The Sign of the Four Audiobook

" If I could give five stars to characters, then Sherlock Holmes is a five-star character. A morphine-taking, violin-playing manic depressive who always manages to deduce the impossible. This story was good in the beginning, but it seemed to lose steam as Watson's narrative lost Holmes. I think the fault was in the fact that the exposition was longer than the adventure. However, for a mystery of just 100 pages, it was fun. "

" This was a great story. I actually found myself more amused by Doyle's colorful characters than by the mystery itself. Dr. Watson is often so stoic that it's hilarious, and I loved the pompous inspector, the hypochondriac hookah addict and the surly one legged man. This book is great deal of fun to read. "

" I really enjoy Dr. Watson's narration and I find the Holmes novels quite enjoyable. This novel fortunately avoids the mind-numbing tedium of non-Watsonian narration that made A Study in Scarlet unfinishable for me. The version I read (not this one) has excellent and hilarious footnotes, as well. Apparently there's a whole field of Holmsian scholarship in which people treat Holmes and Watson as real people and chastise Watson for all his inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Very odd. "

" The story's pretty cool, with the detective work and the boat race really exciting. It gets pretty rambly and long at some part though... ^^; "

" This is a good book but I was glad that it was short. There was a great deduction part at the begining that I read over and over. the mystery itself was good but not as I hoped it would be. the explination at the end was OK but I still was able to read it through with no problems. Again Doyle needs to give us the background of the bad guy and he really needs to stop doing that. A good quick read. "

" Outstanding. One of my favorite Holmes' stories "

" I think I'm reading these books wrong because I'm not thaaaaat interested in the mysteries. I could read a whole novel with Holmes and Watson just talking about stuff. "

" I was disappointed; this being my first Sherlock Holmes book, I expected more mystery and plot twists. Instead, there was a little bit of mystery but the story was pretty straight-forward and the end was completely unrelated to Holmes. Overall, it was okay but I don't think I'll be reading another Holmes story any time soon. "

" The book begins and ends with Sherlock Holmes enjoying some cocaine because of boredom. Yes, our dear consulting detective is into drugs! I enjoyed reading 'The Sign of the Four' but it was not spectacular. I would choose 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' anytime. Doyle's trademark plot twists and air of suspense are somewhat lacking in this book. A lot of the questions were either obvious or immediately answered. However this a must read for Sherlock Holmes fans because this book gives us more perspective on his character and skills. Dr. Watson falls in love and of course, no one wants to miss that! "

" Quick and fun read. I sometimes wished it wasn't written in first person, though, so it could be a little more thrilling. "

" Certainly more action packed than the first story, but paradoxically not as exciting or as well written of a mystery. Still good fun! "

" I liked it and definitely plan to read more Sherlock stories but the exposition at the end got tiresome to me and slowed down the whole pace of the story. "

" A little boring to be honest. "

" The strange story of a man with a wooden leg and his little black assistant. "

" Very interesting to compare with BBCs Sherlock episode, "The Blind Banker.". Moffat, et al, gave it a great modern twist, but still left out a great deal which kept the original interesting. I'm eager to see if they incorporate the meeting of John and Mary at some point. "

" I love the character of Sherlock Holmes and they are certainly fun stories to read but I have no delusions about Doyle's greatness. He certainly defined, or at least popularized, the mystery genre and should absolutely be acknowledged for creating such a monument of a character, but at the same time, I am not particularly impressed with his writing abilities or even his story-telling abilities in some parts. I approach Doyle in the same way I think about Jules Verne: Verne popularized (and nearly created) the science-fiction genre and some of his ideas and stories are outstanding. . . when put in their context. As a modern day reader, however, Verne's writing is more of an historical curiosity than anything else. When I read Twenty Thousand Leagues, I wasn't drawn in to the story or in love with the characters and I didn't come away from the story with a different perspective on anything. It was still a fun story (albeit a bit dry in parts, but I'll give it to him since he was simply writing in the style of the time), but I wouldn't call Jules Verne a Great Writer. I credit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the same way: he accomplished many things with his Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories and they are still entertaining to read, but he was not a Great Writer. "

" Another excellent Sherlock Holmes novel! "

" The story's pretty cool, with the detective work and the boat race really exciting. It gets pretty rambly and long at some part though... ^^; "

" Who knew Sherlock Holmes did so much coke? "

" Excellent. I haven't read "A Study in Scarlet" yet, but this book did not require much of an introduction anyways. I like the writing style as well; the author provides good descriptions and a bit of humor scattered throughout the story. Great book. "

" Enjoyed this one much, much more than A Study in Scarlet. This one had humor I could recognize, Holmes and Watson felt like Holmes and Watson to me. "

" Another great Holmes book. I loved the introduction of Mary into the story! My problems with the story are pretty much the same as A Study in Scarlet. I was looking for the clues so I could try my hand at solving the mystery myself, but we have to be told by Holmes or the criminal what exactly happened. I guess that is just Doyle's style. "

" Sherlock Holmes can just do no wrong. "

" Sherlock; Watson's first wife; India; pearls; murder. "

" Who knew Sherlock Holmes did so much coke? "

" Could have used less action, more detection work by Holmes. About the last third of the book is a chase, then a LONG exposition speech by the criminal in the best Scooby Doo tradition-he does everything but say, "And I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you meddling detective!" "

" This is the second full Holmes novel. It was written soon after the intro novel A Study in Scarlet. It turned out to be really good and fascinating. Watson ends up marrying the woman in trouble! "

" 3.5 stars. Didn't really like this one as much as the other Sherlock Holmes I've read but it was still really good. "

" I'm reading through all of the Sherlock Holmes books, but this one wasn't my favorite. There are certainly fascinating elements to it, but I wasn't drawn into the story as much as the first book, A Study in Scarlet. Still a good, rather quick read. "

" Didn't love this one as much as I loved A Study in Scarlet. "

" My second Sherlock Holmes. I haven't read many mystery novels (or whatever this should be called) and can't compare this with many others, but I really enjoyed it. :) "

" Pretty good, who knew Sherlock was a coke fiend? "

" Another very clever novel, although the dated racial comments were a bit uncomfortable to read. "

" I love all these stories . Say what you will this character is always entertaining "

" My favorite part of the book was the end when Sherlock explained his logic and how he solved the case. Everything becomes so simple and matter of fact when he explains it. Fun read. "

" Re-read this for the first time since I was in junior high, I think. Pretty good, but it's only ACD's second outing for Holmes, so not in the highest rank. I prefer the Holmes stories to the novels, actually. Still, it's hard to beat Holmes on the track of a murder mystery. "

" Ending seemed a bit lacking for me. Not as good a story as Study in Scarlet. Pictures, lettering as good as ever. "

" Tonga was...a little over the top. And I like over the top for the most part. But the descriptions of this guy made me physically uncomfortable. Modern standards, I guess. "

" I hadn't read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for decades so I was surprised that this was such a pleasurable read. "

" Eh maybe I shouldn't have read the two back to back. This one didn't pull me in like the other at all. "

" Sherlock never disappoints. I have read this book several times and enjoy it each time. Somehow it is comforting that Sherlock Holmes can always manage to put things in the right light. This particular story has a bit of romance in it with Dr. Watson which makes it even better. "

" It would be hard to argue that anything written by the genius, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was anything but 5 stars. Interesting case, but once again, Holmes just sets my literature-lovin' heart on fire. "

" Dr. Watson menemukan cintanya di sini. "

" **This book is not the same edition that I read. "

" I wonder if I would have enjoyed Sherlock Holmes when he was new, or if it's just the nostalgia that keeps me going? He is frequently very schlocky, especially when it comes to heightening the exoticism of foreign cultures. I suppose it was the style of the times. And yet, I love him. "

" When I decided to make my way through the Holmes Canon I was a bit disappointed by the first book. The second however was much better! The Sign of Four was amazing and intriguing. One of a good many Holmes stories that stands the test of time! "

" Better than the first novel. I love the final line of the book. "

" i enjoy reading the sherlock holmes books more than i thought i would. if anyone wants to start, the download versions are free. you can't beat that. "

" Not as engaging as I expected. "

" I liked this a little less than A Study in Scarlet. The story includes a dubious inheritance, murder (of course), cocaine, and even a little romance. The action is swift and Watson further illuminates Holmes' character. "

" Not as good as A Study in Scarlet but still enjoyable. It's great reading the Master of mystery do his thing. "

" What else could possibly be said about this story? "

" Not as engaging as I expected. "

" Listened to the audio book from librivox.org "

" My second Sherlock Holmes this year. A very good story, but not as in-depth as a Study in Scarlet. "

" An enjoyable book, but despite it's brief length, it takes too much time in the criminal's back story. This seems to be a trend in Sherlock Holmes novels. After the mystery is solved we get a lengthy and bizarre back story to the criminal. This happened with a Study in Scarlet as well. "

" This was such a disappointment. "

" Good Sherlock Holmes fare. Very interesting. "

" Classic & interesting Holmes mystery, but I feel Holmes suits short 'casebook' stories better than the novels "

" Its some classical fictional master piece "

" A fun tale with great atmosphere. This story was more difficult to follow than A Study in Scarlet, however. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. "

" A rollicking mystery where even Holmes doesn't know all the details until the final confession. "

" Fun mystery, better than A Study in Scarlet. Ol' Sherlock's little idiosyncracies are starting to come out in full force, though. "

" Was really slow. I was reading it with my husband and he even stopped reading half way through. I at least had to finish it. "

" time to dredge the river! "

" I really enjoyed reading this book in high school! "

" More of the same, but different. The actual mystery itself isn't quite as compelling, but now we've got (spoilers?) Holmes on coke, a treasure hunt, chases down the Thames, Holmes & Watson shooting people, and even a little bit of romance to keep us entertained. "

" Amazing!!!!! Even better than a Study in Scarlet. "

" This started very well, but it lost me a little in the second half. More interesting look at the personal life of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. As it didn't hold my attention as well as I expected - only 3 stars. "

" Could have used less action, more detection work by Holmes. About the last third of the book is a chase, then a LONG exposition speech by the criminal in the best Scooby Doo tradition-he does everything but say, "And I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you meddling detective!" "

" It was one of the best stories that I have ever read. I like very much Sherlock Holmes. The style of tells the story, going slowly, till the time that you realize you can't let the book away anymore "

" Enjoyed it couldn't put it down "

" i had to read this for school........ its okay. "

" see "a study in scarlet" "

" I was looking for something short yet engaging to keep up my reading chops; this just seemed to make sense. I don't remember much of when I first read anything about Holmes, so thought I'd revisit it. So far, so good. He's pretty cavalier about his cocaine addicition though. "

" A better outing than Conan Doyle's first Holmes novel, but I think I still prefer reading the shorter stories more. "

" Excellent Holmes mystery.I have read it before but still enjoyable. "

" Always good for a quick read. Very interesting following him through the crime to the solution. "

" too bad for the view of andaman people, good book though "

" Great fun. A twisty plot that begins in exotic India (though our heroes don't leave London) and features a gentle and very funny romance for Watson. Worth reading if only for the character development, but fortunately there's so much more. "

" Not too great a mystery, rather a tad misery. But it's Sherlock Holmes. "

" Just doesn't grip me. On hold for now. Let's see if I get back to it later. "

" Very interesting book was exciting the whole way through. "

" I found this one better than A study of scarlet. "

" If you've read any other Sherlock Holmes story/novel, you'll know what to expect. An added bonus is a fantastic chase scene. "

" this was a very good mystery. i enjoyed it allot. "

" Quite interesting and enjoyable. A good, solid second book. "

" this was a very good mystery. i enjoyed it allot. "

" Quite interesting and enjoyable. A good, solid second book. "

" Sherlock is cool, especially in The Sign of Four. "

" Sherlock is cool, especially in The Sign of Four. "

" this book is full of the fail that comes from historical fiction written over a hundred years ago, and it made me a little squirmy. THAT BEING SAID, HELLO MARY MORSTAN, BE MINE FOREVER. "

" this book is full of the fail that comes from historical fiction written over a hundred years ago, and it made me a little squirmy. THAT BEING SAID, HELLO MARY MORSTAN, BE MINE FOREVER. "

" Not as suspenseful as others. This book is where you get introduced to Toby the dog! And also discover Holmes's love affair with cocaine. Ha. "

" The art is astounding but I'd forgotten the plot hinged on a "hideous native." "

" The art is astounding but I'd forgotten the plot hinged on a "hideous native." "

" Liked this one quite alot, I thought it was better than A Study in Scarlet. "

" Liked this one quite alot, I thought it was better than A Study in Scarlet. "

" Classic. I love Holmes. And I love him even more while I can see he's drug addict. However, I prefer shorter stories. "

" Another read aloud with the kids, I liked it! "

" Yup, still a lover of Holmes. :) I look forward to ALL the rest of the stories! "