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Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles Audiobook
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(3.08) - 170 listener ratings
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Eliminate the impossible, Sherlock Holmes said, and whatever is left must be the solution. But, as Pierre Bayard finds in this dazzling reinvestigation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, sometimes the master missed his mark. Using the last thoughts of the murder victim as his key, Bayard unravels the case, leading the reader to the astonishing conclusion that Holmes—and, in fact, Arthur Conan Doyle—got things all wrong: The killer is not at all who they said it was.
Part intellectual entertainment, part love letter to crime novels, and part crime novel in itself, Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong turns one of our most beloved stories delightfully on its head. Examining the many facets of the case and illuminating the bizarre interstices between Doyle's fiction and the real world, Bayard demonstrates a whole new way of reading mysteries: a kind of "detective criticism" that allows readers to outsmart not only the criminals in the stories we love but also the heroes—and sometimes even the writers.
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"Aside from a fascinating meditation on fictional characters' existence in reality by a brilliant professor of literature, the book actually delivers what it promises, offering a legitimate, alternate (and rather ingenious) solution to the Hound of the Baskervilles. It can get a little dry when talking about the academic permutations of fictional characters in reality, but certainly an engrossing, diverting and entertaining read."
— Bill (4 out of 5 stars)
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With wit and careful analysis, Bayard makes a convincing case.
— Los Angeles Times
Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong Listener Reviews
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" As a long standing fan of the Holmes series and Hound of the Baskervilles in particular, this was an eye opener. I will not spoil the surprises for anyone but if you want to see the story from a whole new perspective, then this is the book for you. I thought it was terrific and would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in Conan Doyle's stories. "
— Tybers, 4/17/2024 -
" Some of his theories about the autonomy of fictional characters is kind of out there for my liking, but he provides a creative and eloquent re-reading of the Holmes mystery! Quite good. "
— Jon, 12/28/2013 -
" An interesting take on The Hound of the Baskervilles and what really happened. "
— Elizabeth, 12/27/2013 -
" I think he might be right...I mean Pierre Bayard. "
— Alicia, 3/4/2013 -
" A fascinating look at detective literature, makes you question if the solution given to you by the author is ever the only true solution. "
— Sarah, 3/3/2013 -
" A solid interpretation of the Holmes novel, and a quick primer on post-modern critical analysis. "
— Michael, 10/17/2012 -
" Gives an interesting take on Sherlock Holmes and how he did things. Highly recommend this book "
— Blitsterman, 5/16/2012 -
" Bayard advances the theory that Sherlock Holmes had the wrong killer in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Unfortunately, it sounds a little more interesting than it is! I wasn't expecting Freudian analysis or literary theory. But still, I stuck it out, and he has an interesting idea. "
— Anne, 11/9/2011 -
" Detective fiction lovers may appreciate the winding analysis of Doyle nd his relationship to the enigma he created; more accesible was the solution as to who the real killer of the Hound of Baskervilles is. "
— Aditi, 9/13/2010 -
" Love/hate relationship about this book. After reading it, no other mystery is quite the same. "
— Jan, 6/8/2010 -
" Highbrow theory wrapped in a murder mystery package, which appropriately opens with a quote from Jasper Fforde. I wish I'd had access to this for my masters thesis, what with all the comparisons between real existence and fictive existence. Oh, well. "
— Alicia, 11/24/2009 -
" Bayard advances the theory that Sherlock Holmes had the wrong killer in <em>The Hound of the Baskervilles.</em> Unfortunately, it sounds a little more interesting than it is! I wasn't expecting Freudian analysis or literary theory. But still, I stuck it out, and he has an interesting idea. "
— Anne, 8/26/2009 -
" A fascinating look at detective literature, makes you question if the solution given to you by the author is ever the only true solution. "
— Sarah, 2/3/2009
About Pierre Bayard
Pierre Bayard is a professor of French literature at the University of Paris VIII and a psychoanalyst. He is the author of Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? and of many other books. Jeffrey Mehlman is a professor of French at Boston University and the author of a number of books, including Emigré New York. He has translated works by Derrida, Lacan, Blanchot, and other authors.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.