Book Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Format: Paperback

Pages: 232 pages

Published: April 1, 1902

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Synopsis:

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the tale of an ancient curse suddenly given a terrifying modern application. The grey towers of Baskerville Hall and the wild open country of Dartmoor hold many secrets for Holmes and Watson to unravel. The detective is contemptuous of supernatural manifestations, but the reader will remain perpetually haunted by the hound from the moor.

An ancient curse haunts an English moor in this classic British mystery. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are approached with a case that is too tantalizing and too haunting to pass up. Holmes and Watson travel to Dartmoor to unearth the true secrets of the curse of Baskerville Hall. The famous detective may be skeptical of the supernatural nature, but both Holmes and Watson will find that breaking this ancient curse will make this a difficult mystery to solve.

I love reading mysteries and before reading The Hound of Baskervilles, it is a shame I never took a chance to not only read anything by Arthur Conan Doyle, but also any Sherlock Holmes stories. After reading this story, I definitely will not make that mistake again.

Doyle is considered to be the father of crime fiction and after reading this short story, I can understand why. I enjoyed reading The Hounds of Baskervilles very much and placed in the top mystery books I have ever read. Doyle has not only a great gift of storytelling, but allowing the reader to guess what is going to happen next without veering from the plot. Doyle just didn’t tell his readers a story, it felt like he was allowing us to follow along in the investigation. I felt like I was trying to solve they mystery myself. It has been a long time since I have a read mystery novel and made me feel more like a participant than just an observer.

It was interesting see the mystery and the story, being told in first person, but not by the person, i.e. the detective, who is such an integral part of the story. We may not get a chance to know what Holmes was feeling but to read what Watson was seeing, feel the amazement at how Holmes worked was interesting take on a detective story (and a common theme I have been seeing in other mystery stories written around the same time). People may find this type of narrative a flaw in the story, but I found the story as gripping and intriguing if the story was told through Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes is pompous. But to me, that makes the story more entertaining! And I mean, if you really think about it, what detective is not a know-it-all? I think that is a necessary trait in any good old detective story. You need someone to point it out for you, even if you find them talking to you in a condescending manner. I found it funny and honestly, I don’t think I would have solved the mystery without it.

This a great example of a classic detective story, with enough entertainment and intrigue to go around. Not only is it a great story for mystery lovers, it is a great Halloween read. The ancient curse will give you chills. Overall, one of the best books I read this year. Will definitely read another Sherlock Holmes’s story.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars