adapted into 10 short easy to understand chapters. This format enables listeners of all ages and English language abilities to understand and enjoy the story. Composition includes original custom back ground music.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEDCON Publishing
    Release dateJul 1, 2011
    ISBN9780848113438
    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Level 5
    Author

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Arthur Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He is the creator of the Sherlock Holmes character, writing his debut appearance in A Study in Scarlet. Doyle wrote notable books in the fantasy and science fiction genres, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.

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    Reviews for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

    4.5/5

    56 ratings51 reviews

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    • 4/5
      These are some fun and sometimes weird little stories that showcase not only Holmes' ability to solve mysteries, but also his relationship with Watson. The only down side that they do tend to be off the beaten track of Holmes actually catching a criminal and mostly around him figuring something out that doesn't result in anyone being brought to justice. Still fun reading though.
    • 3/5
      These twelve adventures made for fun reading. The writing style is quaint, sometimes I found it amusing that the people who came to Sherlock with their problems told their tales as if they were novelists. Holmes is an intriguing character.
    • 5/5
      This is made up of a collection of 12 short stories of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It is a cracking good read. Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating and entertaining character. Eccentric and brilliant with Dr Watson an excellent sidekick. I highly recommend these books.
    • 4/5
      LibraryThing predicted (with a very high degree of confidence)that I would not like this book, but it was wrong! I had never read of any Sherlock Holmes stories before, and I found them very enjoyable, if a bit formulaic. I'm sure I will read more Holmes in the future.
    • 4/5
      Loved it, but verrrrrry long.
    • 5/5
      These are the first Sherlock Holmes short stories--twelve of them--that first appeared in the magazine The Strand from 1891 to 1892. This presents Doyle at the top of his game with Holmes, and it was one of the short stories in this volume, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" that was my introduction to Holmes when it was assigned in school. I'd definitely name that story as a standout, although I think my favorite might very well be the first story, "A Scandal in Bohemia" where the famously misogynistic Holmes is impressed by Irene Adler who manages to outwit him--not something you'd often see. I'd also call "The Red-Headed League" among the most memorable Sherlock Holmes story, although there's not one story in this volume I didn't love. Even more than the Holmes novels, its these short stories that made me fall in love with Holmes--and his "Boswell" Doctor James Watson--Holmes friend and our narrator and sharper and more insightful in these stories than the reputation he gained from the films.
    • 5/5
      My first Sherlock Holmes.. and it won't be my last!
    • 5/5
      Unlike the earlier books in A.C. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series, this is a collection of short stories about the famed detective rather than one over-arching mystery novel. It opens with a story involving the infamous Ms. Adler (who's from New Jersey!):To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer—excellent for drawing the veil from men’s motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.Many of the adventures take place after Dr. Watson has married Miss Morstan, taken up his own residence, and returned to civil practice. Meanwhile, Holmes spends his time "buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature."These adventures may seem pale compared to today’s often bloody and grisly murder mysteries. Many of the cases seem rather mundane at first glance, although as Holmes points out in this conversation, the blandest-appearing mysteries often turn out to be the most complex:“It seems, from what I gather, to be one of those simply cases which are so extremely difficult.” [Holmes]“That sounds a little paradoxical.”“But it is profoundly true. Singularity is almost invariably a clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the most difficult it is to bring it home.”While it was only beginning to be alluded to in earlier two books, we see Holmes here as the master of disguise. We also learn some more about Holmes’s methods from his lips (“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” and "I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.") as well as from Watson's observations of Holmes's work ("there was something in his masterly grasp of a situation, and his keen, incisive reasoning, which made it a pleasure to me to study his system of work, and to follow the quick, subtle methods by which he disentangled the most inextricable mysteries.")When Doyle finishes the collection with “The Adventure of the Copper Benches,” he begins that story with a reflection again on his own writing, vis-à-vis a conversation between Holmes and Watson: To the man who loves art for its own sake,” remarked Sherlock Holmes, tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the Daily Telegraph, “it is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived. It is pleasant to me to observe, Watson, that you have so far grasped this truth that in these little records of our cases which you have been good enough to draw up, and, I am bound to say, occasionally to embellish, you have given prominence not so much to the many causes célèbres and sensational trials in which I have figured but rather to those incidents which may have been trivial in themselves, but which have given room for those faculties of deduction and of logical synthesis which I have made my special province.” “And yet,” said I, smiling, “I cannot quite hold myself absolved from the charge of sensationalism which has been urged against my records.” “You have erred, perhaps,” he observed, taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry-wood pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious rather than a meditative mood—“you have erred perhaps in attempting to put colour and life into each of your statements instead of confining yourself to the task of placing upon record that severe reasoning from cause to effect which is really the only notable feature about the thing.” … “At the same time,” he remarked after a pause, during which he had sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into the fire, “you can hardly be open to a charge of sensationalism, for out of these cases which you have been so kind as to interest yourself in, a fair proportion do not treat of crime, in its legal sense, at all. The small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King of Bohemia, the singular experience of Miss Mary Sutherland, the problem connected with the man with the twisted lip, and the incident of the noble bachelor, were all matters which are outside the pale of the law. But in avoiding the sensational, I fear that you may have bordered on the trivial.” “The end may have been so,” I answered, “but the methods I hold to have been novel and of interest.”All in all, this is indeed a work “of interest” despite its perhaps “trivial” mysteries. (Although I would argue that the mysteries are not trivial but rather interesting brain teasers for the armchair sleuth.) One thing I enjoyed about this book being a collection of short stories rather than a novel was that I could take my time and stretch out the enjoyment of this book by reading only a story or two at a time and then pausing to read something else before coming back to enjoy some more Holmes with another round or two. This is definitely a must-read for any Sherlock Holmes fan as well as a good introduction to the world-famous detective for others.
    • 4/5
      Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is a man with incredible deductive reasoning skills, little patience and a cocaine and snuff habit. The mysteries in this volume are varied -- in some the answers are quite obvious, while in others Holmes weaves together a collection of clues that are so minute in nature that the solutions aren't so very readily apparent. The characters are vibrant and colorful, which makes this an entertaining and quick read.
    • 5/5
      I first met Sherlock Holmes in high school, and have been on friendly terms with him ever since. The dozen stories in this book include: A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, A Case of Identity, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Five Orange Pips, The Man with the Twisted Lip, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb, The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor, The Adventure of the Beryl Cornet, and The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.
    • 5/5
      ** spoiler alert ** This book is so intriguing that I couldn't make myself put this book down. it's amazing that Arthur Conan Doyle can create a character so moody, bout so observant and intelligent that can notice everything at any time.I did get quite scared by the five orange pips, and I did find out that Ku klux Klan still exists today! Ugh! It gives me shivers! Beware of some really freakish parts in this book full of mysteries.
    • 3/5
      This collection contains twelve short stories regarding the famous Sherlock Holmes and his perennially flabbergasted assistant Dr. Watson, and I was only required to read one ("A Case of Identity") for my literary studies class. But since I'd bought the whole book, I figured I might as well finish it off.And it surprised me by being not half bad - much better than the Maltese Falcon, despite breaking the age record by another forty years. I'm actually formulating a theory about that; my edition of the Maltese Falcon was published in the 70s, while my edition of this was published in the 90s. Every book published in the 70s has a very small and irritating font, leading me to subconsciously dislike it. Anyway.I like the characters. They are the kind of men whom you can really picture smoking pipes and speaking to each other in verbose, quick sentences in their upper-class British accents, which appeals greatly to me for reasons I'm unsure of. There's just something loveably hilarious about those kind of people, who don't really exist anymore. The plot, as with any anthology of short stories, is sometimes good and sometimes dull. The mysteries are usually fairly interesting, and certainly paint an accurate sketch of London society in the late 19th century. I was also pleased to find that I solved some of them before they were over. It does occasionally require some suspension of disbelief, usually about Holmes' observational skills. Part of this is the abundance of clues themselves, which reminded me of Terry Pratchett's quote that "the footprints in the flowerbed were probably, in the real world, left by the window cleaner." The other thing that irritated me was that people were constantly amazed by Holmes' skill, even Watson, who after twenty years of friendship with the detective really should have grown used to it. Worse are his Scotland Yard colleagues, who scoff at his "fanciful" solutions and insist that their solution to the crime is the correct one. In the space of a few stories it was quite easy for me to see that Sherlock Holmes is the Jack Bauer of the Victorian era: he is never, ever wrong, and if you want to solve a problem, just step aside and let him do his thing. Everyone he deals with fails to grasp such an obvious fact despite it being repeatedly shoved in their faces, and if this was typical of people at the time, then I guess I can see why the British Empire fell apart.Fun fact: Sherlock Holmes was addicted to crack!
    • 4/5
      Summary: Everyone's favorite detective is back at work in this collection of short stories. Narrated by his companion John Watson, the twelve stories in this collection show Sherlock Holmes at his best; not always solving the crime, but always applying his unique blend of observation, deduction, and the application of an endless supply of seemingly trivial knowledge into catching criminals and solving the seemingly impossible problems that are brought to his door. The stories included are "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League," "A Case of Identity," "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," "The Five Orange Pips," "The Man with the Twisted Lip," "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb," "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor"," "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," and "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches."Review: Reading this book was a very interesting experience. I was familiar with the characters, and even with some of the stories, from their various derivative books, movies and TV incarnations, but I'd never actually read any of the original works. It was inevitable that some of my preconceptions based on those other works leaked into my experience of this book, but there were also aspects of the original that definitely surprised me. To start with, I was surprised at how short a lot of the stories were. Had I been thinking about it, I would have realized that packing 12 stories into 9 hours of audiobook necessarily means that they're going to average out to 45 minutes apiece. But I'd watched the BBC Benedict Cumberbatch version fairly recently, and each (90 minute) episode of that has, if not multiple mysteries per se, then at least multiple times when Sherlock is using his deductive powers, and typically a fair number of twists and turns. For example, the very first story, "A Scandal in Bohemia", I was enjoying drawing the connections to the episode "A Scandal in Belgravia," and listening to the original and seeing what stayed and what got updated for the TV version. But then the story just... stopped, or so it seemed to me, and I was left wondering "where's the rest?" Because of course the episode extrapolates and adds on to its source material, but I was still left feeling a little shortchanged. In several other of the stories as well, there's sort of an abrupt feeling, without the same tension or excitement or mysteriousness that I was expecting. I realize that that's not entirely fair to Doyle's work, but it's maybe an inevitable consequence of the order in which I experienced things.At the same time, however, I did find these stories on the whole quite fun, in particular some of the ones with which I was less familiar. I thought "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" was fun, and complex enough to keep me intrigued, and "The Man with the Twisted Lip" and "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" both had an excellent flavor of different aspects of Victorian London to them. I also liked hearing Watson speak for himself, and thought the language was more modern than I was expecting (although the phrase "knock you up" for "call upon you" - e.g. "Sorry to knock you up so early in the morning" - never failed to confuse/amuse me).I did find that if I listened to more than one or two stories in a row, they quickly got to feel fairly formulaic. Holmes is presented with a crime (or a strange occurrence; not all of the cases involved crimes as such), he and Watson listen to the particulars of the case, Watson is perplexed, Holmes berates him for not observing properly, Holmes then points out the details that Watson missed and deduces the correct answer, the bad guy is caught (or occasionally not), the end. I had a much better time with this book listening to only a story at a time, then switching to something else for a few days. Even so, these aren't the kind of mysteries where all the clues are available to the reader; Holmes typically only points out the details he's noticed when he's explaining what they mean. It's left me very interested to read the novels, rather than the short stories, to see how Doyle develops the mystery over the longer scale. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Definitely worth reading for anyone who likes the Sherlock Holmes adaptations, or mysteries in general, but they're better when not read straight through.
    • 5/5
      I love Sherlock Holms stories. My idea of a good book is one I can read over and over again and not get tired of it. The stories are great mystery/detective stories and great to read before bed.
    • 5/5
      Sherlock Holmes possesses an uncanny knowledge of almost everything, which allows him to see through every case. My personal favorite of the short stories was A Scandal in Bohemian, featuring the only woman to ever outsmart Sherlock Holmes...while The Adventure of the Speckled Band kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a must read for any mystery fan.
    • 4/5
      I think I liked these short stories better than I liked the novels -- or novellas, or whatever you wish to call A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. I think that was partially because they suffer less from what I think is a pretty off-putting structural problem with the longer stories, and instead keep things simpler. It's also nice that they represent a wider range of cases, with some that aren't specifically crimes/don't involve death, and with Irene Adler there to put Holmes in his place -- just a little.

      The stories are also amazingly easy to read. I've read modern work which is less accessible and engaging.
    • 4/5
      Sherlock Holmes posses an uncanny knowledge of almost everything, which allows him to see through every case. My personal favorite of the short stories was A Scandal in Bohemian, featuring the only woman to ever outsmart Sherlock Holmes...while The Adventure of the Speckled Band kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a must read for any mystery fan.
    • 3/5
      I will admit I was reading this primarily to provide context for the recent movies (and... other media) so I wasn't nearly as concerned with the quality of the mysteries. I can definitely see why Holmes and Watson are such resilient characters - their relationship is delightful. The actual stories are pleasantly short, and I was satisfied that while I couldn't actually solve the mystery most of the time (the reader doesn't get enough info) I could usually see the shape of it, which made me anticipate the reveal more tan I would have otherwise.
    • 4/5
      This is the first volume of short stories, containing the stories written after the Sign of Four and published in the Strand. Doyle's style is enhanced, I think, by the abbreviated style - The Sign of Four and A Study in Scarlet both had the same problem with dragging and tedious narrative in the second act, while the short stories simply have no room for wandering digression. They still aren't at top form, though, I think, though they are fabulous. Doyle has an excellent turn for description; "All day the wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows, so that even here in the heart of great, hand-made London we were forced to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life and to recognise the presence of those great elemental forces which shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilisation, like untamed beasts in a cage." Some of my favorites in this collection are The Adventure of the Red-Headed League (hilarious!), The Adventure of the Speckled Band, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches and The Boscombe Valley Mystery, which are all rife with an intriguing mystery and dramatic intent. We see the extent to which Holmes has come to depend on Watson, as well, and are introduced to more of the man's peculiar habits - cocaine, bending steel pokers, and loitering in opium dens which makes for a hilarious opening sequence (even in a rather lackluster story).
    • 3/5
      This book started off pretty good, but then it sorta got more and more boring as it went along. But int he beginning, Sherlock Holmes was so cool! He would say something about someone, and I would be so suprised! Then he would explain how he got it, and it would seem so simple that even I could do it! He's really amazing! But his stories are slightly predictable. I think my favourite one of the short stories in here would be......the Bombsco Vally Mystery. That one was so cool! It involved a murder mystery, and all the evidence points to the murdered man's son, but Sherlock Holmes doesn't think it was the son. But the story was SO predictable. As soon as I heard Sherlock tell the mystery, I already knew who did it! But all in all, it was a pretty good book!
    • 4/5
      This set of short stories is full of interesting puzzles that seem impossible until seen from a different perspective. I quite enjoyed them.
    • 3/5
      I remembered reading the Hound of the Baskervilles when I was younger, and remembered that I liked it. Also, Sherlock Holmes has been an interest of mine since childhood, despite not having read many of his stories. So when I found The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as a free e-book, I downloaded it and read it. I must say that I have had some mixed opinions about the book. The fact that it, like many of the Sherlock Holmes stories, are told from the point of view of Watson instead of from the third person perspective diminishes the book to some degree. The author in essence took the easy way out of telling detective stories from the point of view from someone who doesn't know about solving mysteries--in other words, the author--Sir Conan Doyle--apparently did not know about what he was writing about. Mysteries were being solved sometimes as quickly as he was being given the facts--and there were quite a few facts that the reader is never given but yet what Sherlock Holmes apparently "knew." I'm someone who likes to try to solve the mystery along the way as I'm reading, and with most of the stories, that just isn't possible. With the exception of the last story in the book, which I would have to say is my favorite, which can be solved easily by reading it. Maybe that means it's too predictable or the plot has been overdone many times throughout the years, I don't know. In these stories, you will find the story of the women who was able to defeat Sherlock Holmes, the mention of his drug addiction, as well as his axom of "once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, most be the truth."
    • 5/5
      Mr. Sherlock Holmes – a consulting detective with a dark side, solving crimes by the dozen with his trusty partner, Doctor John Watson; the pair of Englishmen are an unstoppable team, Watson under the training of his dubiously intelligent brother of bond, the famous detective known only by the name of Holmes. Sherlock is quite the interesting character, being emotionally unattached to his cases and his only friend, and only strives to solve the mysteries at hand – his work is his only true interest, other than the woman, Irene Adler, who makes short appearances in his life throughout the many stories. Most see him as ruthless and inconsiderate, but he is merely doing what he does best: his job. He considers his job to be his life, and even though it’s the only thing he is committed to, he manages to maintain a relationship with his Boswell, John Watson. John Watson is a loyal man, one of great medical skill, and slowly learning the way of work through his unemotional partner along the way, and is more interested in social life then Holmes. Ironically enough, the two are completely different, yet they share a bond unthinkable to most, one that can never be broken, even through the toughest of hardships. These two are unstoppably unpredictable, and I find their reign wondrous.These two men face much conflict throughout the book, seeing as though it is not one story, but twelve very interesting ones instead. From photographs, to stolen identities, to cases of a governess, the possibilities they face are endless, though not unsolvable. Holmes can solve a case by simply examining the words stated by his client, making sense of nonsense, so it seemed to most. How is it that he solves such mysteries that occur? He examines anything and everything that comes to his eyes or his mind, there’s not a thought that brushes past this claimed madman’s mind, and if there is, well, he’s certainly in for some struggle, but he won’t prevail, nonetheless. It is due to his partners help that he is successful, he admits it often. The two are like opposites, but when you put them together, they make sense of the confusion through observation.These stories take place in nineteenth century London, a time of industry and wealth for the British Empire. The city is alive; the streets are filled with people, not necessarily full of joy, but filled, nonetheless. New business, new trade, new industry, new populations arising, London is reaching its pinnacle of success and standards. The Victorian era only makes the gloomy city all the more interesting, hiding many secrets beneath its surface, having much crime, which makes it the only place where Holmes would have been successful during this certain time period. Holmes isn’t Holmes without his London, or that’s the way I see it. Complications would have been different elsewhere, and much less interesting. The United Kingdom was extremely interesting during the late eighteen hundreds, much more than any other location during this time. This book has taught me that there is always an answer. Just because it isn’t seen at first glance, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to solve it anyhow. You’d be surprised what wonders observation and solving can bring you. It can make you more intelligent and open to what life throws at you, open your eyes anew to its inviting arms. All in all, this book has inspired me endlessly, and is my all-time favorite piece of classic literature.
    • 5/5
      I felt as a lover of mysteries that I was doing myself a disservice not going back to the roots and checking out the master sleuth and I really have to say it was a disservice that I'd denied myself for so long. I loved these stories! I can't wait follow more of Holmes deducing!
    • 4/5
      Classics never die. Watson's 1st person portrayal of Holmes is brilliant & witty. There is great chemistry between two of Doyle's most famous characters.
    • 5/5
      This book consists of several bite-sized nuggets of mystery, each of the tales being 20-25 pps long. Holmes usually has the answer to the case before he hears the end of the story, and Watson always tries to be as perceptive as Holmes, but fails. However, we need Watson because he is the narrator! I can't decide which was scarier: The Speckled Band or The Engineer's Thumb. Gripping! I am glad to have finally discovered Watson and Holmes!
    • 4/5
      I love Sherlock Holmes! The first story is definitely my favorite, but most of the short stories are great little mysteries.
    • 5/5
      Recently I read a Yahoo! article that stated many Brits (I forget the percentage) believe Sherlock Holmes was real. For that alone, Doyle deserves four stars. Extra star for the writing.
    • 5/5
      This is one of my most favorite re-reads. I enjoy picking up this tome and running through one of Sir Arthur's stories and being taken to a time past. The words bring me to London (or elsewhere) in a time before tech. I can see Holmes and Watson talking in the sitting room, looking at evidence. The twists and turns are enjoyable, as is the vast cast of characters we are introduced to. A great read for bedtime for young readers.
    • 5/5
      Excellent. Sherlock Holmes is fascinating, and Watson's patience never ceases to astound me. The tone and plots were a little unexpected since all movie/TV adaptations of Holmes are very different, but it's an easy pace to fall into and I soon came to love the original Holmes just as much, if not more, as the various TV versions.