Story begins at: 00:01:15. The music used at the beginning and end of the story is an extract from 'Duet for Two Violins' by Luigi Boccherini, Op 5 N2 Larghetto. The image in the title card is a detail from the painting 'Liverpool Docks by Night', by the English artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893). Some background notes on the story and the text which listeners may find of interest: 'The Adventure of the Cardboard Box' first appeared in The Strand Magazine in January 1893, the 14th Sherlock Holmes story to be printed by that periodical. However, when the second series of 12 stories came to be collected together for book publication as 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes' in early 1894, 'The Cardboard Box' was removed, so the volume was printed with only 11 stories. This was apparently at Arthur Conan Doyle's request, but his reasons aren't entirely clear: it's been speculated that he worried the themes were too shocking to public sentiment at the time, and/or he regretted that the crime was too "sensational". It wasn't until almost 25 years later, when a few of Watson's “later reminiscences” published episodically between 1908 and 1917 were collected together in the 1917 volume 'His Last Bow', that Doyle allowed the story to re-emerge. Perhaps three years into World War I the brutality of the crime seemed less shocking... To this day, some collected works of Sherlock Holmes still include the story in 'His Last Bow', whereas others choose to re-insert it in its original place in 'The Memoirs'. Doyle's decision to withdraw the story from publication also had an interesting side-effect on another story in 'The Memoirs'. He was particularly pleased with the opening "mind reading" section and was loath to lose it, so he inserted it wholesale at the beginning of 'The Resident Patient', replacing that story's original opening paragraphs. Initially this was rather clumsily done so that the latter story ended up with contradictory references to an August heatwave and stormy October gales, although this was later tidied up in subsequent editions. Again, modern complete works vary, with most restoring the original opening to 'The Resident Patient' and a few retaining the 'Cardboard Box' insert so that two stories have exactly the same opening sequence. 'The Cardboard Box' was also the very last episode of the 1984-94 Granada television series, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes. Like many of the episodes in that final series, the adaptation made noticeable changes to the original, most significantly moving the setting to Christmas time, so that the crime of passion takes place amidst a frozen and snowy landscape, instead of a heatwave. Some textual notes: In the opening scene, Holmes refers to two portraits which Watson has on display in their Baker Street rooms, which give us an interesting insight into the doctor's character. General Gordon was Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), who was famously killed in the siege of Khartoum, an event which would have been very fresh in the public memory at the time this story was written. The second portrait, Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), was an American clergyman and social reformer, who was well known in Britain for his speaking tour on behalf of President Lincoln during the US Civil War. He was subsequently involved in a controversial trial on charges of adultery, although he was not convicted. He died in New York City in 1887, aged 73. For anyone reading along with the book, please be aware that there are multiple minor differences between the text of the story as originally printed in The Strand (1893) and the later book publication (1917). They don't impact on the story, but there are several grammatical changes and a few words are replaced with synonyms, e.g. "he sat in deep thought" becomes "he sat in deep meditation". For clarity, the text read here is the original 1893 Strand Magazine version. Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me (and get access to exclusive content): * Occasional/one-off support via Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesizedaudio * Monthly support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bitesizedaudio * Visit my Bandcamp page to hear more of my performances of classic stories, and you can purchase and download high quality audio files to listen offline: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/ * Become a Bitesized Audio Classics member on RU-vid, from $1 / £1 / €1 per month: ru-vid.comjoin
Beautifully done Simon! The characters were rich but I have to applaud your seaman! Very well done! I could close my eyes and see him vividly. A beautiful narration from beginning to end. Thank you so much for sharing your gift once again. ❤
Oh Simon you spoil us this week with two tales in a row! You are a gem in this world of narrators who try way to hard to sound fancy and do not respect the material. Thank you for giving us a marvelous take on these writings, I don’t say this lightly, you are genuinely talented. Ps. Your earlier recordings got me craving a book btw! I purchased the complete MR James collection. Hope you read the Ash Tree one day, :)
Simon, you are an international treasure! I’m always amazed at your skill in taking stories I’ve heard many times and making them new. Thank you again!
Thank you again for all the care you put into the selection of the thumbnail art and music, in addition to sharing the background information. Well-crafted all the way around.
You gave these characters 58:45 life! You are one of the most extraordinary narrators. Thank you for having the transcripts. Thank you for all the extra work you do to provide us with notes. Where were you when I was taking high school and college English! I wish you the very best.
One of my favorite Holmes stories, and one of the saddest. I remember how beautifully acted it was in the television series, with Ciarán Hinds, Joanna David, and Deborah Findlay. But you bring it all to life with just your voice. Thank you so much for another wonderful piece of work.
Hi Simon, I love the pleasantness of your channel. There are many stories you’ve narrated. I’d request you to create a playlist of your favourite stories. That way, new visitors like me can listen to them first. If I’ve missed it somehow, let me know.
Thanks for the suggestion. I've created a few playlists grouped by genre (detective stories, ghost stories, etc) as well as some playlists grouped by author; you can find them here if you haven't found them: www.youtube.com/@BitesizedAudio/playlists But I hadn't thought about doing a playlist of my own favourites... that's an interesting idea, I'll give it some thought!
Of course, the tale is told with genuine feeling, not at all over done, and in the style that is all your own, Simon. This made me sad, though. With family, especially after marriage, it is good to keep fences well mended. Relations tend to enjoy reminding one of their close affiliation when it comes to getting their way. But in respecting the boundaries of those they seek to manipulate, the loving bond seems to disappear 🤔. Oh well, such is my experience... Bless you, Simon and thank you for your great work that you share with us.
A monologue like this, at the last, is not easy. There is no dialogue with another, to spark a fresh intonation in response. When trying to convey a character from a written statement even more challenging. l think a balance was well struck.
I'm catching up after being in an area of minimal wi-fi for weeks...what a pleasure to have all these new stories read by you, Simon, waiting on my return. I always enjoy your readings tremendously, but was particularly impressed by the Liverpool seaman. A reminder of your versatility, in addition to the precision and clarity with which you read. Thank you.
Thanks 🙏🏽 It struck me this morning how often the phrase “in a brown study” crops up in various stories - and what a ‘colorful’ idiom it is-then fell into the worm hole of its 16 c. origin when brown was associated with melancholy or deep preoccupation - and how it saw a resurgence in use in the 19th c. 😊-I may then have fallen into a bit of a brown study myself 🤎
It's a beautiful image, it's on display here in The Walker Art Gallery, or at least it was. It's some time since I last went. I have been trying to get to the end of this story but I keep falling asleep. I listen in bed and so it's great that it helps me go off. However it's also rather annoying because I've still not reached the end since you posted it Simon 😂
Simon your a Treasure to all of us . I love your narration and how life like it is . Your there with each character and feel each and every moment. Sir A Doyle would be honored by your presence. Thank you l love each and everyone of your stories. May your Pipe always be full and the Game Afoot .
Consistently great narration and story. Thanks, this is so peaceful to listen to, even though it was a gristly murder. It's too bad Browner had nobody to confide in. He would have been advised to kick Sarah out., and told Mary what Sarah had done. If Mary divorced him, and gone off with her lover, let her, it would not last. The lover was really a sneaky coward and soon would have been found out.
Thank you so much Simon! Entertainer extraordinaire! That title suits you and you are absolutely perfect for acting the part is Watson! Best wishes Simon! Have a lovely week! ❤
i’ve heard this story before, but decided to give it a listen anyway. of course, a different interpretation. Spoiler!! one thing - i got so lost in listening to that poor man’s story, that almost at the end, i was stunned realizing it wasn’t really him talking, but you. got right back into it though. a good one, Simon! 🌷🌱
Thank you, not only for a very good rendition of the story but also for the interesting notes. I especially appreciate you giving us the reference to the beautiful violin music you chose for the lead in ❤
Love your channel Simon... superb narration. I slow down the speed and it creates a soporific and sleepy night time companion for this insomniac. Bless you and thanks 💙🌠📚
I don't know why I bother with some dramas. I just wasted an hour listening to dribble. Thank you Simon for your classy presentation. You never fail to present your best ❤❤
Hope you enjoy! Although I didn't quite plan it this way (Bruce-Partington was recorded a while back) they make an interesting pair, with an echo in the opening sections of each where Watson vividly describes the weather...
Ah, Simon!! Your speaking as the Seaman, Browner..., the slightly trilled "r"s, the faintly accentuated "k"s, at the ends of words... a fine tuned rendition of~although I probably don't have this right~Manchester with a smattering of Liverpool, is it?~or Liverpool with a smattering of Manchester? Lol, I don't guess I really know, but you certainly nailed it ~with a great deal of shine! Bravo!👍
Thank you @Frenchblue8 ... Yes, somewhere between Liverpool and Manchester I think. I was actually born and raised about mid-way between the two, so grew up hearing both accents, which are distinct but have some similarities. I was sort of aiming for the older Lancashire-influenced Merseyside accent which older people (my grandmother's generation) spoke when I was growing up. However, Browner's a sailor who's probably travelled the world and his accent will no doubt have become diluted - that's my convenient excuse, anyway!
@@BitesizedAudioAw, thanks for sharing that with us. My mom was a huge Beatles fan, they came to America when she was 12~the exact right age to fall in love with "the boys" and be a superfan, I guess. She did get to see them, in the summers of '65 and '66, but the thing that always got to her`~aside from the music of course~ were their accents. My mom and I, and my kids have actually sat together and watched "A Hard Day's Night', and their other film, 'HELP'; a bunch of times, we love them and have great fun trying to do the Liverpool accents. Anyway I think all of YOUR loyal fans here felt as I did, that your performance as Browner, not to take anything at all from the rest of the storytelling, was something quite, quite special. I know that I stopped doing what I had been doing while listening, and could only stand there. It was just.. it really was truly stunning.
I do luv your new title card as an overlay included in your interesting thumbnail image/s on both this one & *The Bruce~ Partington Plans* story ... just sets it off in style
Thank you Miji Yoon, I appreciate that feedback. You may be interested to know that the profile overlay is Basil Rathbone, of all the many Holmes actors surely the one who most closely resembles the original Paget drawings, to an extent which is quite uncanny...
I have sometimes wondered what they thought about Conan Doyle at Scotland yard. In this story Holmes leaves no doubt how he felt about Lestrade...."completely devoid of reason" ouch!!!!!
Yes indeed, although funnily enough across the stories more widely Holmes was kinder about Lestrade than about some of his colleagues. I think my favourite quote on that subject has to be his comment on Inspector Peter Jones in 'The Red-Headed League': "He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession. He has one positive virtue. He is as brave as a bulldog, and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone." Sadly, I don't think Peter Jones crops up again in any other stories...
Thank you. This story--though I have only an average familiarity with Sherlock Holmes--immediately seems set apart, different cadence, different style. After your excellent reading, I read your notes. Ah, Conan Doyle himself pulled the story from early publication. I think it's because of the reason stated bult also because the format just doesn't fit his generally sprightly deductions.
Amazing, it seems four people commented within the first minute. Fastest finger first, come on down! I think I might be confusing my TV game shows there...?
@MacMcCaskill Well, I see it more as people wanting to show engagement with the new upload, which in turn helps spread the reach with a boost in the mysterious algorithm, so I'm very grateful to all those listeners kind enough to comment, whether before or after listening (or both!). It really does help me to keep going. Some people are indeed very quick off the mark, although it's the people who hit the "dislike" button before listening who seem less generously motivated... sometimes the dislike button is clicked within minutes of a new story going live. I can't help feeling they're not giving it a chance! Unless those listeners know in advance they don't like my content, which is fair enough, but then why bother? Anyway, it's all interaction, so all good! Thanks for your support Mac
Pardon me if I have missed it, but have you done CASTING THE RUNES? And here's one which I am convinced only you could do justice: THE NOTCH ON THE AX by Thackeray. 😉
I've not done Casting the Runes as yet; I've done a few MRJs, including Number 13 and Lost Hearts quite recently, but 'Runes' is very much on my list for the future! Thanks for the Thackeray recommendation as well, he's another author I'd like to cover - I'll bear it in mind
Just in the first few lines the description of the heat in August (while I am also simultaneously recalling episodes of Foyle's War that were identified as taking place in the month of August, during one of the years during WWII, and everyone is wearing overcoats and one character complaining that the cold wind "gets on my chest"???) Just makes me flabbergasted as most of us are so used to our addiction to air conditioning we don't even think about it anymore, it now being August as well... how the Victorians~ or any age prior to electricity.... were not dropping from the heat, 100 per minute in a city like London, where the exacerbating stench of any and all smells that could not be contained (few could I would imagine)... Well just how any of it could be stood by a person in good health, much less the very young, the very pregnant, the newborn, the sickly the elderly etc. Just ...wow I am gobsmacked trying to imagine it, especially as just wearing a bathing suit/bikini or guys going shirtless as would be normal in our time and even 60 years ago, was simply not a thing in Holmes' and Watson's time.I mean, we're talking not even a window box or haphazardly oscillating table fan!! Climate change, even then, and I'm sure very few even had a clue of humanity 's mindless contributions, at that time, although smoke from the railroad and the ever-expanding industrial operations globally could not really be hidden and there for the eye to see. Anyway, sorry for the rant. Must be sunstroke.🌞 Edit: I just realized that Watsons description of the temperature was 90 degrees, clearly Fahrenheit. At some point, UK switched to centigrade/Celsius...
Yes indeed, it must have been tough to deal with for the reasons you mentioned... and the buttoned up fashions of the time wouldn't have helped, I'm sure! I couldn't help noticing that despite temperatures in the 90s and Watson's description of the intense heat, Holmes is wearing his dressing gown over his shirt and waistcoat!
@@BitesizedAudioI know!! Only the most intensely rigorous, soul-strangling dedication to the unequivocal propriety of the era could have prevented a body from simply ripping off, at least clothing above the waist, and declaring, "Forgive me, please, but I don't care, it is simply too bloody HOT!!" PS. And unless I missed it, I don't recall any mention of either Holmes, Watson, Lestrade or anyone else... sweating at all... Or even 'perspiring', lol!
Forgive me if you have already done it (I'm new) but how about Lafcadio Hearn? Or Dickens' "The Signalman"? Would love to hear " The Raven" and "The Bells" read by you as well!
Hello. I thought I would help you. Simon has read 'the Signalman'. It is at the end of a collection called 'Ten classic railway stories'. The story starts at 6:12:39. Hope you enjoy it.
@j.taylor3670 Thanks for listening to the channel! As Patricia has already noted, I've done 'The Signalman' - it's part of the collection of railway stories with nine other tales by various authors, but also available on its own if that's easier: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4RcpOqN3A2A.html Thank you also for your other suggestions, I'll keep them in mind!
Well, that's very kind of you to say Patricia, thank you, but I really do rate Greg's interpretation of the Holmes stories very highly, and enjoy his pacing, phrasing and characterisation. It's all personal taste of course: I've seen several different actors play Hamlet or Lear, and each one brings something different to the table, the different readings are part of what makes these stories so enduring I suppose. Best wishes and thanks again for taking the time to comment
@patriciaramsey5294 Oh not at all Patricia, please don't think so! I'm touched by your kind comments. It's lovely that you mention drama; funnily enough I have occasionally had comments from listeners complaining I "over-dramatize", but then others complaining I'm monotonous and don't put any life into the stories! Which only goes to show, you can't please everyone! So I appreciate your feedback, thank you
