Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Sign of The Four (Version 3)
- Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrator: N
- Length: 04:28:01
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 29/01/2015
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Horror, Suspense, Detective Stories
- ISBN13: SABLIB9786616
There’s something magical about listening to a Sherlock Holmes story while traveling – the way Doyle’s Victorian London materializes around you, no matter where you actually are. I first experienced “The Sign of the Four” during a rainy afternoon in a Lisbon café, the scent of espresso and pastéis de nata mingling with the narrator’s voice as Holmes and Watson pursued their shadowy quarry through London’s foggy streets. This LibriVox version, though lacking a credited narrator, carries that same transporting quality that makes audiobooks such perfect companions for explorers and armchair detectives alike.
Doyle’s second Holmes novel unfolds like a treasure map itself – each clue revealing not just the mystery’s solution, but also deeper truths about human nature. The story’s colonial backdrop (India during the British Raj) particularly resonates with me after my years documenting cultural intersections. I’ve seen firsthand how the ghosts of empire linger in unexpected places – whether in the Anglo-Indian architecture of Mumbai or the chai stalls of London’s Brick Lane. Doyle captures this cultural collision brilliantly, even if through a distinctly Victorian lens.
The audio production, while not professional studio quality, has the charming intimacy of a fireside storytelling session. It reminds me of those evenings in Oaxaca – the narrator’s voice becomes your personal storyteller, flaws and all. Some passages sound slightly muffled, as if recorded through an actual London fog, but this somehow adds to the period atmosphere. The narrator (who remains unnamed) handles Holmes’s rapid deductions with particular skill – you can practically hear the cogs turning in that brilliant mind.
What makes this audiobook special is how it humanizes Holmes. Between his cocaine use and his growing friendship with Watson, we see the detective as more than a thinking machine. The romantic subplot with Mary Morstan (Watson’s future wife) adds warmth that balances the darker themes of greed and betrayal. I found myself particularly moved by Jonathan Small’s tragic backstory – a reminder that every villain has their reasons, a truth I’ve encountered in my travels from favelas to war zones.
Compared to other Holmes adventures, “The Sign of the Four” stands out for its emotional depth and exotic locales. While the plot occasionally meanders (that lengthy backstory about the Agra treasure could test some listeners’ patience), the payoff delivers classic Holmesian satisfaction. The audiobook format actually enhances the suspense – the moment when the wooden-legged man appears had me pausing my stroll through Lisbon’s Alfama district just to catch my breath.
For modern listeners, some elements understandably show their age. The portrayal of Tonga, the Andaman Islander, reflects period prejudices that may make contemporary audiences cringe. Yet these moments also invite us to reflect on how far we’ve come – and how far we still must go – in our cultural understanding. As someone who documents disappearing traditions, I appreciate how audiobooks like this preserve stories exactly as they were told, warts and all.
If you’re new to Holmes, this free LibriVox version offers a compelling entry point. Longtime fans will appreciate rediscovering the story through audio – the medium that, after all, most closely resembles Watson sharing another incredible case with us. Just be warned: you might find yourself taking the long way home, just to hear one more chapter.
With a traveler’s curiosity and a reader’s joy,
Marcus Rivera
