Tangled Web UK Review October 2007
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes: v. 1 CD by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
hbk out October 07
Published by Naxos AudioBooks
at £16.99
The first of a two-part production of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, the final
dozen cases of the Great Detective. The six adventures are on four discs, in the order:
'Thor Bridge', 'The Mazarin Stone', 'The Creeping Man', 'The Sussex Vampire',
'The Three Garridebs', and 'The Blanched Soldier'. As the last of the five collections
of Sherlock Holmes short stories, The Casebook is much-maligned: it's well-known
that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already tired of his creation several times over and
wrote them purely for financial reasons. Critics claim his lack of enthusiasm is all too
evident, but the compilation in fact contains several of the most popular and famous
of Holmes's exploits, two of which – 'Thor Bridge' and 'The Sussex Vampire' – have
been selected for this set. Mr Timson's reading is clear and well-paced, and he
manages to bring a different voice to each role he adopts. His depiction of Holmes
and Watson is particularly pleasing, breathing new life into the characters and
emphasising the differences between them. A subtle score increases the drama and
facilitates the segues in what are often very fast-paced stories.
The accompanying booklet contains a useful index of the tracks into which
each CD is divided for ease of access, as well as Mr Timson's own notes on each
case. The latter are well-informed, accurate, and offer interesting observations that
will appeal to enthusiasts and casual listeners alike. There is an unfortunate error in
the blurb, which refers to fifty-four Sherlock Holmes short stories (there are fifty-six,
and four novellas), and also makes 'The Mazarin Stone' and 'The Creeping Man'
sound more intriguing than they really are. Mr Timson's narration comes to the
rescue here, however, and many Sherlockians will find fresh enjoyment in the duo.
The former was written for the stage, and is ample evidence of why Sir Arthur was a
more successful author than playwright. The latter has suffered from ridicule in
approaching the realms of science fiction, although contemporary listeners may
regard it as a case of Edwardian Viagra. Mr Timson's earlier readings for Naxos have
already received much praise, and he deserves even more with these less popular
adventures. The series is rapidly gaining a reputation as the definitive audiobook
version, and the quality really is outstanding.
(
Rafe McGregor
)
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