The ring of Thoth, and other stories

by Arthur Conan Doyle, John Bolen (Translation)

From the Artic to Egypt to Australia, Doyle tells thrilling tales of crime, suspense, mysterious secrets, and humor.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Horror, Gothic, Action, Classics, Audiobook

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like 'proto' episodes of The Twilight Zone - crime, fantasy, horror and science fiction are well represented and masterfully plotted by this iconic writer. Of course everyone associates ACD with a certian detective; but he also had a very strong leaning towards the macabre. Wonderful tales that will stay with you long after you finish this book.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had enough interest to keep listening to this, but was never very engaged by any of the stories. The characters were flat. The situations took forever to set up & ended predictably. The writing style isn't really to my taste, but I overcame that with the Sherlock Holmes stories. These didn't hold the same fascination, though.

I found contemplating the places & times in which these were written to be more of interest than the stories themselves. Arctic whaling, mummies, desolate Scottish coasts, & hypnosis during the 19th century were kind of fun to visit. Not a complete waste of time.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are mostly okay with nothing spectacular. I'm not a fan of the narrator's sing song cadence which can be distracting. Also there are some odd mispronunciations.
The Captain of the Polestar. 2 stars. A long buildup to the story of a ship stuck in the frozen north. There are possible hallucinations, a possible ghost, and a possible descent into madness.
J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement. 3.5 stars. A former civil war surgeon goes on a cruise to regain his health and ends up having an inexplicable experience.
The Great Kleinplatz Experiment. 2 stars. I can't say that I am a fan of this story of a failed experiment in mesmerism involving a professor and one of his students. It's not a bad story, it just seems silly to me.
The Man from Archangel. 2 stars. This was an interesting story about a secluded misanthrope whose solitary existence is disturbed after a ship wrecks on a storm filled night. Interesting that is until the ending, because women do not fall in love with their kidnappers.
That Little Square Box. 3.5 stars. This is a fun short story with suspense up until the final denouement. A nervous type of fellow overhears some rather surreptitious fellow passengers while on an ocean voyage.
John Huxford's Hiatus. 3 stars. A poignant story of star crossed lovers thwarted by amnesia.
A Literary Mosaic. 3 stars. A humorous tale of a would be writer who is visited in his dreams by a host of literary figures.
John Barrington Cowles. 4 stars. Young men are coming to untimely deaths after their involvement with a beautiful woman.
Elias B. Hopkins. 2.5 stars. Treachery amid a mining camp in Australia.
The Ring of Thoth. 2 stars. A tale of near immortality and lost love.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody's read Sherlock Holmes but I enjoy Doyle's tales of the supernatural as much if not more. This is a fine example of his work in this genre and it's easy to squeeze in a short story even with two kids.

[Marisa Dettori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo El Anillo de Thoth // Impresionante, me gusta!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other reviewers seem to have read a different book. The version I have (1968, John Murray Publisher) has The Ring of Thoth, The Brown Hand, Playing with Fire, B 24, Lot 249, The Usher of Lee House School, The Striped Chest, and J. Habakuk's Jephson's Statement).
The stories are well-written, but not particularly memorable. Still interesting to read, and interesting to see what else is written by the author of Sherlock Holmes. Many of the stories feature doctors (Conan Doyle was a doctor), a couple are sea-faring adventures/mysterings (Conan Doyle did indeed travel by boar extensively), and many involve spitualism including one comical description of a seance gone awry (Conan Doyle was a strong proponent of spirtualism).

[Željko Filipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Various stories, a mixture of horror and fantasy.

[HF]

Audiobook via Libby App

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are well-written tales of suspense from the man who badly wanted to shake the stigma of being the author of Sherlock Holmes and be known for his versatility. Unfortunately, the flatness and inability of these to engage the reader is an example why he is known as the author of Sherlock Holmes. The Holmes stories are not just great stories with smart plots, but they are filled with memorable characters. This is also what makes the Professor Challenger Novels (The Lost World, The Poison Belt) also great reads. Nothing in this book kept my attention. I just finished the book minutes before writing this review, and I still couldn't accurately summarize any story that I read. It's that forgettable. Meanwhile, I could go on and on about his series books. Take heart, Conan Doyle fans, being good as a series author is no bad thing, especially when you're a great one like this author. That said, I still have two more non-series books I'll be giving a chance. It would help if this audiobook wasn't narrated with such uninspiring inflection of John Bolen. A printed text of these stories might have raised this compilation by a star.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is for the titular story only.