View source for Review:Tales of Terror/David Stuart Davies

{{Cargo_Reviews_Articles
 |Date=1994-08-01
 |Book=Tales of Terror
 |BookAuthor=Arthur Conan Doyle
 |Reviewer=David Stuart Davies
 |Topics=Audiobook
}}
This review of the book ''"Tales of Terror", by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'' was written by [[David Stuart Davies]] and published in the [[The Parish Magazine (newsletter)|The Parish Magazine]] (No. 11, august 1994).

This review praises ''Tales of Terror'' as a strong unabridged audio selection of four [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Conan Doyle]] chillers, whose power lies in atmosphere, construction, and dark imagination. Though the readings are seen as competent rather than especially dramatic, the collection is still warmly recommended, especially for listening on a long journey.


== Review ==
[[File:the-parish-magazine-n11-1994-08-p23.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Parish Magazine (newsletter)|The Parish Magazine]] (No. 11, august 1994, p. 23)]]

: [[File:canongate-audio-1994-tales-of-terror.jpg|100px]]
: '''Tales of Terror'''
: by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]
: Canongate Audio 1994 (originally issued by Schiltron Audio Books, 1990); 2 Cassettes: 2hr 21min; £7.99; ISBN: 1-85968-010-0
: '[[The Story of the Brazilian Cat|The Brazilian Cat]]', '[[The New Catacomb]]', '[[The Leather Funnel]]', '[[The Case of Lady Sannox]]' read by [[Clive Champney]] and [[Robert Trotter]]


'''Reviewed by David Stuart Davies'''

In the proliferating market of talking books, it was only a matter of time before some company turned its attention to the short stories of [[Arthur Conan Doyle|ACD]]. Certainly the Sherlockian is already well served with many and various renditions of the Holmes stories, but until now [[Arthur Conan Doyle|ACD]]'s other literary wells have, with the exception of The Lost World, remained untouched. Canongate has wisely picked four excellent chillers for the Tales of Terror tape. 

The stories, thankfully unabridged, are ideal for this sort of presentation, where the power of words and the clever construction can be admired and enjoyed — controlled as we are by the reader and his pace and not our own page-turning eagerness. What is ironic — and thus points to the tales' power is that for the most part the plots are predictable. We know, for instance, that the narrator of '[[The Story of the Brazilian Cat|The Brazilian Cat]]' will end up trapped in the cage with 'Good Old Tommy', the eponymous feline, and we know that Burger will wreak a dreadful revenge on his rival in the subterranean passages of Rome in '[[The New Catacomb]]'; but it is the means by which [[Arthur Conan Doyle|ACD]] reaches these dénouements that is fascinating. [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Conan Doyle]]'s descriptions and his ability to draw the reader (or, in this case, the listener) into experiencing the terror of the situation are the real attraction of these grim yarns. The stories are obviously influenced by Poe's tales of ''Mystery and Imagination'', but, being less aesthetic, they touch the reader's nerve more directly. They also reveal an imagination as dark and as cruel as that of any practitioner of the genre. 

The readers, whose delivery is similar in style, make a workman-like job of presenting the tales. They both sound like men in their late middle-age sitting in their club last thing at night with a few friends whom they regale with a story to send them nervously off to bed a concept of which [[Arthur Conan Doyle|ACD]] would, no doubt, approve. They make no attempt to act' the tales (although Robert Trotter's character voices are somewhat risible at times). Personal preference will dictate whether you care for this simple approach. I must admit that I like a little more dynamism in storytelling than is displayed here, but, nevertheless, I would not hesitate in recommending this collection. The stories are ideal for a long car journey. So buy the tape. Canongate should be supported in this venture. Having already recorded a series of [[Brigadier Gerard]] tales, they may be persuaded to cast their net further: what about a dip into the Round the Red Lamp collection? 

DSD







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