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Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories

By: Julian Hawthorne - editor
Narrated by: Scott Woodside
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Summary

In the six volumes of the Library of the World’s Best Mystery and Detective Stories, Julian Hawthorne presents us thrilling and mysterious short stories from all corners of the world. Some of the stories appeared in this 1907 collection for the first time translated into English, and many of them come from unexpected sources, such as the letters of Pliny the Younger, or a Tibetan manuscript. In the first volume, we find stories written by American authors.
Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
Classics Detective Law Traditional Detectives Fiction Mystery Exciting
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Editor reviews

This audiobook is from the fourth volume of a six-volume collection of diverse mystery and detective stories from around the world, assembled by Julian Hawthorne. From a letter to Roman Senator L. Licinius Sura written by Pliny the Younger in the 1st Century CE describing his experiences with the supernatural to tales from all over Europe throughout the early 20th-century that touch on tragic irony, horrific torture, Faustian deals and mystery, this audiobook has many rare gems. Most notable is Voltaire’s "The Babylonian", considered by some to be the primogenitor of the detective genre. Scott Woodside performs the collection lending this audio the air of a radio drama with his deep driving voice.

What listeners say about Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Patricia

library of the worlds best mystery & detective sto

The stories are engaging and interesting, however, the enjoyment is spoiled by the narrator: Scott Woodside's extraordinary mispronunciations.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for fluffy

terrible

Would you try another book written by Julian Hawthorne (editor) or narrated by Scott Woodside?

No. This narrators accent is appaling and I am returning the book as I simply cannot bear to hear any more of his mangling the french language.I do not expect all narrators to have perfect accents when reading translations of foreign authors but his mispronunciation is dreadful.

Has Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories put you off other books in this genre?

Yes. Whoever thought these stories were the worlds best needs to get out more. There is nothing quality about the first story by Guy de Maupassent. I cant imaging a time when it was classed as a detective story.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator could learn to pronounce some of the foreign words a bit better.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

As I gave up part way throught the second story I cannot say. At least with the kindle version I could skip the most boring easily. I have to say I gave up reading that as well but thought it might be easier to listen to them than to read. I was wrong.

Any additional comments?

I think I have made my feelings about the editor and the narrator clear. The books were a product of their time and the first two should have been left there. I am astonished that even given the standards 10 years ago the one about the negro with criminal tendancies was shocking. The only excuse was that when written they reflected the way most people felt. Whatever your feelings about other colours to have a sentance that says on one look the man was a criminal as he was black was appaling even at the time.

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