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53rd out of 391 books
—
556 voters
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #7)
When the Countess of Morcar's priceless blue carbuncle is stolen, a reformed thief is charged with the crime.
72 pages
Published
(first published 1892)
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Dec 22, 2012
David
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
mystery,
victorian,
christmas,
british-literature,
england,
19th-century,
short-story
This was a freebie from Audible.com. I read all the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was a kid, but I don't remember much about them individually, so it was fun to revisit Holmes and Watson for this light-hearted story of a Christmas goose that swallowed a stolen gemstone.
One thing that struck me was that the vaunted "deductive reasoning" of Holmes is really kind of laughable at times.
One thing that struck me was that the vaunted "deductive reasoning" of Holmes is really kind of laughable at times.
...more
"I have no doubt that I am very stupid, but I must confess that I am unable to follow you. For example, how did yo
While this adventure may not have as many twists as many other Homes and Watson stories, I do like the overall holiday message. If you're looking for a Christmas story that has not been overdone by the media, then this freebie for Audible members is worth listening to.
My favorite parts are the analysis of the hat and the final whodunnit with the "What are we going to do about it?" piece. Cummings does a fantastic job reading this story. I felt like he flawlessly transformed himself into all of t...more
My favorite parts are the analysis of the hat and the final whodunnit with the "What are we going to do about it?" piece. Cummings does a fantastic job reading this story. I felt like he flawlessly transformed himself into all of t...more
Click little read of a mystery I won't remember tomorrow - something about poultry and a hat. Nicely performed by Alan Cumming; he of course is the only reason I bothered listening to it.
2 likes
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like
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Dec 17, 2012
Rob
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sherlock-holmes,
audio-book
Quick review for a short story. I listened to this audio book on my drive into work. In the past I've listened to BBC Radio dramatizations of Sherlock Holmes stories. I believe this is the first actual reading of one that I've listened to.
This is not one of Doyle's best Sherlock stories. The start of the story has Sherlock rambling on about a hat trying to discover all he can about it's owner, and I find myself wonder why the great Sherlock Holmes is wasting his intellect on simply trying to ret...more
This is not one of Doyle's best Sherlock stories. The start of the story has Sherlock rambling on about a hat trying to discover all he can about it's owner, and I find myself wonder why the great Sherlock Holmes is wasting his intellect on simply trying to ret...more
Loved this one, and I think it is the funniest so far. And it is just so hyggelig* with that cozy Christmas feeling about it.
“Remember, Watson that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years' penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt; but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police, and which a singul...more
“Remember, Watson that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get seven years' penal servitude unless we can establish his innocence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt; but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been missed by the police, and which a singul...more
This is only the second Sherlock Holmes story I've read - well, second official ACD Sherlock story, as I've read other peoples' stories with or about Holmes and whatnot. And I enjoyed it, in some ways more than the first one, but still I felt like this little story was lacking, or unfinished in some way.
This was read by Alan Cummings, who did a great job, with two little nitpicky exceptions: 1) that he read just a teensy bit too fast; and 2) that there wasn't enough differentiation between Holm...more
This was read by Alan Cummings, who did a great job, with two little nitpicky exceptions: 1) that he read just a teensy bit too fast; and 2) that there wasn't enough differentiation between Holm...more
This was a free audiobook from Audible for the holiday season, and the fact that Alan Cumming was the narrator is the only reason I downloaded it. I am not a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes canon, but I adore Alan Cumming and thought he would be an excellent test to see how deep my dislike of Holmes runs. Even with Mr. Cumming’s wonderful performance - always energetic and delightful - Sherlock Holmes is not for me. Everything others love about him – his curiosity, his bombast, his superiority c...more
When a priceless gem is found inside the body of a Christmas goose, it’s up to the great detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to determine who stole it and how it ended up there.
He was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose.
As my first foray into the written tales of Sherlock Holmes (I have enjoyed the recent Robert Downey Jr movies), I was impressed. Though the tale is short and...more
He was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose.
As my first foray into the written tales of Sherlock Holmes (I have enjoyed the recent Robert Downey Jr movies), I was impressed. Though the tale is short and...more
First Sherlock Holmes adventure that I've read, and I have to say that I am extremely pleased, and excited. With the exception of the new movies with Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law, I had thought of Sherlock Holmes as old, boring, and stuffy; nothing that would interest me, or be clever enough to hold my attention. I thought that the new movies were amazing, not only for the action, but more so for the actual intellect, and mind-boggling scenarios and puzzles that Holmes is able to work his wa...more
Dec 31, 2012
Marcelo
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sherlock Holmes fans.
Recommended to Marcelo by:
Audible.com
It's great to read another Sherlock Holmes after, oh... twenty years? I still find all that 19th century language amusing and involving. Also, with all those TV shows that portray murders as the only interesting crime —have you seen the CBS «Elementary» show? — it's refreshing to see good ol' mister Holmes solving a crime that's not really a crime, where nobody got murdered, clobbered or kidnapped.
This is a light-hearted Christmas story, the kind of thing Sir Conan Doyle should have never stoppe...more
This is a light-hearted Christmas story, the kind of thing Sir Conan Doyle should have never stoppe...more
A Sherlock Holmes Christmas mystery. A tall Englishman is walking home with a Christmas goose for eating when he is accosted by some ruffian boys. He loses both his hat and the dead goose. The hat, goose and account of the incident fall into Holme's possession who takes an interest. The goose will spoil if not eaten so is given away. The hat is kept and examined by Holmes who describes in detail its owner through his deductive powers. Later, the goose is found to have ingested a precious gem of...more
An enjoyable little Christmas morsel of a mystery made all the more enjoyable by Alan Cumming's performance. Thanks to Audible for the Christmas gift.
1 like
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like
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I got this book for free for Audible's 2012 "holiday gift" to members. A 45-minute story, this seemed like it was pretty classic Sherlock (from the little I know of Sherlock). The story was cute and revolved around a holiday goose. One thing about Sherlock stories...it seems that you (the reader) can't necessarily solve the mystery with just the information given. Instead, you have the mystery unfold as Sherlock tells you how he's solved it. Sometimes, that's fun. But sometimes, you also want to...more
1 like
·
like
· see review
I can thank Audible.com and Jonny Miller's top-notch portrayal of a modern Holmes in CBS's Elementary for picking up and enjoying this one. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective solves a minor Christmas mystery beginning with only 2 items: a Christmas goose and an old hat. The path from a lost Christmas dinner to a missing gemstone of great price is a captivating one. Listening to this story really impressed upon me the work that the writers and Miller have done in creating a believable Hol...more
Da ich den Klappentext zuvor nicht kannte (ich habe das Buch von BookCrossing und im Journal stand er leider nicht), dachte ich, es wäre einfach nur eine längere Version der Kurzgeschichte “Der blaue Karfunkel”. Aber falsch gedacht! “Der blaue Karfunkel” ist auch hier nur eine von insgesamt zwölf Kurzgeschichten. Nichtsdestotrotz habe ich alle zwölf gerne gelesen, auch wenn ich einige davon bereits aus anderen Büchern kannte. Es war auf jeden Fall ein nettes Buch für Zwischendurch.
In some households, Christmas is marked by reading Dickens's "A Christmas Carol". Others with "The Gift of the Magi" and some by opening up a traditional ghost story. At Chez Szondy, we celebrate the Yuletide with "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle".
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not of the great ones, but a nice short-read.
I personally think that people who "read faces" are over-confident. And Sherlock Holmes is no exception. I think he over reads the "clues" he sees. I hope one day to write a parody on Sherlock Holmes, and show how he can be very mistaken.
none the less, it's an amusing whimsical short novel of Sir Arthur Doyle,
I personally think that people who "read faces" are over-confident. And Sherlock Holmes is no exception. I think he over reads the "clues" he sees. I hope one day to write a parody on Sherlock Holmes, and show how he can be very mistaken.
none the less, it's an amusing whimsical short novel of Sir Arthur Doyle,
It's very nice of Audible to offer this short story free for all of us this Christmas season. I love the Sherlock Holmes stories and the eloquent, old-school writing. While this isn't a Christmas story per se, it does occur during Christmas, and is quite enjoyable in its own right. It's free, it's short... I don't see anything to complain about! :)
Read this for December book club because it is a "fast read" to keep us from stessing too much about finishing a book so close the holidays. Extremely fast read - less than an hour and it brought back many memories of all the Sherlock Holmes stories I read growing up. Even has a Christmas goose and a holiday message so I had to give it four stars.
This story, given away for free from Audible, is a well-crafted mystery that demonstrates why the whole Sherlock Holmes series are so popular. It offers perhaps a more light-hearted mystery than most, as it concerns a mix-up with a Christmas goose. Alan Cumming is excellent in his delivery all the different voices and accents.
Ya know I think Holmes is mean to Watson. Basically Sherlock berates Watson on this simple and stupid "mystery" Also the police are moronic and never suspect anything as Sherlock solves a mystery even Robin could figure out...It was short though and passed the time so thats worth an extra star i guess.....
While I would hardly consider this a Christmas story, I surely enjoyed this holiday-themed Sherlock Holmes tale. This is a rather short story, yet it includes all of the aspects that we love about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The story begins with Watson visiting Holmes at Christmastime only to find him contemplating an old, battered hat. Holmes deduces several very important facts from the hat, and those deductions lead him and Watson onto a mystery that includes many geese, Covent Garden, B...more
This is a short Sherlock Holmes Christmas mystery involving a Christmas goose and a missing gem. Holmes's classic deductive reasonings are demonstrated and there is a nice holiday message. Alan Cummings as the narrator was excellent. A fun listen and a nice free Christmas gift from Audible.
I was surprisingly unimpressed with Mr. Cumming's narration. I didn't buy his accents. He's an actual British person though, so . . . I dunno. What do I know.
Also the mystery itself was trite. I'm not a big fan of mysteries actually, but this was free, so I listened to it.
Also the mystery itself was trite. I'm not a big fan of mysteries actually, but this was free, so I listened to it.
Just a quick short story that paints Sherlock Holmes and Watson as the people they are. A jewel has gone missing and it somehow made its way into their hands, and they are working to determine who may have stolen it. Per the usual, Holmes has all the answers. Again, simple and elegant.
Audible.com always gives their members a free read (or listen) for Christmas. This was a great short story (45 minutes) set during the Christmas holiday in London. A blue diamond (the blue carbuncle) is found in a goose and Sherlock and Watson track down how it got there.
Another favorite adventure from the experiences of Holmes and Watson. This was definitely a comical and whimsical story perfect for the holiday season.
The array of highly characterized individuals as the whole "wild goose chase" that was involved (pun intended), really made this adventure an enjoyable one.
The array of highly characterized individuals as the whole "wild goose chase" that was involved (pun intended), really made this adventure an enjoyable one.
This was a free download from Audible. I have never read Sherlock Holmes before, so this was my first foray into his world. This was an interesting short story, and I enjoyed hearing how he made his deductions based on the clues.
This was a free listen/gift from Audible this holiday. I love a good mystery, and while this one was just so-so, Sherlock Holmes is just so clever (and Doyle's writing so great) that I still enjoyed it. A quick little read for a snowy Saturday morning.
The was a free audiobook from audible.com and was read by Alan Cumming. Well done and of course well written. Another enjoyable book to listen to. It doesn't hurt that I own a complete collection of Sherlock Holmes annotated.
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Arthur Conan Doyle was born the third of ten siblings on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle, was born in England of Irish descent, and his mother, born Mary Foley, was Irish. They were married in 1855.
Although he is now referred to as "Conan Doyle", the origin of this compound surname (if that is how he meant it to be understood) is uncertain. His baptism record...more
More about Arthur Conan Doyle...
Although he is now referred to as "Conan Doyle", the origin of this compound surname (if that is how he meant it to be understood) is uncertain. His baptism record...more
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“My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know.”
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250 people liked it
“Holmes took up the stone and held it against the light. "It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the banks of the Amoy River in soutern China and is remarkable in having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing, a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this forty-grain weight of crystallised charcoal. Who would think that so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the prison?”
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10 people liked it
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Dec 23, 2012 05:28am