Audiobook · read by volunteers
His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
Read by Kalynda, Gesine, Sarah Jennings, Lizzie Driver, Kristine Bekere, Robin Cotter, Laurie Anne Walden, Zachary Brewster-Geisz · 16 chapters · 6 h 37
About the book
The great detective is older now, and the world he lives in is changing. His Last Bow gathers Sherlock Holmes stories that range from a baffling country-house puzzle in Wisteria Lodge to the strange case of a landlady’s mysterious lodger in The Adventure of the Red Circle. There are stolen plans, hidden identities, desperate criminals and political secrets, and Holmes uses reasoning, disguise and sharp observation to put each right. Dr. Watson, as ever, is at his side, ready to be dragged into awkward situations and to record them for readers. With a spirit of adventure and a sense of the shadow of the coming war, this collection is a satisfying return to Baker Street for old admirers and a good place to start for newcomers. The game, as ever, is afoot.
Introduction
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish-born physician and writer who created Sherlock Holmes in the 1880s. His Holmes stories became a model for detective fiction, and the character has remained one of the most famous in literature. His Last Bow, subtitled Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes, was published in 1917 and collects stories written over a number of years.
The sixteen recordings begin with a preface and the first part of The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge, followed by the second part and the opening of The Adventure of the Red Circle, and continue through the other stories in the volume. Watson narrates most of them, with his usual loyalty and modest humour. The collection reflects a more reflective period in the Holmes saga, and its later tales touch on international tensions in the years before 1914. For fans of puzzle and atmosphere, it offers hours of enjoyment.
Several of the stories have become classics of the detective genre, and the book includes the title story, set on the eve of the First World War, in which Holmes has a final mission to carry out. Even if you know the earlier collections, this volume offers a fine blend of mystery, character and period atmosphere.
Sixteen recordings, about 6.6 hours in all, are read by LibriVox volunteers, with each of the eight stories split into two parts, so that every case can be heard over two short sittings with the plot fresh in the mind. The collection shows the range of the canon in small: a feigned illness in The Dying Detective, a dangerous experiment in The Devil’s Foot and, in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, a search in which Watson is sent ahead.
Public domain
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text