Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles (AD Classic Illustrated)

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sidney Paget

In the 17th century Hugo Baskerville is killed by a vicious hellhound. Generations later, Sir Henry Baskerville is found dead at the family estate, and the hound of legend is to blame. Can Holmes and Watson save the next Baskerville heir from an ancient curse before it's too late? Sherlock Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and is renowned for his skilful use of deductive reasoning, astute observation, and forensic skills to solve difficult cases. Deductive reasoning allows Holmes to impressively reveal a stranger's occupation. Similarly, by studying inanimate objects, he is able to make astonishingly detailed deductions about their owners. This mindset was a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, inspiring authors like Robert J. Sawyer, Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Engage Books
• Release date: Jun 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781926606590

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger.

Book preview

Sherlock Holmes

1904 illustration by Sidney Paget

A Division of

Engage Books

www.engagebooks.ca

AD Classic®, BC Classic® and SF Classic® are imprints of Engage Books

www.adclassicbooks.com

First Published by George Newnes in 1902

This edition published by AD Classic in 2011

Jeannette and Joseph Gilder quoted from The Critic in 1902

Cover art by John Atkinson Grimshaw in 1872

Tree shadows on the Park Wall, Roundhay Park, Leeds

Hound illustration by Sir Samuel Luke Fields in 1874

Cover design by A.R. Roumanis © 2010

Original text illustrations by Sidney Paget in 1901-02

Proofread by Amanda Peters

Typeset by A.R. Roumanis

Text set in 10.7/13 Minion Pro

Chapter headings set in 10/20 News Gothic Standard

ISBN: 978-1-926606-59-0

For Kiriakos Chasapoglou

NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

1902

"In The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir A. Conan Doyle has skilfully mingled the criminal and the supernatural element. He first hinted at a ghastly crime perpetrated through heaven knows what uncanny agency. Then he brought back to life the great detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, to unravel the mystery."

– The Critic 1902 AD

Engage Books / AD Classic / Vancouver

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1914 photo by Arnold Genthe

Contents

The Hound Of The Baskervilles

1

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

2

The Curse of the Baskervilles

3

The Problem

4

Sir Henry Baskerville

5

Three Broken Threads

6

Baskerville Hall

7

The Stapletons of Merripit House

8

First Report of Dr. Watson

9

The Light upon the Moor [Second Report of Dr. Watson]

10

Extract from the Diary of Dr. Watson

11

The Man on the Tor

12

Death on the Moor

13

Fixing the Nets

14

The Hound of the Baskervilles

15

A Retrospection

The Hound of the Baskervilles.

1901

illustration by Sidney Paget

CHAPTER ONE

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before. It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a Penang lawyer. Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across. To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H., was engraved upon it, with the date 1884. It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry – dignified, solid, and reassuring.

Well, Watson, what do you make of it?

Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.

How did you know what I was doing? I believe you have eyes in the back of your head.

I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me, said he. But, tell me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor’s stick? Since we have been so unfortunate as to miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of importance. Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it.

I think, said I, following as far as I could the methods of my companion, that Dr. Mortimer is a successful, elderly medical man, well-esteemed since those who know him give him this mark of their appreciation.

Good! said Holmes. Excellent!

I think also that the probability is in favour of his being a country practitioner who does a great deal of his visiting on foot.

Why so?

Because this stick, though originally a very handsome one, has been so knocked about that I can hardly imagine a town practitioner carrying it. The thick-iron ferrule is worn down, so it is evident that he has done a great amount of walking with it.

Perfectly sound! said Holmes.

And then again, there is the ‘friends of the C.C.H.’ I should guess that to be the Something Hunt, the local hunt to whose members he has possibly given some surgical assistance, and which has made him a small presentation in return.

Really, Watson, you excel yourself, said Holmes, pushing back his chair and lighting a cigarette. I am bound to say that in all the accounts which you have been so good as to give of my own small achievements you have habitually underrated your own abilities. It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt.

He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his words gave me keen pleasure, for I had often been piqued by his indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had made to give publicity to his methods. I was proud, too, to think that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way which earned his approval. He now took the stick from my hands and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes. Then with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette, and carrying the cane to the window, he looked over it again with a convex lens.

Interesting, though elementary, said he as he returned to his favourite corner of the settee. There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick. It gives us the basis for several deductions.

Has anything escaped me? I asked with some self-importance. I trust that there is nothing of consequence which I have overlooked?

I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth. Not that you are entirely wrong in this instance. The man is certainly a country practitioner. And he walks a good deal.

Then I was right.

To that extent.

But that was all.

No, no, my dear Watson, not all – by no means all. I would suggest, for example, that a presentation to a doctor is more likely to come from a hospital than from a hunt, and that when the initials ‘C.C.’ are placed before that hospital the words ‘Charing Cross’ very naturally suggest themselves.

You may be right.

The probability lies in that direction. And if we take this as a working hypothesis we have a fresh basis from which to start our construction of this unknown visitor.

Well, then, supposing that ‘C.C.H.’ does stand for ‘Charing Cross Hospital,’ what further inferences may we draw?

Do none suggest themselves? You know my methods. Apply them!

I can only think of the obvious conclusion that the man has practised in town before going to the country.

I think that we might venture a little farther than this. Look at it in this light. On what occasion would it be most probable that such a presentation would be made? When would his friends unite to give him a pledge of their good will? Obviously at the moment when Dr. Mortimer withdrew from the service of the hospital in order to start a practice for himself. We know there has been a presentation. We believe there has been a change from a town hospital to a country practice. Is it, then, stretching our inference too far to say that the presentation was on the occasion of the change?

It certainly seems probable.

Now, you will observe that he could not have been on the staff of the hospital, since only a man well-established in a London practice could hold such a position, and such a one would not drift into the country. What was he, then? If he was in the hospital and yet not on the staff he could only have been a house-surgeon or a house-physician – little more than a senior student. And he left five years ago – the date is on the stick. So your grave, middle-aged family practitioner vanishes into thin air, my dear Watson, and there emerges a young fellow under thirty, amiable, unambitious, absent-minded, and the possessor of a favourite dog, which I should describe roughly as being larger than a terrier and smaller than a mastiff.

I laughed incredulously as Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his settee and blew little wavering rings of smoke up to the ceiling.

As to the latter part, I have no means of checking you, said I, but at least it is not difficult to find out a few particulars about the man’s age and professional career. From my small medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory and turned up the name. There were several Mortimers, but only one who could be our visitor. I read his record aloud.

Mortimer, James, M.R.C.S., 1882, Grimpen, Dartmoor, Devon. House-surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing Cross Hospital. Winner of the Jackson prize for Comparative Pathology, with essay entitled ‘Is Disease a Reversion?’ Corresponding member of the Swedish Pathological Society. Author of ‘Some Freaks of Atavism’ (Lancet 1882). ‘Do We Progress?’ (Journal of Psychology, March, 1883). Medical Officer for the parishes of Grimpen, Thorsley, and High Barrow.

No mention of that local hunt, Watson, said Holmes with a mischievous smile, but a country doctor, as you very astutely observed. I think that I am fairly justified in my inferences. As to the adjectives, I said, if I remember right, amiable, unambitious, and absent-minded. It is my experience that it is only an amiable man in this world who receives testimonials, only an unambitious one who abandons a London career for the country, and only an absent-minded one who leaves his stick and not his visiting-card after waiting an hour in your room.

And the dog?

Has been in the habit of carrying this stick behind his master. Being a heavy stick the dog has held it tightly by the middle, and the marks of his teeth are very plainly visible. The dog’s jaw, as shown in the space between these marks, is too broad in my opinion for a terrier and not broad enough for a mastiff. It may have been – yes, by Jove, it is a curly-haired spaniel.

He had risen and paced the room as he spoke. Now he halted in the recess of the window. There was such a ring of conviction in his voice that I glanced up in surprise.

My dear fellow, how can you possibly be so sure of that?

For the very simple reason that I see the dog himself on our very door-step, and there is the ring of its owner. Don’t move, I beg you, Watson. He is a professional brother of yours, and your presence may be of assistance to me. Now is the dramatic moment of fate, Watson, when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life, and you know not whether for good or ill. What does Dr. James Mortimer, the man of science, ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime? Come in!

The appearance of our visitor was a surprise to me, since I had expected a typical country practitioner. He was a very tall, thin man, with a long nose like a beak, which jutted out between two keen, gray eyes, set closely together and sparkling brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He was clad in a professional but rather slovenly fashion, for his frock-coat was dingy and his trousers frayed. Though young, his long back was already bowed, and he walked with a forward thrust of his head and a general air of peering benevolence. As he entered his eyes fell upon the stick in Holmes’s hand, and he ran towards it with an exclamation of joy. I am so very glad, said he. I was not sure whether I had left it here or in the Shipping Office. I would not lose that stick for the world.

A presentation, I see, said Holmes.

Yes, sir.

From Charing Cross Hospital?

From one or two friends there on the occasion of my marriage.

Dear, dear, that’s bad! said Holmes, shaking his head.

Dr. Mortimer blinked through his glasses in mild astonishment. Why was it bad?

Only that you have disarranged our little deductions. Your marriage, you say?

Yes, sir. I married, and so left the hospital, and with it all hopes of a consulting practice. It was necessary to make a home of my own.

Come, come, we are not so far wrong, after all, said Holmes. And now, Dr. James Mortimer –

Mister, sir, Mister – a humble M.R.C.S.

And a man of precise mind, evidently.

A dabbler in science, Mr. Holmes, a picker up of shells on the shores of the great unknown ocean. I presume that it is Mr. Sherlock Holmes whom I am addressing and not –

No, this is my friend Dr. Watson.

Glad to meet you, sir. I have heard your name mentioned in connection with that of your friend. You interest me very much, Mr. Holmes. I had hardly expected so dolichocephalic a skull or such well-marked supra-orbital development. Would you have any objection to my running my finger along your parietal fissure? A cast of your skull, sir, until the original is available, would be an ornament to any anthropological museum. It is not my intention to be fulsome, but I confess that I covet your skull.

Sherlock Holmes waved our strange visitor into a chair. You are an enthusiast in your line of thought, I perceive, sir, as I am in mine, said he. I observe from your forefinger that you make your own cigarettes. Have no hesitation in lighting one.

The man drew out paper and tobacco and twirled the one up in the other with surprising dexterity. He had long, quivering fingers as agile and restless as the antennae of an insect.

Holmes was silent, but his little darting glances showed me the interest which he took in our curious companion. I presume, sir, said he at last, that it was not merely for the purpose of examining my skull that you have done me the honour to call here last night and again today?

No, sir, no; though I am happy to have had the opportunity of doing that as well. I came to you, Mr. Holmes, because I recognized that I am myself an unpractical man and because I am suddenly confronted with a most serious and extraordinary problem. Recognizing, as I do, that you are the second highest expert in Europe –

Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the first? asked Holmes with some asperity.

To the man of precisely scientific mind the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly.

Then had you not better consult him?

I said, sir, to the precisely scientific mind. But as a practical man of affairs it is acknowledged that you stand alone. I trust, sir, that I have not inadvertently –

Just a little, said Holmes. I think, Dr. Mortimer, you would do wisely if without more ado you would kindly tell me plainly what the exact nature of the problem is in which you demand my assistance.

CHAPTER TWO

The Curse of the Baskervilles

I have in my pocket a manuscript, said Dr. James Mortimer.

I observed it as you entered the room, said Holmes.

It is an old manuscript.

Early eighteenth century, unless it is a forgery.

How can you say that, sir?

You have presented an inch or two of it to my examination all the time that you have been talking. It would be a poor expert who could not give the date of a document within a decade or so. You may possibly have read my little monograph upon the subject. I put that at 1730.

The exact date is 1742. Dr. Mortimer drew it from his breast-pocket. This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death some three months ago created so much excitement in Devonshire. I may say that I was his personal friend as well as his medical attendant. He was a strong-minded man, sir, shrewd, practical, and as unimaginative as I am myself. Yet he took this document very seriously, and his mind was prepared for just such an end as did eventually overtake him.

Holmes stretched out his hand for the manuscript and flattened it upon his knee. You will observe, Watson, the alternative use of the long s and the short. It is one of several indications which enabled me to fix the date.

I looked over his shoulder at the yellow paper and the faded script. At the head was written: Baskerville Hall, and below in large, scrawling figures: 1742.

It appears to be a statement of some sort.

Yes, it is a statement of a certain legend which runs in the Baskerville family.

But I understand that it is something more modern and practical upon which you wish to consult me?

"Most modern. A most practical, pressing matter,

Reviews for Sherlock Holmes

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A veritable classic, what more can you say! Despite the course of time this is still a great story. After all the collections of stories about Sherlock Holmes I really enjoyed the greater depth that a novel allowed with a very intriguing story and some great inventiveness in the writing! I wish he'd written more as extended novels. Definitely should be read by everyone.

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic Sherlock Holmes at his finest. A great story with thrills along the way. I've read and seen the movie versions of this story multiple times, but I still enjoy reading this over and over again. The story never gets old.

[hermit_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sherlock Holmes and the ever present Dr. Watson are brought in to investigate the untimely death of Sir Charles Baskerville where his body was found on the Devon moorland with the footprints of a giant hound nearby and a look of horror frozen on his face. The presumed blame for his death is placed on a family curse by the new baronet. This Gothic mystery novel of a murder will take all of Holmes brain power to solve. He must work within the framework of the family's dark legend of the moors and their fears that this legend will continue. These courageous sleuths have all their skills tested as they try to discover the truth. And we follow them as the plot takes us on a dark mysterious ride with surprising twist.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Het oer-detectiveverhaal, maar minstens evenzeer neogothic verhaal. Breder thema: de zekerheden van wetenschap en rede tegenover bijgeloof; zelfs Holmes als aardsrationalist gaat aan het twijfelen, ook hij gebruikt intuïtie, speculatie en verbeelding! Het verhaal zelf wordt grotendeels gedragen door Watson.Eerste lectuur toen ik 16 was en de finesses nog niet helemaal kon waarderen.

[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!

[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.

[carolfoisset · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Doyle's descriptions of both characters and setting are top notch. I always enjoy "deducing" along with Sherlock and Watson. The mystery in this book was just so-so.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For a large section of this book Sherlock does not appear. You hear Dr. Watson's point of view. It is only later you learn what he has been doing off screen. It was a really enjoyable mystery.

[alcracka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "Hound of the Baskervilles" eight years after he'd killed Holmes in an attempt to abandon what he thought of as bullshit pop writing and an escape to more serious historical fiction, none of which we give a shit about today. We're all familiar with the belated sequel (*cough* George Lucas). (And he did charge double his usual price for its publication, knowing Holmes' popularity.) Furthermore, he wrote it together with one Fletcher Robinson, whose name reminds me of the awful John Fletcher, Shakespeare's protege, with whom Will wrote such terrible plays as Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen.

So how surprising is it to we sequel-weary people that Hound of the Baskervilles totally kicks ass?

But it does. Of the two Holmes novellas, this and "Study in Scarlet," Hound is obviously superior. It's perfectly plotted, and its Gothic theme meshes surprisingly well with Holmes' invincible rationality. It's a terrific book.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did not mention this book in anything I wrote which has survived, but I do remember I liked it much.

[sedelia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book sometime in elementary school, and I'm not going to say exactly how long it's been since then, but suffice to say that I don't really remember the story all that well. It's been on my "need to read again" list for quite awhile, and then my sister got me hooked on the show Sherlock (you guys, SO GOOD!), and after watching their modern rendition of the story, I felt the need to go back to the original.The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably one of the best known Sherlock Holmes novels. It's about a man who has just become the heir to the Baskerville estate; the only thing is, the Baskerville family is cursed to die from a hellhound that comes out at night. And Sir Charles, the man's predecessor, seems to have died from that very hound.There's a reason why the Sherlock Holmes stories have been adapted -- and is currently being adapted -- into movies, TV shows, and other novels: it's just good fun. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a standard Holmes mystery and doesn't contain any real surprises or material that can't be found in his other stories. However, as one of the longer stories, there is much more time to fully develop the characters and intrigues, which is nice. I always love seeing the relationship between Watson and Holmes. Also, I think that this story has some of the more interesting side characters that I've found in Doyle's works.The characters are familiar and loveable, especially Watson. God, do I love Watson. In this particular novel, there are so many surprises, I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. It's also nice to read from one of the authors who has inspired today's detective genre. I will say, however, that the novel has a fairly direct solution to the mystery (not nearly as complicated, or unfortunately, as intriguing, as Sherlock's rendition). But overall, I enjoyed reading this story and think that any Sherlock Holmes or detective mystery fan will like it just as much.

[daniellnic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absorbing read but I don't think Doyle really meant for you to figure things out beforehand.

[tlhelen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Sir Arthur Conan's best detective novels. As he wrote this in the time period where Gothic novels were prominent, it is not the usual detective novel, but with a supernatural twist. When Sherlock Holmes is asked to investigate the mysterious curse which has plagued the Baskerville family for years, he finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. This novel is recommended for all fans of Sherlock Holmes and gothic fiction.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My least favorite (so far) of Doyle's works. It seems a bit more forced than the other stories. I believe it may have been padded to create something more significant than his short stories.

[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.

[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.

[poolspy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

really like every single sherlock holmes story except for this one

[snukes-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I've read, though I've long been a great fan of the short stories. I think the most interesting character in this story, by far, was the moor itself. Having finished the tale, I feel somewhat ambivalent about the mystery itself, but I am very much intrigued by the moor, and would love very much to see it for myself and find out if it deserves all the superlatives that were heaped upon it by Conan Doyle. I found the mystery itself so-so mainly because there was no answer to the question provided by Watson at the end: what was Stapleton thinking he'd do once Sir Henry was out of the way? No clear logic was present and Holmes' theories all somewhat unsatisfying. It felt as if Conan Doyle couldn't think of a solution himself, so he just wrote it off as an unfathomable bit of the mystery. Not what I expect out of our good friend Mr. Holmes.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My first Sherlock Holmes mystery, but probably not my last. Slighly slower pace than a modern mystery, but good whodunit.

[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.

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hound is pure Gothic goodness, with the moors, and mysterious lights, and noises, and danger everywhere. When people talk about life having passed at a slower pace in the past, they could have been talking about this book. A doctor comes to see Holmes about his concern, and over a few days of meetings over meals and slow chases, we get the set-up. Then Watson sets off for an extended stay with the new baronet. The two of them potter about in the country going on lots of long walks and being creeped out half the time. Eventually all is resolved, but apparently Watson doesn't get the final story from Holmes until much later. Leisurely. Plenty of time for Baskerville to fall in love in a non-ridiculous sort of way.

A fun read, with lots of red herrings strewn about.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this before when I was younger, so none of it was exactly surprising to me. It's better than the other two Holmes novels I've read: the structure is better, that is to say, although I also enjoyed the story a little more, probably because it's so iconic and because I remembered somewhat of what's supposed to be going on. Sherlock has less of a spotlight in this, I suppose, since Watson goes about on his own and investigates, but of course, it's Holmes that figures out everything at the end. I actually found the last chapter or so, the explanation, unnecessarily -- although that's probably because I've read it before, so I knew the significance of details like the boots.

Like the other Holmes stories and novels, though, this is easy to read and fun and kinda hard to put down.

[capiam1234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Sherlock Holmes story and I ended up enjoying reading this even though. Had to restart it after halfway through. I apparently read through too fast and got lost in the story and felt that to better appreciate what we have been given in this masterful mystery. I felt that this decision helped establish the characters better and helped me figure out some of the mystery before it came upon us. I'll definitely be reading more, probably starting at book one for a change.

[smcamp1234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Sherlock Holmes story and I ended up enjoying reading this even though. Had to restart it after halfway through. I apparently read through too fast and got lost in the story and felt that to better appreciate what we have been given in this masterful mystery. I felt that this decision helped establish the characters better and helped me figure out some of the mystery before it came upon us. I'll definitely be reading more, probably starting at book one for a change.

[spyderman58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another brilliant story. This one takes on a bit of a different flavor as Watson takes on the central roll for most of the book. Definitely worth a read.

[stacy_chambers-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a terrific read. I can't wait to read more of Doyle's work.

[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.

[rubyscarlett-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've tried numerous times to start Sherlock Holmes at the beginning, i.e. a Study in Scarlet. This was a mistake. I'm so glad I decided to give Doyle another chance with another book picked at random - The Hound of the Baskervilles is a great read with fully fleshed characters. I was recently blown away by a pastiche (Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye) and it was awesome to see where the clear style came from. I like Holmes' method for solving cases, though I think a psychological approach (think Poirot) brings better results. Loved Watson in this and though the end is quite abrupt, I was satisfied with the solution. Will definitely read more books.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Hound of the Baskervilles first chapter is titled. Mr. Sherlock Holmes as previous to this book, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had grown tired of the detective and had sent him to his death but his readership would not let him go and begged for more and so we have this book which was supposed to have occurred prior to his death. The story is about the Baskervilles who live in the the southwest part of England in the moors. The Baskervilles family has been victims of untimely and violent deaths and there is a legend that the hound seeks to kill off the Baskervilles because of a misdeed of one of the early wild Baskervilles. Sir Charles dies mysteriously and there are footprints of a hound nearby. Sherlock Holmes sends Watson to accompany Henry Baskervilles, the heir to the estate, as he goes to take hold of his inheritance. The moor is sinister with its Grimpen Mire, escaped convict and howls of some unknown beast.

Holmes is a rational detective who solves crime by using his reasoning. Dr. Watson is a man of science as well though not as astute as Holmes. These stories reflect the advance of science. The myth of the hound and supernatural speculations reflects the interest in spiritualism that also occurred during this time. The story is enjoyable and often considered to be the author’s best work. I give it 5 stars because it was a good read, interesting story and contributed to future detective novels as well as many movies and TV shows.

[swampygirl-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having read a couple examples of both, I think I generally prefer Doyle's books over his short stories, mostly because in the books there is more showing, rather then just having clients and Sherlock telling the reader everything, over and over again.