Audiobook · read by volunteers
Sign of the Four
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
Read by Robin Cotter · 12 chapters · 4 h 17
About the book
A young woman comes to 221B Baker Street with a strange story. Years ago her father disappeared, and for some time now she has been receiving a valuable pearl by post, once a year. Now she has been invited to meet an unknown person, and she asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to go with her. Their inquiry leads them to a stolen treasure, to a secret pact made long ago in colonial India and to a chase through the streets and along the river of London. Arthur Conan Doyle's second Holmes novel is a fast, ingenious story that also introduces a romance for Watson. Twelve chapters and over four hours, read by LibriVox volunteers. Brisk, atmospheric and full of memorable moments, it shows Holmes at his sharpest and Watson at his most human. A superb choice for lovers of classic detective fiction.
Introduction
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930) created Sherlock Holmes in the late 1880s, and the character quickly became one of the most famous figures in fiction. The Sign of the Four, which appeared in 1890, is the second novel about the detective. It follows A Study in Scarlet and precedes the long series of short stories that made Holmes a household name.
The case begins with a client, Miss Mary Morstan, and a mystery that stretches back many years. The investigation takes Holmes and Watson from the center of London to a house on the outskirts, and from there to the docks and the Thames. Along the way the reader meets the detective's method of observation and deduction, which Holmes explains with his usual confidence, as well as the loyal and good-natured Dr. Watson, who tells the story.
The novel mixes detection with adventure and a touch of the exotic, as the history of the crime involves colonial India and a buried fortune. It also shows Doyle's flair for dramatic scenes and his gift for atmosphere, particularly in the fog and gaslight of Victorian London.
This recording has twelve chapters, with a total running time of around four hours and twenty minutes, and is read by volunteers of LibriVox. It is an excellent choice for fans of the Holmes stories and a good introduction for newcomers who have only seen the character on screen. Holmes's quick judgments about strangers, which seem almost magical until he explains them, are a signature of the series and appear here in abundance. The novel's pace is rapid, and its final chapters give a glimpse of the author's skill in storytelling at speed.
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