As we see more news coverage and online chatter about Sherlock Holmes, it's only natural that there will be some misconceptions about the immortal sleuth. But this is nothing new. Sherlockians have been fighting the damage that Nigel Bruce did to Dr. Watson's intelligence in his turn as Boobus Britannicus opposite Basil Rathbone
But where there's a challenge, there's also an opportunity. We've just learned of an effort by AudioFile to educate those new to the great detective by creating a Listeners' Guide to Sherlock Holmes. From December 16 - 29, 2009, you'll be able to download three short stories, listen to narrator interviews and more - all for free. Their release explains all of the details.
AudioFile, the magazine and Web site devoted to audiobooks, is offering a free audio collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories as part of its Listeners’ Guide to Sherlock Holmes. The Listeners’ Guide is an online multimedia event where visitors can listen to exclusive conversations with Holmes narrators and experts, read AudioFile Editors’ audiobook reviews and recommendations, and discover more remarkable Sherlock Holmes resources on the Internet.
Visitors can easily download and listen to David Timson reading “Silver Blaze,” “The Adventure of the Stock-Broker’s Clerk,” and “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans,” courtesy of Naxos AudioBooks. In addition, listeners are invited to discuss their favorite Sherlock Holmes audiobooks on AudioFile's Facebook page.
This Listeners’ Guide also offers free, behind-the-scenes conversations with AudioFile’s Editors and narrators David Timson, Simon Prebble, and Ralph Cosham, plus an interview with award-winning audio dramatist and AudioFile contributing editor Yuri Rasovsky. The actors share their favorite scenes and give unique perspectives on being the voices of Sherlock Holmes. Visitors will learn about the iconic detective and discover how the voices of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and other memorable characters are created by talented narrators and actors.
“With the 150th anniversary of Arthur Conan Doyle’s birth this year and the release of the Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey, Jr., it's an appropriate time to encourage a new generation of fans to discover the voices of Sherlock Holmes,” said AudioFile Editor and Founder Robin Whitten. “The atmospheric settings, intellectual puzzles, and intriguing characters of Arthur Conan Doyle make perfect audio listening. This Listeners’ Guide also acknowledges the dynamic work of Holmes interpreters from Basil Rathbone to today’s best audiobook narrators.”
The Sherlock Holmes Listeners’ Guide is AudioFile’s latest celebration of the audio works of great writers. Recent Listeners’ Guides have focused on the audiobooks of Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, and Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Sign up to receive AudioFile’s Listeners’ Guides at http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/enews_signup.html
If you're a fan of the podcast I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, you should certainly be checking out what they've got over at AudioFile. This sounds like a promising route of entry for those new to Holmes but familiar with mp3 files.
Oh, and by way of reference, the image above and the quote are both from "The Mazarin Stone," in which Holmes employs a sound device to create the illusion of his presence elsewhere.
