The Hound of the Baskervilles is an excellent novella by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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	• The Hound of the Baskervilles: 150th Anniversary Edition (Signet Classics) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Signet Classics, 2001 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 199 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A brilliant trip with Dr. Watson

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" was my first expedition into the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, and I greatly enjoyed the experience. As I have no means of comparison, I am not sure whether the style of the novel is consistent or singular in terms of Sherlock Holmes novels and stories, but I was delighted by the narration provided by Dr. Watson. As a narrator, he was faithful and consistent, and Doyle skillfully manipulates the character to both gain the reader's confidence and sense of security, while keeping many important facts close to his chest. Holmes, on the other hand, was detestable. From his very first introduction I felt repulsed by the character. For that reason, I am glad that the narrator was Watson and not the infamous detective himself. In the end, he played a relatively minor role, and the novel itself is very enjoyable.

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Classic Holmes

'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is truly a Holmes classic. It is testament to Arthur Conan Doyle's immense talent as a writer, that the desolation and solitude of the moors are every bit as entrancing a century after they were written about as they were in his day.

It is in the full length novel format that the characters of Holmes and Watson come into their own. The briefer stories can be exciting but their length and pace doesn't allow the characters to get into their full stride. Here the writing style is as methodical and effective as the musings of the great detective himself.

A great swathe of this book is the reports of Watson who has been left to his own devices by Holmes. However the main player's absence does nothing to diminish the novel's impacte. The bleak aspect of the Devon countryside allied to the intricate and bizarre relationships of its residents fuse to make this outing of Holmes a memorable one. Both the surroundings and the vivid descriptions of the hound itself, combine to draw the reader in, in a way that few novels can.

'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is widely beleived to be one of the greatest of the Sherlock Holmes oeuvre, and indeed the intricacy of the plot development, along with an excellent climax put this novel up there with the best of them.

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Male only spaces

I would have NEVER picked up Sherlock Holmes on my own! I'm so glad my English teacher assigned this to read (I wrote my paper on the male only space Doyle created, not megatively or anything). The book was pretty creepy at times, shocking! I was never bored, but then again it was so short. I loved the legend of the hound mystery and all of Holmes' deductions to solve the crime. Good times.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is an excellent novella by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) wanted to be known for his serious fiction and journalism. History, however, awards its literary plaudits to the good doctor for his immortal literary detective Sherlock Holmes and his bumbling sidekick Dr. John H. Watson. Doyle wrote 54 Holmes short stories and four novellas on the most famous consulting detective in all of world literature.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was published in serial parts in the Strand Magazine from August 1901 through April 1902. It is his most famous work worthy of its acclaim
The story involves Herny Baskerville who has inherited a large fortune and vast estate in Dorset. His friend Dr. Mortimer visits Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street to tell them that Baskerville is frightened of a huge fiendish hound said to roam over Grimpen moor. Ever since one of Henry's ancestors was killed by a large dog following a maiden's seduction it is believed that the Baskerville's are cursed by the fiendish monster mongrel.
Holmes and Watson arrive in Dartmoor to investigate. while Holmes returns to London it is left to Dr. Watson to record the happenings at Baskerville Hall. Doyle has Watson speak through a journal he keeps while a guest of Sir. The plot is gothic horror, suspense fiction and love story all entwined in a delicious plot. There is even quicksand to trap hapless victims of Grimpen. The scenes remind one of the Wasteland imagery of a TS Eliot who was enamored of this great story. Freudian and psychological interpreters have had a field day with this one!
There are many interesting characters in the case. Selden an escaped convict from the nearby prison; Stapleton the lover of butterflys and his supposed sister Beryl. Murder occurs as the savage beast is on the prowl. The mysterey is intricately plotted and there are many surprises. One of life's joys is to read this novella for the first time! Doyle is a master of evoking a chilly, creepy atmosphere filled with fog, rain and fear on the prowl. The novella is superior to any film version ever made of this classic work
Doyle was an Edwardian gentleman who loved nature, spiritualism and hiking. He also was an excellent stylist who will keep your interest as Holmes unweaves the complex tale. The Hound of the Baskervilles is masterful, suspensful and worthy of your time. The story can be read and re-read for a lifetime of enjoyment. It is short requiring only a few hours nestled near a fireplace on a winter's night. Enjoy!

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Still Fresh After 100+ Years

Not being an avid mystery reader (outside of the Hardy Boys in my youth), and never reading a Sherlock Holmes short story or novel, I found "The Hound of the Baskervilles" a very refreshing book even though it was written in the early 1900's.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creates an entertaining story that seems out of place among the novels from that period because "The Hound of the Baskervilles" reads more like a modern novel. This may be attributed to the fact that it was written as a serial and makes effective use of cliffhangers and foreshadowing to keep the reader engaged.

Sherlock Holmes himself is an interesting character. His ego is enormous and his humor, combined with his condescending attitude, was somewhat of a shock to the stuffy analytical character I expected. He was of course methodical and calculating, but would also be inclined to hop "himself up on coffee and consume an incredible amount of tobacco". Watson, who does the heavy lifting of the pair, has to put up with Holmes' attitude which creates an interesting dynamic. The reader would not have been surprised if Watson suddenly decided to throttle Holmes if he didn't admire him so much. Holmes "...loved to dominate and surprise...I had often suffered under it..." says Watson at one point.

In the age of CSI and Patricia Cornwell, the mystery itself (that revolves around a curse upon the Baskerville family who are haunted by a supernatural beast living in the bogs by their estate) is not as entertaining as it once must have been, but the narrative unfolded nicely, the characters were fun (and still fresh) and the ending was resolved nicely. I found the mystery to be smart and fun to read, with great use of settings to create an effective mood. I expect I will need to spend more time with Holmes and Watson in the future.

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