ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE A Life

If there's a formula for short biography, this recording embodies it: rich in anecdotes, witty and entertaining throughout. Of course, Arthur Conan Doyle is a deep mine of subject matter--not just the creator of one of the most popular characters in literature, but a man who spent time as a surgeon, a correspondent in the Boer War, and an avid spiritualist. Pearson strives to be objective, praising the Holmes stories and criticizing the forays into historical fiction, despite Doyle's own admiration for this latter body of work. Tim Pigott-Smith handles everything beautifully, using accents judiciously and capturing all of the writer's playfulness. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]