The Hound of the Baskervilles

Written by Arthur Conan Doyle and Patrick Nobes

Narrated by Multiple Narrators

Dartmoor. A wild, wet place in the south-west of England. A place where it is easy to get lost, and to fall into the soft green earth which can pull the strongest man down to his death. A man is running for his life. Behind him comes an enormous dog - a dog from his worst dreams, a dog from hell. Between him and a terrible death stands only one person - the greatest detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Release date: Nov 15, 2007
• ISBN: 9780194215718

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He is the creator of the Sherlock Holmes character, writing his debut appearance in A Study in Scarlet. Doyle wrote notable books in the fantasy and science fiction genres, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.

Reviews for The Hound of the Baskervilles

[mistycliff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of Doyle’s better known Holmes stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles, is one that begins in benign city drudgery and ends in the sensational, sensual moors of the countryside. A family history, plagued by the evil tale of a spiritual being, imposes itself on the pragmatic and scientific modernity of Holmes and Watson’s practice, throwing them for a ghostly loop.When I was in third grade, I “read” the Hound of the Baskervilles. I had been given a collection of Doyle’s Holmes stories by some well-intentioned relative and being the avid little reader that I was, dug in. I remember very few of the the other stories but because I was, even (or especially) at 9, an avid animal advocate, I remember the The Hound.At least I thought I did. When I am distressed about the things my son (currently 19 months) is reading in seven and a half years, I’ll have to remind myself that The Hound stuck with me in little part regarding the plot. The tawdry implied love affairs and inherent violence had no effect on me at that age. I think I read it simply because of the dog.Of course, as a 26 year old, Watson’s recount of the countryside drama, packed with supernatural intrigue, holds much more weight. There are great writers still working today and they’ll certainly do in a pinch but there is nothing quite like the witty one liners and beautiful mysterious prose of Dolye’s stories. Through and through its tiny entirety, the Hound of the Baskerville is fantastic craftsmanship and an inevitable crowd favorite.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Features Holmes of course, but a fair amount of the actual "screen time" belongs to Watson. Sent to Dartmoor to protect the heir, Henry Baskerville, Watson contributes to the solving of the case with regular reports and updates in his diary. There are some things that happen as part of the solution that should have been obvious to Watson. Hasn't he been hanging around with Holmes long enough to know what the man's like? And of course a seemingly innocent party is the guilty one of course. It would take a far less jaded eye than mine not to have spotted it, but of course no one in the story does except Holmes, which is par for the course. All in all a satisfying romp through Holmes's world.

[bookwallah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly fresh sleuthing romp through the eerie moors of Devon. Hounds of the Baskervilles may hail from a vastly different era but it reads true to the form we have all come to love. Thank you Conan Doyle for starting our addiction to mysteries.

[missteacher_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fairly enjoyable tale, but not at all what I expected. This was my first experience with Sherlock Holmes, and I must say I was just a bit put off by it. Holmes has a cocky, uber-intelligent manner of solving mysteries, which would be great if we got to share in the fun. Give me all the details...all the little things I should have noticed about a person's demeanor or dress, and then let me be blow away when Holmes points out all the clues I glazed over in the first. Don't go ahead and loudly boast about what you've found without giving the reader the thrill of the hunt as well! I want a chance to be stupefied by Holmes! I want to say, "Ah! I completely missed that!", not, "Oh, well, how would I have known anyway?" Is it the age or style that leaves out this thread of audience participation? I do admit, I'm very new to the mystery genre, so maybe I've just grown accustomed to the subtle sleights-of-hand in the more modern works. I will give Doyle and Holmes another shot at some point...it just won't be anytime soon.

[arielfl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sherlock Holmes is HOT right now. Between the Robert Downey Jr. interpretation, the Masterpiece Classic episodes, the books for kids, the House of Silk, A Study in Sherlock, just to name a few examples, we are showered in Sherlock. Despite all of this exposure I had never read an actual Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes novel. A few months ago I read the House of Silk, a Sherlock Homes novel, although not written by Conan Doyle but authorized by his estate. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then while reading the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, another lovely book by the way, the main character references the Hound of the Baskervilles. I read quite a few Agatha Christie novels and I was interested to see how Conan Doyles master detective would stand up to the Queen of Crime so with that in mind I embarked on my first ever Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes novel.The story takes place on the Moors of England at the Baskerville estate. The old heir has just died by somewhat mysterious circumstances and the new heir is set to take over. There is a curse on the family having to do with an ancestor who kidnapped a yeoman's daughter. She escaped and was pursued by the not so nice ancestor. When both were found, the girl and the ancestor were dead with a large hound standing over them. Since that day the Hound of the Baskervilles is said to plaque the generations of the Baskerville family. It looks like the new heir is in danger and if that's not bad enough there is a serial killer on the loose. Holmes and Watson are called in to take a look at the case of course solve it in due course.The resolution of the mystery was not a very complicated one. I find the Agatha Christie novels to be far more clever in their solutions. That said, it was still a very enjoyable novel. I loved the description of the creepy moor. It was a character unto itself. My favorite part of the book was when Watson was asked to present a certain theory to Holmes. Watson goes into great detail and he feels pleased with his deductions when Holmes seems to agree with his conclusions. Holmes soon bursts his bubble when he informs Watson that he just wanted to see what a lay person would think. Holmes then proceeds to lay out what really happened which is nothing like Watson thought. Very funny stuff.This a classic story that I think everyone should read at least once since it is referred to quite often. I am not sure when I will visit Holmes again as I have quite a few Christies on my TBR pile. However I am certain Holmes and I will meet again.

[ben_a_11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love all Holmes, and this story is perhaps the finest. those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The only Sherlock Holmes book I have ever read. This was a fairly straightforward read, with enough characters to treat as 'suspects' so it isn't obvious 'whodunnit'. In fact, given that the source of the deaths appears to be a supernatural being, it's always at the back of your mind that there may be some spooky solution, which adds an interesting dimension.

[strtrkrob · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Readers do a disservice to Arthur Conan Doyle in preparing to read "The Hound of the Baskervilles," if they expect a predictable story. Doyle wrote the book 100 years ago, at a time when "the butler did it" was far less cliché a plot device than it is now.Though the book begins that way, with Holmes and Watson focusing their suspicions on Sir Henry Baskerville's servants, the story quickly turns the reader on his head. Doyle effects numerous twists and keeps his audience clueless 'til nearly the book’s end.Doyle doesn't give his readers enough information to solve the mystery themselves, but he expertly draws together all the seemingly meaningless minutiae as the story progresses.The writing style holds up remarkably well, despite its age. Doyle is quite the wordsmith:"When the butler had left us Sir Henry turned to me. 'Well, Watson, what do you think of this new light?''It seems to leave the darkness rather blacker than before.'"Delicious irony.Only occasionally was do the 19th-century British colloquialisms fail to translate easily into present-day spoken English.This was the first Sherlock Holmes story I'd ever read, so I’m not sure if "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is typical of Doyle's writing style. I tend to hope it is. I'm anxious to read others!Trivial aside: Holmes only mutters the word "elementary" twice in this novel, both near the book's beginning. Much like Star Trek's standard bearer, "Beam me up, Scotty," Holmes never utters the phrase, "Elementary, my dear Watson," in the canonical Doyle stories.

[elliepotten · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novella is quite the classic - and one of the longest-standing books on my TBR list - so I'm glad I was finally, ever so gently pushed into reading it by my ABC challenge. Basic story: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson get called in to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, and to protect his heir, Sir Henry, from falling foul of the family curse - the dreaded Hound of the Baskervilles, a demonic monster on the moors. Twists unfold, characters become suspects before falling out of suspicion again... poor Dr Watson struggles to fulfil his detective duties in the bleak Devonshire countryside, and Sherlock Holmes sits quietly in the background, smoking his pipe, cultivating his ego, and like the Miss Marple of classic literature, forming spectacular conclusions from overlooked details. The joy of this novel is that the likeable Dr Watson narrates the tale, so his fear and curiosity becomes our own without clever Holmes spoiling the excitement by working everything out too quickly.Even though I've seen the television adaptation (starring Richard Roxburgh and Ian Hart) a couple of times, I still couldn't remember all the details of the climactic unravelling of the mystery - and there is something fundamentally chilling about the bleak moors, the craggy limestone and treacherous marshes, and the blood-freezing howl of the unseen, fiendish hell-hound echoing across the empty landscape. A very, very good little book.

[commonreeda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've always loved this story and it's set in what is now my backyard. The gothic atmosphere is over the top, of course and it's quite difficult to get completely sucked into a Dartmoor bog. And did the trains actually run to time between London and Newton Abbot??

[miss_scarlet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The only full-length novel written by Sir Conan Doyle, this book is very chilling and suspenseful. A classic and a perfect mystery novel!

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. Very good and interesting mystery. The narration was very well done too. I liked listening to the story rather than reading it since I tend to get lost and forget what happened in the written Sherlock Holmes books.

[mpolino_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite Sherlock Holmes story. I love the longer format and the spooky location.

[dulac3_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

_The Hound of the Baskervilles_ is probably one of the more famous cases of Sherlock Holmes and is also one of only four novel-length treatments of the cases of the great detective. It’s a solid story and is perhaps primarily of interest in the apparently supernatural element which lies at the heart of the case. Indeed this element of the tale, along with its ultimate resolution, is very interesting when viewed in the light of Doyle’s subsequent conversion to spiritualism and when looked at from this angle the numerous comments in the story about the credulous peasants who give credence to the supernatural gain a somewhat ironic lustre.

I do think, however, that the story was far from the strongest of Doyle’s outings with his most famous creation. Its main failing lies primarily in the fact that the real draw of all of these stories is largely absent for the bulk of it: Sherlock Holmes himself. I wonder whether Conan Doyle was trying to keep his distance from the creation whose popularity he had begun to view with a growing ambivalence? As it is we do have the opportunity to see Watson acting on his own as Holmes’ agent which is of some interest, but I’m afraid that he doesn’t hold a candle to his confederate as a fully compelling character study. Stolid and not without resources as an investigator he may be, but there really is no substitute to the biting commentary and unique perspective of Holmes himself.

I will avoid giving much of a plot outline, since it’s probably either already known or not desired due to the possibility of spoilers in the case. Suffice it to say that an apparently insoluble death leads our intrepid team to the foggy moors of England’s West Country where they not only hope to solve one death, but also to prevent another. Doyle goes all out in peppering the trail with utterly ambiguous clues and numerous strands and false leads until things can be brought to their ultimate and satisfying conclusion. I did learn one interesting tidbit: apparently as far as Dr. Watson is concerned it's ok to let an insane psychopath go free as long as he will leave England and only be a burden and a danger to the people of South America. Nice one, doc.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the most famous Sherlock Holmes novel, and certainly one of the best, the spookiest and most atmospheric, set in 1889 in the eerie moors of Devonshire. Right from the beginning we're given a demonstration of Holmes' gifts when, from a walking stick left behind by a visitor, Holmes is able to deduce a wealth of details about the man, down to the breed of his dog. Add a centuries old manor inherited by the young Sir Henry Baskerville along with a centuries old family curse involving a demon hound that has seemingly killed the previous squire, a butler and housekeeper of the manor with secrets, an escaped murderer loose upon the moor, and several suspicious neighbors: Franklin, a litigious crank with an estranged daughter, the mysterious Stapletons--and you have quite a delicious brew served up.One thing I noted, giving some of the bumbling depictions of Watson I've seen, is that Holmes himself commends Watson for his "zeal and intelligence" and Holmes tells Baskerville that "no man ... is better worth having at your side when you are in a tight place." If Watson seems dim, it's only because Holmes casts such a bright light. Not very long, this was a very enjoyable and quick read.

[kimmr_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic tale which never gets old, this short novel has something for everyone. It's classic Sherlock Holmes, so there is a compelling mystery, great characters and wonderful atmosphere. From the rooms of 221B Baker Street, to the streets of London, to the misty Moor, the sense of time and place is masterfully evoked. There are clues to be discovered and the resolution to be explained to Dr Watson (and thus the reader!) in Holmes' inimitable style. Small wonder that Conan Doyle has influenced generations of mystery writers and that his tales of the great detective still resonate today.

The audiobook was competently narrated by Simon Prebble. A small quibble I have is with his voice for Beryl Stapleton. Her "slight lisp" - as it is described in the text - came out as akin to the accent of Manuel in Fawlty Towers: somewhat distracting, but not fatal to enjoyment.

This was a fun buddy read with my friend Jemidar. Highly recommended!

[kgib_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My first Sherlock Holmes; I want to read more just because I'm sure there must be better ones.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have seen several movie versions of this story, but the actual written word surpasses the visual presentation. Doyle is a master of description of character and setting. He sets the mood for that great hound to come charging into the moor. The women are minor characters in the majority of the stories, but they hold a few trump cards. I like the way Dr Watson unfolds the story and summarizes the deeds. Watson stands like a celebrated barrister and presents the case.

[jthierer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic of the mystery genre. Sherlock Holmes and his faithful assistant are called in to investigate a seemingly supernatural hound haunting the Baskerville family. The mystery is satisfyingly creepy, without becoming ridiculous or unbelievable. I would complain about the notes in the Penguin Classic edition, though. People who have never read the story before should be careful not to read the notes, as several of them reveal important plot points.

[lauras4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is quite the adventure for any mystery fans out there. The horrible howling of the hound is heard across the Moore, and all the while the family of Baskervilles falls off one by one, becoming victims of the superstitions of the the tale of the hound. The witty pair, Watson and Holmes, take the reader on a very investigative journey that leads them down many paths, all of which fall to great horrors and surprises. This book will astound you as you try to uncover the mystery of the hound of the Baskervilles.

[4sarad_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Sherlock Holmes book and I wasn't too impressed. I thought Holmes was just really mean, and Watson was too meek. Holmes barely appeared at all in this book and it consisted mostly of Watson's letters to him. The story was interesting enough, but I never at any point was confused as to who the villain of the story was. I was hoping this story would include a mystery that was nearly impossible to solve, but that wasn't the case at all. A real disappointment.

[enamoredsoul_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reading Sherlock Holmes in an edited version as part of your fifth grade curriculum is probably not the best introduction to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - however, my initiation into the world of Sherlock Holmes was through the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles. And once I got into this world, I could never extract myself. The story starts with the calling of Sherlock Holmes to investigate the death of a Charles Baskerville, whose fortune is being inherited by a Henry Baskervilles, whose life is also in danger, according to Holmes upon investigation. The twist in the story comes with the family history including the legend of a supernatural "Hound" that has haunted the moors, and the Baskervilles, due to an ancestors cruelty. Holmes and Watson work together to solve the mystery, as you well know, neither believes in the supernatural. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's genius lay not only in the forensics that he brought into play in his tales, or merely the mystery and the thrills his stories entail, but also in characterization. He had a knack of creating characters that you could visually, and then set them in scenarios and locations just as vivid as the characters themselves. That, therein, is what made The Hound of the Baskervilles such an interesting read for me.

[trasuz1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I purchased this in 1987 and it is one of the books that I often reread.

[narwhaltortellini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After being decently entertained but not overly impressed by the other couple Sherlock Holmes novels, I decided to give him one last try with this one since I'd heard it was the best. It doesn't really give any more of the main thing I was hoping for when starting these books—a more involved look into the personality and quirks of the potentially interesting Holmes—but it does somewhat get rid of one of the biggest problem I had with the other stories.After the initial setup, most of the unfolding of the mystery is seen through the eyes of Watson without Holmes around. That means there's no more Holmes standing around talking about how he thinks he's got the whole thing solved but can't tell us the answer for some artificial reason that is surely just the author not wanting to give everything away too soon. Without that little irritation to constantly pull me out of the story to see the author standing above me pulling the strings, the mystery was a little easier to invest in, and the whole novel as a whole just felt more solid.Still, rather than plots or mysteries, it's characters I tend to want to invest in when reading, and that's not really what these books are about. Thus I think I'll be ending my little endeavor to try Sherlock Holmes books. They aren't a bad read, but they aren't something that overly appeals to my personal tastes.

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really don't remember much of the Sherlock Holmes stories I read back in elementary school save for two conclusions (the speckled band and I don't remember the name of the other one, just the unusual murder weapon) and the fact that I really did like them. I had always thought that I would read them again but never had. This interest was re-awakened when Robert Downey, Jr.'s version of Sherlock Holmes came out in theaters and again just a couple months ago when I discovered, and fell in love with, BBC's version. This particular story I apparently had no familiarity with because I had no idea of what was going on. I found the language a little difficult to catch on to and did find myself re-reading many paragraphs to try and understand what it all meant. However, there were a few things that I loved...mainly Holmes and Watson. I see now why these characters have indelibly made their mark on literature and other assorted media. When Watson made his discovery out on the moor, I sat there grinning like an idiot. It was so cool. I was also taken by Doyle's descriptions of the moor in the moonlight, it makes it sound both desolate and intriguing.I was surprised by the lack of Holmes throughout much of this particular book and think I would like to take a stab at reading some of the other classic Holmes tales wherein I assume he makes more of an appearance. Perhaps the original version of "A Study in Pink" will be my next foray into this classic series (probably where I should have started to begin with LOL), as they did such a fantastic job re-creating the modern version on BBC.Quite enjoyable and a story I'll probably hold on to for my sons.

[breakbeat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having never read (or watched) a Sherlock Holmes story, I wasn't sure what to expect. The story starts on the Devonshire moors where the legend of the Hound is laid out. The story takes a swift turn to London where the creepiness starts and as Dr Watson returns with the new owner of Baskerville Hall to investigate whilst Holmes in busy with something else in London. Dr Watson then investigates all potential suspects uncovering many pieces of the puzzle but arriving at dead ends. Of course Holmes steps in near the end with some ideas of his own and manages to tie up Watson's dead & loose ends, solving the case. I found the story kept good steady pace and didn't feel at all dated, the plot twists & turns just keep coming.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read a fair number of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but this was the first novel-length one I've picked up. Holmes is called in to get to the bottom of the death of a man connected to a family legend of a hellhound. Holmes and Watson of course do not believe in the supernatural, and their methodical tying up of all the loose threads is fascinating, particularly considering this was written in a time before fingerprinting and DNA evidence. I suppose there are those who do not enjoy having every single minute detail explained, but to me that's what delights me most about Holmes stories: he loves to explain how he came to every single one of his seemingly random deductions. I especially like Holmes's childlike enthusiasm when faced with a challenge: the more difficult it is, the more he enjoys himself. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this story, however, is how much of it is solved by Watson on his own. Evidently his many years as Holmes's companion have rubbed off on him. My husband has a huge tome o' Holmes on our bookshelf; I may have to read more of it.

[amyelizabeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the first Sherlock Holmes novel I've ever read, even though I have had The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes sitting on my bookshelf since middle school or earlier (I got it with a 2 for $1 deal at Walmart). I like to read a series in its entirety and in order, and it was frustrating to me to not know which came first and what else there was; but then I realized that I was going to have to let it go and just enjoy what was in front of me (especially if I was going to finish it in time for the book club next week).This, I believe, was a great introduction to the world of Sherlock Holmes. We all know of Holmes, through TV, movies, stories, etc. And really, he lived up to all of my expectations. I can't really say that his character surprised me in any way, because he's been so well-defined in other media. Which, in this case, is a good thing.The Hound of the Baskervilles is the only full-length Holmes novel, and it is definitely an adventure. From London to the moors of Devonshire, the reader is kept interested by Dr. Watson's account and interest in the neighbors of the haunted and cursed Baskervilles.Legend has it that Hugo Baskerville was a villainous man, and his evil deeds led to the creation of a very real demon from Hell, which hunted him down and killed him, with the threat/promise of killing the rest of his family for generations to come to atone for his misdeeds. And it seems that this curse is real, because many years later his descendant, Sir Charles Baskerville, is chased down and killed, the only evidence being a single footprint of a hound near the body. The last living relative, therefore, must come to live at Baskerville Hall, but not before enlisting the services of the one and only Sherlock Holmes.Will Holmes solve the mystery in time, or is there really a supernatural demon loose that cannot be stopped until vengeance is had? I was kept intrigued throughout the creepy and mysterious chapters, but not freaked out enough that I had to sleep with the lights on, which is a good combination for me. So, if you like a good mystery but don't like being scared silly, I highly recommend you read The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 4 out of 5 stars.

[hhornblower_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been a very long time since I read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories, I think I was still in grade school, and now I'm going to have to go back and read them all, just such enjoyable reading. I was surprised at how it can still bring you to the edge of your seat.

[fig2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Can Holmes find the truth behind the legend of the murderous demon-dog which has haunted the moors for ages? Spooky, dramatic and exciting, this classic is as intriguing as it is memorable. A non-stop page-turner!