The Hound of the Baskervilles

Some proclaim Doyle's greatest work to be "The Hound of the Baskervilles." And, it may be just that. Set on a British estate, mixing science fictional accounts with old wive's tales and mythology, it is not a standard tale of urban sleuthing. This involves Holmes outside of London, and working with the "plebians" or "ordinary people" in his mission to save "Sir Henry" from encountering the same fate as his uncle Sir Charles Baskerville. There are tales of adultery, slanting lies and rendevous at late hours of the night in the moor which flanks the estate of Sir Henry. The evenings overlooking the moor are often disturbed by the noisy backdrop of a hound howling, but not the sound of a hound ever heard by anyone before. The moor is dangerously dotted with mires in which a step could mean one's end. Muddy and deep, the step into such places becomes a trap for the unwary. Hence, the moor includes dangers beyond its sounds, it is a place where young and old should avoid unless they know which places are safe and which are not. An entomologist named Stapleton knows the moor inside and out. He befriends Sir Henry and Watson. He cannot meet Sherlock Holmes who must stay in London for other cases. This story follows the day-to-day discoveries of Watson, more than others. In the end, the intertwining of evil that haunts the people in the tiny hamlet becomes staggering and one must wonder - could a village of such small size really have so many people within it keeping such deadly secrets without one of the others (if not all of the others) knowing? Probably not. But, who cares. And, I lastly note that Doyle certainly was more than a mystery writer. His prose rivals Forster or Waugh. For instance, he wrote:"We looked back on it now; the slanting rays of a low sun turning the streams into threads of gold and glowing on the red earth new turned by the plough and the broad tangle of the woodlands.. . Now and then we passed a moorland cottage, walled and roofed with stone, with no creeper to break its harsh outline. Suddenly we looked down into a cuplike depression, patched with stunted oaks and firs which had been twisted and bent by the fury of years of storm." With prose like that, you only conclude: This is more than a mystery novel.

When Henry Baskerville, the last remaining scion of the family, travels from Canada to England to take up residence in Baskerville Hall after the puzzling violent death of his uncle, Sir Charles, he is immediately greeted with a string of baffling mysteries not the least of which is the legend of an enormous hound residing on the moors in Devon. Dr James Mortimer, family friend to the Baskervilles, engages Holmes and Watson to advise and protect Henry and to resolve the issue of the hound's existence once and for all. Not one to believe in supernatural phantoms such as this spectral hound from hell endowed with "blazing eyes and dripping jaws", Holmes dispatches Watson to scout out the terrain and place the neighbouring residents under the proverbial magnifying glass - Stapleton, the accomplished entomologist and his beautiful sister, Beryl, who attempts to warn off Henry from taking up residence in the hall; Frankland, a crotchety busybody with a telescope and his troubled daughter, Laura Lyons, recovering from an ill-advised marriage; and the Barrymores, long time butler and housekeeper to the Baskerville family, who are clearly carrying a disturbing secret of their own. True to the well-established paradigm of the Holmes canon, Doyle allows Watson to tell the tale with a deliciously full serving of speculation, theorizing based on "incomplete data", emotion, gentlemanly bravado, flowery Victorian atmosphere, elegant dialogue, and extensive detail on the routine of daily living at the turn of the century such as communicating by telegram and traveling by coach. His development of the bleak, dark, gloomy atmosphere of the moor is masterful: "Over the green squares of the fields and the low curve of a wood there rose in the distance a grey, melancholy hill, with a strange jagged summit, dim and vague in the distance, like some fantastic landscape in a dream." An easy one evening read over the comfortable space of a couple of hours, The Hound of the Baskervilles moves swiftly from the traditional cozy opening of Holmes' Baker Street digs to a resounding climax that is packed with more excitement and action than almost any other story in the entire Holmes litany. Two thumbs up and a five star recommendation to readers of all ages! Paul Weiss

This audiobook is by far the best audio version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" available today. Reader David Timson does a masterful job. Unlike certain other audio versions where the reader rushes headlong through the book, seemingly without ever pausing for breath, Mr. Timson reads with expression, timing, and style. If you want to hear this novel read the way it should be read, buy the Timson version. It is superb.

The Baskerville family had a myth that haunted them for ages. When it finally comes true, Mr. Sherlock Holmes must come to the rescue. The Baskerville myth of a dog that kills all descendants of the Baskervilles at night on the moor has haunted the family for ages. So, when Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moor, everyone assumes it was the hound. Sir Henry, who is Sir Charles' nephew, comes and inherits the estate with Holmes closely watching. Sir Henry meets the Stapletons, a young couple that are his closest neighbors, and begins to fall in love with Ms. Stapleton. Holmes puts Sir Henry's life at stake at the end of the book, and they catch the culprit in the act. This book is an excellent read that would be the perfect story to read when you can't decide between a mystery and an adventure. This book is an example of how much Sherlock Holmes cares about other people's feelings. When Holmes sent Watson with Sir Henry to inherit the estate , he didn't tell Watson that he would follow to make sure everything was OK, which made Watson feel betrayed and not trusted. Holmes also told Watson that Cartwright had supplied all of his needs for him, which made Watson even more upset. At the end of this story, Holmes puts Sir Henry's life on the line when he lets the hound jump on Sir Henry before he kills it, petrifying Sir Henry with fear. The antagonist is really good at disguising himself in this book. He outsmarts Sherlock Holmes in London with a full black beard, and calling himself Sherlock Homes. The Antagonist also befriends the Baskervilles so that they would never suspect him as the culprit. His plans are very smart, from bribing Sir Charles out of his house to attempting to kill Sir Henry the way back from a friendly dinner. This book has many adventures. Sir Henry and Dr. Mortiemier get dogged in London, Watson and Sir Henry chase an escaped convict, and Sir Henry almost gets eaten by a huge hound. This is the perfect book for any day. It is suspensful, exiting, and it puts you on the edge of your seat. This book deserves a five star rating!

When I began the book, I thought it would be slow going because it was written about 100 years ago. I was SO wrong! I finished the book in a period of less than 24 hours!!! This is an absolutely fabulous book! Doyle's use of language is masterful, and you are swept away to the moor with its swamps, jagged cliffs, and massive hills. I can honestly say I was quite spooked as I was reading some of it at night! Since this is the first novel I have ever read by Doyle, I didn't know what to expect. But the twists in the plot and the constant itching to know what was going to happen next had me hooked! I watched the 1959 movie after reading this, and I have to say it was a disgrace. I don't know if I would be happy seeing any of the versions, only because I don't know if any of them could even compare to the rich world and language used by Doyle to transport you to Devonshire!! But of course, the book is always better than the movie. :)