Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Narrator: Frederick Davidson
Format: 4 discs, 4 hours, 3 minute tracks
Published: 1999 by Blackstone Audio, Inc., originally published in 1887
Genre: mystery, classic
Obtained: library
Summary: A dead man is found in an abandoned house. There are blood spatters around the corpse which does not appear to have any wounds. A gold ring falls out of the dead man's hand, and the word "Rache" is written in blood on a wall. Scotland Yard is baffled, so they call in Sherlock Holmes as a consultant. Holmes asks his new flatmate, Dr. Watson, if he would like to accompany him to the crime scene. Dr. Watson readily agrees because he has become quite interested in Holmes and his oddities. Holmes, with the assistance of Dr.Watson, takes on the job of solving the case and catching the murderer.
Thoughts: The story has two parts. The first part begins with Dr. Watson's story and how he meets Sherlock Holmes and comes to live with him at 221B Baker Street. We learn all about Dr. Watson's life up until this point and then learn about Sherlock Holmes through Watson's eyes. I really enjoyed finding out how Holmes and Watson met and became partners. The mystery is then introduced. We learn about the deductive reasoning and techniques Holmes uses to solve cases.
The second part is the story of why the crime was committed, which is a good yarn within itself. It does not include Holmes and Watson. The second part was at the beginning of the third disc and I thought I had the wrong disc because it was really the beginning of another story! I checked the disc and found I had the right one, though. I really liked this added bit- the murderer's story and why he committed the murder. At the end, the two stories were brought together- an creative presentation.
I loved the characters. Both Watson and Holmes are bizarre, yet seem so real. Neither is very successful in life, but they do make a successful crime solving pair. It was fascinating to discover what the original Holmes and Watson were like since they have been portrayed in so many different ways since their characters were first created.
I loved the author's writing style. The pace of the story was perfect- not rushed, but not drawn out. The writing was clear and organized. I liked how the majority of the book was from Dr. Watson's perspective. The only thing that was not believable was the way Holmes figured out how a crime was committed- the deductive reasoning made sense, but not the clues themselves. For example, he does a lot with footprints and marks in the dirt. There are just so many factors that could have affected these markings. It was just presented simpler than it would be in reality. But, it sure did make for a good story.
The narrator seemed as if he was reading fast at first, but I got used to it quickly. I didn't notice it after about 10-15 minutes. The speaking was clear and lively.
Any mystery lover should read this book. The story is a great one, but even more important is that you find out how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came to be.
Thoughts: The story has two parts. The first part begins with Dr. Watson's story and how he meets Sherlock Holmes and comes to live with him at 221B Baker Street. We learn all about Dr. Watson's life up until this point and then learn about Sherlock Holmes through Watson's eyes. I really enjoyed finding out how Holmes and Watson met and became partners. The mystery is then introduced. We learn about the deductive reasoning and techniques Holmes uses to solve cases.
The second part is the story of why the crime was committed, which is a good yarn within itself. It does not include Holmes and Watson. The second part was at the beginning of the third disc and I thought I had the wrong disc because it was really the beginning of another story! I checked the disc and found I had the right one, though. I really liked this added bit- the murderer's story and why he committed the murder. At the end, the two stories were brought together- an creative presentation.
I loved the characters. Both Watson and Holmes are bizarre, yet seem so real. Neither is very successful in life, but they do make a successful crime solving pair. It was fascinating to discover what the original Holmes and Watson were like since they have been portrayed in so many different ways since their characters were first created.
I loved the author's writing style. The pace of the story was perfect- not rushed, but not drawn out. The writing was clear and organized. I liked how the majority of the book was from Dr. Watson's perspective. The only thing that was not believable was the way Holmes figured out how a crime was committed- the deductive reasoning made sense, but not the clues themselves. For example, he does a lot with footprints and marks in the dirt. There are just so many factors that could have affected these markings. It was just presented simpler than it would be in reality. But, it sure did make for a good story.
The narrator seemed as if he was reading fast at first, but I got used to it quickly. I didn't notice it after about 10-15 minutes. The speaking was clear and lively.
Any mystery lover should read this book. The story is a great one, but even more important is that you find out how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson came to be.
Tea: Golden Pu-erh
Obtained: gift
This is the second pu-erh tea I have tried. To be honest, it tasted very much like the first one. I think I would have to taste them one after the other to distinguish the differences. What stood out for me, was the dark color of the liquid (as can be seen in the picture). Pu-erh tea also has a very distinct taste- to me an earthy taste that reminds me of a barnyard. It also is supposed to have many health benefits including reducing "bad" cholesterol levels and increasing "good" cholesterol levels.
I received "Golden Pu-erh" in a Pu-erh tea sampler. It came in a good quality tin. The long brown leaves had a very light scent of damp woods. I steeped one tablespoon of leaves in eight ounces of water for five minutes. The liquid was a very dark reddish brown that smelled of fresh hay. It had a bold earthy taste. I would describe the taste as robust.
Pu-erh tea is unlike any other tea I have tried. When I smelled both the leaves and the liquid, I thought I would not like the tea, but I enjoyed it.
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