"As expected, enjoyable"

What did you love best about The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle?
It was just what I expected and hoped for, a quick adventure resolved intelligently

Who was your favorite character and why?
Watson, it's always Watson for me though I do love the sharp wit and intelligence of Holmes

Have you listened to any of Alan Cumming’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No I haven't but I will be keeping an eye for them, he was great

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, and I did, share and satisfying

This book contains the following five stories:

-A scandal in Bohemia
-The adventure of the blue carbuncle
-The adventure of the speckled band
-The adventure of Silver Blaze
-The final problem


Quote (from The adventure of the blue carbuncle) :

‘After all, Watson,’ said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, ‘I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be another thing, but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I am committing a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again. He is too terribly frightened. Send him to gaol now, and you make him a gaol-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness. Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and its solution is its own reward. If you will have the goodness to touch the bell, Doctor, we will begin another investigation, in which also a bird will be the chief feature.’

ধর হাতে অল্প কিছু সময় আছে, চট করে পড়ে ফেলার মত একটা বই। গতকাল রাতে ভাত খাওয়ার সময় গল্পটা অগতায় সামনে পেয়ে যাওয়াতে পড়ে ফেললাম। নিসন্দেহে শার্লক হোমসের আরেকটি চমৎকার গল্প।

This was a free Audible giveaway for Christmas 2012. I've only just gotten around to reading it. It's the first Sherlock Holmes story I've read, and it's good enough that I can see myself reading a few more.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle starts just after Christmas, with a mysterious dropped goose and hat. Sherlock surmises the identity of the owner, then places an ad to find him. Before the gentleman can show up, though, a servant finds a precious blue gem in the goose's stomach, and Sherlock sets out to find how it got there.

This is not a Christmas story in a way modern audiences would recognize it. There's no moral at the end about the meaning of Christmas or about what baby Jesus would've said about the case. Sherlock does show mercy to the thief, but he never explicitly says it's because it's Christmas. Rather, he believes that the man will be scared straight by his near-miss with infamy.

The story is short, but performed well. I enjoyed it. It was enough that I can see myself reading more Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

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.

5 hours of public transport today, so I had to read a Christmas story. Good, classic Sherlock story with a little Christmas spirit.