The rich landowner Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead in the park of his manor surrounded by the grim moor of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon. His death seems to have been caused by a heart attack, but the victim's best friend, Dr. Mortimer, is convinced that the strike was due to a supernatural creature, which haunts the moor in the shape of an enormous hound, with blazing eyes and jaws. In order to protect Baskerville's heir, Sir Henry, who's arriving to London from Canada, Dr. Mortimer asks for Sherlock Holmes' help, telling him also of the so-called Baskervilles' curse, according to which a monstrous hound has been haunting and killing the family males for centuries, in revenge for the misdeeds of one Sir Hugo Baskerville, who lived at the time of Oliver Cromwell.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was written in 1901, eight years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already 'killed off' Sherlock Holmes in his story, "The Final Problem." However, the novel was not a sequel - the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles take place before those of "The Final Problem."When Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes, there was much public outrage and grief. More than twenty thousand people quit their subscription to the Strand, the magazine which had popularized the stories. After of The Hound of the Baskervilles proved such a great success, though, Doyle decided to bring the character back to life in 1903, with the story "The Adventure of the Empty House." Luckily, "The Final Problem" contained enough gaps that Doyle could plausibly claim that Sherlock Holmes had faked his own death.The novel was published in serial form from 1901 to 1902, in the Strand. It is the third out of four novels which Doyle would write about Holmes. It continues to enjoy much success today, and is considered by some Sherlock Holmes scholars to be Doyle's best work. It has inspired over twenty film and television reinterpretations, made in places as diverse as Germany, Australia, the USSR, Canada, the United States, and of course, the United Kingdom. The most recent such reinvention of this story can be seen in the BBC series Sherlock, although this retelling very much differs from the original novel
Terrifying, thrilling and addictive - the celebrated tale of chilling murder, played out on the bleak, eerie wilds of a West Country moor. The greatest detective of them all is back... 'Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face'. Death by natural causes? Sherlock Holmes knows that Sir Charles Baskerville's demise was due to no such thing. Was he killed by a phantom hound or is this the work of a calculating murderer?
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Dr. James Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes for advice following the death of his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville. Sir Charles was found dead on the grounds of his Devonshire estate, Baskerville Hall. Mortimer now fears for Sir Charles's nephew and sole heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, who is the new master of Baskerville Hall. The death was attributed to a heart attack, but Mortimer is suspicious, because Sir Charles died with an expression of horror on his face, and Mortimer noticed "the footprints of a gigantic hound" about 50 yards from where Sir Charles lay dead. The Baskerville family has supposedly been under a curse since the era of the English Civil War when ancestor Hugo Baskerville allegedly offered his soul to the devil for help in abducting a woman and was reportedly killed by a giant spectral hound. Sir Charles believed in the curse and was apparently fleeing from something in fright when he died.The primary mystery involves the death of Sir Charles Baskerville at his estate in the beautiful countryside of Devon, but interestingly, the author also includes a number of mini-mysteries which I found engaging and helped keep my interest throughout. In fact, the story commenced with a mini-mystery involving the identity of the owner of a walking cane left in Holmes' office. Dr Watson produced a very sound analysis of what type of person the owner might be by observing such things as wear and tear and bite marks on the cane itself. However, after Watson's seemingly brilliant observations - Holmes then proceeded to critically tear apart Watson's assumptions and arguments, piece by piece, until the poor man's position was totally and irrevocably obliterated. This seems to be a bit of a theme - if I was Dr Watson, not sure I'd hang around with a bloke like Sherlock.Yet, despite this condescending treatment, Dr Watson seems to have almost a sycophantic relationship with Sherlock. It must be said though, Sherlock Holmes is a very impressive character. His lines of reasoning and modus operandi are always logical and altogether brilliant. To me, his powers of deduction always seemed to be sensible, he used very linear arguments and despite the red herrings lying about the place - he made complete sense.The narration by Dr Watson is a great tool used by the author to not only explain what was going on but to re-empathise parts of the narrative that may be a bit too complex (for my addled brain anyway), but he also used instruments such as Dr Watson's written reports to Holmes, to further cement the plot into the readers mind.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Dr. James Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes for advice following the death of his friend, Sir Charles Baskerville. Sir Charles was found dead on the grounds of his Devonshire estate, Baskerville Hall. Mortimer now fears for Sir Charles's nephew and sole heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, who is the new master of Baskerville Hall. The death was attributed to a heart attack, but Mortimer is suspicious, because Sir Charles died with an expression of horror on his face, and Mortimer noticed "the footprints of a gigantic hound" about 50 yards from where Sir Charles lay dead. The Baskerville family has supposedly been under a curse since the era of the English Civil War when ancestor Hugo Baskerville allegedly offered his soul to the devil for help in abducting a woman and was reportedly killed by a giant spectral hound. Sir Charles believed in the curse and was apparently fleeing from something in fright when he died.The primary mystery involves the death of Sir Charles Baskerville at his estate in the beautiful countryside of Devon, but interestingly, the author also includes a number of mini-mysteries which I found engaging and helped keep my interest throughout. In fact, the story commenced with a mini-mystery involving the identity of the owner of a walking cane left in Holmes' office. Dr Watson produced a very sound analysis of what type of person the owner might be by observing such things as wear and tear and bite marks on the cane itself. However, after Watson's seemingly brilliant observations - Holmes then proceeded to critically tear apart Watson's assumptions and arguments, piece by piece, until the poor man's position was totally and irrevocably obliterated. This seems to be a bit of a theme - if I was Dr Watson, not sure I'd hang around with a bloke like Sherlock. Yet, despite this condescending treatment, Dr Watson seems to have almost a sycophantic relationship with Sherlock. It must be said though, Sherlock Holmes is a very impressive character. His lines of reasoning and modus operandi are always logical and altogether brilliant. To me, his powers of deduction always seemed to be sensible, he used very linear arguments and despite the red herrings lying about the place - he made complete sense. The narration by Dr Watson is a great tool used by the author to not only explain what was going on but to re-empathise parts of the narrative that may be a bit too complex (for my addled brain anyway), but he also used instruments such as Dr Watson's written reports to Holmes, to further cement the plot into the readers mind.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to the bleak wastes of Dartmoor to solve the mystery surrounding the late Sir Charles Baskerville and a ghostly hound.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was written in 1901, eight years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already 'killed off' Sherlock Holmes in his story, "The Final Problem." However, the novel was not a sequel - the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles take place before those of "The Final Problem."When Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes, there was much public outrage and grief. More than twenty thousand people quit their subscription to the Strand, the magazine which had popularized the stories. After of The Hound of the Baskervilles proved such a great success, though, Doyle decided to bring the character back to life in 1903, with the story "The Adventure of the Empty House." Luckily, "The Final Problem" contained enough gaps that Doyle could plausibly claim that Sherlock Holmes had faked his own death.The novel was published in serial form from 1901 to 1902, in the Strand. It is the third out of four novels which Doyle would write about Holmes. It continues to enjoy much success today, and is considered by some Sherlock Holmes scholars to be Doyle's best work. It has inspired over twenty film and television reinterpretations, made in places as diverse as Germany, Australia, the USSR, Canada, the United States, and of course, the United Kingdom. The most recent such reinvention of this story can be seen in the BBC series Sherlock, although this retelling very much differs from the original novel.Doyle was inspired to write the novel after staying with his friend, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, in 1901. He named the character Sir Henry Baskerville after Robinson's gardener, named Harry Baskerville. Doyle had met Robinson on a return voyage from South Africa, and Robinson, a correspondent for the Daily Express, told him about a legend from his home region of Devon, England. Later, Doyle would write to his publisher that he felt he needed Robinson's name to appear next to his own. "I can answer for the yarn being all my own in my own style without dilution, since your readers like that. But he gave me the central idea and the local colour, and so I feel his name must appear," Doyle wrote.Robinson showed Doyle the moor, know as Dartmooor, upon which the story is based. It is the largest open space in the southern region of England. In a letter to his mother, Mary, Doyle commented that the moor was "a great place, very sad & wild, dotted with the dwellings of prehistoric man, strange monoliths and huts and graves." The atmosphere of a place uninhabited by man is pervasive in the story, and marks a difference from many of Doyle's other Sherlock Holmes stories, insofar as it is set in the country rather than in London
by Arthur Conan DoyleThe rich landowner Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead in the park of his manor surrounded by the grim moor of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon. His death seems to have been caused by a heart attack, but the victim's best friend, Dr. Mortimer, is convinced that the strike was due to a supernatural creature, which haunts the moor in the shape... (more)The rich landowner Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead in the park of his manor surrounded by the grim moor of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon. His death seems to have been caused by a heart attack, but the victim's best friend, Dr. Mortimer, is convinced that the strike was due to a supernatural creature, which haunts the moor in the shape of an enormous hound, with blazing eyes and jaws. In order to protect Baskerville's heir, Sir Henry, who's arriving to London from Canada, Dr. Mortimer asks for Sherlock Holmes' help, telling him also of the so-called Baskervilles' curse, according to which a monstrous hound has been haunting and killing the family males for centuries, in revenge for the misdeeds of one Sir Hugo Baskerville, who lived at the time of Oliver Cromwell.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was written in 1901, eight years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already 'killed off' Sherlock Holmes in his story, "The Final Problem." However, the novel was not a sequel - the events of The Hound of the Baskervilles take place before those of "The Final Problem."When Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes, there was much public outrage and grief. More than twenty thousand people quit their subscription to the Strand, the magazine which had popularized the stories. After of The Hound of the Baskervilles proved such a great success, though, Doyle decided to bring the character back to life in 1903, with the story "The Adventure of the Empty House." Luckily, "The Final Problem" contained enough gaps that Doyle could plausibly claim that Sherlock Holmes had faked his own death.The novel was published in serial form from 1901 to 1902, in the Strand. It is the third out of four novels which Doyle would write about Holmes. It continues to enjoy much success today, and is considered by some Sherlock Holmes scholars to be Doyle's best work. It has inspired over twenty film and television reinterpretations, made in places as diverse as Germany, Australia, the USSR, Canada, the United States, and of course, the United Kingdom. The most recent such reinvention of this story can be seen in the BBC series Sherlock, although this retelling very much differs from the original novel.Doyle was inspired to write the novel after staying with his friend, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, in 1901. He named the character Sir Henry Baskerville after Robinson's gardener, named Harry Baskerville. Doyle had met Robinson on a return voyage from South Africa, and Robinson, a correspondent for the Daily Express, told him about a legend from his home region of Devon, England. Later, Doyle would write to his publisher that he felt he needed Robinson's name to appear next to his own. "I can answer for the yarn being all my own in my own style without dilution, since your readers like that. But he gave me the central idea and the local colour, and so I feel his name must appear," Doyle wrote.
