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The Real Sherlock

By: Lucinda Hawksley
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  • Summary

  • Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed fictional character of all time, and he has been reimagined by actors, playwrights and directors over centuries - but who is the creator behind the detective?

    Arthur Conan Doyle's own life was often stranger than fiction, and his most famous characters' stories and personalities bear more than a passing resemblance to his own life and his closest friends. Biographer and broadcaster Lucinda Hawksley gains unprecedented access to a treasure trove of Doyle's never-before-seen personal letters and diaries. This is a chance for Sherlock fans to see their detective hero and his creator as they've never seen them before.

    Through interviews with Doyle aficionados, academics, actors and family members, we explore Doyle's travels and sailing adventures across the globe, his pioneering work as a doctor, his life in the Freemasons and his fights against miscarriages of justice. As well as his many triumphs, we will also explore the challenges he faced, from the death of his first wife and son to the initial rejection he faced as an author.

    We will also look beyond Sherlock to Doyle's other great works including his fantasy and science fiction novels and hear how one of his most famous - The Lost World - part-inspired Michael Crichton's book of the same name, which became the successful Jurassic Park film franchise.

    This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 6 episodes to your Library now.

    ©2019 Audible, Ltd. (P)2019 Audible, Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: The Early Years
    Feb 28 2019

    Creator of the most portrayed fictional character of all time, we embark on the story of author Arthur Conan Doyle, whose own life was often stranger than fiction. We discover how Conan Doyle’s years in medical school would inspire some of his most renowned characters and his origins as storyteller.

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    21 mins
  • Ep. 2: Love is the Best Medicine
    Feb 28 2019

    Taking a break from his medical studies, Conan Doyle sets sail on the international adventure that would shape him into a man, despite nearly threatening his life. On his return, his first medical practice’s lack of patients would fuel his gift of writing.

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    24 mins
  • Ep. 3: Success for Sherlock at Last
    Feb 28 2019

    Conan Doyle’s inventive mind gives birth to one of Britain’s most-loved characters, Sherlock Holmes. Though the detectives debut slips under the radar at first, Conan Doyle’s following works are quickly pursued with success and acclaim as he travels to Paris and Vienna.

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    25 mins

What listeners say about The Real Sherlock

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

interesting, but short.

Doyle's life is fascinating, and as a long time fan I still had a few surprises. You can feel the excitement of the host as she discovers things and is shown artifacts, although this felt really short, with a lot of each episode taken up with "In the next episode..."
One thing I did learn is that Stephen Fry is really bad at accents! They use exerpts from his recently released reading of the
Sherlock Holmes collection - a production that was a complete waste of time by Audible, the Simon Vance performance of the collection is perfect, it did not need to be redone.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

An interesting insight into the life of Arthur Conan Doyle. A brief history but quite satisfying.

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