Audiobook2 hours
A Double-Barreled Detective Story
Written by Mark Twain
Narrated by Thomas Becker
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Mark Twain is at his irreverent best with this hilarious parody of the 19th-century mystery. The tale begins with the murder of Flint Buckner and a heinous crime against a young woman. A man with special gifts - no less a personage than Sherlock Holmes! - Enters the scene to solve the mystery and avenge the lady. He matches wits with an improbable villain, Archy Stillman, while Ham Sandwich and Wells Fargo look on, and almost gets himself lynched in the process.
Author
Mark Twain
Enter the Author Bio(s) here.
More audiobooks from Mark Twain
A Vintage Christmas: A Collection of Classic Stories and Poems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The (dramatic reading) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5B. J. Harrison Reads The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to A Double-Barreled Detective Story
Related audiobooks
The Lightning of Possible Storms Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lady with the Hatchet, the Eight Strokes of the Clock, the Adventures of Arsène Lupin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClassic Crime Short Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Arsene Lupin in Prison, the Adventures of Arsene Lupin the Gentleman Burglar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventure of the Sussex Vampire (Unabridged) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTreasure Island: Unabridged Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief: 5 stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventure of the Retired Colourman: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Debba Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Short Story Collection: Spooky, Mysterious Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNecessity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Wrong Track Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crystal Stopper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCarry On, Jeeves, The Inimitable Jeeves and Right Ho, Jeeves - THREE P.G. Wodehouse Classics! - Unabridged Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCharlie's Mirror Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Orient: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tom Sawyer Abroad Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tramp Abroad Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Blonde Lady Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSherlock Holmes: Dirty Laundry in Paradise Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDarrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer (Los Angeles 1911–1913) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The C. Auguste Dupin Trilogy: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt & The Purloined Letter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWho's Killing the Great Writers of America? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStop the Presses!: A Nero Wolfe Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Exile: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What On Earth Have I Done?: Stories, Observations, and Affirmations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Humor & Satire For You
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sh*t My Dad Says Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Really Good, Actually: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love and Other Words Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harold Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Black Unicorn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soulmate Equation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Stay Married Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anxious People: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tidy the F*ck Up: The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spoiler Alert: You're Gonna Die: Unveiling Death One Question at a Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Young Doctor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swamp Story: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Broken (in the best possible way) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mary Jane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nothing to See Here Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Wishes: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Big Swiss: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yes Please Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Is this Anything? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Double-Barreled Detective Story
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
4/5
8 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm not sure what to say about this one. I can't say I'm particularly well read in Mark Twain's works, but I've read enough that I expected a level of satiric humor that I didn't immediately find. In fact, the story started out rather dark, tragic and confronting. About 10% of the way through, a hint of absurdity, but still dark. It's not until midway through Part II of the story that it started to really feel like something written by Twain, and mind you, I've still not seen a hint of Sherlock Holmes. I was starting to feel robbed. It's also at this point that it sort of feels like Twain lost the reigns of the story; it scatters all over the place with suddenly changing POVs and focus. Not so scattered, though, that it wasn't apparent where Twain was going, the set-up for the twist of irony. Then, finally, Sherlock Holmes enters the scene. Twain is known for his scathing satire, so it's no surprise that Holmes does not come out looking like the paragon he is, but at the same time, Twain is skewering everyone else too, and somehow it makes it easier to sit back and laugh at the absurdity of it all. Even though the plot had lost most of its focus, it was still the most enjoyable part of the story for me. I'm glad I discovered this book and story - I thoroughly enjoyed it - but it's clear why it's not a well-known work of Twain's. It's worth reading for Holmes fans for the sheer novelty, if nothing else, and I adore my copy. But for those without the sentimental streak for Holmes, it's best experienced via Gutenberg or an anthology of Twain's work.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fun, silly. Not Mark Twain's best, but very enjoyable.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5"Uncle Sherlock! The mean luck of it!—that he should come just when...." He dropped into a reverie, and presently said to himself: "But what's the use of being afraid of him? Anybody that knows him the way I do knows he can't detect a crime except where he plans it all out beforehand and arranges the clues and hires some fellow to commit it according to instructions.... Now there ain't going to be any clues this time—so, what show has he got? None at all.This novella contains two linked revenge stories. In the first, Archie Stillman acts as is mother's bloodhound, hunting down the father he never knew and harrying him from town to town and across the world. The second story takes place in a mining camp where Archie and Sherlock Holmes vie to discover the murderer of an unpopular miner. I don't think Mark Twain can have been a fan of Holmes, as his portrayal of him is uncomplimentary in the extreme and he does not seem to be the same man as in Conan Doyle's stories.The first part is quite depressing and although the second has much more humour in it, I don't think I would choose to re-read this book.