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Max Carrados
The Tales of Max Carrados
Max Carrados, a fictional detective series, was first introduced to the literary world by Ernest Bramah in 1914. In the Edwardian era, Carrados' stories often outsold Sherlock Holmes, with the blind detective sharing top billing with his fictional rival.
George Orwell wrote that together with those of Conan Doyle, they were "the only detective stories since Poe that are worth rereading".
Recorded by national treasure Stephen Fry, 'The Coin of Dionysius' and 'The Game Played in the Dark' are two short stories from the collection.
In 'The Coin of Dionysius' we first meet the suave sleuth Max Carrados, as he is called on by old friend Louis Carlyle to help determine whether an old coin is real or a clever fake.
In 'The Game Played in the Dark', Max Carrados is contacted by the British Museum about a horde of stolen ancient coins. On the lookout for the coins, he is intrigued by the approach of an Italian lady who takes him from the safety of his study to a meeting with some recognisable former adversaries....
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and all round national treasure.
Fry has written and presented several documentary series, contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines, appears frequently on radio, reads for voice-overs and has written four novels and three volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles and his latest, More Fool Me.
George Orwell wrote that together with those of Conan Doyle, they were "the only detective stories since Poe that are worth rereading".
Recorded by national treasure Stephen Fry, 'The Coin of Dionysius' and 'The Game Played in the Dark' are two short stories from the collection.
In 'The Coin of Dionysius' we first meet the suave sleuth Max Carrados, as he is called on by old friend Louis Carlyle to help determine whether an old coin is real or a clever fake.
In 'The Game Played in the Dark', Max Carrados is contacted by the British Museum about a horde of stolen ancient coins. On the lookout for the coins, he is intrigued by the approach of an Italian lady who takes him from the safety of his study to a meeting with some recognisable former adversaries....
Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and all round national treasure.
Fry has written and presented several documentary series, contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines, appears frequently on radio, reads for voice-overs and has written four novels and three volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles and his latest, More Fool Me.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 16, 2015
23 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Ernest Bramah
304 books41 followersBramah was a reclusive soul, who shared few details of his private life with his reading public. His full name was Ernest Bramah Smith. It is known that he dropped out of Manchester Grammar School at the age of 16, after displaying poor aptitude as a student and thereafter went into farming, and began writing vignettes for the local newspaper. Bramah's father was a wealthy man who rose from factory hand to a very wealthy man in a short time, and who supported his son in his various career attempts.
Bramah went to Fleet Street after the farming failure and became a secretary to Jerome K. Jerome, rising to a position as editor of one of Jerome's magazines. At some point, he appears to have married Mattie.
More importantly, after being rejected by 8 publishers, the Wallet of Kai Lung was published in 1900, and to date, remains in print. Bramah wrote in different areas, including political science fiction, and mystery. He died at the age of 74. See http://www.ernestbramah.com for more information.
Bramah went to Fleet Street after the farming failure and became a secretary to Jerome K. Jerome, rising to a position as editor of one of Jerome's magazines. At some point, he appears to have married Mattie.
More importantly, after being rejected by 8 publishers, the Wallet of Kai Lung was published in 1900, and to date, remains in print. Bramah wrote in different areas, including political science fiction, and mystery. He died at the age of 74. See http://www.ernestbramah.com for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
December 18, 2015
I'd never heard of Max Carrados before Audible gave me this book as an early Christmas present. It turns out the Max Carrados stories were released at the same time as the Sherlock Holmes stories... and actually sold better at the time, despite not having the long term success of Holmes.
Max Carrados is a blind amateur detective with powers of deduction that possibly surpass those of Holmes and actually verge on being similar to the enhanced senses of Marvel's Daredevil. Carrados can hear a heartbeat from across a room, just like DD. No radar sense as far as I can tell, though.
As somebody who is going blind myself, the concept of a blind detective is very appealing to me and I really enjoyed the two stories collected here. They're witty and clever and would probably appeal to anyone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes. The fact that these two are read by Stephen Fry is just the icing on the cake. He really brings them to life.
Highly recommended.
Max Carrados is a blind amateur detective with powers of deduction that possibly surpass those of Holmes and actually verge on being similar to the enhanced senses of Marvel's Daredevil. Carrados can hear a heartbeat from across a room, just like DD. No radar sense as far as I can tell, though.
As somebody who is going blind myself, the concept of a blind detective is very appealing to me and I really enjoyed the two stories collected here. They're witty and clever and would probably appeal to anyone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes. The fact that these two are read by Stephen Fry is just the icing on the cake. He really brings them to life.
Highly recommended.
March 20, 2018
A truly enjoyable listen by British national treasure [like this phrase a lot!] Stephen Fry whose reading is simply marvellous and adds immensely to the stories. Never heard of Max Carrados before [shame on me...] and glad to have discovered him eventually. And yes, Mr Fry is a genius of interpretation!
December 30, 2015
4/10
This was a free gift from Audible and was two short stories which could tide me over until the new year so I can't complain at that. The stories themselves revolve around two separate coin crimes which weren't all that entertaining truth be told. The detective is one of those know it alls like Sherlock and knows the answer to the crime before a word has been said. The nice little twist Carrados has to make him stand out a bit was that he was blind making his revelations all the more clever (or eye rolling tedious if you ask me).
The only reason this got 2 stars and not 1 is that Stephen Fry narrates this very well. He adds voices where required and intensifies at certain points. Other than that I couldn't really rate this and can't see me picking anymore of this authors work up.
This was a free gift from Audible and was two short stories which could tide me over until the new year so I can't complain at that. The stories themselves revolve around two separate coin crimes which weren't all that entertaining truth be told. The detective is one of those know it alls like Sherlock and knows the answer to the crime before a word has been said. The nice little twist Carrados has to make him stand out a bit was that he was blind making his revelations all the more clever (or eye rolling tedious if you ask me).
The only reason this got 2 stars and not 1 is that Stephen Fry narrates this very well. He adds voices where required and intensifies at certain points. Other than that I couldn't really rate this and can't see me picking anymore of this authors work up.
October 14, 2025
Max Carrados is not a modern character nor a pastiche of old age detectives rather was released around the same time as Sherlock Holmes stories were published in Strand. Interestingly as few others here in GR have noted, Bramah's take on quirky detective quite often outsold even Sherlock, albeit it didn't have its lasting greatness.
This edition is a compendium of some of his best mysteries read by the none other than my favourite audiobook narrator (along with Ralph Cosham), Stephen Fry!!! Ahh what else can one want, exploits of a blind, rich detective (yes Max is blind and it's a gift and a curse for him & readers) in tales which still feel vibrantly modern and the luxuriant, silky voice of Fry himself.
My Rating - 4.5/5
This edition is a compendium of some of his best mysteries read by the none other than my favourite audiobook narrator (along with Ralph Cosham), Stephen Fry!!! Ahh what else can one want, exploits of a blind, rich detective (yes Max is blind and it's a gift and a curse for him & readers) in tales which still feel vibrantly modern and the luxuriant, silky voice of Fry himself.
My Rating - 4.5/5
June 24, 2016
I purchased this off audible a while back because it was free and really short.
This audio book has 2 short stories following the detective Max Carrados and is narrated by Stephen Fry.
I didn't care for this one at all, I found it to be boring and rather uneventful. It reminds me of Sherlock Holmes, but I recommend that as those stories are of much better quality.
I found the best thing about this was the narration by Stephen Fry and only give it an extra star because of this. I unfortunately can't recommend and hope that the authors novels are of much better quality.
This audio book has 2 short stories following the detective Max Carrados and is narrated by Stephen Fry.
I didn't care for this one at all, I found it to be boring and rather uneventful. It reminds me of Sherlock Holmes, but I recommend that as those stories are of much better quality.
I found the best thing about this was the narration by Stephen Fry and only give it an extra star because of this. I unfortunately can't recommend and hope that the authors novels are of much better quality.
January 28, 2016
It's very difficult to distinguish whether my enjoyment of this book was based on the book itself or on the fact that I listened to it on Audible narrated by Stephen Fry. Let's face it, Stephen Fry could make the telephone directory irresistible listening! But it was a good evening's entertainment and a story I would listen to again.
August 29, 2016
I picked this up as an Audible Daily Deal based on the narrator being Stephen Fry. (Being a well known actor in the UK and also having filmed a TV series in my home town.) The actual book and author were totally unknown to me at the time but the description of Sherlock Holmes type stories sounded good.
Turns out this collection of short stories were pretty good. Written, and set, in the same time period as Holmes, the title character is a blind man with a skill at solving crimes. For most of the stories he's the classic 'thinking detective'. He is given all the facts and from those he deduces the motive, method and perpetrator of the crime.
For the most part I enjoyed these stories although there were some similarities when all put together like this. If these stories were split between two volumes, so I could take a break between them, then I think I would have enjoyed them a bit more. The author was not very prolific, but I have added him onto my list of books to track down.
Turns out this collection of short stories were pretty good. Written, and set, in the same time period as Holmes, the title character is a blind man with a skill at solving crimes. For most of the stories he's the classic 'thinking detective'. He is given all the facts and from those he deduces the motive, method and perpetrator of the crime.
For the most part I enjoyed these stories although there were some similarities when all put together like this. If these stories were split between two volumes, so I could take a break between them, then I think I would have enjoyed them a bit more. The author was not very prolific, but I have added him onto my list of books to track down.
June 2, 2022
The tales of Max Carrados, blind detective and antiquarian, ran in the Strand magazine alongside the latter Sherlock Holmes stories. It’s interesting to discover a rival fictional detective from the period.
Like Holmes, these also avoid just being standard crime thrillers but do some different stuff. I love Holmes for it’s sheer uniqueness but these are interesting and engaging. Like Holmes there is a First World War story , and unlike Holmes the exposition sometimes leaves gaps for us to do our own thinking.
We also meet female scientists and journalist, albeit flawed ones , but this is still quite forward thinking for the time. These are also further into the era of psychology than the Holmes stories with buried trauma figuring in plot lines . There is some writing that now seems very cliched but that doesn’t stop these being good period adventure .
Like Holmes, these also avoid just being standard crime thrillers but do some different stuff. I love Holmes for it’s sheer uniqueness but these are interesting and engaging. Like Holmes there is a First World War story , and unlike Holmes the exposition sometimes leaves gaps for us to do our own thinking.
We also meet female scientists and journalist, albeit flawed ones , but this is still quite forward thinking for the time. These are also further into the era of psychology than the Holmes stories with buried trauma figuring in plot lines . There is some writing that now seems very cliched but that doesn’t stop these being good period adventure .
December 18, 2015
Cool and calm crime
Superbly Set by Stephen
More books narrated by Stephen Fry please!
He does the voices!
A worthy reading challenge finish line!
Superbly Set by Stephen
More books narrated by Stephen Fry please!
He does the voices!
A worthy reading challenge finish line!
September 4, 2017
Max Carrados stories began appearing in The Strand alongside Sherlock Holmes. He was, in fact, so popular that Ernest Bramah's books sometimes outsold those by Doyle.
Carrados has skills comparable to Sherlock Holmes with the added twist that he is almost completely blind. (He was blinded from an eye injury while riding a horse.) He can see a little when things are near. For distant vision he has a manservant with observation skills to, again, rival Holmes.
This particular collection of stories was produced by Audible with voice acting by Stephen Fry of Fry and Laurie.
The stories hold up well and have a completely modern feel, as if a contemporary writer had created an early 20th century detective. The stories, while quirky, are excellent mysteries.
The quirkiness comes from Carrados himself. He's rich, so he doesn't need to do detective work. He has various interests but one of his keenest interests is in ancient coins. The first story in the book revolves around a man asking Carrados to determine whether a coin is a forgery. Carrados is able to do this with touch and taste. Another story involves a woman who comes to Carrados because she's been accused of stealing a coin at an auction.
The detective frequently never needs to leave his office, able to determine what has happened with keen questioning. Because of his keen hearing he is able to hear whispered conversations that others miss and also makes him something of a human lie detector. As with his other senses he has a keen sense of smell and can often solve crimes with his nose.
Fry's recording, as with his reading of the complete Sherlock Holmes series, is a great listen. Often narrators will close with "performed by ..." when there was little more than a straight reading and not an exceptional one at that. Fry has a keen ear for London accents and each character is distinct.
Carrados has skills comparable to Sherlock Holmes with the added twist that he is almost completely blind. (He was blinded from an eye injury while riding a horse.) He can see a little when things are near. For distant vision he has a manservant with observation skills to, again, rival Holmes.
This particular collection of stories was produced by Audible with voice acting by Stephen Fry of Fry and Laurie.
The stories hold up well and have a completely modern feel, as if a contemporary writer had created an early 20th century detective. The stories, while quirky, are excellent mysteries.
The quirkiness comes from Carrados himself. He's rich, so he doesn't need to do detective work. He has various interests but one of his keenest interests is in ancient coins. The first story in the book revolves around a man asking Carrados to determine whether a coin is a forgery. Carrados is able to do this with touch and taste. Another story involves a woman who comes to Carrados because she's been accused of stealing a coin at an auction.
The detective frequently never needs to leave his office, able to determine what has happened with keen questioning. Because of his keen hearing he is able to hear whispered conversations that others miss and also makes him something of a human lie detector. As with his other senses he has a keen sense of smell and can often solve crimes with his nose.
Fry's recording, as with his reading of the complete Sherlock Holmes series, is a great listen. Often narrators will close with "performed by ..." when there was little more than a straight reading and not an exceptional one at that. Fry has a keen ear for London accents and each character is distinct.
September 30, 2022
3.5 for the faint anti Sinn Fein sentiment in the last case but pretty clever detective fiction
February 2, 2016
I'd never heard of Ernest Bramah before listening to this free audiobook on audible. It contains two stories about an amateur detective called Max Carrados and is narrated by Stephen Fry.
The first story, 'The Coin of Dionysius', I thought started off very promising. It sounded very mysterious with a man turning up at shop when the owner was by himself. I kept thinking what is going to happen? The man, Louis Carlyle wants to know whether a coin is fake or not. Unable to get information it is then that Max Carrados comes into the story. I carried on listening but found by the end of the story that I was left feeling disappointed.
'The Game Played in the Dark'. I struggled with the most out of the two. I soon lost interest in it and struggled to follow the story. I listened to a few times to see if that would help but it didn't.
Stephen Fry's narration was very good and helped make the stories interesting. Ernest Bramah, is an author that I haven't read anything of but I hope to after this. I'm interested to know what his other work is like.
Would I recommend? If you like detectives stories then this might appeal to you.
The first story, 'The Coin of Dionysius', I thought started off very promising. It sounded very mysterious with a man turning up at shop when the owner was by himself. I kept thinking what is going to happen? The man, Louis Carlyle wants to know whether a coin is fake or not. Unable to get information it is then that Max Carrados comes into the story. I carried on listening but found by the end of the story that I was left feeling disappointed.
'The Game Played in the Dark'. I struggled with the most out of the two. I soon lost interest in it and struggled to follow the story. I listened to a few times to see if that would help but it didn't.
Stephen Fry's narration was very good and helped make the stories interesting. Ernest Bramah, is an author that I haven't read anything of but I hope to after this. I'm interested to know what his other work is like.
Would I recommend? If you like detectives stories then this might appeal to you.
January 7, 2018
I listened to the audio book of this. It's not bad. Fry is an excellent narrator playing all the parts and delivers well except when he has to attempt an American accent.
Bramah's language is old fashioned and somewhat baroque. Exactly the way I like it.
The stories themselves were the main disappointment. There's only so much a blind man can do even with his almost supernatural powers. This is clear from the stories. Whether it's due to a bad selection or simply because the stories themselves are dull, I don't know and quite honestly, I'm not sufficiently intrigued to read more to find out.
Bramah's language is old fashioned and somewhat baroque. Exactly the way I like it.
The stories themselves were the main disappointment. There's only so much a blind man can do even with his almost supernatural powers. This is clear from the stories. Whether it's due to a bad selection or simply because the stories themselves are dull, I don't know and quite honestly, I'm not sufficiently intrigued to read more to find out.
April 1, 2023
This surprised me, in a good way. It is very much in the line of Sherlock Holmes. I did find out after listening, that is was written in the same time and published in the same magazines. But the main character is so engimatic and more emotionally available. He is very much the smartest person in the room, but is not arrogant about it, just enjoying himself tremendously. I enjoyed the stories very much.
The audiobook, read by Stephen Fry, was delightful. I love his voice.
I would recommend this book for fans of detective stories.
The audiobook, read by Stephen Fry, was delightful. I love his voice.
I would recommend this book for fans of detective stories.
June 28, 2020
This was a daily deal. Stephen Fry enticed me. its a weird book good but very very weird. Stephen fry does not disappoint
February 10, 2021
An interesting listen, particularly as he was a contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle. By today's standard many of this mysteries are rather simple. Like Encyclopedia Brown for adults. Others had twists that left the reader with something to ponder. I can understand why Max Carrados didn't stay in the public imagination the way Holmes has.
August 29, 2024
When you order Sherlock Holmes from Wish.
January 13, 2021
One of the members of my Nero Wolfe Facebook group suggested these stories in a discussion on other detective stories to try. I'd never heard of Max Carrados so I went looking to see what I could find. This collection of short stories (about an hour long each, give or take a few minutes) was included in my Audible Plus membership. Seeing that it was narrated by Stephen Fry (yay!), I grabbed it.
I enjoyed the stories for the most part, once I got used to the narrative style of Ernest Bramah. I like Carrados and Parkinson. They're a good character team with a lot of affection for each other. Most of the plots were interesting, but not all of them. The idea of a blind detective is certainly unique and was realized fairly well, with my only quibble (the one-star dock) being an inability to believe that Carrados is able to read printed material with his fingertips alone. Granted that print in those days may have actually stood out from the page, I still found it very unlikely that he would have been able to differentiate every individual letter enough to read all the words in a newspaper article or a book's page. Was he really totally blind? Or did he have enough sight to help with reading close up? I didn't see anything in the book that clarified the question so I had to remove one star for stretching my suspension of disbelief a bit too far.
Other than that one quibble, I found the stories and characters to be very engaging. This was a long collection of tales, unlike some of the other reviewers who only got two stories in their file. I now have to find all of the other Max Carrados books, in whatever format. After listening to the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry, I think I've been spoiled for any other narrator. I also have to untangle the stories themselves and figure out which titles are in what collections. I really don't want to miss any of them and would definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys a nicely cerebral detective yarn.
I enjoyed the stories for the most part, once I got used to the narrative style of Ernest Bramah. I like Carrados and Parkinson. They're a good character team with a lot of affection for each other. Most of the plots were interesting, but not all of them. The idea of a blind detective is certainly unique and was realized fairly well, with my only quibble (the one-star dock) being an inability to believe that Carrados is able to read printed material with his fingertips alone. Granted that print in those days may have actually stood out from the page, I still found it very unlikely that he would have been able to differentiate every individual letter enough to read all the words in a newspaper article or a book's page. Was he really totally blind? Or did he have enough sight to help with reading close up? I didn't see anything in the book that clarified the question so I had to remove one star for stretching my suspension of disbelief a bit too far.
Other than that one quibble, I found the stories and characters to be very engaging. This was a long collection of tales, unlike some of the other reviewers who only got two stories in their file. I now have to find all of the other Max Carrados books, in whatever format. After listening to the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry, I think I've been spoiled for any other narrator. I also have to untangle the stories themselves and figure out which titles are in what collections. I really don't want to miss any of them and would definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys a nicely cerebral detective yarn.
December 31, 2018
Max Carrados è stato avversario di Sherlock Holmes ai tempi della loro pubblicazione sullo Strand, riscuotendo anche maggior successo.
Un secolo dopo tutti conoscono Holnes mentre il povero Carrados è caduto nell'oblio.
Il protagonista è un investigatore dilettante, che ha perso la vista dopo un incidente, accompagnato da un tuttofare dalla memoria fotografica e da un investigatore privato, vecchio compagno di scuola.
In questo breve audio vengono letti due racconti della antologia Max Carrados, interpretati da Stephen Fry.
Le storie non sono eccezionali, la lettura è la parte più divertente, ma non induce a proseguire la conoscenza.
Un breve assaggio, reso gratuito sotte le festività da Audible, è bastato per farsi un'idea.
Un secolo dopo tutti conoscono Holnes mentre il povero Carrados è caduto nell'oblio.
Il protagonista è un investigatore dilettante, che ha perso la vista dopo un incidente, accompagnato da un tuttofare dalla memoria fotografica e da un investigatore privato, vecchio compagno di scuola.
In questo breve audio vengono letti due racconti della antologia Max Carrados, interpretati da Stephen Fry.
Le storie non sono eccezionali, la lettura è la parte più divertente, ma non induce a proseguire la conoscenza.
Un breve assaggio, reso gratuito sotte le festività da Audible, è bastato per farsi un'idea.
September 17, 2017
In 'The Coin of Dionysius' we first meet the suave sleuth Max Carrados, as he is called on by old friend Louis Carlyle to help determine whether an old coin is real or a clever fake.
In 'The Game Played in the Dark', Max Carrados is contacted by the British Museum about a horde of stolen ancient coins. On the lookout for the coins, he is intrigued by the approach of an Italian lady who takes him from the safety of his study to a meeting with some recognisable former adversaries....
Two cleverly constructed mysteries from the turn of the century. And well narrated by Stephen Fry.
These 2 stories were a Member Gift from Audible UK.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres...... like, comment and follow.
In 'The Game Played in the Dark', Max Carrados is contacted by the British Museum about a horde of stolen ancient coins. On the lookout for the coins, he is intrigued by the approach of an Italian lady who takes him from the safety of his study to a meeting with some recognisable former adversaries....
Two cleverly constructed mysteries from the turn of the century. And well narrated by Stephen Fry.
These 2 stories were a Member Gift from Audible UK.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres...... like, comment and follow.
October 25, 2016
3.5 out of 5 - Stories featuring another extraordinary detective by a peer of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Tales of Max Carrados are eleven short stories by Ernest Bramah set in the 1900's, featuring blind detective Max Carrados. The stories are mostly interesting, some better than others, and give the reader a glimpse of the world prior to the start of World War I.
Stephen Fry does his usual superb job narrating the stories, some of which, while resolving themselves, end abruptly. I caught myself having to rewind since I thought the next story was part of the previous one because of the abrupt ending. You may find, as I did that, that the most enjoyment can be had by reading a single story at a time, taking a short break, and then returning to listen to the next story.
The Tales of Max Carrados are eleven short stories by Ernest Bramah set in the 1900's, featuring blind detective Max Carrados. The stories are mostly interesting, some better than others, and give the reader a glimpse of the world prior to the start of World War I.
Stephen Fry does his usual superb job narrating the stories, some of which, while resolving themselves, end abruptly. I caught myself having to rewind since I thought the next story was part of the previous one because of the abrupt ending. You may find, as I did that, that the most enjoyment can be had by reading a single story at a time, taking a short break, and then returning to listen to the next story.
January 17, 2016
Stephen Fry's narration of these two stories lifted them from the mundane and made them quite an entertaining 1.5 hour listen whilst preparing lunch. I'm sure at one point I detected Stephen Fry trying and failing to suppress a laugh at the often silly and dated dialogue but it was a freebie from Audible so I wasn't expecting too much.
July 13, 2021
Though I felt it was dated and sometimes predictable I thought it a rousing good romp through the tales of Ernest Bramah's blind detective. It reminded me of one of the radio shows from the Forties that were so popular. I guess it might have been a bit campy but, dammit, I know what I hate and I can't say I hate this book. It doesn't suck. Give it a try...
December 29, 2017
Max Carrados, Edwardian man about town, accomplishes amazing feats of detection despite a physical handicap. Stephen Fry does a great job narrating the stories. 5 star narration, 3 stars (average) for stories. Audiobook
December 18, 2015
It's alright. found it quite slow at times. But it was free, a good audio book to pass an hour or so.
January 12, 2016
Beautifully read by Stephen Fry. Enjoyed the stories, but found them a little simplistic and far fetched.
February 14, 2016
interesting short tales. Reminds me of Agatha Christie
August 15, 2016
The narration by Stephen Fry was terrific! However the stories themselves were unremarkable.
April 30, 2017
This is a blind Sherlockian detective of the early 1900s. Some stories were more interesting than others, but overall they were quietly entertaining, and read by the magnificent Stephen Fry.
March 20, 2017
[Audio version, narrated by Stephen Fry!!] Sherlock Holmes wasn't the only ace detective to appear in The Strand magazine in 1914. Alongside the eternal Holmes and Watson also appeared Max Carrados, man of independent wealth who sleuths to keep his faculties sharp--four senses of which are meticulously sharp because his fifth sense, that of sight, is gone.
Max Carrados, the blind detective sometimes literally sniffs out murderers, German spies, thieves, and ne'er do wells of all sorts along with his trusty "man" Parkinson--trained to be a meticulous observer of all things visual--and the doltish Carlisle, who is not half the detective though possessing all of his senses.
What great characters! And these stories are little time capsules of the end of the Edwardian age. We encounter suffragettes, the establishment, working class police inspectors, and dialogue that leaps into the air with startling authenticity. With little reworking, the stories would be easy to turn into scripts. Bramah's ear for dialogue is wonderful.
But alas, if only Arthur Conan Doyle had done the plotting. The quality of the stories as detective stories is much more uneven than the tales of Holmes and Watson. Too often, the author cheats. One cannot match wits with Carrados on an even playing field because Bramah withholds the crucial clue, known only to Carrados, until after the gig is up. That is a cardinal sin of detective fiction. Then there are the occasional lapses into fin de siecle spiritualism or reasoning that is unscientific by modern standards. They just don't stand up as well as Holmes.
With all these faults, however, the performance in this audio version narrated by Stephen Fry is STUNNING. Using only his voice, Fry creates English characters of all different ages and classes, Irish terrorists, Americans, men, women, and even a Japanese Jujituist named Kato as easily as if he were reading the phone book. Come to think of it, I'd probably pay to hear Fry read the phone book, let alone read Holmes and Watson.
And what, what?!! By Jove, Fry has just now voiced the complete Sherlock Holmes.
My Sunday hat! Now, that's the stuff.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-T...
Max Carrados, the blind detective sometimes literally sniffs out murderers, German spies, thieves, and ne'er do wells of all sorts along with his trusty "man" Parkinson--trained to be a meticulous observer of all things visual--and the doltish Carlisle, who is not half the detective though possessing all of his senses.
What great characters! And these stories are little time capsules of the end of the Edwardian age. We encounter suffragettes, the establishment, working class police inspectors, and dialogue that leaps into the air with startling authenticity. With little reworking, the stories would be easy to turn into scripts. Bramah's ear for dialogue is wonderful.
But alas, if only Arthur Conan Doyle had done the plotting. The quality of the stories as detective stories is much more uneven than the tales of Holmes and Watson. Too often, the author cheats. One cannot match wits with Carrados on an even playing field because Bramah withholds the crucial clue, known only to Carrados, until after the gig is up. That is a cardinal sin of detective fiction. Then there are the occasional lapses into fin de siecle spiritualism or reasoning that is unscientific by modern standards. They just don't stand up as well as Holmes.
With all these faults, however, the performance in this audio version narrated by Stephen Fry is STUNNING. Using only his voice, Fry creates English characters of all different ages and classes, Irish terrorists, Americans, men, women, and even a Japanese Jujituist named Kato as easily as if he were reading the phone book. Come to think of it, I'd probably pay to hear Fry read the phone book, let alone read Holmes and Watson.
And what, what?!! By Jove, Fry has just now voiced the complete Sherlock Holmes.
My Sunday hat! Now, that's the stuff.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-T...
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