Sherlock Holmes: Beyond the Elementary

De: James Krasner, The Great Courses

Narrado por: James Krasner

Every hero works to soothe the fears of the people during their period in history. Heroes are not only brave, but they’re also able to navigate the convoluted corridors of society, and to see through the respectable pretense of others to detect the evil that lies within.

So, who better to take on the foggy, crime-ridden streets and strict social mores of Victorian London than the iconic literary detective Sherlock Holmes?

In Sherlock Holmes: Beyond the Elementary, you’ll investigate the history behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s whip-smart, charismatic detective. James Krasner, a scholar of British Victorian literature, will play the role of “Watson”, as he offers a clearer picture of the imaginative influence Sherlock Holmes has maintained over readers, from the 19th century through today. While you examine the secrets of novels like A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles and stories like “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Final Problem”, you’ll deepen your appreciation of these enduring works. You’ll also gain insights into Holmes’ continued relevance to the social problems we face in our own world.

What does the relationship between Holmes and Watson tell us about friendship? Is Sherlock Holmes just a “thinking machine”? How do these adventures lay bare gender dynamics in surprising ways?

The answers are far from elementary.

©2021 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Excellent overview of Doyle’s creation, Sherlock Holmes!

A must listen for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
There are intimate details of Holmes and Watson woven within the historical period in which the characters were created.

Observant, Relational, intelligent look at an old friend.

These lectures shift the reader from consumer to analyst and encourages another reading of the collection in order to appreciate more fully the crafting of a legend.

More for Holmes fan-atics, than for typical fans.

This series of lectures is pretty interesting to those of us who enjoy Holmes/Watson and Doyle trivia, but this would probably bore the casual reader & typical fan to death.

Sherlock unveiled

This work is worth the investment of time to listening to the mystery behind the greatest detective of all times. The author does an excellent job of historically accurate synthesis of facts and fiction. Definitely a great read.

Adds New Dimensions to Sherlock Holmes Stories

This made me want to reread the Sherlock Holmes stories. The lectures provided some background about London during the time when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the stories. The lecturer also analyzed elements that most readers never considered. For example, why did Doyle have Watson get married and write in extra scenes for Sherlock to contact Watson for help? It would have been easy for Watson to remain a bachelor living on Baker Street. How is Doyle comparing the life of a crime-fighter versus a married person?

Loved it

I highly recommend this for Krasner's deep research and love for his subject. I found this audible book to be has cozy the Conan Doyle's stories!

Fascinating Look at Holmes - Literary and Cultural

Enjoyed the lectures immensely and learned a lot about AC Doyle and his relationship to the Holmes character. I don't agree with others who say the presentation is dry. There are a lot of interesting details and, after all, these are academic lectures, not dramatic fiction.

Tha author's themes and conclusions are insightful and thought provoking- not at all elementary ;)

Really good!

I didn’t expect much but this book is really awesome. I feel as though I was also learning about the history of the world and the art of the letters at the same time. This book makes me want to go back and read Sherlock Holmes again and this time I am going to pay attention to all the details that the author of this book has excitingly pointed to the readers. These are great points and these are signs of intellectuality.

great to study this way

Listen to this in conjunction with the Sherlock Holmes series in its entirety read by Stephen Fry. being able to easily recognize the parts of the story as well as the subtle meanings makes this an incredible read

nice history & alternative views of Sherlock

1st as a Sherlock fan I enjoy these scholarly essays/lectures regarding the stories & Doyle & think other fans will enjoy them as well. It is curious to me however, that the professor giving the lectures, reading/reciting from his own work, should make so many pronunciation errors as if he’s seeing words or names for first time. Informative nonetheless.